A combined Premier Cricket Team of the Week covering Rounds 7 and 8
With Premier Cricket playing two rounds in four days we’ve brought together the best performers from Rounds 7 and 8 into our combined Team of the Week.
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With Premier Cricket playing two games in four days the Leader’s Team of the Week selectors have had to get creative.
We’ve combined the best performers from Saturday’s Round 7 and Australia Day’s Round 8 fixtures into a combined 12.
Tuesday’s rain-affected matches saw most matches played with reduced overs but there were still some outstanding performances worthy of inclusion.
Players from 10 different clubs have been selected highlighting the spread of talent in the competition.
1. TOM ROGERS (Ringwood)
The Ringwood left-hander is enjoying a standout season at the top of the order, hammering 114 from 120 balls in Ringwood’s loss to Geelong on Saturday. Rogers is the competition’s second most prolific batsman with 398 runs at 66.3 and has two centuries to his name in 2020-21. He missed the chance to continue his red-hot form against Greenvale Kangaroos on Tuesday, with the match abandoned.
2. BRETT FORSYTH (Dandenong)
The Dandenong champion’s 18th century (124 not out) and 131-run partnership with brother Cameron ensured the Panthers tracked down Footscray’s 8-237 to secure a critical victory. Forsyth and Dandenong backed up with a strong win over Camberwell on Tuesday with the star opener leading the Panthers with a 46.
3. DYLAN BRASHER (Footscray)
The talented young Footscray batsman is attracting plenty of attention and is his club’s leading run-scorer this season with 334 at 41.75. Brasher posted his maiden Premier Cricket century in his team’s loss to Dandenong in Round 7, finishing with 104 from 137 deliveries, and contributed 23 in the Dogs’ Round 8 triumph over Kingston Hawthorn. Also has scores of 87 and 62 this season.
4. TOM JACKSON (Geelong)
The Geelong star claims a spot in the XI thanks to his match-winning turn on Saturday as the Cats chased down Ringwood’s formidable 8/266 with five balls to spare. Jackson finished 70 not out off 73 balls – equal top-scorer – and then posted an even 50 in the win over Casey-South Melbourne on Australia Day – his fourth half-century of the season.
5. LACHIE BANGS (Prahran)
A second century and second Team of the Week nod for the Prahran rising star. Bangs’ 110 not out on Saturday ensured the True Blues picked up a critical bonus point against Melbourne Uni and he backed it up with a 51 and two big wickets in the Australia Day loss to ladder-leader Carlton. Currently eighth on the competition run-scorers charts.
6. SCOTT EDWARDS (Richmond) (WK)
A pair of 53s see Edwards in the competition’s top 10 run-scorers after eight rounds. The wicketkeeper-batsman was Richmond’s top scorer in both Round 7 and 8 but couldn’t stop the Tigers dropping both matches. Edwards added captaincy duties to his glovework on Australia Day against Essendon and played a lone hand with the bat in a close loss.
7. EJAAZ ALAVI (Fitzroy Doncaster)
Fitzroy Doncaster is in red-hot form with five wins on the trot, and its skipper is playing a key role. The highly-skilled spinner grabbed a season-best haul of 3-24 in Tuesday’s victory over Melbourne University, backing up his return of 3-28 against Frankston Peninsula on Saturday. Alavi also has two half-centuries this summer, including an unbeaten 52 against the Heat. He’s a class act.
8. ADAM McMASTER (Dandenong)
McMaster returned to Dandenong’s First XI for the first time in three years on Saturday, the paceman making an immediate impact by claiming 4-36, including the wickets of Dean Russ and Travis Dean, in the Panthers’ win over Footscray. Two days later he destroyed Camberwell with a haul of 4-19, including the scalp of Simon Hill. McMaster’s ability to move the ball away at good pace is paying dividends.
9. ANDREW FEKETE (Camberwell)
Defending 177, the Magpies looked up against it on Saturday against Richmond but the skipper put his team on his back and returned 5/37 – including four of the Tigers’ top five – to secure a thrilling five-run win. In a rain-shortened match on Tuesday he bowled only three overs but was typically hard to deal with and finished with 0/6.
10. JOSH GARNER (Geelong)
Garner’s eight wickets have him equal top wicket-taker across the two rounds. He secured 4-53 against Ringwood before backing up with 4-37 in the Australia Day win over Casey-South Melbourne – including the key wicket of Sri Lanka international Thilakaratne Dilshan. A fine effort from a youngster in his fifth and sixth First XI game of Premier Cricket.
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11. KIERAN ELLIOTT (Melbourne)
The Demons quick found wickets hard to come back on Saturday against Essendon, his 0-30 (7) just the second time he’s failed to claim a scalp this season. It was bad news for St Kilda as he took out his frustrations on Australia Day. Elliott finished with 5-11 from 6.4 overs, including three maidens, and Melbourne bounced back with a five-wicket win.
12. ASHLEY CHANDRASINGHE (Casey-South Melbourne)
The young Swan can count himself lucky to miss the XI after posting back-to-back half-centuries. Chandrasinghe scored 51, his third half-century of the season, in the loss to Northcote on Saturday and followed it up with an impressive 85 against Geelong on Tuesday. He sits sixth on the competition’s run-scorers charts, averaging 53.43.
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