Heartbreak has been a common feeling inside the HSD camp in years gone by but coach Craig Hookey is hoping that can all change this season in the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 2 competition.
HSD will be expected to take care of Silverton in their round one encounter this weekend; the Bakers coming up to Turf 2 after a grand final win saw them promoted last season.
Despite finishing on top of the ladder with a strong 10-2 season record, the Cobras fell short against Parkmore in the grand final.
Hookey has stepped down from the captaincy and will play in the team’s 2nd XI, however, he will remain as coach of the side and was excited about what the new-look team could achieve this year.
While the club lost Triyan De Silva to Turf 1 powerhouse Buckley Ridges, it has welcomed in plenty of Victorian Premier Cricket experience.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results – we have obviously made finals the past four years and played in two grand finals, but we haven’t quite got the job done,” Hookey said.
“Instead of having two or three blokes who can score 350 plus runs for the year, I wanted to get 6-8 blokes who could make 250 runs or so.
“We tried to create a squad that we think is going to be very even and I personally think we’ve done quite well, but time will tell.”
Fast bowler Ryan Patterson will step into the captaincy this season in what Hookey said was “a great selection”.
“No one loves competing more than Ryan and I think when times get tough, he will put the team on his back,” he said.
Some big recruits from Premier Cricket level include Liam O’Connor, Luke Grady, Brayden Lambden and Jude Owen – Kevin Seth is another recruit who last played with Beaconsfield in Turf 1.
In the footy season, we had the great rivalry between Narre Warren and Cranbourne back for this year in Southern Division 1, and the Turf 2 competition has treated us to the same opening game this weekend.
Cranbourne and Narre Warren will battle it out at Casey Fields this Saturday, and while the Eagles will go into this clash as favourites after their strong 2024-25 campaign, the Magpies are looking to fly high.
Cranbourne finished third on the ladder last season and bowed out to eventual premier Parkmore in a semi-final, but with the Pirates now gone, they will be eyeing off premiership glory.
Narre Warren is looking to rise up the ladder under the guidance of new captain-coach Chanaka “Ted” Kahandawala, who hopes his side can produce some scintillating cricket.
“If we want to climb up the ladder, we have to play fearless and positive cricket,” he said.
“We have introduced a lot of young talent into our First XI and I am very excited about it.”
Narre Warren only managed three wins last year, but the club is hoping to start its campaign with an upset victory over Cranbourne.
“We are feeling very confident heading into the first game, because our team and the whole club have put in a lot of preparation,” Kahandawala said.
And you would feel confident if you’d scored 641 runs in 16 hits last season for Keysborough in Turf 3, with the new coach also claiming 21 wickets.
Amila Ratnaike, who scored 635 runs for the Magpies last season, also put pen to paper, along with many other new recruits.
Coomoora will be hoping to make finals this season after narrowly missing out by net run rate in 2024-25, the Kangaroos will take on Parkfield this weekend in what could be the match of the round.
North Dandenong is fresh off relegation and the only way this season will be a success is if they can win the whole thing and get back into Turf 1 – that will be the goal.
The Maroons have had some big signings and will look to overcome Lyndale, who will also be looking to start the season well after falling short in last year’s semi-final against HSD.
TURF 2 FIXTURE
Round 1 (Two-dayers): Coomoora v Parkfield at Coomoora Turf, Cranbourne v Narre Warren at Casey Fields 2, Silverton v HSD at Springvale Reserve, North Dandenong v Lois Twohig Turf.
