Old Students Cricket Club has had good news aplenty in recent days as preparations for the next Cricket Shepparton season ramp up.
Things perhaps did not kick off that way, though, with the Kialla-based side forced to reenter the import market following an injury to previously announced signing James Dunn.
Dunn, hailing from the Lancashire district and plying his trade at Rugby Cricket Club, sustained a stress fracture in his back that ended his summer abroad before it began.
However, luckily for Students, they moved quickly to secure not one, but two new English imports for the season ahead.
First off the rank was Ed Pike, a more experienced campaigner representing Hemel Hempstead Town out of the Hertfordshire County Cricket League.
Boasting previous County-level playing experience across two clubs at various age levels, Pike arrives to play a role as a senior spinner.
It continued from there in the aftermath of Dunn’s injury, with the club swiftly securing 22-year-old medium-pacer Otis Palmes out of Macclesfield Cricket Club in the Cheshire County Cricket League.
Utilising a raft of off-pace stylings with almost 200 senior wickets racked up in his career, Palmes arrives as an all-rounder who is expected to feature as a middle-order bat and opening bowler alongside skipper Callan McCabe.
Old Students boss Vince Gagliardi rued the unfortunate luck with Dunn, but hailed the new arrivals.
“Once we heard the news, it was a tricky time period with regards to the fact a lot of people intending to go overseas would have been placed already,” Gagliardi said.
“We think Otis will fit in well opening the bowling with Cal; he probably has a similar caliber to Mo Shahid, who pulled in 20 wickets.
“He’s a good age as well, being 22, which fits the profile as a nice age bracket.
“With Ed, we wanted another senior body as we felt we were quite young last year. He wanted to come out with some experience and we’ve helped to facilitate that.
“He can put on a bit of spin and he’s a handy acquisition.”
Though the senior squad has certainly been bolstered, with the club now free to give some additional youth more development outside of prolonged A-grade exposure, there was more good news within the youngsters’ ranks.
Cricket Victoria announced this week that Students junior Mia Earl had made the Vic Country under-19 Female Emerging Players squad.
Having committed to Carlton within the Victorian Premier framework last season, Earl becomes the next in an illustrious line of Students youth exports taking on representative opportunities like Ashton Young a year prior.
Gagliardi couldn’t have been prouder of her.
“Mia’s a great kid. Her dad’s done a power of work with her and she’s been willing to accept that,” Gagliardi said.
“She’s always willing to listen and learn.
“The club did quite well embracing her as a female cricketer who always played juniors with the boys; I think that helped her development.
“She opened bowling when I coached her and she’s pretty quick.”