The Hills Cricket Association (HCA) season gets underway on Saturday (12/10) with eight teams chasing premiership glory. The season will consist of 14 rounds of 45-over games, while there will be a T20 competition starting on 30 November and culminating with finals on 11 January. 

Last season, Scott Creek Ironbank (SCIB) won their first ‘A’ grade premiership since 2004-05 to break a 19-year drought. The win was a triumph for the ‘team ethos’ of SCIB, with all players contributing to the victory. Adam Shearwood will skipper the side again after a career-best 803 runs in 2023/24. Lachlan Knight will return to the club from Kanagrilla, while Blake Beelitz lands at Cherry Gardens after previously playing at Strathalbyn. Mount Lofty has played in three of the past four grand finals and won the premiership in 2020/21. Jordan Neis-Beer will once again captain the Redcaps as his side will look to go one better than the past two seasons and lift the Von Doussa Shield. The Redcaps squad is very similar to recent seasons with Sam Furber returning to Heathfield Oval. After winning two premierships in a row, Stirling were knocked out at the preliminary final stage last season and they’ll be looking to bounce back in season 2024/25 under new skipper Jack Read. Read had a breakout season in 2023/24 with 719 runs, while also snaring 17 wickets with his off-spinners. Premiership captain Jack Pick will continue as a player. Mylor made a long awaited return to ‘A’ grade finals action last season before being beaten by Stirling in the first week of the postseason. The Pipers will once again be led by off-spinner Michael Warburton, while Tom Plant will be the key to their batting lineup coming off 605 runs last season. 

Aldgate missed finals action for the first time in eight years last season and there are major changes afoot at the Swamp. Josh Callaghan will take over as skipper as 2018/19 premiership captain Jake Turnbull has made the move to Kangarilla. The Gaters will look to Callaghan and vice-captain Mitch Thomas to lead the young batting lineup. Aldgate will also be without the injured Jack Woollard, while Shaun Atkins has moved to the Torrens Valley Cricket Association. Meadows missed the finals in 2023/24 for the first time in almost 20 years, a run which included an amazing 12 premierships. Club legend Rohan Reid has stepped aside as captain with Brad Louch taking over as skipper, while bowler Will Bevan-Giles will be back full time at the Bulldogs. Kangarilla had a disappointing second half of last season and have lost Lachlan Knight to Scott Creek Ironbank. This loss has been offset by the recruitment of past Aldgate and HCA skipper Jake Turnbull. Turnbull will be attempting to take ‘Kangies’ to their first HCA Grand Final since they joined the competition in 2014/15 and will add another option to a strong Kangarilla bowling attack already featuring Ben Evans, Che Martinsen and Steve Featherstone. Bridgewater have appointed gun all-rounder Jarrad Tait as captain for the season, taking over from veteran Justin Summerill who will continue as a player at the Raiders. Ty Watson (542 runs last season) will be a key with the bat, while batsman James Graves will be available more often this season.

Round 1 (home team named first)

Stirling v Meadows

Mt Lofty v Bridgewater

Mylor v Aldgate 

Scott Creek Ironbank v Kangarilla