Finals hopes: Bayswater players such as as Mark Collins hope to play in the VSDCA finals this season. Picture: Sam Stiglec
BAYSWATER will welcome back athletic all-rounder Bryce Galvin for the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association season.
Galvin, who played football with Victorian Football League club Casey Scorpions along with Bayswater this past winter, will fill key roles in the Waters' bowling attack and batting top order.
He returns after not playing last season.
Waters captain Sean Flynn said Galvin would make a difference to the side this season with the east-based sides such as Bayswater grouped with northern sides in a north-east division.
"He bowls right arm fast and is a good bat. He will strengthen up our side enormously," he said.
CHECK OUT the Bayswater VSDCA fixture here.
The Waters have lost fast bowler Mick Fahy to Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association club The Basin and Julian Russell is missing the season due to family commitments.
The biggest omission might be the rotation of Caulfield and Melton away from the Waters as the VSDCA rotates its north, south, east and west divisions each season. This year, northern teams will play eastern teams and southern teams will play those in the west.
"Those two clubs were the best two sides in the competition last year so we don't play them and we are hoping we can play good cricket and give ourselves a chance at the tail end of the season," Flynn said.
The Waters will also look to give additional game time to youngsters Luke Turner and Harry Cowling this season as well after their good performances in the lower grades last year.
Flynn said a consistent and balanced season should see the Waters go one better from their fifth place finish last season. "If we can play to our potential and keep getting that improvement from within, then we should be around the mark come finals time," he said.
The Waters play Ivanhoe at Bayswater Oval this Saturday at 1pm.
BAYSWATER VSDCA NORTH-EAST FIXTURE 2012-13
October 6, October 13 Bayswater v Ivanhoe, Bayswater Oval 1pm
October 20, October 27 Box Hill v Bayswater, Box Hill City Oval 1pm
November 3 Bayswater v Coburg, Bayswater Oval 12.30pm
November 10, November 17 Kew v Bayswater, Victoria Park - No 1 1pm
November 18 (Twenty20) Bayswater v Endeavour Hills, Bayswater Oval 3.45pm
November 24, December 1 Mt Waverley v Bayswater, Mt. Waverley Reserve 1pm
December 8, December 15 Bayswater v Brunswick, Bayswater Oval 1pm
December 22, Preston v Bayswater, Preston City Oval 12.30pm
January 12, Bayswater v Noble Park, Bayswater Oval 12.30pm
January 19, January 26 Croydon v Bayswater, Croydon Oval 1pm
February 2, February 9 Bayswater v Plenty Valley, Bayswater Oval 1pm
February 16, February 23 Balwyn v Bayswater, Balwyn Park 1pm
March 2 Bayswater v Oakleigh, Bayswater Oval 12.30pm
March 9, March 10 — semi-finals
March 16, March 17 — preliminary final
March 23, March 24 — final