We preview every club ahead of 2021-22 Gisborne and District season

The Gisborne and District Cricket Association is back, bigger and better, with the addition of three new clubs. How do they stack up against the competition’s heavyweights?

Bacchus Marsh celebrates its McIntyre Shield premiership.

It wouldn’t be cricket season without a Round 1 washout and so it proved across Victoria.

The Gisborne and District competition hopes to finally kick off this weekend with three new teams stepping up to the top-flight McIntyre Shield.

Wallan, Rupertswood and Sunbury Kangaroos lift the competition back to 10 teams and promise to be more than competitive.

Meanwhile, last season’s premier Bacchus Marsh and runner-up Sunbury United appear the teams to beat again.

Check out every club’s ins and outs and finals hopes below.

Scott Wakefield batting for Bacchus Marsh. Picture: Richard Serong

BACCHUS MARSH

Captain: Tom Wardell

Coach: Paul Baker

Last season: premier

In: Brad Croxford (time off)

Out: Alex Porter (Northcote)

Snapshot: The Bulls are perennial premiership contenders and enter the season as favourites to go back-to-back. However, they’ll have to do it the hard way with last season’s top two run-scorers James Lidgett and Alex Porter unavailable. Lidgett has an Achillies injury that threatens his season, while Porter has stepped up to Premier Cricket with Northcote. That’s more than 1000 runs that will need to be replaced. Scott Wakefield (139 runs) and Tom Wardell (119) were the next best Bulls. The attack on the other hand remains arguably the best in the league. Four Bulls finished in the top-six wicket-takers last season, led by competition leader Jared Taylor (24 wickets at 12.50) with Ian Spiteri (19) ranked equal third and Rhys Watson and Jack Powell (18) joint fifth.

DIGGERS REST BULLA

Captain: Rhys Berry

Coach: Nalaka de Silva

Last season: seventh (wooden spoon)

In: Nalaka de Silva (Seville), Rajitha Ratnayake (Whittlesea), Minni Buttar (Burnside Springs)

Out: Jordan McDonald

Snapshot: The Burras are under a new coach in 2021-22 with Nalaka de Silva arriving from Seville in Ringwood and District Division 3. A top order bat and off-spinner, de Silva put up 293 runs last season. Meanwhile, Rajitha Ratnayake and Minni Buttar have also arrived to bolster last season’s wooden spooner. Ratnayake knocked in 301 runs for Whittlesea in DVCA Division 3, while Buttar managed 144 run and took 10 wickets for Burnside Springs in the NWMCA’s top division. Diggers Rest skipper Rhys Berry believes the club can respond after last season’s disappointment and contend for a top-six finish. However, they’ll need more production after not having a batsman in the competition’s top-20 run-scorers last season and only one bowler in the top-20 wicket-takers – Berry’s 12 scalps ranking 16th.

Lindon Dowsett in action for Diggers Rest Bulla. Picture: Hamish Blair

EAST SUNBURY

Captain: Lachlan Wilkins & Josh Taylor

Coach: Mark Wilkins

Last season: fifth

In: Josh Taylor (UK), Tom Burnside

Out: Shannon McDorman (Sunbury United), Lance Watts (retired)

Snapshot: The Power might just have found a gem in Josh Taylor. Arriving after a stint in the UK, Taylor has experience with Queensland Premier Cricket and with Subbies power Oakleigh. He’ll be a key player with bat and ball, while also taking on captaincy duties and an assistant coaching role alongside Lachlan Wilkins. East impressed stepping up to McIntyre Shield last season, finishing just outside the top four, led by Liam Sherlock (320 runs, ranked eighth) and Wilkins (20 wickets at 15.80, ranked second), while Tim Stephens (214 runs), Hammad Rashid (17 wickets, ranked ninth) and Nathan Dent (13 scalps) were also key contributors. Sherlock, last season’s captain, remains a 50-50 chance to play this season as he deals with a knee injury and increased work commitments.

GISBORNE

Captain: Jason Wilson

Coach: Gavin McKay

Last season: fourth

In: Jay King (Sunbury)

Out: Pat McKenna (work)

Snapshot: The perennial premiership contender fell to arch-rival and eventual premier Bacchus Marsh in the semi-final last season and will be desperate to turn the tables. The Dragons are expecting to lose Pat McKenna after the former Australia Under-19 captain made seven appearances last season. Captain Jason Wilson confirmed his team would undergo a facelift this season with six players under 20 selected for the washed out Round 1, including a 14-year-old and two 15-year-olds. Jay King’s return from VTCA outfit Sunbury is a massive boost after the paceman collected 26 wickets at 9.81 in Division 4 last season – ranked sixth. Evergreen Mick Allen will again be a key player after amassing 459 runs at 57.38 (ranked fifth) and 17 wickets (ranked seventh) last season. Wilson (259 runs) and Nick Watson (19 at 15.47, ranked third) will also be heavily relied upon.

ROMSEY

Captain: Ben Way

Coach: Ben Way

Last season: third

In: –

Out: –

Snapshot: It will be a familiar line-up in 2021-22 for the Redbacks with no major changes over the off-season. Instead the club will look for continued growth from its talented young players to keep the First XI in finals contention. Scoring shouldn’t be an issue, led by Way (472 runs at 52.44, ranked fourth), Chris Burkett (380 runs, ranked sixth), Matt Milne (235), Taylor Stevenson (210) and Sean Day (206). Romsey’s bowling will need to find a harder edge if they are to go beyond a semi-final. Darin Jewell led the club with 16 scalps and only Louis Moor (11) and Stevenson (10) reached double digits. Positively, the club’s Second XI has been promoted to Johnstone Shield, which Way believes will improve club depth.

Louis Moor in action for Romsey. Picture: Hamish Blair

RUPERTSWOOD

Captain: Andrew Pizaro

Coach: Andrew Pizaro

Last season: Third in Johnstone Shield

In: Kyle Corcoran (Sunbury)

Out: Joel Muir (Footscray), Max Howell (Gladstone Park)

Snapshot: Rupertswood captain-coach Andrew Pizaro concedes his team will be “very young” this season but believes the First XI exposure in McIntyre Shield will hold the club in good stead for the future. It certainly worked last season as the club finish Johnstone Shield minor premier before losing its semi final to Wallan. Pizaro will again be a key figure after leading the club in runs (376, ranked third in the competition) and second in wickets (23, ranked third). He’ll get plenty of support from Jayden Swallow (333 runs, ranked fifth), Alex Bond (247) and Keegan Guy (21 wickets, ranked fifth). Youngster Joel Muir has departed after finishing last season with the competition’s second most wickets (23) to try his hand at Premier Cricket with Footscray.

SUNBURY KANGAROOS

Captain: Mace Green

Coach: Ryan Pretty

Last season: fourth in Johnstone Shield

In: Ryan Dobbie (St Anthony’s), Adam Fernley (East Sunbury)

Out: Ryan Pretty

Snapshot: The Kangaroos suffered a player exodus before last season but responded superbly to finish second in the home-and-away season before bowing out in the semis. The club will step up to Johnstone Shield this season with a settled line-up – only Ryan Pretty has stepped away, becoming a non-playing coach – and boast weapons with bat and ball. Skipper Mace Green was the competition’s No.1 wicket-taker last season, claiming 30 scalps at 12.13 and was supported by Russell Phillips (23, ranked third) and Jason King (19, ranked eighth). King was also the competition’s second leading run-scorer with 411 at an average of 41.10, underlining his importance to the team. Corey Woolley (272 runs, ranked eighth) and Green (222) also shone.

SUNBURY UNITED

Captain: Upul Fernando

Coach: Upul Fernando

Last season: grand finalist

In: Sammika Ruwan (St Andrew’s), Senura Perera (United Tarneit), Shannon McDorman (East Sunbury)

Out: Dilan Chandima (Darley)

Snapshot: Last year’s grand finalists remain a premiership contender despite losing record-breaking batsman Dilan Chandima to Ballarat club Darley. The Bees have picked up former Sri Lanka First Class wicketkeeper-batsman Sammika Ruwan from St Andrew’s Footscray, Senura Perera from United Tarneit and Shannon McDorman from cross-town rival East Sunbury. Ruwan hit 251 runs at 25 in VTCA Division 4 last season, while Perera knocked up 454 runs at 50 and took seven wickets in Williamstown and District Division 4. Returning captain-coach Upul Fernando is confident his team can go one better this season with a line-up that still boosts himself (323 runs), Rajitha Mendis (17 wickets) Ryan Billinghurst (268 runs), Josh Wallace (12 wickets) and Damien Edwards (201 runs).

Ryan Billinghurst dives for the crease for Sunbury United. Picture: Andy Brownbill

WALLAN

Captain: Steve Bell

Coach: Steve Bell

Last season: grand finalist in Johnstone Shield

In: Kieran Atkin (Bacchus Marsh), Chathura Wanigasekara (United Tarneit)

Out: Ryan Cumberland (Kilmore), Mitch VanDeDuim (Kilmore)

Snapshot: The Magpies step up to Johnstone Shield on the back of a grand final appearance last season. However, they’ll have to do it without last season’s runaway competition leading run-scorer Ryan Cumberland, his 722 runs will be hard to replace but Bryan Vance (339 runs, ranked fourth), Spencer Whittingham (232) and Todd Keenan (216) are more than capable of filling the void. Bacchus Marsh premiership-winner Kieran Atkin’s return couldn’t have been better timed, while recruit Chathura Wanigasekara scored 258 runs for United Tarneit in the Williamstown and District Division 4. Wallan’s bowling attack remains a strength, led by Brenton Hanson (20 wickets at 11, ranked seventh), Reuben Rode (17), Chris Vecchie (16) and Keenan (13). Captain-coach Steven Bell believes his line-up is capable of competing for a spot in the expanded top-six finals series.

WOODEND

Captain: Tom Robson

Coach: Greg Matthews

Last season: sixth

In: –

Out: Ollie Price (Brunswick)

Snapshot: There’s been a leadership handover at Woodend with club great Warren Else handing the reins to Tom Robson. Else, last season’s leading run-scorer and wicket-taker with 272 runs (ranked ninth in the McIntyre Shield) and 11 wickets will continue to be a key member of the team. He was the only Hawk to score more than 200 runs or 10 wickets. The club will benefit from the return of Marcus Stewart and Michael Nalesnyik, who played one and zero games respectively last season. Woodend coach Greg Matthews said the club’s youngsters are “raring to go” and the team will “certainly be pushing for” finals after just two wins last season.