Lancashire League: Mott set to join Victoria (22 May 1998)

Friday, May 22, 1998

Mott set to join Victoria

Lancashire Evening Telegraph

LOWERHOUSE professional Matthew Mott is to join Victoria for their 1998-99 Sheffield Shield campaign.

Victoria swooped for the left-hander after a lack of first team opportunities at Queensland prompted him to look for a move.

"A few people at Queensland put out a few feelers for me to see who would be interested and Victoria were really keen to take me on board," revealed Mott after completing the long-distance deal yesterday.

Mott averaged 59 for Queensland in the 1996/97 season but found himself squeezed out this winter which prompted him to look for pastures new to get a promising career back on track.

He explained: "For the first couple of years I could understand it when I was behind Matthew Hayden and Trevor Barsby.

"I was waiting for Barsby to retire but I got a go when he was still there and scored very well.

"But at the start of the next year they brought in Martin Love to open and that put me right out of it.

"That was the spot I had my eye on and then I had to fight for a middle order spot where they have very strong players and I was right out of contention. "They have good openers at Victoria but their middle order is not quite so strong. I think there will be a bit more of an opportunity down there and it will be a fresh challenge.

"Hopefully it will be a positive step and stop me stagnating."

Mott, who scored over 1,000 runs as professional at Church two summers ago, will link up with Ramsbottom's professional Ian Harvey at Victoria so will get the lowdown on his new state from the Australian all-rounder this summer.

Mott's targets are clear, however. "My goal has always been to be a permanent member of a Shield side. My aim is to play 10 Shield games next season," he said.

The move will also see Mott leave his current club Gold Coast Dolphins to join another club in Victoria.

And although he is hoping to train as a primary school teacher, his new state has fixed him up with a trainee management job at a local golf club - another factor behind the switch.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)