Jumping up a division has done nothing to slow the Sunshine United juggernaut.
After finishing runner-up in last season’s Victorian Turf cricket West B1 grade, the Tigers were promoted to West A1 and are already looming as one of the teams to beat.
Sunshine has a 3-0 record after wins against Footscray United, St Andrews Footscray and Werribee Centrals.
Tigers’ president Mark Dalrymple said the success hadn’t just been limited to the first XI.
“Out of the 12 games we have played as a club, I think we have lost only two,” he said.
“It’s a good environment at the moment.”
To help adjust to the jump in grades, United added bowler Dale McLeod, opener and wicketkeeper Neeten Chouhan and top-order batsman Shahan Withanage to its squad.
After being unable to bowl for the past few seasons because of injury, Shaun Tarrant has wasted no time getting his groove back and has been a major part of Sunshine’s strong bowling line-up.
The Tigers have five bowlers who have taken six wickets or more for the season.
“Our real gun player is Indika Dharmawardane, he won the [competition] medal last year in West B1 and he has started really well again,” Dalrymple said.
“We don’t rely on him like we have in the past. We can share it around.”
And it isn’t just United’s experienced players who have stepped up . . . Dalrymple was full of praise for 16-year-old Nicholas Millar, who made a vital 37 in his first XI debut against Werribee Centrals in round three.
He went in with the score at 7-77 and combined with Dharmawardane to guide United home.
Sunshine will look to keep its winning streak going this week when it finishes its match against Newport Digman.
The Tigers are 5-68 in reply to Newport’s 114.
Dalrymple said his players were hoping to go a step further than last year.
“We’re looking to win it, even though we have gone up a grade,” he said.
