Cam Valente and Brooke Harris win Bradman, Rolton medals as standout Premier cricketers
Redbacks allrounder Cam Valente wins SACA men’s cricket’s top individual award, the Bradman Medal, as Sturt’s Brooke Harris clinches the women’s Karen Rolton Medal.
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Redback Cam Valente has upstaged Adelaide teammate Ben Pengelley and star Adelaide University allrounder Sam Kerber to win this season’s Bradman Medal.
In one of the highest scoring Bradman counts, Valente polled 40 votes to edge Kerber by two, with Pengelley third on 37.
The 25-year-old allrounder became the seventh Buffalo to win the Bradman Medal, which recognises SACA Premier Cricket’s best men’s player.
While Valente won a thrilling count, staged online on Wednesday night after the presentation dinner was cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak, the Karen Rolton Medal as best women’s player was won in a cakewalk.
Sturt’s Brooke Harris, who moved from West Torrens at the end of last season, polled 39 votes to win by 11 from the Eagles’ Tahlia McGrath, with Kensington’s Sarah Lowe well back in third place on 20.
It was 22-year-old Harris’s second Rolton Medal after she previously won with the Eagles in 2017-18 and was a reward for a strong bounceback season after she lost her Scorpions contract.
She is the third Blues player to win the medal.
Adelaide captain Valente – a contracted Redback and Striker – enjoyed a standout first-grade campaign, making 561 runs at a stunning average of 112.20, having been not out seven times.
He also took 28 wickets at 12.75, with a season’s best haul of 7/24 against Southern District in round seven.
Valente also won the Fred Godson Medal as one-day player of the season.
Left-hander Kerber topped the scoring in first-grade with 817 runs at an average of 90.8 while taking 12 wickets at 34.5.
It was his second consecutive top-three Bradman Medal placing.
Pengelley was an unlucky third, having won The Advertiser/Kookaburra Player of the Season.
He made 734 runs at 61.2, including three centuries, while snaring 32 wickets at 16.8.
Harris enjoyed a women’s first-grade season for the ages.
Her 34 wickets at 8.24 were the most-ever taken in the competition, while she also made 232 runs at 19.33.
Illustrating her dominance and consistency, Harris polled votes from the umpires in 10 of 15 rounds.
FULL LIST OF OTHER AWARDS
Men’s Team of the Year: Brad Davis (Sturt), Ben Pengelley (Adel), Jake Lehmann (ET) (c), Sam Kerber (Uni), Will Bosisto (Uni), Daniel Drew (WT), Josh Barrett (SD) (wk), Cam Valente (Adelaide), Adam Somerfield (TTG), Ben Turley (Wood), Lewis Hatchett (SD). 12th – Mark Cosgrove (ND). Coach: Steve Stubbings (ET).
Women’s Team of the Year: Tegan McPharlin (ND) (c, wk), Tahlia McGrath (WT), Alex Price (Sturt), Annie O’Neil (Sturt), Eliza Doddridge (Kens), Stacey Oates (Sturt), Brooke Harris (Sturt), Sarah Lowe (Kens), Amanda-Jade Wellington (WT), Sam Betts (ND), Shae Daly (Kens). 12th – Kelly Armstrong (SD). Coach: Manning McInerney (WT).
Fred Godson Medal (One-Day Cup Player of the Series): Cam Valente (Adel).
Darren Lehmann Medal (T20 Cup Player of the Series): Brad Davis (Sturt).
CW Walker Memorial Trophy (Most Outstanding Wicketkeeper): Josh Barrett (SD).
Talbot Smith Fielding Trophy: Daniel Drew (WT).
Jason Gillespie Medal (Male Rising Star): Liam Scott (Glen).
KC Butler Medal (Second-Grade Men): Tom Mackenzie (Kens).
Sid Daly Medal (Third-Grade Men): James Miller (ET).
McLeod/Wilson Medal (Fourth-Grade Men): Alasdair McFarlane (Uni) and Ben Sedunary
(Glen).
Shelley Nitschke Medal (Statewide Super T20 Cup Player of the Series): Ella Wilson (SD).
Marg Jude Wicketkeeping Trophy: Eliza Bartlett (Sturt)
Joanne Broadbent Fielding Trophy: Rhianna Peate (Sturt)
Lyn Fullston Medal (Second-Grade Women): Anesu Mushangwe (Glen).
Volunteer of the Year: Ryan Burt (Wood).