Allansford-Panmure backing youth, recruits to help climb Warrnambool and District Cricket Association ladder

Gators coach Jake Bloom said youth and recruits would make selection challenging.

"There's about 25 guys who could play division one for us this year," he said.

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"It makes it tough at selection and means blokes have to train and all those things make a difference.

"It means our division two sides will be strong as well. Those sides will be even stronger than last year."

Allansford-Panmure will field five sides across the competition again in 2021-22.

Bloom said the likes of teenage quartet Patrick Hewson, Ethan Boyd, Flynn Gleeson and Noah Greene would push for selection while Alvie-based brothers Kade and Sam Parker had joined the Gators' cause.

"Opportunities to play as much cricket as possible, that's the motto out here," he said.

"There will be a bit of mentoring with our senior players and juniors, we'll pair them up.

"We'll try and bring them through our lower grade sides first and try and ease them into senior cricket."

Bloom said Hewson and Greene had impressed at pre-season training and would build on their impressive division one debut seasons.

"Young Noah Greene, who played three or four games in div one at the end of last season, I think he's improved again and Patty Hewson is an off-spinner," he said.

"He came into the div one team after Christmas last season and I reckon he's improved again."

The Parker siblings landed at the Gators eager to play a higher standard of cricket.

"They have really impressed and have come to nearly session we've run," Bloom said.

"Kade came out to watch us in the last game of the season last year. Allansford-Panmure was the closest club coming from the Colac side of town.

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"He was really impressed with how the boys interacted together and the real team atmosphere and loved our training facilities.

"He messaged me at the end of the season, saying 'I'm interested in playing, can we have a chat?'.

"So we did and he's brought down his brother as well. We're delighted.

"Kade will be a top-four batsman and Sam is a wicket-keeper batsman but both boys can bowl as well."

Bloom said the Gators would be best suited to two-day cricket and would improve in one-dayers.

He is a fan of the decision to make twenty20 an optional extra. It won't be played for premiership points, rather for spots in the inter-association Sungold Cup.

"That is where twenty20 cricket should be at the moment. To lose 12 points in one day effectively, it can wreck a season," Bloom said.

"It's caught us out a couple of times. We're more a technical batting side, we're not blessed with massive hitters.

"We'll be better in one-dayers with the young fellas we've picked up. The Parkers we'll help us out there.

"We are still much better suited to two-day cricket with our style and approach; the longer the format the better for us."

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