Numurkah secured its maiden one-day title last summer, but the Blues and their coach are hungry for so much more.

Cricket Shepparton stalwart and former Old Students gun Gino Saracino coached Numurkah for the 2024-25 season.

On Wednesday night, the club announced Saracino would go around again as head coach of the Haisman Shield side.

Saracino said it was an easy decision for him after an enjoyable first season at Numurkah.

“I’d been at my original club for so long, to then do something different, you at least have to have a look at a couple of years,” Saracino said.

“It was a no-brainer for me to continue in that space.

“The town has embraced me and so has the cricket club.”

The Blues started last A-grade season well and were unlucky to finish fourth on the one-day ladder given they had played in five wins and one loss.

Numurkah appeared on track to right the wrongs of the previous season when it fell out of the Haisman Shield finals in the last match of the home and away season.

Unfortunately for Saracino and his charges, a near-perfect copy occurred as Tatura survived the final round to claim the last spot in the top six — ending Numurkah’s season.

The Blues did secure a slice of history under Saracino’s stewardship, with the B-grade side winning the club’s first piece of one-day silverware.

Saracino said the exit of several Numurkah legends left a gaping hole experience-wise for the A-grade side which may have cost it late in the previous two seasons.

“I am looking for more consistency from the group,” he said.

“There was nearly 1000 games experience lost in the last couple years with Liam Gledhill not playing A-grade, Jahlan Lau not playing A-grade, Tim Braybon moving away, Mitch Grandell not playing.

“Replacing it with a few overseas boys and a few young blokes that got opportunities, it’s just the mental aspect that they probably have to get better at.

“It will just take time; age-wise we were fine, but we just didn’t have that experience batting six or seven or that bowler who can tie down an end.

“The results post round five, we won one game, so we didn’t deserve to be there if I am being brutally honest and the players know that.”

Despite the Haisman Shield season being many months away, Saracino said there had already been some confirmed changes to the Blues’ A-grade line-up.

“Ben Beaumont and James Du Toit won’t be playing,” he said.

“Unfortunately Bailey Smith did his ACL in the first practice match for Katunga, so we were looking for him to develop as a 21-22-year-old, but he has done his ACL for the second time in three years.

“We will replace those two or three and that is in the pipeline at the minute.

“There will be a leadership changeover as well, Tim Arnel won’t be captain this year.

“He will be playing, but won’t be captain — he has done a fantastic job.”

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Saturday, 23rd August 2025

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