BY MICHAEL ESPSOSITO
YARRAVILLE could benefit from having an unknown quantity in the 2001/12 Victorian Sub-District Cricket season.
Englishman Curtis Maguire, who plays for Thornham in the Lancashire Country Cricket League will be one of Yarraville’s new gun recruits to bolster the bowling and batting attack.
Head coach George Shaw said all reports about the international recruit, who wants to sharpen his skills to have a tilt at senior county cricket, suggest the 19-year-old bowls with quite some zing.
“From all accounts he goes very well. He’s an all-rounder, and does make hundreds and opens the bowling, and from all accounts bowls with a fair bit of heat. Our understanding at this point in time is that he’s been clocked at 140km/h.”
Maguire is due to arrive in Australia later this month.
He will be one of several young players hoping to make an impact this season. Teenagers Michael Culliver, Brad Shaw and James Keenan played firsts last year and are expected to make more of an impact this season.
“They stood up very well and certainly realised that they’re very capable of playing First XI cricket, so we’re hoping some good things from those three,” Shaw said.
Wicketkeeper batsman and club stalwart Nick Melitis has replaced the out-going Matthew Love as captain of the First XI, while former captain Tim McRae has come on as assistant coach, and will still open the bat and bowl leg-spin for the firsts. Alex Hewat has been named vice-captain.
Shaw said he expected Love to return to Yarraville after a stint with premier league club North Melbourne.
While Yarraville has lost the batting talents of Love, Leigh Holmes has returned after a two-year hiatus.
“Last time he played he made over 600 runs. He would be in the top three or four bats in district cricket,” Shaw said.
Shaw said First XI will be aiming for a top-four finish.
“I think we left five games on the ground last year that we were well in charge of, even though we were a young group. They certainly learnt a lot from that, and I’ve got no question that our goal is to get into the top four even though it is a top six,” he said.
“We certainly believe we can match it with most of the sides in the competition at the moment with the group that we’ve got.”
Yarraville will begin its season on 8 October with an away two-day game against Broadmeadows.
