Combatants come out hot to put runs on the board

SATURDAY’S cracking GCA2 season opener between St Peter’s and Bell Park is set to spark a rivalry between two clubs destined to contend for the premiership this summer.

St Peter’s home ground in Herne Hill is just a stone’s throw from Bell Park’s Hamlyn Heights base where the crunch Round 1 clash will be held.

The winner will bank a vital six points and a psychological edge in what is expected to be a competitive second-tier division.

“They’ve picked up a couple more from last year and they went out in straight sets, but I anticipate they’ll be pretty similar to last year,” St Peter’s coach Tony Calnon said of the Dragons.

“It’s going to be a pretty strong division with us and Bell Post Hill going back and the six top clubs from last season, so there’s going to be no easy games.”

St Peters has strengthened its line-up after being forced to drop from GCA1 to the revamped GCA2.

Top order batsman Hayden Illingworth returns from a knee injury, having hit 336 runs in GCA2 in 2015-16, while left-arm medium Chad Van Estrop (Heinz Southern Districts, Dandenong District) adds depth to St Peter’s bowling stocks.

“He had a late start being overseas and then came back with a bit of a chest infection,” Calnon said of Van Estrop.

“He might not start in the ones but he looks like he’ll get in there at some stage.

“We’ve picked up some younger blokes from other clubs — Josh Widdison has come across from North Geelong, he’s a spinner and a lower order bat, he’ll get his chances on turf; and a young bloke Nick Beattie, he’s come across from Highton. He’s a medium pacer.”

Captain-coach Wayne Wunhym (249 runs) is the only out from last year’s first XI.

Calnon said he expected his side to be in the mix for promotion.

“Hopefully we’ll be more than competitive and put ourselves in a position to go back up to Division 1,” he said.