Local cricket will waste no time in getting started with Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Associations to begin their seasons this Saturday.
Last season’s GCA 1 grand finalists North Geelong and Newtown & Chilwell meet on the opening day.
Among the rule changes this season is that 1st XI teams in the top three divisions are able to name a sub in two-day matches.
Reigning premier North Geelong has added Alexander Thomson bowler Angus Cranny and Anglesea duo Mick Thornton and Victor Morrow.
Thornton makes the move to the GCA after being one of the Bellarine Peninsula’s best all-rounders. He made 311 runs and took 24 wickets with his lively seamers last season, which included a top score of 123 and best bowling of 5/34. Morrow made 276 runs with a top score of 95.
Newtown & Chilwell will be captained by Lachie Sperling, although Dylan Hodge expects to go around again as a player while right-hand top-order bat Nic Keast joins the club from Nottinghamshire and has played 2nd XI in County cricket.
A new look South Barwon hosts Grovedale and will boast three gun recruits.
Clay Mulgrew joins from Armstrong Creek after being the BPCA’s premier batter for the past few seasons while fellow top-order bat Tom Meredith has crossed from Newtown & Chilwell. Gurpreet Singh rounds off a list of off-season acquisitions with the former Torquay all-rounder able to make an immediate impact.
Grovedale will welcome paceman Tom Smith from St Joseph’s and Riley Stone from Lethbridge. Off-spinner Tom Beasley has also crossed to Burdoo Reserve from Anglesea and can make an immediate impression and batter Andrew Wedge has moved from Torquay.
Will and Ollie Huby return to turf cricket after a couple of seasons at Anglesea and Englishman Jacob Lockheart, from Newcomb & District where he peeled off 464 runs last season, is also a Tiger.
Gun bat Sean O’Neill returns to East Belmont after a season off in what is a huge boost and left-arm paceman Jack Jenkins also returns after a one-year rest to concentrate on footy.
East Belmont’s opponent in round one, St Peter’s, is boosted by top-order bat Brogan Hayman bowling all-rounder Corey Bradnam from WA.
Lara earned promotion back to GCA 1sts after one year in Division 2, although will do so without keeper-bat Jhiah Baxter to Thomson, but that is offset by Vish Malhotra who returns to Bisinella Oval.
Lara will take on St Joseph’s, which has enticed District batter Zane Keighran, off-spinner Luke Backhouse from Corowa and Englishman Chris Wilson, who will bat near the top of the order.
