Noble Park looks to young blood

By Paul Pickering
AFTER a rapid fall from grace in the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association (VSDCA) last season, Noble Park is looking to youth for a form revival in 2007-08.
The loss of former Test swing merchant Damien Fleming hit the 2005-06 premiership team hard last year, resulting in a predictable fall to eighth on the VSDCA ladder.
And while Noble Park has lost dominant English all-rounder Steve Croft from last year’s side, the arrival of his Lancashire team-mate – and England under 19 representative – Karl Brown has brought reason for optimism.
Brown, who arrived in Melbourne this week, will have some big shoes to fill, with Croft scoring 459 runs at an average of 57 and claiming 51 wickets at an average 11 runs last year.
While Brown – a 19-year-old top-order batsman – is sure to pummel his fair share of opposition attacks this year, Noble Park’s own bowling stocks are likely to suffer from Croft’s departure.
Perhaps it will be veteran Sri Lankan leg-spinner Sange Weerisingh who will pick up the slack, with the former Test player arriving at Moodemere Street after a stint in the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association.
Noble Park playing coach Dean Edmunds, though, is looking for the improvement to come from within.
“We’ve focused on trying to instil some youth in the squad this year,” he said, noting that the youth policy had been adopted with an eye towards a long-term resurgence.
Much of the expectation will fall on the shoulders of batsmen Paul Hill and Dane Rogers and emerging bowler Lance Baptist. While Edmunds was unsure what to expect from a new-look squad this summer, there seems to be plenty of scope for improvement from an inconsistent 2006-07 campaign.
“I think we’ve got the players to be on the door of the four or thereabouts,” he said.