Hawks get a boost as cricket season dawns

THE return of champion batsman Martin Head from retirement and the signing of Tom Miller, an exciting young batsman from the north of England, have given Margaret River Hawks Cricket Club a timely fillip on the doorstep of the new season.

The Busselton-Margaret River A-Grade competition kicks off this Saturday with Hawks hosting Cowaramup at Gloucester Park, Yallingup-Oddbods playing Vasse at Barnard Park and Dunsborough meeting St Marys at Dunsborough.

In B-Grade cricket, Yallingup-Oddbods will meet Vasse while Dunsborough play St Marys. The C-Grade season starts on October 21.

Head, a five-time Cricketer of the Year, is fit and keen to play his first full season in more than five years, said new Hawks A-Grade skipper Jack Green.

“Our numbers at pre-season training have been great, and we have had excellent registrations of juniors including 35 players for Master Blasters in the 6-10-year-old age range,” said Green.

Miller is an 18-year-old attacking top-order batsman from Marton Cricket Club in Middlesborough in England’s north-west region.

“We watched a lot of frogbox footage from the UK and did a lot of investigating before we settled on this player,” Green said. “Our selection criteria included personality traits such as mixing in with the local community and also coaching ability. We think Tom will blend in well with the club and will be a real asset for us.”

Green, 36, is making his senior captaincy debut this year, after rejoining Hawks last season following a 15-year stint in Perth.

“The things I value as captain include recognising equality between players, and pushing standards at training as high as they can be,” he said.

Reigning A-Grade Cricketer of the Year Rumesh Silva will again pad up for Hawks, after settling in the region with his young family. Legspinner Peter Crimp and speedster Mat Kent are another two veterans to whom the Hawks will turn this year to take wickets.

Hawks have named Michael Earl to captain their B-Grade team, and will name their C-Grade skipper this week. “Our numbers are looking much better than last year, and I am hopeful that we will enter a Hawks C-Grade side in the T20 competition in January,” Green said.

Opening batsman Tom Winetroube and left-arm quick Adam Dagless have both returned to the UK after enjoying the past year at Hawks. Danny Weston is again preparing the track at Gloucester Park, following his good work there last season.

Meanwhile at Cowaramup, the Bulls have signed 21-year-old batting allrounder Ben Cox from Shirley Cricket Club near Southampton in England’s south as their import for the 2023-24 season.

“Lachie Kirkham played alongside Ben in England this year – he’s got good credentials and has been in good form recently. We hope he will do well for us,” said Bill Cawley from Cowaramup Cricket Club.

Josh Curtis will again skipper Cowaramup’s A-Grade side, which made it into last year’s grand final, with Fraser Oates named as vice-captain.

Unfortunately the Bulls are missing some key players at the start of the season. Fraser Oates will miss the opening rounds due to work commitments, and talented batsman Chris McLean is likely to be missing in the first round with a calf strain.

Another strong player who is out for the Bulls is allrounder Drew Harbron, currently in the Eastern States.

Connor Oates and Dan Williams are likely to open the A-Grade bowling this weekend, and Archer Coates will look after the stumps.

Bill Cawley, who is filling in for A-Grade this week, will share the C-Grade captaincy with Pierce Coughlan and Jarrid Durham this year.

“Our young guns are champing at the bit to get going, and when our full squad is back we should be a force to contend with,” said Cawley.

“We are hoping for big things this year from our young players in senior ranks, including Ben Cook, Quinn Giroud, Byron Newton and Josh Fry.

“We have great numbers in the junior teams, particularly in our Under-14s, Stage 2 and Stage 1 sides.

“The club is in a good spot at the moment, and Bob Biddulph has done a lot of work behind the scenes.”

Allrounder Ben Shepherd will again be Cowaramup’s groundsman this season.