Victorian Premier Cricket’s best performing players
From familiar faces to breakout stars, the opening half of the Victorian Premier Cricket season has been full of excitement. Here’s the top performing players so far.
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We’re at the halfway point of the Victoria Premier Cricket season.
After a delayed start to the season due to Melbourne’s horror run of weather, the state’s best players have wasted no time in making up for lost time.
With a two-week break in play, Leader Local Cricket has broken down the top performing players of the season so far.
Fawad Ahmed (Melbourne University)
Putting together another fine season at this level with 14 wickets at 19.71 in the first half of the season.
Ejaaz Alavi (Fitzroy Doncaster)
The Lions’ skipper leads his team for wickets with 13 wickets at an average of 18.23 and a best of 4-19 against Carlton. Has gone without a wicket just once in his seven matches, and also has 91 runs to his name.
Ben Allison (Dandenong)
Allison is putting together a brilliant season together in a Dandenong side that has won just one game. Across all forms he has hit three half-centuries and claimed 15 wickets at an average of 19.6.
Ethan Brookes (Prahran)
The English import is putting together a fine season for Prahran highlighted by his maiden Premier century in the last game before the Christmas break. He’s hit 311 runs at 38.9 and has also take four wickets.
Umair Butt (Footscray)
The Footscray fast bowler took two wickets in four consecutive games. He has been a great option for Footscray with the new ball and is eyeing a solid season for the Dogs with 15 wickets already taken at the halfway point of the season.
Hayden Butterworth (Geelong)
The experienced star is putting together another fine season for Geelong. He’s struck 238 runs at an average of 34 so far this season including a high score of 68. Butterworth continues to be more than handy with the ball with six wickets in eight matches.
Sam Evans (Kingston Hawthorn)
Sits inside the competition’s top-10 for runs made with 312 at 89. Has consistently got starts all season, the challenge after the break is turning those into a big score.
Liam Fitzpatrick (Camberwell Magpies)
Leads his team for runs with 306 from eight innings, at an average of 38.25. Has hit three half-centuries this season with a best of 91 against Geelong in Round 7.
Matthew Fotia (Ringwood)
His brilliant performances with ball in hand led to a call up to the Victorian second XI and Big Bash practice games where Fotia yet again proved his class. The fast bowler has taken the most wickets in premier cricket so far this season with 19 and is on track for a massive campaign. He took four wickets in his second XI appearance and gathered 2-20 from three overs in a Big Bash practice game against the Melbourne Renegades before rain called play off early.
Ruwantha Kellapotha (Casey South Melbourne)
His Victorian commitments have limited him to just six games for the season so far but the stats back up why Kellopatha might just be the Swans’ most important player. He’s the Swans’ third leading scoring batsman and also leads the way with the ball with 11 wickets at 19.09.
Campbell Kellaway (Melbourne)
He has shown his talent at level above Premier Cricket but before then, it was Victorian Premier Cricket where Kellaway was earning his stripes for higher honours. The 20-year-old played in four premier matches at the start of the season and had scores of 83, 133*, 42 and 51.
Will Lovell (St Kilda)
It has been a great campaign for Lovell who has taken the equal-second most wickets (17) in the competition so far this season. His 5-34 against Fitzroy Doncaster in round eight was his highlight of the year.
Nick McGuane (Greenvale)
The Greenvale fast bowler took a hat-trick against Footscray last week which included Dylan Brasher, Travis Dean and Dean Russ. McGuane has taken three four-wicket hauls this season and has a total of 18 wickets, the second most in the competition. He also holds one of the more impressive bowling averages at 12.
Tom O’Donnell (Essendon)
From seven matches, O’Donnell has taken 16 wickets with three or more wickets in four games. He is the fifth leading wicket-taker in the competition.
Tom Rogers (Ringwood)
Has continued to light it up again this season after topping the comp for runs in 2021-22, leading the way with 445 and an average of 63.57. He’s hit two centuries this campaign including an effort of 149 not-out.
Brendan Rose (Richmond)
Equal-seventh for wickets taken in the competition with 13 from 49.4 overs at an average of 14.85 and a best of 4-31 against current ladder-leader Northcote.
Daniel Satori (Footscray)
Two centuries and an unbeaten 84 has been the biggest performances for Satori this season. He has the fourth most runs in the competition with 375 at an average of 75. When Satori has fired this season, Footscray have won matches with ease.
James Seymour (Essendon)
The run-scoring machine has continued his ways this premier campaign with two centuries the highlight so far. His 429 runs at the halfway mark of the season, the second highest in the competition, is an impressive feat considering Seymour lost his contract with Victoria in the off-season.
Harrison Smyth (Carlton)
Consistency has been a trademark of Smyth’s season. In eight knocks, he has scored under 20 just once. The Carlton number three has dominated with the stick this season with four half centuries and a top score of 76 against Geelong.
Joshua Sundberg (Northcote)
The Northcote number four has been a shining light for the club this season with 374 runs at an average of 75. He has two hundreds to his name and a 77.
Brodie Symons (Frankston Peninsula)
Symons has been a standout with the ball for his side with 12 wickets from his eight games. He’s probably been below average with the bat but he has the ability to turn it around in the back half of the season.
Blake Thomson (Melbourne)
It has been a busy season for Thomson who has scored more than 15 runs in all his games so far this campaign. The opener has the third most runs in the competition at the halfway point of the season with 423 runs at an average of 60.
Michael Topp (Northcote)
It has been a consistent year for Topp who has taken a wicket in every game. His highlight was 4-42 against Richmond where he got three of the top five batters out. Topp has the equal-third most wickets in the competition with 17.
Andrej Yaksender (Melbourne University)
Yaksender has been a saviour for the Students on several occasions already this season. Yaksender has scored 332 runs at an average of 47.4 as he consistently gets off to good starts with the bat.
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