Forever the bridesmaid, never the bride?
Have we seen the end of Victoria's concerted recent bid for a long-awaited
first-class crown, or will it be back in as ferocious a mood as ever in
2001-02?
Only time will tell. But it's hard to imagine that the Vics won't believe
that it is in them to finish what they've started. For three years now,
they have come within a whisker of securing the state's first first-class
crown since 1990-91. A fourth narrow miss would be almost impossible to
accept for this particularly talented squad.
While they remain unrewarded, the Victorians have emerged from those three
seasons substantially stronger for the experience. They also possess a
sense of confidence and a list of players that are difficult for opposition
sides to match.
In their bowling, the Victorians possess a welter of options. Experienced
campaigners Paul Reiffel and Damien Fleming lead a pace division that is
well stocked. It's a division that also includes the likes of left armer
Mathew Inness and the lightning quick Mick Lewis, so its variety can barely
be questioned either. And all-rounders Ian Harvey, Jonathan Moss and Ben
Oliver round out things nicely.
Spin bowling is similarly not a pressing source of concern; even when Shane
Warne and Colin Miller depart for international duty, emerging young leggie
Cameron White and the rapidly maturing John Davison are well placed to fill
the breach.
The task of compiling big totals on a regular basis again looks far from
beyond the Bushrangers too. Matthew Elliott remains one of the most
sophisticated opening batsmen in Australia, Brad Hodge is backing up
arguably his best ever season, youngster Michael Klinger is an exciting
player on the rise, and Jason Arnberger and Matthew Mott have added a sense
of stability to the top order that was previously missing.
It's instead in the team's leadership structure that the biggest change of
dynamic can be found. For the first time in memory, the Vics have opted
for separate first-class and limited-overs captains.
The change has as much to do as anything with previous dual skipper
Reiffel's decision to play less games and to avoid the taxing physical
demands made of him last year. Yet the elevation of Elliott is unlikely to
harm the state's fortunes at one-day level, where recent returns have been
far more modest than in the first-class arena.
Coach John Scholes has also gone, having made a shock decision to resign
only six days before the first match. How that will affect things remains
the subject of conjecture, though Scholes himself believes it will cause
little disruption.
The 2000-01 summer delivered Victoria's most serious tilt of all at the
first-class title that it craves: a controversial ruling on a slips catch
on the final day arguably the only thing that separated it from Queensland
in the Pura Cup's deciding match.
If the squad continues to improve at the same rate as it has done over
recent years, this will undoubtedly be its season. But, as the Vics know
only too well, nothing comes easily in the world of Australian domestic
cricket.
The key player: Matthew Elliott. Hasn't played international cricket since
a troubled tour of the Caribbean more than two years ago but Elliott still
remains a terrific opening batsman. Endured a frustrating start last
summer, when a knee injury prevented him from appearing in a number of the
Bushrangers' early games. This season, though, he's the focus of attention
immediately as he takes over as the state's new one-day skipper.
The up-and-comer: Cameron White. Attracted a lot of attention last summer
from the meteoric rise that took him to his interstate debut in the
penultimate game of the first-class season. Will almost certainly continue
to be shielded from one-day cricket at this stage of his career but is
likely to be given an extended chance in the first-class arena, especially
on some of the country's slower pitches. Importantly, White's talents
aren't just confined to his bowling either; he is also a far better batsman
than most leg spinners and can hit the ball with genuine power.
The draw: Like last season, Victoria has an unusual draw, with its home
games concentrated in short bursts. It plays four in a row in Melbourne in
late October and early November; has another three scattered on either side
of Christmas; and then returns to its home base for three of its last four
contests of the season. The need for a good start is also crucial, with
four ING Cup games on the agenda inside the first month of the program.
Perhaps the most significant fixture of all is its very last of the Pura
Cup season: an away game against Queensland in mid-March. Amid the
generally frantic late scramble for first and second positions on the
table, this could prove the ideal time for the Victorians to break a
Brisbane hoodoo that has permitted them only one outright win at the 'Gabba
in the last 35 years.
Predicted Pura Cup finishing position: 3rd
Predicted ING Cup finishing position: 6th
