Victorian Premier Cricket Team of the Week Round 9: Vines, Thomson

There was no shortage of standout performances in Round 9 of Victorian Premier Cricket. See who made our best team.

Northcote’s Michael Topp has been in red-hot form. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Rain threatened before several players prospered in Round 9 of the Victorian Premier Cricket season.

While the clash between Melbourne University and Ringwood was washed out, the remaining eight games were full of eye-catching performances with bat, ball and in the field.

The selection panel at Leader Community News has come together and picked the Team of the Week in Victoria’s pre-eminent cricket competition.

Melbourne led the way with three players picked after the club’s big win over Footscray, while Geelong and Northcote each had two players selected.

Prahran, Dandenong, Richmond, Casey-South Melbourne and Fitzroy Doncaster are also represented in our 12-man squad.

Eamonn Vines (Geelong)

The star left-hander continues to pile on the runs and push his claims for higher honours. Vines hit an unbeaten 115, his 13th Premier Cricket, in Geelong’s win over Kingston Hawthorn to lift his season tally to 510 runs at 72.9. While he no longer has a Victoria contract, coach Nick Speak as called on selectors to look at Vines, who has a ton and four half-centuries to his name in 2020-21 and is the competition’s second highest run-scorer.

Jack Rudd (Fitzroy Doncaster)

Rudd scored his second century since the Christmas break to lead the Lions to a big win over Greenvale Kangaroos. His 106 came off 137 balls and included six boundaries and a pair of sixes. The new year hot streak sees him enter top 10 run-scorers with 379 at 47.38.

Fitzroy Doncaster batsman Jack Rudd continues to pile on the runs. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Blake Thomson (Melbourne)

Thomson hasn’t scored less than 500 runs in a Premier Cricket season since 2015-16 and already has 489 at an average of 81.50 in 2020-21. He batted through the innings against Footscray to compile a fine 95 not out, falling just short of a second century for the season. Sits third on the competition run-scorers charts.

Tom Jackson (Geelong)

The Victoria rookie has been a model of consistency this season, underlined by five half-centuries among 399 runs at 57. Jackson compiled 85 against Kingston Hawthorn, sharing a 161-run stand with Vines, to register his third consecutive 50. He has not made a score below 20 this season.

Geelong’s Tom Jackson is one of the standout young players in Premier Cricket. Picture: Julian Smith

Ashley Chandrasinghe (Casey-South Melbourne)

Chandrasinghe has played only 14 First XI matches but at the age of 19 he’s become one of Casey South Melbourne’s leading batsmen. The classy left-hander posted a crucial 67, his fifth half-century this season, at the top of the order in his team’s hard-fought win over Essendon. Chandrasinghe hit six boundaries in his 105-ball stay as the Swans prevailed by 11 runs.

Scott Edwards (Richmond) (WK)

The Richmond wicketkeeper-batsman has been in red-hot form, posting a ton and four half-centuries from his past six innings. His 50 in Saturday’s loss to Prahran took him to 409 runs at 45.4 in 2020-21 to go with eight catches behind the stumps. Edwards has represented the Netherlands 33 times at international level and the 24-year-old is an important leader in a young Tigers side.

Scott Edwards shows a straight bat for Richmond. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Fergus O’Neill (Melbourne)

The 19-year-old sits inside the top 50 run-scorers and wicket-takers in Premier Cricket, which is no mean feat. Showcased his all-round capabilities against Footscray with 61 batting at No.7 (his second consecutive half-century) before taking 2-32 with the ball.

Daniel Lalor (Northcote)

What a performance from the 18-year-old in just his second Premier Cricket First XI appearance. Lalor put ladder-leader Carlton in a spin, taking 5-29, including the big wicket of Evan Gulbis and was on a hat-trick in his next over when Tom and Harrison Smyth fell to his off-spin.

Northcote teenager Daniel Lalor put Carlton in a spin. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Michael Topp (Northcote)

The Dragons paceman took 3-35 in the big win over Carlton but earns his place for his sheer consistency. Having made the move to Northcote this season Topp has wound back the clock and is the competition’s third highest wicket-taker with 18 in eight matches, while he also boasts the best average (11.61) of the top-20 wicket-takers.

Adam McMaster (Dandenong)

Talk about a purple patch. Since being elevated to the Demons’ First XI McMaster has delivered hauls of 4-36, 4-19 and 4-29. In just three games he’s rocketed up the competition’s wicket-taker charts and has an average of 7 and strike rate of 11. Staggering.

Dandenong Adam McMaster has 12 wickets from three First XI games. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Kyle Williamson (Melbourne)

The Demons spinner’s season-best figures of 4-13 has seen him slip into the competition’s top-10 wicket-takers thanks to a superior average of 17.38. Williamson took the final four wickets to complete Footscray’s ugly collapse of 6-22 and secure his team the bonus point.

Matt Wilcox (Prahran) – 12th man

The Prahran paceman sent down 10 immaculate overs against Richmond and was rewarded with a return of 3-19, scalping Edwards, state player Wil Parker and Tigers skipper Dom Matarazzo. Wilcox has 18 wickets at 12.7 this season and has been key to the True Blues’ success so far, collecting two wickets or more seven times.

Matt Wilcox fired in Prahran’s win over Richmond. Picture: Cricket Victoria