Leader Local Cricket names its Premier Cricket Team of the Year
It’s finals time in Premier Cricket but first we must recognise the season’s top performers. Local Cricket’s scribes have named their Team of the Year for the men’s competition.
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What a fantastic Victorian Premier Cricket season it has been.
After a delayed start, thanks to Melbourne’s run of wet weather in October, players were forced to wait before taking to the field.
As the finals series prepares to continue this weekend, Leader Local Cricket’s writers have put their selectors hats on to put together their Team of the Year.
Here’s who made it.
1. JAMES SEYMOUR (Essendon)
Another sublime season from the Essendon skipper and is surely in the running for a second Ryder Medal. Despite playing three to four fewer games than his rivals, still managed to score the third most runs in the competition, 684 at an elite average of 76, scoring a league-high four tons. Won several matches off his own bat, his hundreds against Richmond in Bendigo and St Kilda were particularly crucial, and his absence in the final round was a major factor in Essendon missing the finals. Can also bowl some handy spin.
2. DYLAN BRASHER (Footscray)
A breakout 12 months for the dashing Bulldogs opener and its put him right in the frame for a state contract. His glut of runs started in the northern winter as he plundered 783 runs and took 12 wickets for Darwin in the Darwin District competition, winning the Weisse Medal jointly with Ash Chandrasinghe. He returned to Footscray in strong form and despite a slow start to the season soon caught fire and finished with a career-best 606 runs at an average of 55.09, good enough for sixth most in Premier Cricket despite playing 11 games. Smashed a personal best 148 not out in the Dogs‘ superb win over Carlton, which led to a Victoria Second XI debut where he scored a gutsy 113 not out after earlier being hit in the head and retiring hurt.
3. HARRISON SMYTH (Carlton)
The Carlton number three finished the home and away season atop of the Premier Cricket runs tally with a whopping 743. He made just two scores below 10 and seven above 50, including two centuries. His sublime season could likely see him become the first Blue to win the Ryder Medal since Mick Allen in 2005-06.
4. HARRISH KANNAN (Casey South Melbourne)
The teenager broke through with his maiden Premier Cricket century and would’ve backed it up if it wasn’t an aggressive declaration the weekend after. His season netted 573 runs at an average of 71.63 with one hundred and five fifties.
5. LIAM FITZPATRICK (Camberwell Magpies)
Fitzpatrick captured 707 runs at an average of 44.2 and passed 50 on six occasions for one century. The young Magpies’ season had potential to be even larger considering he also made four scores between 20 and 50. Fitzpatrick’s enchanting 154 in a dramatic tie with Dandenong was included in his sizzling finish to the year, where he compiled 329 runs in just four hits.
6. JAMES NANOPOULOS (Frankston Peninsula, captain)
‘Nano’ took his place in elite company this season, joining 13 other cricketers to have notched 400 wickets and 4500 runs. It was a season of milestones by the Heat captain. He took his 400th wicket – that of Test batter Marcus Harris – before claiming his first five-for for Frankston and scoring his maiden century for the club, 101no against Kingston Hawthorn. All up, Nanopoulos made 384 runs, at 34.9, and took 28 wickets, at 16, to be one of the competition’s leading all-rounders.
7. LIAM BANTHORPE (Fitzroy Doncaster)
Arguably the Lions‘ wicketkeeper’s career-best season with the bat and behind the stumps. Knocked up 431 runs at an average of 35.92 and scored his second Premier Cricket hundred, 100 not out in a matchwinning performance against Casey-South Melbourne. He topped Fitzroy Doncaster and ranked 21st overall for total runs this season. He takes the gloves in our side after another strong campaign, leading the league in dismissals with a league-high 33 catches and five stumpings. Surprisingly, has never made a Premier Cricket Team of the Year but that could change this season.
8. UMAIR BUTT (Footscray)
The Footscray opening bowler took the fourth most wickets in the competition this season with 31 at an average of 19.71 including the qualifying final. He has taken a wicket in every game except for one this season and had best figures of 5-33 against Casey South-Melbounre in Round 14. Butt also possesses a strong economy rate of 3.59.
9. JOE MEDEW-EWAN (Northcote)
Back in Victorian Premier Cricket and back among the competition’s elite. The Northcote leggie finished with 27 wickets in 14 home-and-away matches as his side reached an elimination final Medew-Ewan was wicketless in just two games with his season best 6-97 against St Kilda in January, where he scored an unbeaten 33 in the same game.
10. TOM O’DONNELL (Essendon)
This season has been the most memorable of the Essendon quick’s career. His form for the Windy Hill powerhouse saw O’Donnell earn a Victorian call-up last month. The 26-year-old finished the season with 32 wickets at 16.5 including a 7-57 haul against Geelong, a spell which also included a hat-trick.
11. MATT FOTIA (Ringwood)
The Ringwood quick has been a standout this season with the most wickets in the competition. Fotia has taken 42, including the qualifying final, and is nine clear of the next best. Fotia took 7-54 in Round 15 against Prahran for his best figures of the season. He has also been consistent with a wicket in every game, putting him up in bright lights for a Victorian contract offer. His season also featured one of the best bowling averages at 14.17.
12. BRETT FORSYTH (Dandenong)
The champion opening batsman zoomed past 9000 career runs and put together yet another splendid season, with 615 runs, at 43.9. There was a century – his 19th overall – as well as five scores above 60. And let’s not forget his wicket in Round 12!
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