Plenty Valley’s Callum Nankervis wins VSDCA Holten Medal in boilover

Plenty Valley star Callum Nankervis caused a stunning boilover to win his first VSDCA Val Holten Medal, leaving a host of big names in his wake. See all the winners here.

Plenty Valley's Callum Nankervis receives his award from VSDCA president Phil O'Meara. Picture: Ben Higgins

Callum Nankervis couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his name on top of the VSDCA Val Holten Medal leaderboard.

Coming into the night the unfancied Plenty Valley all-rounder wasn’t given a chance against the likes of Will Sheridan, Andrew Chalkley, Ricky Damiano and Jacob Thorne.

However, he left them all in his wake to claim his maiden league medal with 17 votes, two clear of four-time winner Thorne.

“It’s an honour to be awarded this medal, it’s a bit of a shock with some of the names in the field like Chalkley,” Nankervis said.

“No (chance), to be honest, I thought I might have been a chance at Team of the Year but no where near the medal.”

Plenty Valley's Callum Nankervis is interviewed after his Val Holten Medal win. Picture: Ben Higgins

Plenty Valley representatives (from left) Nishal Perera, president Darren Callahan, Holten Medal winner Callum Nankervis and Rory Collins. Picture: Ben Higgins

Nankervis is Plenty Valley’s first Holten Medallist since Sean Ayres in 2013-14.

It was just reward for an outstanding home-and-away season that delivered 482 runs (sixth most in VSDCA) at an average of 40.17 and 17 wickets at 19.47.

By the time the Bats’ season ended in a heart-breaking semi-final loss to Werribee, Nankervis had amassed a career-high 517 runs and 20 wickets.

Yet in what would turn out to be an embarrassing oversight, he was left out of the Team of the Year.

Plenty Valley teammate Nishal Perera was included after topping the VSDCA wicket-takers charts with 27 scalps in the regular season.

Nankervis believed it was his best season of cricket.

“I’ve worked pretty hard on my fitness and getting reward for that is nice,” he said.

“Being more consistent in going on with innings is something I aspire to, the great players like (Ricky) Damiano he’s a player I look up to.

“It’s the most consistent I’ve played and I’d like to be more consistent going forward.

“Credit to the boys, I wouldn’t be up here without them being there next to me.”

Earlier, Caulfield great and legendary Subbies administrator Jack Sheehan was inducted into the VSDCA Hall of Fame.

Sheehan played 220 First XI games for Caulfield and served as league chairman/president from 2008 until 2017, helping fight off Cricket Victoria’s attempts to break up the competition.

In the night’s other awards Caulfield’s Josh Agar – brother of Ash and Wes – was awarded the Anthony Gale Medal as the best under-21 player.

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Bayswater teammates Robbie Cox and Robert Sacristani shared the Second XI James Earle Medal, Caulfield’s Nick Sanderson was named the best Third XI player and Kew’s Nick Padbury the best Fourth XI player.

Kew’s Will Sheridan, Taylors Lakes Hoa Lai, Caulfield’s Jacob Thorne and Box Hill’s Sam Kimber were awarded the Leader Local Cricket players of the year.

Thorne was named captain of the Team of the Year after another outstanding campaign and premiership in the South-East group.

Sheridan, Josh Hahnel, Sean Dean, Ricky Damiano, Andrew Chalkley, Thomas Rickarby, Ben Speake, Perera, Michael Splatt, Rodney Bird and Louis Cameron were also included in the 12-man team.