Rehan Bari, Shepparton Youth Club United’s trusty blade and 2023-24 Cricket Shepparton Lightfoot Medallist, has sought pastures new for the upcoming Haisman Shield campaign.
The cool-headed middle-order batter has sealed a cross-town move to Kialla-based outfit Old Students, adding valuable experience to a youthful yet talented squad.
Bari blasted 303 runs at 37.9 in last year’s Haisman tilt, while also chiming in with eight wickets in a season where SYCU finished 11th.
The campaign prior, he boasted the best batting average of any player in the competition, amassing 583 runs at 58.3 as well as 12 wickets to claim the league’s most revered individual prize.
So, can this Old Student teach the youngsters a thing or two?
Bari’s signature marks a statement of intent alongside that of former Pine Lodge speedster Tiron ‘Tino’ Fernando, with Students’ coach Vince Gagliardi placing bullish expectations on his Kialla crew.
“We’ve bought into a stage where we have the young talent, we need to have some experience which is where we got Tino and Rehan,” Gagliardi said.
“I think we can go out and say we expect to play finals to be honest.
“With the development of the young kids and with what we’ve bought in, I think that’s what the expectation should be as a minimum.”
Students finished eighth last season, a steady improvement on its 11th standing the year prior.
Bari’s inclusion will likely add some grit and guile through the middle order, while providing the new captaincy duo of Felix Odell and Liam Callegari with another option with the ball.
As for SYCU, playing coach Sam Nash has ensured his side won’t fall short without Bari.
While the club locked in Keegan Armstrong and Tyler Green months ago, the combine has furthered its youth stocks with Pine Lodge’s Cooper Adkins and Euroa’s Oliver Swain.
Adkins logged 15 wickets and 104 runs for the Lodgers in the 2024-25 Haisman Shield campaign, while Swain was blooded into the Magpies with a handful of A-grade appearances.
SYCU will also welcome back English imports Jake Callow and Sebastian Menzhausen, who combined for 587 runs last season.
Waaia has pulled the trigger on a pair of flashy signings, beaming in Brandon Diplock and Jaime Riley from overseas.
Diplock, a former Zimbabwe under-19 international, is an all-rounder who is in pink touch in England at the moment, peeling off 524 runs at 32.8 as well as 43 wickets at 12.5 for Oswestry Cricket Club
The right handed middle order bat and dangerous right-arm strike bowler also played in the highly rated Cricket Albury Wodonga competition three years ago, posting 203 runs and 31 runs for Albury.
Meanwhile, top order bat and left arm seamer Riley joins the Bombers from Bradshaw Cricket Club in Manchester, currently returning 473 runs and 35 wickets.
And at Numurkah, the Blues have welcomed a favourite son back into their rank and file.
Mitch Grandell will return to the A-grade fold after a year out of the side, hoping to recreate his 2023-24 return after snaring 25 wickets at an average of 15.4.
Keep an eye out for Friday’s edition of the News for a full Haisman Shield season preview, complete with ins, outs, club comments and predictions.
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