VTCA: Big guns produce stunning performances across the weekend

One VTCA player might just be the state’s most in-form player while young guns stood tall across the competition. Here’s our Team of the Week.

Another weekend of action brought some more individual stunning displays across the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.

Arguably none was more impressive than Kaushal Lokuarachchi’s performance for Sunshine which included 7-21 and 71 runs at the top of the order.

Here is our VTCA Team of the Week.

ISURU OKANDAGE (St Andrews Pascoe Vale)

Produced clearly his best performance of the season against West Newport to lead his side to an important win. The skipper finished with 96 runs and was desperately unlucky not to reach at maiden Division 2 century. This was his highest score in club colours and just his fourth half-century.

FARRUKH SHAHZAD (Pascoe Vale Hadfield)

Unfortunate not to reach his first century for the club after he was run out in 95 in his side’s Division 3 clash with Caroline Springs. Shahzad has been in impressive form to start the season with two half-centuries at the top of the order.

USMAN LIAQAT (Roxburgh Park Broadmeadows)

Coming in at first drop with his side in some early trouble, Liaqat powered to a 101-run century from 104 balls. His innings included eight boundaries and 4 sixes. This is Liaqat’s first season with the club.

SAM YOUNG (Seddon)

Seddon was able to come away with an important Division 1 victory over Airport West St Christophers largely thanks to an impressive all-round performance from Young. He finished with 1-1 from three overs before turning it on with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 77 to guide his side to a seven-wicket win.

PRANEETH JAYASUNDERA (Jacana)

A consistent VTCA run scorer across the years, Jayasundera produced an important knock which led Jacana to victory on Saturday. He reached 74 being stumped against Melton Centrals, the first time he has avoided a duck all season. He also finished with 1-21 to take his season wicket tally to five.

Praneeth Jayasundera showed off his all-round ability on Saturday.

KAUSHAL LOKUARACHCHI (Sunshine)

It may be hard to find a better all-rounder in local cricket right now. The Sunshine superstar produced another stunning performance which included 7-26 from eight overs before hitting 71 at the top of the order to guide his side to a six-wicket win. Lokuarachchi already has 14 wickets for the season at an average of just 6. He’s also averaging 77 with the bat.

JARRETT MCKINNON (St Francis De Sales)

Enjoyed a tidy weekend behind the stumps for the Division 1 premiership contender with three catches and a stumping. He also played an important role with the bat scoring 19 runs from 24 balls to get his side across the line against PEGS.

SHANNON EVANS (Newport-Digman)

After missing out with the bat at the top of the order, Evans took his frustrations out with the ball to finish with an impressive 5-23. It was his first five-wicket haul since the 2018-19 season.

Sameera Vithana produced his best performance so far for Melton South.

SAMEERA VITHANA (Melton South)

Played almost the perfect all-round game for his side which was headlined by a 5-18 performance with the ball. Vithana also added an impressive 18 runs to help boost his side’s total late in the innings.

HASHAN CHAMARA (Melton Centrals)

Centrals might have gone down at the weekend, but it wasn’t without the effort of Chamara who led the bowling attack with a hard fought 5-40.

JACOB CARTER (Wyndhamvale)

Only made his First XI debut this season but Carter is already making a stunning impact. In just 1.5 overs against Seabrook, Carter claimed 4-2 to clean up the tail and guide his side to victory.