University captain Mitchell Hearn is confident two new recruits will provide the spark needed to successfully defend the Cricket Illawarra Twenty20 title.
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The side will open their new campaign when they face Port Kembla on Saturday and while a handful of players have moved on, they have also welcomed some new faces to the squad.
Leading the crop are former Orange first grader Angus Cumming and Shellharbour all-rounder Jack McDonald, youngsters Hearn is confident will prove particularly useful in the Twenty20 competition.
"We're really keen to open our title defence," Hearn said. "We've lost a couple of players but the players we've gained more than make up for what we lost.
"Angus and Jack have both brought enthusiasm and a bit of youth, which is exciting."
The new season commences under a cloud of COVID-19 uncertainty, with a number of changes implemented this year.
The Twenty20 pool rounds will be played in full before the main competition starts on October 31. Semi-finals and finals are scheduled for November 8 and 15.
"I love it," Hearn said. "I enjoy Twenty20s, but I do enjoy getting them out of the way before we get into the main competition.
"It's a lot better the whole Twenty20 comp is right at the start rather than scattered throughout the season, it allows us to train accordingly."
With Helensburgh unavailable this week, four games will be played on Saturday. Wollongong will host Wests, while Corrimal face Keira and Dapto take on Balgownie.
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Cameron Mee
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
