SACA Premier Cricket 2022-2023 mid-season report cards: Every first grade team rated
We’ve seen plenty of starring performances in SA Premier Cricket this season – so how do the first grade teams rate at the halfway mark? See grades and star players for every side.
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The 2022-2023 SACA Premier Cricket season is officially at its midway point.
While the first grade has been impacted by rain up to this stage, the competition has still seen dramatic matches, surprise results and elite performances.
We’ve looked at how each club in the top flight has performed this year and picked every outfit’s star player as we head into the second half of the 2022-2023 campaign.
Read the report cards and grades for all 13 teams.
KENSINGTON
Ladder: 1st (4-1)
Star so far: Lloyd Pope
The good: Lloyd Pope has been phenomenal with the ball so far this season, tallying 27 wickets in two-day, one-day and Twenty20 matches combined. The Browns’ impressive four-wicket win over Glenelg was a sign they could hang with the best in the competition and their consistent batting line-up and bowling attack makes them arguably the best all-round team so far.
The bad: Captain Jake Doyle has led his team well but he has struggled at the crease. Tipped to be one of the standout stars this campaign, Doyle has only tallied 174 runs in all competitions this season coming in at number three. If he can find form, Kensi will be hot favourites for silverware.
Grade: A
WEST TORRENS
Ladder: 2nd (3-0-2)
Star so far: Daniel Drew
The good: Undefeated West Torrens’ consistency across the board makes it one of the most dangerous teams in SA. Not only do the Eagles have weapons like captain Daniel Drew (524 runs) and Kelvin Smith (438 runs) in the batting line-up, but the bowling attack consisting of Daniel Fallins, Spencer Johnson, James Reuther, Murphy Short, Seb Young and Jordan Buckingham has been one the most effective in the competition.
The bad: If it was not for two draws due to weather, the Eagles would probably be top of the ladder. They now face a test to overtake the Browns before first grade finals.
Grade: A
GLENELG
Ladder: 3rd (3-1-2)
Star so far: Liam Scott
The good: Glenelg has a number of contributors such as captain Jake Winter, youngster Isaac Higgins and attacking weapons in Josh Croom, Liam Thompson and Will Bowering, but Liam Scott’s all-round performance for the club has been monumental. Scott has taken 11 wickets with the ball and has tallied 226 runs for the Seahorses to provide a major boost so far this season.
The bad: A round five four-wicket loss to Kensington would have been frustrating for the club, the Seahorses losing a chance to move into the top two with a win. The team would be aiming to improve its output with the bat as weather improves in the second half of the season.
Grade: B+
PORT ADELAIDE
Ladder: 4th (2-0-4)
Star so far: Cam Valente
The good: Cam Valente has been arguably the top player in the Premier Cricket competition this season, tallying 637 runs and 18 wickets since joining Port Adelaide in the pre-season. The Magpies star has three first grade centuries so far.
The bad: While the club is undefeated, four draws in six matches has not been the ideal start for what is an improved list. While weather has again had an impact, the side would be looking to put away teams better with the ball in its coming fixtures.
Grade: B
ADELAIDE UNI
Ladder: 5th (2-1-2)
Star so far: Will Bosisto
The good: Captain Will Bosisto has been the star contributor for his Blacks team yet again with 252 runs and 11 wickets so far, while the attack has also been consistent with Liam Greber and Ethan Bamber tallying 35 wickets between them.
The bad: The Blacks have dropped points to both West Torrens and Glenelg so far and also drew with struggling Tea Tree Gully. While Uni’s line-up is reasonably strong, the side has lacked the ability to put consistently high totals together with the bat.
Grade: B
STURT
Ladder: 6th (3-3)
Star so far: Corey Kelly
The good: Corey Kelly has been one of the few positives for Sturt in 2022-2023, amassing over 400 runs and 19 wickets so far for the Blues. His performance with both the bat and ball has kept his team in with a chance at two-day finals cricket this season.
The bad: An inconsistent Sturt has struggled with depth this season, with Tom Kelly namely missing due to Adelaide Strikers commitments and Matt Spoors facing a challenge to stay fit. The side would also be disappointed with its three losses after competing for a grand final last season.
Grade: C+
WOODVILLE
Ladder: 7th (2-1-2)
Star so far: Campbell Vadlja
The good: Vadlja experienced one of the hottest starts to the season with totals of 141 and 176 not out and while he has cooled off as of late, his performance has been highly important in keeping Woodville’s finals hopes alive.
The bad: The side has struggled to bowl teams out so far this campaign, and star bowler Chadd Sayers has experienced a slow start to his season, only tallying six wickets in six appearances.
Grade: C+
EAST TORRENS
Ladder: 8th (2-3-1)
Star so far: Luke Robins
The good: Luke Robins has been one of the stories of the season, leading Premier Cricket in wickets taken so far with 30. His best performances have come against Adelaide (5/76), Prospect (6/39) and West Torrens (4/19). If Robins can continue his current output the Reds might have an outside chance at finals.
The bad: The Reds have performed reasonably considering their talent pool compared to other sides but a round two 168-run loss against ninth-placed Northern Districts would still sting at this point in the season.
Grade: C
NORTHERN DISTRICTS
Ladder: 9th (1-2-2)
Star so far: Josh Kann
The good: New arrival Josh Kann has been a major positive for Northern Districts, tallying 15 wickets and 150 runs for his side during what has been a challenging season thus far.
The bad: The Jets made over 200 runs just twice in the two-day competition this season and would be looking to improve in this area if they want to register more wins during the remainder of the campaign.
Grade: C
SOUTHERN DISTRICT
Ladder: 10th (1-3-2)
Star so far: Josh Barrett
The good: Stingray captain Josh Barrett’s move into the opening batting line-up has paid dividends with the club champion making 543 runs for his club so far. The star veteran has been one of the bright spots during what has otherwise been a testing campaign for Southern District.
The bad: Southern District is struggling to bowl teams out despite a consistent season from Mitchell Cuming. If the Stingrays can become more consistent with the ball, they’ll register some more wins in the latter stages of the campaign.
Grade: C
TEA TREE GULLY
Ladder: 11th (1-3-2)
Star so far: Nick Winter
The good: Nick Winter has taken double-digit wickets with the ball and chipped in with the bat, making over 100 runs, while TTG captain Joe Gatting builds yet another impressive season with the bat, recording 365 runs with the bat.
The bad: After making the two-day grand final against West Torrens last season, the Bulls have experienced a rusty first half of the season. The side’s bowling attack has been thin without right-arm quick Tim Oakley and has struggled to topple many line-ups.
Grade: D+
PROSPECT
Ladder: 12th (1-4-1)
Star so far: Kyle Scrimegour
The good: A round two 91-run win over Southern District gave Pirates members a sniff of what the team could potentially be but consistency has been an issue since then. Captain Kyle Scrimegour continues his all-round production, taking 14 wickets and making 153 runs. Paul Wasiewicz has also been a standout at the crease with 444 runs at an average of 40.
The bad: Prospect has only made a total of over 200 three times this season and has recorded multiple totals of under 100 runs. The club’s batting line-up is relatively inexperienced and it has been obvious in its inconsistency.
Grade: D
ADELAIDE
Ladder: 13th (0-3-2)
Star so far: Ben Pengelley
The good: Ben and Josh Pengelley have been the big positive for the Buffalos during what has been a disappointing season so far, the two brothers combining for 419 runs and 27 wickets. Young gun teenager Tejas Gill also continues to show his potential at the crease as an opening batter.
The bad: The Buffalos are yet to record a win this season, their best effort coming in a seven-run loss to Southern District. They should have more opportunities with clearer weather now setting in.
Grade: D-
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