ALBURY and Border stars Leigh Clarke and former representative batsman Ben Stewart have signed with struggler Wodonga Raiders.
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In an impressive recruiting coup by the club, Clarke, 33, will captain the team next summer while Stewart will return to the association after playing a leading role in Magpies’ Wangaratta and District premiership team last season.
Clarke, who played a major role in Tallangatta’s 1997-1998 premiership team, says the role would be a big challenge but was one to which he was looking forward.
“I’ve been a Raiders man for a long time in footy circles, but I’ve always looked at the cricket club and wondered why they haven’t had much success,” Clarke said yesterday.
“They have underachieved really and I suppose the first challenge is to really start to change the culture of the club and make it and enjoyable place to be a part of again.
“Benny is obviously coming on board and between us we’ve got a lot of ABCA experience between us, and he’s been involved with the Raiders’ mother club, so to speak, for a while and he brings a lot of support and talent to our line-up as well.
“Daniel Dixon is going to stay on as vice-captain and at this stage we only look like building on the base of the great young kids we’ve got.”
Clarke skippered Tallangatta during his 10-year allegiance with the club and was also a star of the Wodonga District association with Belvoir in the mid- 1990s.
Stewart returned to cricket in the region with Wangaratta Magpies last year after a stint in Western Australia.
A former captain of Wodonga Cricket Club, Stewart has represented Country Victoria and Albury and Border at representative level and scored 374 runs at 26.70 and snared 17 wickets at 15.60 for the Magpies last year.
Raiders finished on the bottom of both the one-day and pennant tables last year and Clarke said the club should be in a much stronger situation.
Clarke said he was also in favour of a merger between the Albury and Border and Wodonga District associations, which is expected to be voted on within the next month.
Clarke said cricket would be the winner from any union, but added the structure was crucial.
“It makes sense from the view of developing the game, to have one body, instead of clubs and associations fighting for sponsorship dollars and grants,” he said.
“I can certainly see the benefits of it, but I can see where some ABCA club might be hesitant, but they’ve got to get the structure right.”
