Tara Murray
East Sunbury is backing in its youth in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association McIntyre Cup this season
The Thunder finished bottom last season with just one win, but president Mark Wilkins said it wasn’t all doom and gloom.
He said they are still a fairly new club and after building really quickly, they had looked to stabilise things and build for the future, which was bright.
“We’ve tried to structure it a bit more and go with a youth policy,” he said.
“Last season we got in a guy before Christmas from a higher level, but it wasn’t quite right. We want to play our youth and we’ve picked up a few more young guys from the area.
“We’ll be competitive in every game and with a few guys who played juniors at the club are coming back we should have a good outfit.
“We’ll be a very fit side this season.”
Wilkins is overseeing the coaching this season with the help of three players from the playing helping out.
Nathan Dent is looking after the bowling, Lachie Wilkins the batting and Tom Burnside is looking after batting and fielding.
Wilkins said the core group of players would be between 18 and 23, which was good for the long term future of the club.
“The group is blending really well together,” he said. “They’re competing against each other and they want to practice and learn.
“We’re not striving to win the flag this year. The plan is to do the work and in the next few years if we can stick together we will be up there.
“The ability is there, but the experience isn’t just yet.”
Wilkins said despite winning just one game last season, other sides walked away saying they were competitive every game.
He said that was the focus again this season.
“The top sides were impressed with what we were doing,” he said. “Finals is the goal for the guys.
“The guys want to experience finals and where that goes from there, who knows.”
Wilkins said the return to two-day cricket would also help the side. He said fielding would be one of their strengths which was vital after long hours in the field.
“We’ll have no issue getting through 80 overs in the field,” he said.
“Our guys can bowl 20 overs and not be tired especially when it gets hot.”
The Thunder’s second side has dropped down a few grades.
Wilkins said last season they had players playing cricket for the first time, which was hard to do in the Jensen Shield.
He said that side would be really competitive this season.
