By RUSSELL BENNETT
EMERALD’S West Gippsland Cricket Association (WGCA) Premier side is looking to build on its first year in the top tier last season and has recruited wisely to help take that next step towards a finals spot.
Michael Nell, a veteran middle-order presence, has come to the club from Narre Warren – having recently moved to the hills.
He will add a much-needed steadying influence to the line-up but returning captain AJ Walker said Nell was just one of about a dozen new faces at Bomberland.
“We’ve got five or six blokes who’ll all rotate through the ones and the twos throughout the year but I’d think Michael would be a certain starter along with big Alex Cann, who had a couple of years away from the club, played school cricket at Haileybury and had a stint down at Hawthorn-Monash,” Walker said.
“Alex played juniors here and really impressed in his last year here.
“He batted a little bit down the order as a young fella but has all the makings of an opener.”
Emerald has retained its list from last season and has sought to build on what was a particularly young list.
Improved depth, particularly in the Bombers’ batting stocks, was a must for 2014-15 – given that the club’s seconds have moved up to Sub-District.
“Last year we got to sink our teeth into Premier and we were really competitive in most of our games but we just didn’t quite have the maturity or the experience to finish off games and win the close ones,” Walker said.
“This year is about cementing that spot in Premier and I think we’ve got lots of natural improvement in us.
“For the first year up in Premier last year some of the guys probably felt it was a bit overwhelming at times but I think with a year under our belts now they’re used to the pressure of top-grade cricket.”
Of those who could step up and take their game to the next level, Walker highlighted young batsman Julian Scott.
“He’s a good cricketer already but I think he’s only a year or two away from making plenty of runs and stamping himself in the top grade,” Walker said.
“He just needs a good score in the top grade – an 80 or a 90 – to build that confidence up.”
Tom Baldock is currently impressing with both bat and ball in England and he looks like being back in the Emerald line-up in the opening few rounds.
But it might not be on an overly familiar pitch. While Emerald is waiting for its Chandler Reserve home to once again be up and running, the Premier side will play its home games at Haileybury in Berwick.
As for Walker, he will look to hit the ground running after being bothered by an arm infection last season and a recent neck injury which he sustained playing footy for Montrose in Division 1 of the Eastern Football League.
The Bombers’ coaching structure is slightly different in season 2014/15, with a panel made up of Walker, Clinton Marsh, Rod Smith and newcomer Jayson Browne leading the club forward.
