AFTER a few years of dwindling numbers and less than stellar results, Milawa Cricket Club's solo squad is preparing to take the fight to the WDCA B grade competition, whenever the season starts.

Captain Callum Honey said the list he and vice–captain Rueben Corsini have put together is one of the most formidable in recent history.

"For the last five years we've had the same core group, but it's been a very young sort of core group," he said.

"Now that that core group's stayed together – it's been five years and that core group's stuck together.

"Everyone's a bit older now, everyone's developed into the player they were meant to develop into.

"It also helps picking up a few more senior heads throughout the recruitment time.

"It's probably the strongest team we've had for five or six years, I reckon."

Bolstered by experienced newcomers as well as returning players to the club, Honey said it was the season to reap the rewards of developing so many young players.

"We've always had the president, Russell Ferguson, playing, but then it was down to the likes of me and Reuben (Corsini) who are the next two oldest on the team, everyone else was under the age of 18," he said.

"Over the last five years we've probably had an average age of 15, 16 – now the average age of our players is around 20.

"It's just a lot more experienced people on the field which goes a long way.

"We've picked up the likes of Jack Connor and Corey Robbins, who's not a definite at the moment.

"They're people who have just played higher grade cricket in the past – it just adds to the experience of the side and it adds another person who can help the younger people develop to be the player that they need to be."

Club president Russel Ferguson said the club was in a good position considering the COVID–affected season last year, and had put together a strong set of players.

"Last year was especially tough, but we've sort of got though it because we've got a pretty young list, and they're pretty upbeat," Ferguson said.

"We've got a good core group of young fellas who want to play every week, and we've got a good culture, they're nice fellas.

"Sometimes it's not win–at–all–costs, its developing the group.

"Sometimes you've got to take a step backwards before you can go forwards."

Ferguson said the workload around the club and responsibilities taken on by each player were a testament to the culture the club had fostered.

"Callum and Reuben are leading from the front," he said.

"I think that's why Reuben and Cal are really good, they take it serious when they're on the ground but they're not going to rip into you if you go out or get hit around the park.

"They're having a bit of fun.

"Even off the ground, the boys mow the ground, they do the team things.

"It's not just about playing cricket – whether it's the raffle at the pub's got to be done, there's always someone helping.

"For me, we're trying to create that culture of the team where we're all going in the same direction, not leaving it up to one or two."