Star pair lift Cats’ stocks
Arrival of Reed, Ludeman a game changer
THE addition of two first-class stars has Geelong targeting a return to Victorian Premier Cricket finals.
Buoyed by the availability of injury-prone speedster Jake Reed for the first block of the season, and the injection of gifted wicketkeeper batsman Tim Ludeman, Cats coach Andre Borovec is bullish about 2017-18.
Reed, who has battled back and shoulder injuries, will resume his rehabilitation with Geelong in the six-round, oneday block of Premier cricket.
“He’s a huge in,” Cats coach Andre Borovec said.
“He’s almost like a recruit. Of course, he’s coming off surgery and we need to make sure he’s ready at the start of the year to play.
“And we’ve got Tim Ludeman coming in. Most teams at the start of the year are looking for one batter and one bowler and we’ve affectively got that.
“Jake was really limited last season and we didn’t get to see him a lot, so it’s really a bonus that he’s available. In a perfect world we’d rather he be playing Matador Cup, Big Bash and Shield cricket, but the reality is he’ll more than likely be with us.
“But I think that’s good for him. Hopefully he’ll get some continuity, and it’s a predictable format — we’ve got six rounds of one-day cricket at the start and that’s something that will allow him to measure his performance week to week and come out the back of it ready to press for Victorian selection.”
Ludeman will make his debut in Geelong colours, having crossed over from South Australia in a bid to revive his career at Victoria.
“Tim is a massive in for us, not just from a batting and keeping perspective, but leadership and experience,” he said.
“He’s still an extremely hungry cricketer, too, so we’re looking forward to what he can give us on and off the field. He’s pushing at Victoria, the door isn’t shut, and he’s come here with that goal in mind.
“He’s well and truly in the mix with Big Bash and he’s harbouring ambitions to play first-class cricket, so we hope we can give him the environment to put his name forward.”
Reed and Ludeman, along with Warrnambool products Tom Jackson and Lachie Field, will bolster the Cats’ first and second XI squads.
“We were largely an under-23 team plus (Liam) Bu- chanan and (Brenton) McDonald, so it was deliberate to get some games into players,” Borovec said.
“But with Reed and Ludeman coming in, it’s going to be a lot harder to get a game. It’s going to put a premium on performance.”
Making a strong start to the season is paramount for Borovec and the Cats, who slumped to 1-3 in the early rounds in 2016-17. “We want to play finals,” Borovec said.
THE Cats host their Membership and Player Registration Day tomorrow at Geelong Cricket Ground at 10am.