Who is impressing during Victorian Premier Cricket 2025 Dowling Shield

St Kilda prevailed in the Dowling Shield grand final, dedicating the win to a former popular clubman. Meet the young guns behind the success.

St Kilda celebrate their Dowling Shield success. Photo: Victorian Premier Cricket/Facebook.

St Kilda’s Dowling Shield victory was built on the motto “fight no matter what”.

Coach Luke Gandy dedicated the win to his great mate and former St Kilda clubman Jack O’Toole, who had previously coached the illustrious junior team, who died in 2022..

St Kilda secured the win by seven wickets against Geelong on Thursday by seven wickets, successfully chasing down 214.

“This has been a long time coming for our group,” Gandy said.

“They’ve been training since about July and have been building throughout. We played some very good cricket during the practice matches and were able to keep going during the tournament.

“Adam McNamara does a lot of work behind the scenes to get this up and running. He deserves a lot of the credit.”

Louis Stevenson was named man of the match in the final after his 3-35 helped have Geelong all out for 213 before he finished unbeaten on 61 runs to guide his side across the line.

“He’s done it all tournament, especially with the bat,” Gandy said.

“Batting at four, he would always absorb pressure especially when we might have been chasing. He would build partnerships.

“When Charlie Hester (33no) came to the crease, I felt confident because they’ve worked well together at four and five throughout the tournament.”

Ahmed Raza laid the perfect platform for St Kilda to run away with the result when he posted 78 off 118 before being dismissed by Hamish Craig.

“He really solidified the innings and we were able to bat around him,” Gandy said.

“Throughout the tournament, all of the boys came to the forefront at some point or another. We had an understanding to trust the process and work on what we had in front of us.”

Also among St Kilda’s leading performers throughout the tournament included skipper Barnaby Smith and Jack O’Brien.

On a personal level, Smith got off to a slow start with the bat, scoring just two runs in his first three innings before exploding with a century and two 50s.

“To work his way though that shows a lot of maturity for a 16-year-old,” Gandy said.

“His body language was upbeat even when he might have been struggling personally and his teammates really fed off that. I think he’s got a future ahead of him.”

O’Brien finished as his side’s leading wicket taker of the tournament after taking 15 scalps at an average of 11.67.

“He’s a quiet achiever who just goes about his business,” Gandy said.

“We call him the Big Chief because he’s a bit like (Victorian captain) Will Sutherland. He does everything a coach asks of him.

“It was a bit of a surprise of how hard he hits the ball which we found out early in the tournament.”

GRAND FINAL PREVIEW

Geelong will take inspiration from its U15 girl Marg Jennings Cup winning team when it lines up in today’s U16 boys Dowling Shield final.

An hour after Geelong spectacularly clinched back-to-back girls titles on Tuesday, its boys squad earned its place in Thursday’s final with a nine-run semi-final win over Fitzroy Doncaster.

But they’ll need to find an extra gear against their opposition, an unbeaten St Kilda, who is the only club to defeat Geelong this tournament with a six-wicket scalp just before the semis.

Geelong head of male academies Jack Rodgers said both clubs would enter Thursday’s final at Junction Oval armed with their own insights on each other.

“I think we know what they’re going to bring and they know what we’re going to bring too,” Rodgers said.

“I think it was a really good game of cricket last week, different venue for us, different venue for them.”

“I just back us in, and probably not worry too much about the opposition until we get out there.

“I think it’s about our guys actually adjusting on the fly and thinking through that situation.”

Geelong has risen up the Dowling Shield standings this summer, after just missing finals in 2024 off the back of some T20 losses.

“It’s a bloody exciting time for us, to have talented kids coming through and to continue to develop them, they’re only 14, 15, 16 years old, we’ve got a heaps of work to do with them and we’ll keep supporting them and let them be themselves,” Rodgers said.

“It’s a great reward for all of them to be fair.”

KEY PLAYERS

Hamish Craig, Geelong

The leading wicket taker for the Cats. He’s been brilliant with his 12 wickets at an average of 11.

Charlie Mahncke, Geelong
Has enjoyed a fine tournament with 267 runs at an average of 89. Also capable of picking up a couple of wickets.

Jack O’Brien, St Kilda

The skipper has led the way for his side with the ball taking 13 wickets at an average of 10.54. He’s also made some valuable contributions with the bat.

Barnaby Smith, St Kilda

His side’s leading run scorer throughout the competition with 237 runs at an average of 39.5. In three of the last four innings, he’s scored two half-centuries and a ton.

‘Batted beautifully’: Geelong opener’s thrive in Dowling semi

A strong opening partnership from Hamish Craig and Henry Hatswell has proven to be the perfect platform for Geelong to move through to the Dowling Shield final.

The pair put on a 103-run stand to give the Cats a brilliant opening to their innings, eventually posting 9-253 in the semi-final against Fitzroy Doncaster.

The Lions eventually fell nine runs short in their chase in a game which highlighted what has already been a high standard competition.

“They just batted beautifully through the power play and looked to play really good cricket shots,” Geelong’s head of male academies Jack Rodgers said.

“I thought Henry’s innings, there has been glimpses but for him to actually get that start and get going and get 50, and Hamish as well, to get near 50, to start 0-100, you’re taking that every day of the week in a semi-final.”

There was also praise for Riley Illingworth who added some quick fire runs in the middle order with 26 off nine including two boundaries and two 6s.

“It’s a shame he got run out but to target the short boundary down wing, he’s actually thinking about the game.. no fielder out there and he went again,” Rodgers said.

“It’s a big 20 off an over that they (Fitzroy) didn’t have in their innings which we did. In a close game, within 10 runs, it’s probably a massive difference when you think about it.”

Lachlan Wu led the way in the run chase for Fitzroy Doncaster, scoring 49 off 62 at the top of the order while sharing a 72-run partnership with Sandeep Ahuja.

Rodgers said Geelong’s opening bowlers Patrick Sullivan (2-33) and Harry Emerson (0-32) bowled well and laid the platform for their teammates.

Craig turned the game with his spin, grabbing three wickets.

Sullivan and Charlie Mahncke showed poise to close out the innings.

“We spoke about their plans and they were really calm and composed and actually executing what they wanted to do and it showed... we were able to keep in front of the rate and keep a bit of pressure on them,” Rodgers said.

St Kilda also moved through to the decider with a thrilling one-wicket win over Melbourne.

Melbourne had posted 208 all out as Sam Field (34) and Colby Marr 933) top scored with Jack O’Brien the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-33 alongside Jasper Tudor’s 3-39.

In response, the game went down to the wire with St Kilda overcoming late wickets as Darcy Kelson and Yuvraj Lidder got their side across the line.

Will McKean was the top scorer with 44 as O’Brien posted 33 while Louis Stevenson’s 38 had him among the runs.

PRAISE FOR YOUNG SPINNER

Essendon Dowling Shield co-coach Archit Bhatia has sung the praises of young star Jackson Martin after an impressive campaign.

The spinner finished the premier junior competition’s pool stage as the leading wicket taker finishing with 16 scalps at a lowly average of just 9.38.

He also finished as the third highest run scorer with 236 at an average of 59.

Joining the Premier Cricket outfit from Yarraville Club in the off-season, Martin has been playing regular Second XI cricket with the Bombers.

Martin closed his side’s competition with a stunning performance against Northcote last week, posting figures of 6-35 before a matchwinning 87 not out.

It followed on from a 5-30 earlier in the tournament against Dandenong.

He returned to senior cricket action against Kingston Hawthorn on Saturday, taking 3-43.

“From a bowling perspective, Jackson’s ability to adapt has been phenomenal all tournament,” Bhatia said.

“ In the Northcote game he was able to adjust his pace to the batsman he was bowling to really well, he knew when to give the ball some air, and when to attack the stumps.

“Jackson’s batting against Northcote showed the maturity he has for a 16-year-old.

“He stays really calm in the middle, and rotated the strike all day with minimal risk.”

While Essendon fell short of reaching the semi-finals, which will be played on Tuesday, finishing with a record of four wins and two losses, Bhatia said he was pleased with the growth his group had shown.

“I was absolutely stoked with the effort shown by the boys. They didn’t give up at any point in any game,” he said.

“Coming into this tournament, there was a thought we may rely on players, and have some players just come along for the ride.

“However the opposite was true, different players stood up in crunch moments, and showed tremendous leadership.

“I couldn't be happier with the talent coming through the Essendon Cricket Club’s U16 Dowling Shield, and with some of these boys already playing seniors for the Bombers, this year’s Dowling tournament highlights the exciting times ahead.”

THURSDAY WRAP

Thursday’s Dowling Shield action threw up plenty of highlights.

Check them out in our wrap below.

Ashley Fernando produced a brilliant all-round performance for Greenvale Kangaroos to lead his side to a big win over Melbourne. He took 3-34 alongside 3-18 from Ollie Melville to have Melbourne all out for 128. Fernando then hit 62 off 87 to guide his side across the line by seven wickets.

Kingston Hawthorn secured a five-wicket win over Casey South Melbourne after overcoming a horror start to a run chase where it lost its opener first ball. Ishant Dittakavi proved to be pivotal after hitting an unbeaten 60 of 104. Ian Perera was brilliant for the Swans with 80. Lachlan Dance enjoyed a strong all-round performance with 5-33 before chipping in with 30 at the top of the order.

Jackson Martin was the matchwinner for Essendon in a brilliant all-round performance. He finished with 6-35 as Northcote posted 8-246 behind Lachlan Rea’s 93 off 120 before. Martin then showed off his ability with the bat, hitting an unbeaten 87 off 82, to guide Essendon across the line.

Prahran secured a comprehensive 65-run win over Camberwell Magpies as Alexander Pillay impressed with 49 as the home side posted 7-229. The Magpies were all out for 163 behind William Gregory’s 40 as Sash Yuvaraj took three wickets.

St Kilda was able to pick up a six-wicket win over Geelong in a battle of two of the most impressive sides so far. Geelong posted 9-227 with Charlie Mahncke hitting a half-century. Saints skipper Barnaby Smith, wicketkeeper Charlie Hester and Louis Stevenson all passed 50 in the run chase.

Ringwood’s Jayden Rebeiro hit a half-century as his side recorded a big win of Melbourne University by 81 runs. Ezra Horneman was brilliant with the ball taking 4-25.

Richmond secured an impressive 126-run win over Carlton with Sharad Kulkrani unfortunately dismissed for 97, alongside Lachlan Giblett’s 50, as the Tigers posted 9-252. Carlton was all out for 126 as Siddhant Goel and Parker Edmunds took three wickets each.

Fitzroy-Doncaster beat Frankston Peninsula by eight wickets as Lachlan Wu top scored with 48.

TUESDAY REVIEW

Carlton was able to produce a powerful statement in its eight-wicket win over Melbourne University. Supreeth Reddy Bhimavarapu stunned with five wickets, Max Mahoney taking three, as they rolled the Students for 80. Dhanush Dahiya then led the run chase beautifully with an unbeaten 45 runs off 52 balls.

Fitzroy Doncaster continued to show why it’s a threat in this year’s competition with a nine-wicket win over Footscray. The home side posted 8-214 with Ryder O’Brien top scoring with 46. Sandeep Ahuja then brought up his century in the final over to guide his side across the line and finish unbeaten on 100.

Ahmed Raza and Barnaby Smith both hit half-centuries as St Kilda continued their impressive tournament, winning by 78 runs against Casey South Melbourne. St Kilda posted 3-246 before the Swans were restricted to 8-168 as Darcy Kelson took four wickets to go along with a couple of catches.

Toby Derrick gave Prahran a strong platform to victory in its 41-run win over Ringwood as he scored 59 off 89. Prahran posted 9-200 before dismissing the Rams for 159 with Patrick Kelly leading the way with the ball taking 3-33.

Geelong made it 5-0 on the competition after prevailing by four wickets against Essendon with Harry Emerson (two wickets and a run-out) playing a key role in holding the Bombers to 9-191. In response, Maahi Patel led the way with the bat scoring 68 off 89.

Maahi Patel starred for Geelong.

Melbourne also made it five wins from five in a five-wicket win over Richmond as Nicholas Critchley (89 off 112) led the run chase. John Conway produced a special innings for Richmond with 123 off 142.

Greenvale Kangaroos secured its first win of the tournament after prevailing by four wickets against Kingston Hawthorn at home. Connor Brisbane led the way with the ball, taking three wickets, while Joshua Mullavey-Clark hit an impressive half-century.

Camberwell Magpies were also on the winner’s list for the first time after edging out a two-wicket win over Northcote. Mehar Singh Banipal guided Northcote to 8-200 before Dhruva Bezawada’s own half-century set up the run chase for the visitors.

Frankston Peninsula went to 3-2 on the tournament after picking up a six-wicket win against Dandenong. Darcy Freeman led Dandenong to 8-196 with a well crafted half-century as Charlie Beggs claimed four wickets. Ash Batty hit a 50 to set up the run chase with Beggs and Noah Langham finishing the job with unbeaten scores in the 30s.

JANUARY 13 REVIEW

The Dowling Shield returned on Monday and there were some huge performances.

Catch up on all the action.

Northcote picked up a huge 136-run win over Casey South Melbourne with Reid McNamara producing a huge century.

He hit 120 runs off 142 balls to guide the visitors to 8-238 before Cooper Henderson then led the way with the ball, taking 4-38.

A brilliant century from Barnaby Smith has highlighted St Kilda’s dominant 40-run win over Fitzroy Doncaster.

Smith hit an unbeaten 106 off 123, including nine boundaries and a six, as his side posted 5-254.

Louis Stevenson then led the way with the ball, taking three wickets, as the Saints rolled the Lions for 214.

Geelong has continued to impress at the start of the Dowling Shield after securing a 65-run win over Ringwood as Charlie Mahncke hit an unbeaten half-century as the Cats posted 5-205. Three bowlers took two wickets as the Rams were all out for 140.

Richmond continued its winning ways with a 61-run victory over Greenvale Kangaroos with Tanish Singh producing an impressive bowling performance of taking 5-5 off eight overs as the Roos were all out for 113 chasing 174.

Kingston Hawthorn picked up its first win of the competition behind Rudra Parikh’s 3-36 as Dandenong was all out for 128 before Jock McKenzie led the way with an unbeaten 33 to guide his side to a seven-wicket win.

Sandula Edirisinghe enjoyed a strong performance for Essendon, scoring 25 off 60 in his side’s two-wicket win over Prahran. His innings came on the back of a strong bowling performance where he took 3-24 to help have Prahran all out for 159.

Frankston Peninsula picked up its second win of the tournament after overcoming Melbourne University by 53 runs as Cooper Remy produced an impressive half-century.

Nicanor Martel led the way in Carlton’s 39-run win over Carlton after he posted an unbeaten 70, guiding his side to 5-234 against Camberwell Magpies. Supreeth Reddy Bhimavarapu, 4-32, bowled well to limit the Magpies to 9-195 at the close of play.

Melbourne secured an eight-wicket win over Footscray as Max Thompson led the way in the run chase with an impressive 65 not out.

T20 REVIEW

It was a packed Thursday in the Dowling Shield with teams participating in two T20 games each throughout the day.

Four teams remain unbeaten to start the competition after reach recorded strong wins.

Check out what happened on day two.

St Kilda was comprehensive against Kingston Hawthorn as Will McKean (48) and Jack O’Brien (42 not out) fired with the bat before outclassing Camberwell Magpies as O’Brien hit a half-century.

O’Brien was influential against the Magpies as he took 2-11 off three overs.

Ladder leader Geelong recorded wins over Melbourne University and Greenvale Kangaroos.

In their opening game against Uni, Lachlan Russell led the way with the bat, scoring a half-century as Charlie Mahncke continued his impressive start to the competition with three wickets.

Come game two, Hamish Craig made the most of his opportunities with the ball taking 4-5 in a stunning three overs of bowling as Greenvale was all out for 88.

Lachlan Russell in action for former club Sydney Uni. Picture: Sydney University

Melbourne continued its impressive start to the competition with a five-wicket win over the Magpies to start its day with Sam Hawkins top scoring with 33.

In the second game of the day against Northcote, skipper Sam Field led the way with the ball taking three wickets.

Fitzroy Doncaster is the other unbeaten team after getting the better of Northcote by seven wickets with Rupptaz Kharoud taking three wickets and Sandeep Ahuja scoring 40 to lead the way.

The Lions backed it up with a seven-wicket win over the Hawks as Syed Shayan Ahmad posted a classy 43 off 24 with Anujan Vijayarajan chipping in with three wickets.

Other top performers throughout the day included Siddhant Goel from Richmond as he crafted a brilliant 62 not out to guide them to a nine-wicket win over Casey South Melbourne to start Thursday.

Later in the day, Goel’s teammate Luke McGann took 5-18 against Ringwood but it wasn’t enough to get his side across the line.

As Footscray beat Melbourne University by nine wickets, Arjun Upadhyay and Atharv Sawant half-centuries for their respective sides.

DAY ONE REVIEW

St Kilda’s Jasper Tudor has capped off a brilliant first set of games in the Dowling Shield with a match winning bowling display.

The youngster, who plays regular First XI cricket with Glen Iris, claimed remarkable figures of 6-19 off 10 overs as St Kilda held on for a three-run win against Ringwood in a thrilling chase.

Tudor’s side had posted 159 all out behind Jack O’Brien’s 46 before the Rams took the game right down to the wire as Charlie Moore top scored with 43.

Jasper Tudor was brilliant for St Kilda.

Richmond’s Spencer Ries was the star of the first set of games after producing a brilliant century in his side’s 15-run win over Camberwell Magpies.

A product of Brighton, Ries hit 101 runs off 112 balls in an innings which included 11 boundaries and a 95-run partnership with fellow Tonners junior Sid Goel who hit 36 off 60 as their side was bowled out for 246.

Archish Awasthi and Ben Excell took three wickets each for the Magpies before their side reached 9-231 with Aryan Verma’s 68 the best score.

The best bowling figures of the day went to Jackson Martin who took 5-30 in Essendon’s win over Dandenong. The young spinner who has been playing in the Second XI this season played a key role in having Dandenong all out for 154 after his side posted 8-228 behind half-centuries from Henry Newing (88) and Samin Shafquat (67).

Jackson Martin. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Melbourne secured a four-wicket win over Carlton after chasing down its total of 169 behind a half-century from Nicholas Critchley and an unbeaten 49 from Archie Huddart. Nicanor Martel scored a 70 in Carlton’s 9-168.

Prahran secured a 17-run win over Kingston Hawthorn as Sash Yuvaraj showed his class with the bat, scoring 67 off 72 to guide his side to 9-245.

Frankston Peninsula prevailed in a six-run thriller against Casey South Melbourne after Harish Salwathura set up his side’s total of 8-228 after hitting 79 off 97. Nikhil Reddy Kasarla was the leading run scorer for the Swans with 70 off 100.

Fitzroy Doncaster secured an exciting one-wicket win over Melbourne University as Rupptaz Kharoud laid the platform with a half-century to chase down its target. Rajpratap Singh was the pick of the batters for Melbourne with an unbeaten 56.

Geelong opener Hamish Craig fell narrowly short of a century, scoring 93 runs alongside Charlie Mahncke’s unbeaten half-century to lift Geelong to an 86-run win over Footscray. The Cats posted 4-271 before Jackson De Jong led the way with the ball taking 3-27 to get their tournament off on the right foot.

Northcote kicked off with a win as Reid McNamara helped set up a seven-wicket win over Greenvale Kangaroos with 3-20, having the visitors all out for 126. McNamara then scored an unbeaten 46 in the run chase.