HARD-hitting batsman Tim Wood is among three inclusions into the Strathfieldsaye line-up for 2021-22 following eight seasons away from Tannery Lane.
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The Jets head into the new Bendigo District Cricket Association season with Wood and Abe Sheahan two former players who are back in the batting line-up, while all-rounder Campbell Love is also a recruit.
Wood previously played five seasons at the Jets, scoring 1729 runs before stints with Golden Square and Echuca, while young talent Sheahan is back after playing at Premier Cricket club Carlton last season.
While Wood and Sheahan are both familiar faces at the Jets, Love from Warrnambool is new to the club.
"Campbell bowls a bit above medium-pace and is a right-handed middle-order batsman," Jets captain Ben Devanny said.
"He is only young, but has played a lot of junior representative cricket with Darcy (Hunter) and Abe and we think he will go well for us this season."
Gone from last season's team is the Jets' top run-scorer of 2020-21 and opening batsman Nayana Fernando, who cracked 475 runs, while Zoltan Smyth is also a departure and Mitch Cheesman is likely to play with Premier Cricket club Melbourne.
"We thought we could have potentially lost a few others as well with our young guys in Darcy Hunter, Callum McCarty and Connor Lyon having a look at possibly playing in Melbourne, but they are going to stay here for another season," Devanny said.
"Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a position to be thereabouts."
Although Fernando has gone, fellow Sri Lankans Savith Priyan and Chathura Damith are both back for a fourth season with the Jets.
The pair have combined for 144 wickets since joining the club.
The Jets are coming off a 2020-21 in which they spent 13 of the 18 rounds in the top four, but surrendered a finals berth on the last day of the season and finished fifth.
"We had our chances last year to finish in the four... we lost some games that we had been in positions to win and didn't get there," said Devanny, who is captaining the Jets for the ninth-consecutive season.
"Looking at our side, we're probably going to have five or six guys who will be 21 years or younger.
"Being another 12 months older doesn't help me, but for our younger guys like Cal McCarty, who batted No.3 last year, Jed Rodda, who took the new ball, and (leg-spinner) Darcy Hunter who took 20 wickets, they should all be better again.
"Hopefully, with some improvement in our batting we can finish in the top four instead of just missing out."
SEASON FIXTURE:
ROUND 1 - November 13
v White Hills (a)
............................................
ROUND 2 - November 20
v Bendigo United (h)
............................................
ROUND 3 - November 27
v Strathdale (a)
............................................
ROUND 4 - December 4
v Eaglehawk (h)
............................................
ROUND 5 - December 11
v Huntly-North Epsom (a)
............................................
ROUND 6 - December 18
v Golden Square (h)
............................................
ROUND 7 - January 8
v Bendigo (a)
............................................
ROUND 8 - January 15
v Sandhurst (h)
............................................
ROUND 9 - January 22
v Kangaroo Flat (a)
............................................
ROUND 10 - January 29
v White Hills (h)
............................................
ROUND 11 - February 5
v Bendigo United (a)
............................................
ROUND 12 - February 6
v Strathdale (h)
............................................
ROUND 13 - February 12
v Eaglehawk (a)
............................................
ROUND 14 - February 19
v Hunly-North Epsom (h)
............................................
ROUND 15 - February 26
v Golden Square (a)
............................................
ROUND 16 - March 5
v Bendigo (h)
............................................
ROUND 17 - March 6
v Sandhurst (a)
............................................
ROUND 18 - March 12
v Kangaroo Flat (h)
LAST SEASON FLASHBACK:
Finished - 5th
Record - 7-7-4, 1.00%
Bat - 7th Ball - 5th
............................................
Leading run-scorers:
475 - Nayana Fernando
312 - Callum McCarty
307 - Ben Devanny
273 - Pat Felmingham
210 - Mitch Cheesman
............................................
Leading wicket-takers:
23 - Jed Rodda
21 - Savith Priyan
20 - Darcy Hunter
18 - Ben Devanny
16 - Chathura Damith
............................................
Leading MVP points:
742 - Ben Devanny
666 - Savith Priyan
576 - Jed Rodda
562 - Chathura Damith
555 - Nayana Fernando
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS SINCE 2000:
v Bendigo
Won: 12 Lost: 10
............................................
v Bendigo United
Won: 13 Lost: 15
............................................
v Eaglehawk
Won: 5 Lost: 24
............................................
v Golden Square
Won: 7 Lost: 19
............................................
v Huntly-North Epsom
Won: 17 Lost: 9 Tied: 1
............................................
v Kangaroo Flat
Won: 16 Lost: 14
............................................
v Sandhurst
Won: 17 Lost: 12
............................................
v Strathdale-Maristians
Won: 8 Lost: 19 Tied: 1
............................................
v White Hills
Won: 11 Lost: 17
MORE 2021-22 TEAM PREVIEWS:
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