Bulls in search of grass

PREMIERSHIP fancy Bannockburn is again forgoing home games at Victoria Park to give its players more opportunity on turf wickets this summer.

The Bulls’ home ground still only holds a synthetic pitch, despite plans to lay a turf square.

For the second straight season, the club has given up most of its home matches to play on its opponent’s turf ground and is fixtured to play just three games in Bannockburn.

“There was a debate last year and I understood that from other clubs’ perspective, so we said to the GCA we’re happy to give up our home games if that’s going to offset some of the angst from other clubs,” Bannockburn coach Dan Davies explained ahead of its one-day clash with country rival Lethbridge. “We’ve offered to do the same this year.”

Bannockburn is only scheduled to play three home matches this season — twoday games against Thomson (Round 7) and Lethbridge (Round 10), and a one-dayer against Alexander Thomson (Round 9).

Some GCA3 clubs felt the hard-wicket conditions at Bannockburn and the now-demoted Teesdale were not entirely fair last season, given all other clubs had turf pitches.

But Davies said his club was happy to play as often as possible on turf.

“We do need, as a club, to balance it,” he said.

“We can’t play every single game away, but as it stands we’re pretty much playing every two-day game away. For our ones and the competition, I don’t think it’s a bad thing.”

Last season’s grand finalist has retained its first XI squad and looks to be primed to contend again, with all-rounder James Hickleton taking over the captaincy from Davies.

Hickleton cracked 421 runs and took 21 wickets last summer, and was the T20 premiership captain as the Bulls claimed the Geelong Advertiser Cup crown.

“It’s a bit of succession planning because I’m not going to be around forever,” said Davies, who will continue in a playingcoach capacity.

“It’s exciting for him, and good timing while there’s still senior players around him to support him.”