VICTORIAN PREMIER CRICKET SEASON PREVIEW
FRANKSTON PENINSULA:
Coach: Paul Boraston
Captain: James Nanopoulous
Last First XI premiership: Nil.
Last season:
The Heat made small in-roads on bridging the gap between their best and worst.
There were performances in which Frankston-Peninsula competed with the best, but then there were outings the Heat went back to old ways.
The five-win, 10-loss ledger didn’t reflect on the promising signs.
Most runs: Brodie Symons (415 at 31.92, four x half-centuries)
Most wickets: James Nanopoulos (22 at 18.09, BB: 4/20)
Ins: Jack Fowler (Dromana), Nillo Patel (Noble Park).
Outs: Akshay Kodoth (Camberwell Magpies), Pat Nagel (Rosebud), Taj Ghandi, Luke Gandy
What we say:
The time is now for the Heat.
There were signs of improvement last summer, but with the emergence of Brodie Symons and the return to red-ball cricket, Frankston Peninsula simply need to make an impact this season.
Red-ball cricket will undoubtedly enhance the outputs from Nanopoulos, Symons, Ryan Hammel, and Nick Taranto, which consequently enhances the expectation.
What they say (James Nanopoulos):
“I think Brodie is one this year that is going to take the next step into the elite category,” he said.
“He’s had a taste of the Stars Academy stuff and hopefully that really drives him to have a real break-out-match-winning season for us, to be able to help him along is my role there, him Ham and a couple of the young spinners, to push themselves into match-winning players.
“It’s great to have Jack Fowler back, he’s got some real talent…I think he’s come back a much more mature cricketer.
“And Vish Bansal, he’s special, if he can get going in a red ball game… he could make some really, really big scores.
“We’re working on him taking that step from two big scores a year, to five or six and being in that elite bracket of batters.”
Round 1: v Footscray at AH Butler Oval, October 8
