ALLANSFORD's loss is Heytesbury Rebels' gain.
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Talented opening batsman Hamish Huffadine has returned to home club Heytesbury Rebels to ply his trade after crossing to Allansford in the off-season.
Huffadine played just one match for Allansford, scoring 13 runs in the Gators' season-opener against Nestles.
The big hitter's return is a major boost for the Timboon-based club as it vies for its fifth-successive South West Cricket Association finals campaign.
Hamish is a really handy inclusion for us. He's an attacking opening batsman who really sets the tone.
- Paul Vogels
Rebels skipper Paul Vogels said Huffadine was a welcome inclusion as his side grappled with a shortage of players early in the campaign.
"Hamish is a really handy inclusion for us. He's an attacking opening batsman who really sets the tone," Vogels told The Standard.
"With the new fielding restrictions I think he'll be able to take on the new ball.
"He's been training for months and looks to be in really good form."
Vogels said his new-look side was optimistic despite fielding nine players in its season-opener against Terang.
Although it was undermanned, Vogels' side managed to pass 200 in pursuit of Terang's 298.
"We've had some people need an extended break from footy season and harvesting as well," he said.
"We're really comfortable we'll get better as the season progresses.
"It'll all come together."
Allansford coach Jake Bloom, who replaced Huffadine with talented batsman Gault McCluggage in his side's 132-run triumph over Merrivale on Saturday, said his club had an abundance of top-order batting options.
He said McCluggage was unlikely to play every week as his wife was pregnant.
"It'll be good to have him when we can, but he might be a bit in and out this season," Bloom said.
"We've got lots of competition for spots at the moment. We could have almost four sides. "There's no issue in having a player in our twos come up. I think there are a few who could step up."
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