Max Hatzoglou
St Albans top run scorer and junior coordinator Simon Lambert is optimistic about the future of the club despite his Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division side falling just short of finals.
Lambert, originally from English county Warwickshire said the club’s juniors have grown in numbers and developed strongly overs the last few seasons.
“It’s been great to see the juniors have developed,” Lambert said.
“When I first started we didn’t really have any kids in under-10s and 12s, over the last few years we have managed to grow that.
“We have now got two teams in the under-10s and two teams in the under-12s in the last two seasons.
“The under-12s, for the third year running, were able to win the premiership this year which was really pleasing for the club.
“We have won four of our last six under-12 premierships over the last three years.”
Lambert also said the club’s lower age groups had grown in participants as well.
After finishing on top last season in the VTCA senior division, St Albans fell one spot short of a finals berth in fifth this season.
Despite having three players finish in the top three highest run scorers in the competition this season, through Lambert (532), Arosh Janoda (488), and Brenton Cook (482), the club were still unable to put enough wins on the board to make finals.
English born cricketer Lambert said consistency was the area they needed to work on to turn things around next season.
“A little bit disappointing not to make finals given the volume of runs we produced and we did take a lot of wickets as well so unfortunately we didn’t manage to put it all together enough in one game,” he said.
“Consistency was the issue and we probably just didn’t put it together enough and that was the downfall.”
Lambert hopes that the rise of some younger players coming through and potentially a few new recruits could propel them next season.
The club will be supported through funding for a brand new net facility costing nearly a quarter of a million, which will give the players better access to training facilities.
Lambert also credited the standard of the competition.
“I think it is a very strong competition, probably as strong as any competition in Melbourne outside of premier cricket,” he said.
“It’s tough cricket, each team has multiple overseas players and most of them have played first class cricket including West Indians, Sri Lankans and English players.
“You’ve also got a lot of players who have stepped down from playing premier cricket as well.
“The standard is something that has really impressed me.”
