VSDCA 2018-19: Kew on the hunt for a spinner this Sub-District Cricket off-season

Kew will spend the winter searching for a spinner as the VSDCA club continues its hunt to find a replacement for former all-rounder Justin Graham.

Chris Weeks will remain as captain-coach next season. Picture: Hamish Blair

Kew will spend the winter searching for a spinner as the VSDCA club continues its hunt to find a replacement for former all-rounder Justin Graham.

Graham’s departure to Premier Cricket club Prahran, where he accepted an assistant coaching role, on the eve of the season left Kew without a frontline spinner for 2018-19.

Captain-coach Chris Weeks said Kew had identified it needed to find a slow bowler if it was to make a return to Sub-District Cricket finals in 2019-20.

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Graham had been a key figure in Kew’s rise to last season’s grand final, taking 93 wickets (and making 1265 runs) in his four seasons at Victoria Park.

“We’ll be looking for a spinner that can bowl the majority of overs,” Weeks said.

“It was just highlighted if you don’t have a good spinner in this competition or a spinner that can bowl a lot of overs, then you’re going to struggle to put the results the board.

“You look at all the teams that do well or have done well over the last few years, aside from Oakleigh, every team has had a bloke that’s bowled heaps and heaps of overs.

“It found us out last year in the final. Williamstown bowled heaps of spin so if we can do that and use Wildy (David Wildsmith) as a pinch-hitting option, that will suit us down to a tee.”

Kew appeared to be one of the teams to beat this season, racing out to a 4-0 start only to finish with a 5-1-7 record.

But the young batting pair of Lucas Agnoletto and Tom Carroll and emerging paceman Will Sist provided promising signs for the future.

However, Kew will be without Michael Kelliher next season, with the experienced quick retiring.

Kelliher has spent the past two seasons at Kew, taking 35 wickets in 25 games.

“The season didn’t pan out the way we would have liked but we’ve got some pretty proud cricketers and some pretty competitive blokes in those changerooms,” Weeks said.

“We’ve had a pretty successful run in the last bit so we just need to go back and hopefully the hunger is there. There is a bit to prove next year so hopefully we can bounce back.”

Weeks confirmed he would remain as captain-coach next season.