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Tag: finals berth

  • Stack of recruits for Heat ahead of Premier season

    Stack of recruits for Heat ahead of Premier season

    Frankston Peninsula has picked up a host of players from the local competition as well as a Vic Country player and a spinner currently playing first-class cricket overseas.

    Frankston Peninsula coach Paul Boraston says the plan is “to be playing in late March”.

    He’s alluding to a long overdue finals campaign for the Heat, who haven’t made the Victorian Premier Cricket top eight in a decade — their last finals appearance was in 2013.

    “That’s the aim,” Boraston said.

    “It’s been probably over 10 years now since Frankston have made the finals. Obviously the club played in the grand final in 2010-11.

    “We missed out by a game last year. So that’s the idea, to try and improve again and be playing in late March.”

    Frankston Peninsula will celebrate its 30th anniversary next season; a finals berth would be a fitting way to celebrate it.

    Boraston says the full-time availability of former Australian and Victorian spinner Jon Holland, who has retired from first-class duties, would be a great boost to Frankston’s hopes of climbing the ladder in 2023-24.

    “Obviously having Jon Holland will be huge for us,” he said.

    “We hope he will play every game.”

    An influx of talented local players will also strengthen Frankston Peninsula’s list.

    Heatherhill all-rounder Aidan Lenehan, Flinders teenage batting star Sam Gove and big-hitting Ben Walker from Delacombe Park will have a crack at Premier Cricket.

    Lenehan, a genuine all-rounder who bats well and bowls at a good clip, played in Vic Country’s national title triumph in Canberra in January.

    Gove hit 441 runs at 36.7, inclding two centuries, for Flinders last season. At 16 years and 10 months, he was the second youngest player in history to represent Mornington Peninsula at Country Week.

    Walker – the nephew of club great Luke – hit 419 runs at 29.9 for Delacombe last season.

    Mikis Vemis, an exciting all-rounder from Mt Martha who captained the Heat’s Dowling Shield side last season, has impressed at pre-season training.

    “He looks like he’s a decent all-rounder, a big tall kid,” Boraston said.

    Mornington’s tall paceman Cameron Moon has also been training with Frankston but is yet to commit to playing there.

    “He’s been training quite regularly so we are hopeful that he will. He will be good if he does,” Boraston said.

    Baxter leg-spinner Yohan Maddege, who is currently playing first-class cricket in Sri Lanka, is another possible recruit.

    “We obviously need to get all the visas done but he’s committed to us and that’s what he wants to do, play Premier Cricket,” Boraston said.

    “He’s in Sri Lanka at the moment playing some first-class cricket but we hope that he’ll be on board as well.

    “We want to get the best talent from the MPCA.”

    Frankston Peninsula has also secured two players from rival Premier Cricket clubs.

    Prahran paceman Ben Sexton, 20, has joined the Heat in search of more first XI cricket.

    “He will be good for us, will add to the depth and strength in the quick department,’’ Boraston said.

    Ned Hurley, from Carlton, has played twos and threes and has moved down Frankston way.

    Frankston Peninsula will have a weekend away playing games against Northcote in Numurkah in late September.

    The Heat hosts Carlton first up in a one-dayer on October 7.

    Frankston Peninsula turns 30, having hit-off in the elite Victorian competition in October, 1993, under captain-coach Shaun Graf, with the late Bill Foley as president and the great Dennis Prendergast vice-president.

    Originally published as Victorian Premier Cricket: Frankston Peninsula adds key recruits

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  • True Blues add ready-made stars in finals push

    True Blues add ready-made stars in finals push

    Prahran is preparing for a dazzling 2023-24 with the addition of four impressive recruits. See the latest.

    Prahran is set to fast track its push for a Premier Cricket finals berth with the additions of four ready-made stars.

    The True Blues have added Anna O’Donnell, Mia Perrin and Lucy Page from Melbourne, as well as Olivia Henry – who currently holds a state contract with Victoria – from Ringwood.

    Although it was competitive each week, Prahran finished at the bottom of the Women’s First XI standings in 2022-23 and has made moves that should see it propel up the ladder next summer.

    Prahran president Nigel Parsons welcomed the four high-calibre players, outlining what they bring to the young and promising True Blues group.

    “I think if you go back a few years, we had a number of Victorian players – some have retired, Alanah King went to WA, Erica Kershaw went to ACT, ect, ect,” he said.

    “We had a strong depth of talent and when you lose five or six (players), you leave a massive gap in your depth, so we have really focused on the last two years in building up the younger generation.

    “We have a number of under-17 and under-19 state players, Paris Bowdler has been contracted by ACT, which is just wonderful for her.

    “We have been fixated on development but you have to build some depth, we feel if we don’t get the depth right we won’t progress the results on the field.”

    Parsons is confident O’Donnell, Perrin, Page and Henry bring a level of knowledge of the game that is unmatched.

    “Someone like Anna brings a heap of experience, she will act as our bowling coach and she’s obviously got an outstanding Premier career behind her,” he said.

    “She is not only going to bring capability and depth, but a world of knowledge to fast track some of the great talent we have at the club.

    “I think both of them (Anna and Henry) bring that knowledge base on the field but – as importantly, if not more importantly – that knowledge at practice.

    “When it comes to finals you need that depth and experience to step up, hopefully we will get that with Anna.”

    Prahran is expecting Toorak Park to be ready for play by January and the facilities to be finalised by June 2024.

    Originally published as Premier Cricket: Prahran has added a stack of recruits ahead of the 2023-24 season

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