Leader’s cricket scribes pick the Premier Cricket best XI of the 2021-22 season

With just one match left in the Premier Cricket season it’s time to name the best XI of 2021-22. See who made the cut in Leader’s Team of the Season.

Premier Cricket Team of the Year.

A star-packed line-up.

There was a host of nominations but we could pick only 12 in Leader’s Premier Cricket Team of the Year.

There were success stories everywhere.

Casey-South Melbourne leg spinner Ruwantha Kellepotha is undoubtedly the recruit of the season after taking 36 wickets.

Ringwood run machine Tom Rogers headlines a brilliant batting line-up featuring Geelong gun Hayden Butterworth, Blues batter Harry Smyth and Demons star Jack Harper.

St Kilda champion Adam Crosthwaite is captain, while Heat young gun Brodie Symons has been rewarded for another consistent season.

Leader’s cricket scribes put their heads together and this is what they came up with.

Ringwood opening batsman Tom Rogers. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Geelong opening batsman Hayden Butterworth. Picture: Mike Dugdale

1. TOM ROGERS (Ringwood)

What more can you say about Rogers? He absolutely blitzed it again this season with the bat, driving 898 runs (most in the comp) at an average of 89.80. The 23-year-old’s form earned him several Victorian Second XI call-ups, as well as an appearance for the Melbourne Stars in January. He cracked the century on four occasions – including an unbeaten 200 against Prahran in Round 6. As important a player to Ringwood as any. Big future ahead.

2. HAYDEN BUTTERWORTH (Geelong)

The second highest run-scorer of the season behind Tom Rogers, so it’s only right he slots in next to him at the top of the order. Butterworth peeled off a career-best 781 runs at an average of 48.81 this season, bettering his previous mark of 722 in 2018-19. Smashed an impressive four tons (and a pair of 50s) to take him to an even 10 First XI centuries as a Cat. Clearly loves the Geelong Cricket Ground, scored 496 of his runs and three of his four tons on his home deck.

3. JACK HARPER (Melbourne) (WK)

Going into 2021-22 Harper averaged 16.91 in Premier Cricket. Yet by the end of the season he was the Demons’ leading run-scorer, peeling off 670 at 51.54 and with a strike rate of 84.3. It put him fifth on the competition run list. His maiden century came against Melbourne University and seven days later he took a ton off Northcote. There were also four half-centuries, one of them a match-winning 74 not out against Dandenong to clinch the Warren Ayres Cup. “Nice player. Very nice player. Gee he played well, didn’t he?” Ayres said after the match. You suspect the days of Jack Harper averaging 16.91 are gone.

Melbourne wicketkeeper-batsman Jack Harper. Picture: Valeriu Campan

4 HARRY SMYTH (Carlton)

Smyth started the season with a bang, scoring an unbeaten 100 against Essendon in the opening round. It was an entree to a sumptuous season for the 27-year-old. He followed up with 91 and 70 in his next two hits as the Blues surged to the top rungs of the ladder. Such was his consistency, Smyth was averaging over 100 at the start of February. He has churned out 684 runs at 68.40, putting him third on the competition run list — and helping the Blues to a grand final berth. Carlton skipper Evan Gulbis is adamant Smyth deserves a crack at the next level.

5. ADAM CROSTHWAITE (St Kilda) (Capt)

Another tremendous season from the Saints skipper, who must be regarded as one of the great cricketers considering his run-scoring feats across three states. He punched out 681 runs at 56.8, including an innings of 105 not out off 61 balls against Essendon, to go with his two previous aggregates of 549 at 61 and 424 at 38.5. Still, there’s little doubt he would happily swap every one of those runs for the chance to lead St Kilda into this Saturday’s grand final. The 37-year-old was left “shattered” after the loss to Carlton, acknowledging the Saints had been outplayed. They’ll be back next season and so will he.

6. BRODIE SYMONS (Frankston Peninsula)

If he wasn’t making runs, Symons was taking wickets…the Heat all-rounder had another fine season. Symons scored 415 runs at 31.92 and captured 20 wickets at 29.85 with his pace bowling and, at just 23, remains one of the state’s brightest stars. It’s no coincidence that when Symons fired, the Heat had success; in their five wins this season he scored 42, 68, 40no, 55 and 51no.

Frankston Peninsula allrounder Brodie Symons. Picture: Valeriu Campan

7. RUWANTHA KELLEPOTHA (Casey-South Melbourne)

The recruit of the season, no doubt. Swans coach Will Carr declared the leggie to be “the best spinner in Premier Cricket, if not the state” after he bowled his team to victory against Richmond in the preliminary final last Saturday, lifting the Swans into the grand final for the first time since 1987-88. The 30-year-old is up to a competition-high 36 wickets at 15.10 and you must wonder where he would be now if he had come to Premier Cricket earlier. He played local cricket in the Dandenong association for eight years before Carr steered him to Casey Fields. It won’t be a surprise to see Kellepotha land a Big Bash contract in the next few months. He’s certainly had a big impact for Casey South Melbourne this season.

8. FERGUS O’NEILL (Melbourne)

The all-rounder plundered 274 runs at an average of 39.14, while also taking 25 wickets at 17.44. Hauled in three or more wickets on six occasions – including two bags of four, his best effort being 4-11 against grand finalist Casey-South Melbourne, while his best knock was 61 against Richmond in the semi.

9. MICHAEL TOPP (Northcote)

Has found a new lease of life at Northcote and finished top-five in the competition’s wicket charts for the second straight season. Backed up his 29 scalps in 2020-21 with another 28 this season at an average of 21.04. Only went wicketless in three of 15 appearances and captured multiple wickets nine times, including best figures of 5-50 against Melbourne. Dismissed an opposition top four batsman 12 times.

Northcote spearhead Michael Topp. Picture: Hamish Blair

10 MATTHEW WILSON (Dandenong)

Paceman Wilson crossed to Dandenong from Carlton this season keen to play a bigger role in First XI cricket. And he grabbed his chance, performing with ball and bat to be one of the success stories of the season. Bowling a heavy ball Wilson took 29 wickets at 25.16 and also made 276 runs at 23. He took 5-34 to lead the Panthers to victory over Frankston in Round 4 and snared 4-20 in their win over Ringwood. And he showed his talent with the bat, peeling off 62 after being promoted to the No. 3 slot against Prahran in January.

11. LIAM BOWE (Essendon)

Pipped to the No.1 bowler in Premier Cricket by Casey’s Kellepotha. Both spinners took 31 wickets in the home-and-away campaign but the Swans’ average of 15.84 edges Bowe’s 19.39. However, that shouldn’t take away from what was a career season for the “Wiz” as he captured his first five-wicket haul and topped the 30-wicket mark for the first time at Premier Cricket level. Add in nine T20 Super Slam scalps and one wicket in the elimination final loss and it’s 41 for the campaign. Bombers coach Ash Cavigan was often left scratching his head at Bowe’s state and Big Bash snubs.

12. DOM MATARAZZO (Richmond)

The Tigers’ skipper put on several clinics with the ball this season, claiming 25 wickets at an average of 11.56. Almost singlehandedly took out Footscray’s batting order with a sizzling 8-16, to go with hauls of 6-30 (Fitzroy Doncaster) 5-25 (Casey-South Melbourne, preliminary final), and a hat-trick against Frankston Peninsula among several bags of three or more. What a campaign from the right-arm medium pacer.