Victorian Premier Cricket’s Team of the Week

A star on the rise, a gun’s bounce-back performance and consistent century makers lit up Victorian Premier Cricket on Saturday. Here’s our Team of the Week.

Premier Cricket Dowling Shield: St Kilda v Melbourne. Melbourne player Alexander Buxton walks. Picture: Valeriu Campan

What a stunning weekend of Victorian Premier Cricket.

State representatives knocked on the door for selection while young guns made their mark on the competition.

Here is Leader Local Cricket’s best performed XI.

JAMES SEYMOUR (Essendon)

What a player this man is. Scored his second century of the season after a couple of lean weeks with an unbeaten 129 in Essendon’s win over Kingston Hawthorn. Seymour’s innings included 14 boundaries and 2 sixes in a 149-ball stay at the crease. As if he didn’t terrorise the opposition enough, Seymour finished with 2-47 from 10 overs.

TOM ROGERS (Ringwood)

The Ringwood star claimed a 10th career First XI ton, sixth in the past two seasons and second this campaign with his effort of 116 runs off 103 deliveries as the Rams topped Casey South-Melbourne on the way to a third victory from five starts. The 23-year-old blasted seven fours and four sixes in the eight-wicket win.

Edward Newman. Picture: Georg Sal

EDWARD NEWMAN (St Kilda)

After an inglorious start to the season with back-to-back ducks, Newman struck peak form with a superb knock of 96 off 98 balls (8 fours, 3 sixes) against his former side Dandenong. The former Victorian rookie put the cap on a man-of-the-match display with 1-28 as the Saints made it three wins on the spin.

JAKE FRASER-MCGURK (Richmond)

The 20-year-old almost single-handedly chased down the Camberwell Magpies’ 96 total with his showing of 69 not-out off 39 balls, blasting five fours and five sixes as the Tigers romped to victory. It’s his first haul of the season with the bat after back-to-back ducks across rounds four and five.

BEN ALLISON (Dandenong)

A difficult day for Dandenong but Allison was able to walk away with his head held high. Finished with 2-50 as St Kilda run away to a big total before finishing with 56 runs from 38 deliveries.

Melbourne’s Alexander Buxton. Picture: Valeriu Campan

ALEX BUXTON (Melbourne)

A match to remember by the 18-year-old in just his sixth First XI appearance. After taking three catches behind the stumps, Buxton hit 62 not out off 67 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes) from No. 6 to steer the Demons to victory. He showed maturity beyond his years in a new middle order role.

BRODIE SYMONS (Frankston Peninsula)

The fast bowling all-rounder cut a swath through the Prahran middle and lower order, taking 4-37 off 8.1 overs to help set up the Heat’s first win of the season.

EJAAZ ALAVI (Fitzroy Doncaster)

The Lions’ captain stood tall in his side’s 44-run defeat at the hands of Carlton, claiming 4-19 off 9.5 overs, including four maidens. His major breakthrough came as he bowled Blues No. 2 Mackenzie Harvey amid a 71-run haul, before ending Tom Smyth’s afternoon at the crease on 56. It’s Alavi’s best showing of the season so far, against the reigning premier no less.

Ejaaz Alavi bowling for Fitzroy Doncaster. Picture: Valeriu Campan

JOEL MEDEW-EWEN (Northcote)

Enjoyed his best display of the season with the ball finishing with 4-23 as Northcote continued their winning ways. Also took an important catch to remove Josh Trembearth.

MITCH PERRY (Richmond)

One of the standouts in the Tigers’ seven-wicket drubbing of the Camberwell Magpies with a 4-23 showing off 10 overs, as the hosts were knocked over for 96. The quickie tore through the Magpies’ top order, claiming the No. 2 and 3 batters in Coby Fitzsimmons for a duck and Ben Shields (1), before taking care of the middle order.

BRADEN TAEUBER (Dandenong)

The 6’7 right-armer took a wicket third ball of the game against St Kilda and went on to capture his first five-wicket haul in top grade, taking 5-39 off 10 overs.