Who makes the cut in the Round 16 Premier Cricket Team of the Week

The Premier Cricket home-and-away season has drawn to a close and for the last time we’re celebrating the best performers of the week.

Prahran batsman Lachlan Bangs. Picture: Valeriu Campan

The Premier Cricket home-and-away season has come to an end.

For the last time this season we’re celebrating the best players of the week.

Prahran young gun Lachie Bangs was the only centurion in Round 16, while Richmond’s Mitch Perry was the only five-wicket taker.

Meanwhile, Will Pucovski warmed up for his state return with a fine knock for Melbourne and James Pattinson showcased his all-round talent with 81 and took 3-24.

A pair of Bombers and Bulldogs made the team ahead of their elimination final clash, as well as two Hawks, while a Demon, Swan, Cat, True Blue, Panther and Tiger also make the cut.

Will Pucovski raises the bat for Victoria.

Thaveesh Attanayake in action for Kingston Hawthorn.

1. WILL PUCOVSKI (Melbourne)

It was so good to see the Test batsman raise his bat again as he reached another half-century for the Demons. In his second club innings for Melbourne since being given medical clearance to return, the 24-year-old made 73, including four boundaries and a six, before being run out. Pucovski batted for 151 minutes and put the Demons on track for a comfortable win over Camberwell Magpies.

2. THAVEESH ATTANAYAKE (Kingston Hawthorn)

Walking to the crease with the Hawks wobbling at 1-0, Attanayake produced a gem of an innings, peeling off 85 — his highest First XI score — to help the Hawks put up 8-246. The stylish left-hander put away four sixes and three fours and looked ticketed for a century, but was bowled by spinner Blake Parsons. Attanayake, 24, has been playing Premier Cricket since 13 and is only getting better.

3. MICHAEL WALLACE (Casey-South Melbourne)

The Swans skipper led from the front, cracking 77 off 61 balls (five fours, two sixes) as his side defeated Fitzroy Doncaster to secure fourth spot and a double chance for the finals. The tall left-hander also took three catches in the 28-run win. Wallace has had another excellent season with the bat, scoring 543 runs, at 38.8, including five half-centuries.

Michael Wallace. Picture: Andy Brownbill

4. LIAM BLACKFORD (Geelong) (WK)

Anchored the Geelong innings as the Cats wrapped up the regular season with a 35-run win over Frankston Peninsula. Desperately unlucky not to reach triple figures and raise the bat for the first time this season, finishing unbeaten on 97 from 95 balls. In fact, has been pretty unlucky a couple of times with scores of 79, 87 and 68.

5. LACHIE BANGS (Prahran)

It’s been said before that Lachie Bangs is one of the most exciting players in Victorian Premier Cricket. He lived up to that billing on Saturday with an exhilarating performance in the True Blues’ thrilling win over Kingston Hawthorn. Going in at 4-82, Bangs plundered 115 not out off 91 balls as Prahran ran down the Hawks’ 246 with an over to spare. He smashed 7 sixes and 7 fours to bank his third Premier century. He also nabbed 2-30 with the ball.

6. DEAN RUSS (Footscray)

Continues to be Footscray’s most reliable bat and led the Bulldogs home with 76 not out in the five-wicket win over Northcote. Russ’ match-winning knock came off 89 balls and included eight boundaries and four sixes. It was also his fourth half-century of the campaign and sees him finish the home-and-away season with 404 runs at an elite average of 57.71.

James Pattinson was in fine form for Dandenong.

7. JAMES PATTINSON (Dandenong)

Wow! Big Patto was on fire as the Panthers finished the season with a thumping win over Greenvale. Batting at No. 3, he clouted 81 off 45 balls, with 7 sixes and 5 fours, as Dandenong rattled up 6-282. Pattinson then captured 3-24 off 10 overs as Greenvale was shot out for 117. The former Test man is soon to head to England to play with Nottinghamshire.

8. ASH ARMSTRONG (Footscray)

The Bulldogs all-rounder has an First XI 181 under his belt but it is his under-rated bowling that earns him a spot in the Team of the Week. Armstrong’s previous best bowling performance was 1-3 back in 2014-15 but he blew that out of the water against Northcote, ripping through the Dragons middle order to finish with 4-32. Picked up two wickets in three balls when he removed Mark Phelan and Max O’Sullivan.

9. TOM O’DONNELL (Essendon)

Produced his best performance when Essendon needed its vice-captain the most. O’Donnell has found wickets hard to come by this season but rolled through the Melbourne University top order on Saturday to finish with 4-19 and secure a finals-making 77-run win. Removed Noah Croes and Fergus McKenna for ducks in three balls and when key wicket Andrej Yaksender fell shortly after, the Students were 4-18.

Mitch Perry. Picture: Daniel Pockett

10. MITCH PERRY (Richmond)

The Victorian quick sent down a hostile spell against Carlton, grabbing 5-28 off 10 overs. His haul included key scalps Mackenzie Harvey and Evan Gulbis and nearly hauled the Tigers back into it. Perry enjoyed an impressive Shield campaign with the Vics over summer and he will be a key player in the Tigers’ finals series.

11. CAM McCLURE (Essendon)

Fresh off making his Marsh Cup one-day debut for Victoria, McClure brought his state form back to the Bombers and together with Tom O’Donnell destroyed Melbourne University. McClure took 1-55 against Tasmania and 3-38 against Western Australia and on Saturday produced his second four-wicket haul of the campaign, finishing with 4-20. Picked up two wickets in four balls when he removed Harrison Barnes and Janak Prakash.

12. ASHISH MATHEW (Kingston Hawthorn)

Came so very close to bowling his team to a much-needed victory, taking 4-53, as Prahran squeezed past Kingston Hawthorn by a single wicket with an over to spare on Saturday. It was a season-best return for the Hawk who has split his time between First and Second XI duties this season. Mathew picked up the prized wicket of Will Sutherland for a duck and also removed Damon Egan, Matt Wilcox and Blake Parsons.