Batsman and keeper Reid Clarke is in fine pre-season form. Pictured here handling a rising ball with ease.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Club will play Wangaratta Rovers this Saturday at home, Victoria Park, in a one-day 40 over match, starting at 1.00pm in the opening round of Wangaratta District Cricket Association for season 2024-25.
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Unfortunately, there will be a bye this season as Delatite is unable to field an A Grade side.
The Lakers will be led for the second season by allrounder Kyle Archibald. “It will be much the same as last year, but there will be opportunities,” he said of the team’s make-up for the first-round clash.
Angus Heslin was bowling quickly at training last Thursday.
“Jim Irvine (fast bowler) has gone to Katty and Matt Casey (batsman) is in Melbourne – they’re our outs.”
With football commitments finished for the year, numbers at training have increased from the pre-season start eight weeks ago.
“We’ve been training for two months and numbers have really increased in the past three weeks,” the captain coach said.
Captain coach Kyle Archibald is pleased with pre season numbers at training and the early form shown by players in respect of lap work, exercising, batting and bowling. About 30 open age players were in full swing last Thursday at Vic Park.
“We’ll have a fully fit Matt Knight (opening bat) this season. Van Kreeck has been very impressive at training.”
The Stan Hargreaves Oval at Vic Park looks magnificent. As does the centre wicket with the preparatory work of Ash Gove praised by Archibald.
There’s no chance of a premiership flag hangover for the Lakers, with the likes of disciplinarians Archibald and president Glenn Brear at the club.
“Never!” emphasised multi premiership leader with the former Yarrawonga Footballers Cricket Club Glenn Brear.
“Kyle Archibald is a man’s man, a very good leader who follows the ethics of our club – more opportunities and more improvement.
“As a club, we’re about improving young and the not-so-young players all the time. Improvement, opportunity – it’s all about improvement and opportunity.”
There will be a bye this season. “Unfortunately Delatite will not have an A Grade side. It’s a bit sad, going from eight to seven teams,” third-year Wangaratta District Cricket Association President Justin Kelly told the Yarrawonga Chronicle.
“It will be the same format as last season, with seven one-dayers (40 overs) and seven two-dayers (75 overs); 14 rounds over 21 weeks. Each side will have a bye in one-dayers and in two-dayers.
“I think the season will be pretty even with Delatite pulling out. Rovers United have lost a couple, Benalla has a former district cricketer and Ovens Valley has recruited a very good Sri Lankan cricketer.”
Mr Brear echoed the association president’s feelings about one less side in the competition. “It’s disappointing because they received a $1.5 million grant to build a new social club,” the Lakers president said.
A Reserve, B Grade and C Grade also start this Saturday, and juniors are ready to go, with good numbers.
