Subbies Cricket: Caulfield champion Jacob Thorne favourite for Val Holten Medal

He’s won the past three Val Holten Medals as the best cricketer in Subbies. And Caulfield’s Jacob Thorne enters Friday night’s count as the favourite for the 2018-19 award.

Jacob Thorne bowling in the Subbies quarter-final against Elsternwick.

HE’S won the past three Val Holten Medals as the leading player in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association, a competition record.

Can Caulfield champion Jacob Thorne extend his remarkable run in the coveted Subbies award?

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The answer will come when the votes are counted at the RACV Club this Friday but he will again enter the evening as the favourite.

As he did in his first three seasons with the Fielders, Thorne excelled with bat and ball in 2018-19, cracking 648 runs at 49.84 and taking 42 wickets at 12.80 in the home-and-away rounds.

Centuries and wickets against Melton, Elsternwick and Malvern, and half-centuries and wickets against Taylor’s Lakes, Ormond and Brighton, will put him in the top rungs of the board.

“He’ll be tough to beat,’’ Caulfield director of cricket Shaun Richardson said of Thorne.

“If you go through his big games he’s probably got three or four three-vote performances so a few more twos and he’s polling high teens.’’

Heavy-scoring Noble Park skipper Luke Wintle.

Significantly, Thorne won the previous three medals with less runs and wickets than he made in 2018-19.

In 2017-18 he shared the Holten with Noble Park’s Mevan Fernando, both gaining 19 votes.

“If you look at my four seasons (in Subbies), they’ve been pretty similar in terms of runs and wickets,’’ Thorne said this morning.

“Going on that fact, then yes, I’d be a chance again.

“But ‘Rummo’ (teammate Graeme Rummans) had a really good year and he’ll take a chunk of votes. At the end of the day it’s often down to what happens in a game. You never really know with these things.

“But obviously winning games is helpful and it helps to be batting and bowling, which I’ve done a fair bit of.’’

Thorne dominated the Caulfield awards, winning the BAK Morrison club champion, the First XI team champion, the club wicket aggregate, the First XI bowling average and the First XI MVP.

Preston batsman Eoghan Delany.

Noble Park will put up another strong contender on Friday night in captain Luke Wintle.

The tall right-hander hit 651 runs at 59.18 in the regular-season, highlighted by 141 not out against St Bernards. He also had four half-centuries, including knocks of 98 not out and 94.

Brunswick paceman James Pearson can also be expected to poll well for his 41 wickets, studded with two seven-wicket bags.

Other contenders include:

* Altona’s Adam Yates, for his 561 runs and 18 wickets.

* Ivanhoe’s Kasun Adikari, 714 runs and 13 wickets.

* Caulfield champion Rummans, whose 528 runs included one century and six half-centuries.

* Preston’s overseas star Eoghan Delany, who weighed in with 631 runs, including tons against St Bernard’s and Mt Waverley

* Plenty Valley all-rounder Ryan Pearson, who hit 572 runs and claimed 19 wickets.

* Noble Park’s surprise package Nilo Perera, with 424 runs and 20 wickets.

* Balwyn all-rounder Mitch Carey, who put up 263 runs to go with his 29 wickets.

Thorne said he expected Rummans and Wintle to poll.

Jacob Thorne after his 2016-17 success.

JACOB THORNE BY THE NUMBERS

2015-16: 465 runs, 35 wickets. Holten Medal: first

2016-17: 544 runs, 33 wickets. Holten Medal: first

2017-18: 580 runs, 32 wickets. Holten Medal: equal first

2018-19: 648 runs, 42 wickets: Holten Medal:?

PAUL AMY SELECTS

1 Jacob Thorne

2 Luke Wintle

3 Kasun Adikar

LUKE D’ANELLO SELECTS

1 Jacob Thorne

2 Luke Wintle

3 James Pearson