Adam Crosthwaite has been re-appointed as 1st grade skipper once again. Our 1st grade side experienced a number of challenges last year but were only one point away from making the finals and giving the competition a massive shake once again. Unfortunately it was not to be, but it is clear that Adam is the best man to lead our side forward for the coming season and again challenge for the title. Our club is very privileged to have someone of Adam’s experience and pedigree within our club.
Rowan Hamman has decided to retire after a stellar 2 years in charge of 2nd grade, although he is looking at helping out in the lower grades if and when needed. This obviously left a large leadership hole for 2nd grade, but we believe the gap has been very capably filled. As such, we are pleased to announce that Jack Ritchie will be stepping back from 1st grade and has officially been appointed to replace Rowan as 2nd grade captain for the 2016/17 season.
There is no doubt that Jack is still in the top 20 1st grade batsmen in NSW Premier Cricket, so it is a huge coup for the coming season, Jack is excited about working with some of younger players and helping them on their path to be first grade cricketers. At 27, Jack has a huge amount of experience but also a lot of cricket left in him, so it is an appointment for the future as well as the present.
What needs to be said about Warren Evans. After playing grade cricket for nearly 30 years and enduring a number of close shaves and heartaches, he finally picked up his first premiership 2 seasons and is as hungry as ever to continue leading his 3rd grade side to another one. With unrivalled experience in the game and still picking-up more than enough handy wickets along the way, ‘Wazza’ is charging towards the all-time wicket-taking record for the club and is pumped to again lead 3rd grade this coming season.
Last season’s Captain of the Year award winner was Max Burgess, and he is again excited to lead his 4th grade side once again. A disappointing end to last season after so much promise has lead Max to be hungrier than ever and looking for Premiership success. The buzz around 4th grade was as good as any last year, and in only 1 season Max has built an amazing “culture within a culture”. It is great to have Maxy on-board once again.
Finally, Simon Waddington will lead our youngsters in 5th grade for the 3rd season in a row. A former NSW 2nd XI player, ‘Waddo’ has led his side with distinction over the last 2 years and the club is lucky to have a man of his experience once again leading our 5’s. The club is ‘oozing’ junior talent thanks to the success of the Pathway Program, so Waddo will once again have a number of talented young players to call upon throughout the season. Waddo will also have the backing of a variety of senior players who will make guest appearances and help lead his side throughout the year.
We are also pleased to announce that Sam Gainsford has been confirmed as Poidevin-Gray skipper for the coming season. It is a position that Sam was very excited about and a challenge that the clubs management committee believes he is up for. We have a great amount of talent coming through our junior ranks and Sam taking on this leadership position is an exciting part of the season ahead.
Our Green Shield skipper will be announcd shortly.
So there they are, our leaders for the 2016/17 season. With preseason now in full swing it’s time for the kits to be dusted off and for the club to get back into the swing of things. It’s sure to be another successful season!
Bleed Blue
