Mt Clear is throwing everything at this off-season period to recruit players in order to take it one step further than last year’s Ballarat Cricket Association first grade grand final.
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At the top of that list is the signing of 2018 Bernie Davey medalist and former VRI Delacombe captain-coach Jarrod Burns.
Burns enjoyed a stellar 2017-18 season which returned four centuries and 915 runs at an average in excess of 100.
The explosive batsmen and dynamic fielder, who was a part of Mt Clear’s 2014-15 premiership, tops a list of players that the Mounties are hoping will significantly bolster its playing list, including two other premiership stars.
“He’ll fit into our top-order and obviously with his indoor cricket background, he’s a gun fielder,” captain Darcy Thomson said.
“We’ve recruited pretty well, we’re pretty confident in our prospects for this year.”
On top of the Burns signing, fellow premiership stars Hayden Cartledge and Les Sandwith return to the club while Brendan Moyle joins from Echuca.
Thomson said Cartledge and Sandwith were both elite fielders. Cartledge set to bat in the top-middle order while Sandwith is an opener and back-up wicketkeeper.
Moyle is an all-rounder who will come on as a first-change bowler and provide stability with the bat.
In more positive news, fellow recruit Jake Smith from Geelong Cricket Association two club Highton has been “absolutely creaming it” in the nets.
Thomson said while the club was happy with its current make-up, it will continue to try and bolster its list ahead of the season opener against Darley on October 6.
“Mt Clear isn’t really the sort of club to be complacent, we’ve got what we want but we always want more – that’s a big point of why I went to Mt Clear in the first place.