Life just got harder for batsmen in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.
Powerhouse Deer Park has secured the signature of contracted Sri Lankan player Vishwa Fernando as it chases a three-peat of senior division premierships.
The left-arm paceman has played 28 tests for a return of 81 wickets at 32.03 apiece. Fernando has also made international appearances in the one-day and T20 formats.
‘‘Really happy to have him. It was a last-second thing, just worked out for us, and we made it happen,’’ Lions coach Mick Andreadis said.
‘‘The players that we’ve got, a lot of them are well-credentialed and have a lot of contacts. It was a bit of a jigsaw, but it just worked out with his schedule. We’ve got him for the start of the season and then at the end if we need him.
‘‘Because he’s a contracted player overseas, he could get a call-up any time. It’s a bit of a risk, but one we thought we’d take.’’
The acquisition of Fernando is another signal of intent from the Lions in their bid to taste more success.
The club boasts a star-studded line-up featuring the likes of Fawad Ahmed, Daniel Sartori, Aaron Aye and Aaron Shellie.
‘‘That’s the plan, try to recruit the best players available to add to the group, and he (Fernando) was one to look at,’’ Andreadis said.
Deer Park has, however, lost premiership captain Dean Russ, who has joined Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association outfit Werribee.
‘‘Obviously we wish him all the best. He was great for us and the best captain we had,’’ Andreadis said.
Paceman Lachlan Fitzgerald, who collected 25 wickets at 15.56 last season, will test himself in the Premier Cricket ranks after joining Footscray.
Andreadis said the Lions were not short of depth, which would create competition for spots in the first XI.
‘‘Our squad is a lot deeper. We’ve got a lot of young players as well in the twos, so we’ve got a lot of avenues. We can pick and choose,’’ he said.
‘‘And playing with good players, international players … it’s a good place to be at the moment.
‘‘We’re having a lot of fun and we’ll try and turn it into results as soon as we can get on the park.’’
While expectations remain high, Andreadis is acutely aware of the quality of the VTCA’s top flight.
‘‘The first thing you’ve got to do is try to make sure your (finals) spot is guaranteed,’’ he said.
‘‘You don’t want to look too far ahead. Get to the semi and then have a look and see what you can do from there, and obviously try to do it again.
‘‘Yarraville are always hard to beat, Sydenham (Hillside) have recruited, and they want to win one (a premiership) too. We’ll try to stop them if we can and, if not, we’ll give it our best shot for three in a row.’’
Deer Park is scheduled to face senior division newcomers Altona North on Saturday after the opening round of the season was postponed.
