Chalkley, Sheridan, Thorne among chances for VSDCA Val Holten Medal

The Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association’s coveted Val Holten Medal will be counted tonight at the MCG. Here are some of the chances.

Kew’s Will Sheridan is among the Holten Medal fancies.

Can he make it a high five of Holtens?

The Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association’s coveted Val Holten Medal (formerly the Hatch Medal) will be counted tomorrow night at the MCG, and Caulfield champion Jacob Thorne will enter it as one of the favourites.

Thorne is already a record four-time recipient of the award and he’s in contention again after scoring 364 runs and taking 24 wickets in the home-and-away rounds.

Including finals he finished with 484 runs at 40.3 and 31 wickets at 12.1.

“Mine? What for?’’ Thorne laughed when asked if he had a speech ready.

“You never really know, do you? I probably didn’t start the season that well so I don’t think so.

“In our (south-east section) there were a few batters who did pretty well and will probably poll more, Rick Damiano, Tom Rickarby, and then there’s a few on the other side (north-west section).’’

Caulfield president Shaun Richardson believes Thorne can win a fifth Holten.

“Absolutely he can. You’d expect him to be on the podium,’’ he said.

“He’s a proven votewinner, just to state the obvious. They (umpires) don’t miss him. He was the king of the 30-odd and the two-for and the three-for, which is handy in one-dayers. Obviously we won a lot of games … he’s going to features in the twos and threes, you’d reckon.’’

Damiano topped the south-east run list with 571, with centuries against Noble Park and Elsternwick and three half-centuries.

The champion right-hander was fourth in the count last season and has a number of high finishes in the Holten.

Caulfield champion Jacob Thorne.

Rickarby’s home-and-away tally of 444 runs included a ton against Endeavour Hills and five scores of more than 40.

Batsmen in the north-west section were even more prolific than Damiano.

Kew’s Will Sheridan cracked 605 runs and four centuries – 131 not out against Altona, 109 against Yarraville, 100 against Werribee and 112 against Ivanhoe – and 77 against Plenty Valley.

Teammate Andrew Chalkley hit at his heels with 601 runs. He counted two tons in his tally – 105 against Plenty Valley and 114 against Taylor Lakes – as well as scores of 70, 87 and 71. Fifteen wickets went his way too.

Damiano believes Chalkley will top the count, winning from Thorne and Sheridan.

Yarraville’s Josh Hahnel blasted two centuries and three 50s in his 545-run aggregate,

Plenty Valley’s Callum Nankervis.

and Werribee star Shaun Dean is also expected to poll well for his 488 runs (one century, three half-centuries).

Like Thorne, Plenty Valley’s Callum Nankervis figured in the batting and bowling charts, and the Bats give him a good chance.

Nankervis hit 482 runs, boosted by innings of 109, 91, 72 and 59 not out, and picked up 17 wickets.

Is Adam Yates from Altona a roughie? He’ll hit the line hard after making 89 not out and grabbing 6-10 in Round 12 and hitting 104 in Round 13. Yates came in with 409 runs and 15 wickets.

Of the bowlers, Plenty Valley’s Nishal Perera nabbed 27 wickets in the north-west section and Box Hill’s Sam Kimber collected 26 in the south-east, with three returns of four-for.

Aside from the Holten, the Anthony ‘Butch’ Gale Medal as best Under 21 player will be announced.

Eighteen-year-old Caulfield opener Josh Agar is one of the fancies for it; the right-hander hit 415 runs at 27.67 and figured in the Fields’ premiership team.

Teams of the year will be named in all four grades, and the James Earle Medal (Second XI player of the year), William Tucknott Medal (Third XI player of the year) and Ted Plant Medal (Fourth XI player of the year) will also be presented.