TWO East Warrnambool stalwarts who answered a last minute call to guide the Broncos senior charges hope to blood the club’s top junior prospects into the top division.
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Long-time Bronco Jarrod Wilson has joined former Wangoom batsman Luke Smith as co-captain of East Warrnambool after the departure of Mark Murphy to Brierly-Christ Church in the winter.
It is the duo’s first division one captaincy.
Smith said while East Warrnambool had been hit by an exodus of senior players, he felt positive about the club’s future.
Wilson, a junior coordinator, was buoyant about several rising stars at Jones Oval.
“We’re sort of rebuilding in that we’ve lost quite a few players mainly from our division one side,” Wilson said.
“It’ll be nice to get out there. I’ll try to bowl a few more overs than I have in previous seasons and bat a little higher.”
Smith said he was relishing the challenge of captaining the side through a development period.
“I’m just looking forward to it. We’re not stepping into an established side here. We know it’s not going to be a walk in the park,” he told The Standard.
“It gives us the opportunity to genuinely develop the younger kids. They’re going to get a lot more bowling, a lot more batting than they would have otherwise.
“You have to expose them young because if you don’t, they stay in the lower grades too long. Here, they’re facing the quicker bowlers at a younger age.
We have an opportunity to expose our kids to senior cricket.
- Luke Smith
“I know I did that and I found it easier. Nobody gets quicker as you get older and older.
“We have a real opportunity to expose these kids to quality senior cricket.”
East Warrnambool’s under 15 side lifted the premiership trophy last season.
Wilson hoped to carry the winning culture into the division one outfit.
