Premier Cricket: Blake Thomson, Jackson Fry in Team of the Week
A new Victorian representative, an English import and several bowlers were selected in Leader’s Premier Cricket Team of the Week. See who made it.
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It was a day for the bowlers in Victorian Premier Cricket action on Saturday.
Melbourne opening batsman Blake Thomson was the only man to post a century in First XI action as the bowlers snared several impressive hauls.
Here is Leader Local Cricket’s Team of the Week.
BLAKE THOMSON (Melbourne)
On a weekend where most batsman struggled, Thomson was brilliant as he blasted 122 runs off 147 balls to guide Melbourne to an impressive win over Kingston Hawthorn. He shared a brilliant 153-run partnership with Campbell Kellaway after the loss of his opening partner. His innings included 12 boundaries. Thomson got involved in the field with catch while bowling two overs.
SAM EVANS (Kingston Hawthorn)
The Leicestershire opening batter has quickly adapted to Australian conditions, scoring 200 runs in four trips to the crease, including a stylish 89 against Melbourne on Saturday. His 103-ball stay included 12 boundaries and a six.
CAMPBELL KELLAWAY (Melbourne)
The 20-year-old went bang passing the half-century mark for the third time this season to remain on top in the competition aggregate runs. Kellaway hit three sixes and seven fours to score a rapid 83 from 69 deliveries at the Albert ground against Kingston Hawthorn. His innings gave Melbourne the runs required to post the biggest total of the round at 3-248 and also enough to defend successfully and gain a win to remain undefeated.
CONNOR HAYES (GREENVALE)
Hayes is quietly putting together an impressive season for the Kangaroos at the top of the order. He top scored with 58 runs from 76 deliveries on Saturday to help Greenvale to its first win of the season. His innings included four boundaries and two sixes.
FERGUS O’NEILL (Melbourne)
After a bizarre dismissal in the first innings which had Fergus O'Neill lying on the ground from a beaming yorker, he found his feet in style in the second innings. The all-rounder stole the show with an lbw wicket in the third ball of the Kingston Hawthorn run chase. A few overs later the 21-year-old took his second and the Hawks were 2-38. He then came on at the end to seal the win, dismissing Saad Khattak for 44 who was looking ominous and Tyley Pearson for the 10th wicket to complete a wonderful performance and victory for the undefeated Demons.
TOM SMYTH (Carlton)
Rarely does a game go by without Smyth having an impact. Usually, he’s churning out valuable runs. Every now and then he’s called on to bowl off spin, which he does well. On Saturday, Smyth’s spinners netted 4-12 off 6.1 overs and helped Carlton skittle Ringwood for 102 to secure a rousing victory. His fourth scalp was also his 300th wicket for the Blues.
RUWANTHA KELLEPOTHA (Casey South Melbourne)
As Jackson Fry took the first four wickets of the innings, Kellepotha executed the important task of ‘keeping the foot on the throat’ as they say. The 31-year-old bowled two maidens and took 4-29 from 10 overs against Essendon at Windy Hill. He grabbed his first wicket at 5-53, then second at 6-59 followed by his biggest scalp at 7-66 of number three batter Farzan Chowna who was on 24 and starting to rebuild the innings for Essendon. It didn’t end there, Kellepotha ended a 50-run partnership with a caught and bowled at 8-116. He also made nine with the bat and absorbed 24 deliveries at a crucial stage of the match where wickets were falling around him.
TOM O’DONNELL (ESSENDON)
Despite being on the wrong side of the result, O’Donnell couldn’t have done much more to get his side across the line. He finished with 37 not out from 67 balls in Essendon’s innings of 129. O’Donnell then finished with 4-27 as Casey South Melbourne narrowly got across the line.
BEN GIBSON (RINGWOOD)
The Ringwood ‘keeper was clean behind the stumps and certainly kept busy. He finished with six catches in his side’s loss to Carlton. Gibson didn’t concede a bye either.
JACKSON FRY (Casey South Melbourne)
The left-armer unleashed a hostile opening spell to have Essendon teetering at 4-48. Letting them rip, Fry had all four wickets, including key Bombers James Seymour (10) and Michael Hill (15), and he finished with 4-24 off 10 overs to put the Swans on the path to victory. With nearly 100 First XI games under his belt, Fry is among the frontline paceman in the competition.
MAX BIRTHISEL (Footscray)
The youngster snarred 4-27 from nine overs to help bowl Camberwell out for 152 and give Footscray the upper hand in the run chase and an important win to go 2-2 to start the season. Max Birthsal‘s best wicket was the important breakthrough at 3-48 as the Magpies looked like resurging strongly from a bad start at 2-9, caused by Footscray’s Umair Butt. After dismissing skipper Liam Fitzpatrick for 23, Birthisel then grabbed the number five and six followed by number eight to help Footscray’s run through the Magpies.
12th man — CONNOR RUTLAND (Carlton)
The all-rounder bowled a crucial spell, taking 3-15 off 10 overs, in the Blues’ gripping win over Ringwood. His haul included dangerous Rams opener Tom Rogers. Rutland is getting more of an opportunity with the ball this season and he’s making the most of it, banking eight wickets already.
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