Melton Centrals may be playing in a different competition, but it’s a similar looking team with some very similar opposition.
The Centrals’ top two sides play this season in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association after all the turf sides from Williamstown and District Cricket Association moved across to the VTCA.
The club’s third and fourth teams remain in the WDCA’s matting competition.
All but one team from the WDCA’S top grade last season, Caroline Springs, are playing in the VTCA west competition this year. The seven teams are joined by Williamstown Imperials, Seabrook and County West.
Centrals’ coach Adam Hulett said it won’t be much different to the old competition, as they face many of the same teams.
“We’ve played against most of the teams before,” Hulett said. “There’s only three or four teams we don’t really know.”
He said the preseason has been interrupted by wet weather, which also prevented the season getting under way on Saturday.
Centrals’ round one match against County West has been rescheduled for November 13, due to not enough pitches being ready across the competition.
Hulett said the side would be very similar to last season, and he is likely to give these players first crack at the senior team.
“The majority of the playing group is the same,” he said. “We’ve added a couple of players here and there, but no big names … it will come down to training and performances in the early matches who will be in the team.”
Centrals finished on top of the ladder last season before losing in the opening round of the finals. Hulett said batting was the key to being able to go further.
“On our day, we can beat anyone. We were a bit unfortunate in the finals … we were beaten by a better team on the day.
“It’s always disappointing, but we know where we went wrong – it was probably our batting.”
Centrals will this week play Gellibrand on the first day of a two-day match.
Meanwhile, Melton South PSCC will play Grand United. Caroline Springs which plays in the north A1 division, is due to play Moonee Valley in a two-day clash.
Sydenham/Hillside, which is also in that division, plays Sunshine YCW.
