GRAMPIANS enters the Hamilton and District Cricket Association 2023/24 A Grade season looking to go one better than last summer, when the side finished runner up to College.
A major part of that success has left the club, with champion leg spinner Harrison Wood returning to England after a great summer down under.
His bowling is going to be very hard to replace and the Pumas will likely use a bowler like Joe Sutherland who is very economical to take up the role left by Wood.
The bigger loss may well be that of Stefan Burnell who was brilliant for Grampians with the new ball and as a lower order batsman who valued his wicket.
Ryan Burgess will take the new ball, but who Will Collins chooses to partner him with will be a big issue for the side, with Carl Joyce and Alec McIntyre looming as the best option.
The batting again looks to be solid with Collins and Sutherland at the top of the order; Zac Burgess will bat at three and Joyce at four which gives the Pumas strength in the top order.
Ty Gilmore, Tom Polkinghorne and Eddie O’Shane give the Pumas depth in the batting and will ensure the side posts totals the bowlers can defend.
With five teams from Portland entering the competition this summer the Hamilton based side will have to quickly learn the strengths and weaknesses of these sides when they are drawn to play.
“A fairly big unknown for me, (but I) have heard whispers of different things from other sources but trying to go into the season with no expectations other than they are A Grade cricket sides trying to win,” Grampians skipper Will Collins said.
“Don’t want to go into games thinking anything, except we are trying to win.
Each team will have different expectations and goals for the season, and the Pumas are no different.
“Obviously apart from winning, one thing I would like to see is some more of our juniors get some A Grade experience,” Collins said.
“We have a really good crop coming through Under-14’s and Under-16’s at the moment, with many of them already playing senior cricket in the lower grades.
“I think a few of them are really close to being up to A Grade level, and so giving them some experience would be great for their future and the future of the club.
“Some names that spring to mind are Levi Templeton, Angus Heazlewood, Campbell Glazebrook and Hayden Phillips.
“We also have a few older juniors that have been regulars in our A Grade the last couple of years and it would be great to able to garner them and help them get their cricket to the next level.
“I think for me, College is the team to beat again, as they continue to have such a talented pool of juniors to pull from and such an experienced and well-balanced core group of A Graders as well as having depth in the lower grades to pull from.”
