Excitement is building at Vickers Rd as the Nagambie Lakers Cricket Club prepares to take on the region’s best cricketers in the 2024-25 Cricket Shepparton season.
With over half a dozen teams competing in senior and junior competitions, including the defending champions in E-grade, Nagambie, a town of only 2254 people, continues to punch above its weight in terms of participation numbers and results.
The A-grade men’s side will have more than enough fire in the belly as it looks to rebound from last year’s heartbreaking one-wicket qualifying final loss against eventual premiers Waaia.
Club president Ryan Matthews is buoyant about the Lakers’ hopes across all grades, putting hope that their investment in their junior crickets will have borne fruit by finals time.
“Our main focus is to develop our juniors into senior cricketers; we believe this is the key to success,” he said.
The appointment of a new head coach has heightened the positive vibes at Nagambie Recreation Reserve, days out from the beginning of the new season.
“There is a real buzz around the club currently; we have appointed Zac Winter-Irving as coach, who is making a positive impact around the club,” Matthews said.
For the opening round of fixtures, A-grade travels 97km up the Goulburn Valley Hwy to Kyabram, while the Lakers’ B- and E-grade sides will host the Redbacks at home.
The Lakers women’s side will seek revenge in its Goulburn Murray Cricket Association match against Shepparton Youth Club United, which eliminated the Lakers in last year’s elimination final.