Ringwood Cricket Club has added much needed depth to its playing list ahead of the 2021/22 season, with five new experienced senior players joining the club, along with one returning familiar name.
The Rams were on the lookout for some more senior depth given the departures of Corey Dineen (Northcote), Sam Beer (Prahran), Michael Campbell (Retired), Chris Moorhouse (Retired), Jake Carter (Lysterfield), Jake Toohey (Ferntree Gully) and Jack Beer (Carlton).
Whilst the club is very excited about some of the youthful inclusions rising through the ranks, via the club’s junior development program, the signings of six players with a combined 949 games of senior cricket are another major reason for the club to be bullish about its future prospects.
Hard hitting batsman Adam Amin will add firepower to the First XI middle order, crossing from local rival Richmond Cricket Club. Amin, who made his Premier Cricket debut at the Greenvale Kangaroos, has played 176 games of Premier Cricket, amassing 3585 runs with 22 half centuries and two centuries.
First XI coach Sean Flynn said the following about Amin when speaking to Leader Local Cricket earlier in the year.
“You’re always looking to improve your list, and Adam is a player that impressed us when we played against him over the last couple of seasons,”
“For whatever reason, he found himself batting in the middle order of the seconds towards the end of last year. We felt that he could help us, and we see him as a better player than that – he scores quickly and he can play different ways.
“With Tom Rogers at the top, Josh Hartill, David King and Ian Holland, we just think it’s a really dangerous and well-balanced batting order.”
James Bowen will add variety to the club’s fast bowling stocks, with the left-armer joining the club after moving to Victoria from Tasmania for personal reasons.
The swing bowler has won multiple senior premierships across his time with Launceston and Glenorchy, claiming 104 wickets in his 71 games with the Northern outfit (Launceston), before taking 187 wickets in 129 games for the Cricket Tasmania Premier League outfit Glenorchy, including two five wicket hauls and a best of 6/28.
Left arm finger spinner Matthew Grant is the second of the two interstate inclusions also making the move to Victoria, this time from the Gold Coast, for personal reasons.
Grant, 21, has played 87 games for the Dolphins, hitting almost 1000 runs (996) with three half-centuries and taking 121 wickets with a best of 6/41.
Flynn expects Grant to push his case with both bat and ball in 2021/22.
“He (Grant) was looking to move down to Melbourne to further his cricket and we spoke with him and we think he’s got a lot to offer us with bat and ball – we think he’s a real all-round cricketer,” he said when speaking to Leader Local Cricket.
Luke Saultry joins from Bayswater Cricket Club, where the leg spinning all rounder made 920 runs – at an average of 21 – and took 96 wickets – including two five wicket hauls – across 80 games, whilst swing bowler Tristan Webb will make the step across from Ringwood and District Cricket Association powerhouse Wantirna South, where he played 159 games and took 278 wickets which included eight five wicket hauls and a best of 7/10.
Meanwhile First XI Premiership player Matthew Fotia returns to the club following a year in Tasmania with the aforementioned Cricket Tasmania Premier League side Glenorchy, where he took 28 wickets across the season with two five wicket hauls.
Fotia has played 156 games for Ringwood across all five XI’s, taking 206 wickets with just the one five wicket haul. he’ll serve as deputy to new senior captain David King when the season gets underway.
