IF Corowa breaks its decade-long Wangaratta and District Cricket Association premiership drought this season, the club will once again have to thank club stalwart Rod Lane.
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For it was Lane — long the heart and soul of the club — who played an important part in luring English recruit John Shaw to Corowa.
Shaw, who previously played for Rutherglen in the late 1990s, only recently moved back to Australia after living in his home country since late 2003.
The English allrounder said he chose to sign with Corowa because of his friendship with Lane.
“I’m very good friends with Rod Lane, who’s a Corowa legend, as I used to work for him years ago when I first came over, and we stayed really close friends,” Shaw said.
“A lot of my good friends from Rutherglen have moved on but I’m still great friends with Rod, so when I came back to Australia he just said ‘it’d be great if you had a season at Corowa’ and it was appealing because I’ve got so much respect for him and I want to keep learning.
“Even though I help out with a bit of the coaching over here, it’s good to have senior players that I still look up to and want to learn from.
“Already he’s changed my run-up and worked on a few things which has been good.”
Shaw hails from Nottingham Premier League club Kimberley and was last year joined by another former Rutherglen player, Josh Mangan, who went on to make his Sheffield Shield debut for WA last summer.
Shaw, who blasted a match-winning 111 against Whorouly-Gapsted in round 3, highlighted consistency and enjoyment as his main aims for the season.
“In England, I was captain of my club and on the committee, and there was lots of pressure on me, so it’s great to be at a club where I’ve got no official position and I can just turn up and play,” he said.
Shaw will be looking to play his part with the ball as second-placed Corowa attempts to defend 262 in today’s clash against Beechworth at Corowa.
In other matches, Greta will be searching for early wickets when Wangaratta resumes its innings at 3-52 chasing 124 at Norm Minns Oval.
Rovers United will be defending 237 at home against Yarrawonga; City Colts is seeking 266 for victory against Bruck while Rutherglen is in the box seat at Myrtleford.
Whorouly-Gapsted has the bye.