REIGNING premiers St Mary’s Tyntynder will start as the team to beat, having retained the bulk of last year’s squad.
Aiming to win consecutive A Grade premierships for just the second time in the combines history, after achieving the feat almost 40 years ago in the 1986-87 season.
Regardless of history, the Bulldogs will take confidence from their successful 2022-23 campaign, which netted two trophies (including the Kookaburra Cup) and three grand final appearances.
While the squad will have a familiar look, there will be one change, with star all-rounder Corey Daniels – their leading run scorer across all formats last season – to have a year away from the game.
St Mary’s-Tyntynder captain Nathaniel Holmes-Brown was confident the improvement of several young players, including Charlie King, Koben Ryan, Hugh Thompson and Rylan Barnes, would help cover Daniels’ absence.
“We have three or four juniors who only just started their A Grade journey last season and it would be fantastic to see them push their cause and play more consistent cricket, and prove to us and the competition what they can do,” Holmes-Brown said.
“Koben Ryan, Hugh Thompson and Rylan Barnes are all young bowlers that can all bowl in those middle overs or even open the bowling.
“There’s obviously a spot there now that Corey’s gone, whether that’s Robin (Sebastian), or one of the young kids, we’ll back in whoever it will be to do the job.”
St Mary’s Tyntynder have long been a strong side with the ball, especially with Holmes-Brown, selected in the VCCL team of the year for his 47-wicket season last year.
But it’s with the bat they can dominate, playing with an aggressive style that often puts opponents on the back foot within a matter of overs.
Jake Foster, Bailey Codling, Jonty Chaproniere and Jack Shannahan are all capable of scoring quickly.
“We’ve always been a very versatile team with either the bat or the ball,” Holmes-Brown told The Guardian this week.
“We have four or five guys who are equally as good with the bat or ball, which helps out myself as captain when things are getting tight, it just gives us options.
“We have five or six guys whose natural game is to bat aggressively, which is the way we like to bat.
“We have the likes of Jonty (Chaproniere), who only played the second half of the season. He’ll be a huge in for us in that we’ll have him for the whole season.
“But then we have the likes of Jack Shannahan and Riley Daniels in the middle order who can also hold down an end and still keep the scoreboard ticking over if need be.”
Chaproniere was impressive at the top of the order and quickly formed a dominant partnership with Jake Foster, the pair putting on several strong opening partnerships last season.
The Bulldogs have depth to help cover the loss of Daniels in the middle order through Shannahan, Codling, Riley Daniels, Charlie King and Austin McKerrow, among the better batsmen in the SHDCA.
King could be ready to explode this season, the young all-rounder showing a temperament beyond his years in last season’s finals series after moving into the top order.
ST MARY’S TYNTYNDER SHDCA FAST FACTS
WORD FROM THE CAPTAIN
NATHANIEL HOLMES-BROWN
“Obviously losing Corey (Daniels) is a big loss, he’s been a very good player for our club and in the league for a long time now, but we’re excited about the year ahead. We’ll be aiming to play finals first and foremost and then from there, anything can happen, but we’d love to go back-to-back.”
PLAYER TO WATCH
Jonty Chaproniere
Returned to his home club mid-season last year and had an immediate impact, scoring 269 runs at an average of over 33. An aggressive opening batsman who loves to score quickly, Chaproniere can take the game away from opposition teams in the blink of an eye, either with the bat or with a piece of brilliance in the field.
IN: None
OUT: Corey Daniels
