CRICKET is back for a new Upper Loddon association season, with a two-day clash between Boort Yando and Arnold kicking off the senior competition on Saturday.
The Magpies will host the match at Boort Secondary School, with fine and warm weather in prospect.
Boort Yando president David Rees said player numbers were “reasonably healthy”, with 14 senior players on the books.
He said junior players would still sometimes be required to turn out for the senior side, which he believed was not a bad thing.
Boort Yando’s juniors did not lose a match in winning the premiership last season, and Rees said, “It does them good to play in a more competitive game at a higher standard.”
James Byrne will captain the seniors this season, which Rees said was a deliberate appointment aimed at encouraging younger players.
He said Byrne had shown his leadership qualities at St Kevin’s College in Melbourne.
Former player Matt Hodoras is expected to return to the club for some games in a major boost to the senior team, along with Jack Weaver, who has been playing in Geelong.
Young star Cooper Gooding is still eligible for juniors, but Rees said he would certainly see some senior action as well.
The club will celebrate its 40th season this year and plans a major celebration on Valentine’s Day in February, with former players invited back for the occasion.
The teams were closely matched last season, with Boort Yando finishing third on the ladder and the Redbacks fourth. Both teams were knocked out in the first week of finals by Wedderburn Band and Kingower respectively, who went on to fight out the grand final.
The five-team competition was won by Kingower, but the team has lost its captain and best player Jayden Leach for this season.
Leach, who won both the batting and bowling averages for the association in 2024-25, will switch to lawn bowls with Bridgewater this summer as he deals with a lower back problem.
The four-team junior competition begins this week with two-day matches that see Boort Yando facing Bridgewater, and Kingower versus Wedderburn Band.
- GARY WALSH