Who makes the Victorian Premier Cricket Team of the Week in Round 10

Three batsmen scored centuries, while there was just one five-wicket haul, as the runs flowed in Round 10 of Victorian Premier Cricket. See who made our best team.

Ed Newman has taken a spot at the top of the order after hitting a century for Dandenong. Picture: Stuart Milligan

There was no shortage of standout performances in Round 10 of Victorian Premier Cricket, with three players posting centuries and a spinner with Big Bash League experience collecting a five-wicket haul.

The nine 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.

Carlton, Melbourne, Prahran and Essendon all had two players selected, while Greenvale Kangaroos, Dandenong, Ringwood and Northcote are also represented.

Josh Trembearth stood tall for Greenvale Kangaroos. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Josh Trembearth (Greenvale Kangaroos)

Patience paid off for the Kangaroos opener after returning from a stint in local cricket last season. New coach Damian Shanahan has shown faith in his ability and Trembearth repaid the faith with a maiden century, an impressive 108 in the win over Frankston Peninsula. The young batsman leads the Kangaroos in runs and sits 31st overall in Premier Cricket.

Damon Egan (Prahran)

Promoted to opener in the past fortnight, Egan guided Prahran to a crushing nine-wicket victory over Kingston Hawthorn with an unbeaten 96 from 114 deliveries. It was Egan’s second contribution of significance in 2020-21 after he compiled 104 against Ringwood in Round 4 and lifted his season tally to 310 runs at 38.8.

Prahran’s Damon Egan reached three figures for the first time this season. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Ed Newman (Dandenong)

It’s hard to believe it took Newman 68 First XI matches to ring up his maiden ton. However, Dandenong coach Warren Ayres believes a recent stint with Melbourne Stars had turned him into a different player. Newman’s 120 not out came off 122 balls and included seven boundaries and five sixes. With three not outs in six digs this summer he boasts an impressive 96.50 average.

Tom Smyth (Carlton)

Smyth is the Blues’ most prolific batsman this season and he dominated another bowling attack in Round 10, hammering 94 from 96 deliveries against Camberwell Magpies. The innings took Smyth’s tally to 426 runs at 60.9 (he has a ton and three half-centuries), while he also chipped in with two wickets.

Nick Ross is in red-hot form for flag contender Carlton. Picture: Arj Giese

Nick Ross (Carlton)

Ross arrived at the crease with Carlton wobbling at 3-42 against the Magpies. But not for the first time this season, he completed a stunning rescue act with fellow middle-order gun Smyth. Ross blasted 130 not out from 134 balls in a knock which featured five sixes, taking his overall figures to 407 runs at 81.4. It was his eighth First XI century for the Blues.

Jack Prestwidge (Melbourne)

The Queenslander has shown a bit of promise in his four games for Melbourne. In his second game back from Big Bash League duties with the Melbourne Renegades, Prestwidge hit a quick-fire 47 from 47 balls and took 2-31 in the Demons’ win over Geelong. The all-rounder has seven wickets this Premier Cricket season and will be critical to Melbourne’s flag hopes.

Josh Hartill recorded a club record seven dismissals, including six catches and a stumping. Picture: Supplied

Josh Hartill (Ringwood) (WK)

A record-breaking weekend for Rams’ gloveman Hartill. He equalled the club-record seven dismissals in a match – taking six catches and a stumping in the five-wicket win over Richmond. Hartill could only contribute four with the bat but his work behind the stumps was more than enough to earn a place in the team of the week.

Michael Topp (Northcote)

The Northcote paceman earned a place in last week’s team of the week for his consistency. This week he gets in on the back of a season-best 4-30. Topp claimed the key Footscray scalps of Travis Dean and Dean Russ to ensure the Dragons claimed a seven-run victory. In two fewer matches he now has the second most wickets in the competition with 22, behind only St Kilda’s Henry Thornton’s 23.

Liam Bowe spun Essendon to victory. Picture: Hamish Blair

Liam Bowe (Essendon)

The Bombers spinner had never taken a five-wicket haul in red and black but that drought broke on Saturday against Fitzroy Doncaster. Bowe’s 5-27 included the wickets of Lions top three Jack Rudd, Lakshmn Shivakumar and Noah Korkolis and helped set up Essendon’s three-wicket win. The former Big Bash bowler now has 15 scalps and will hope to make it five consecutive seasons of 20-plus wickets.

Kyle Williamson (Melbourne)

The gun Demons leg-spinner claims back-to-back Team of the Week appearances with a second straight four-wicket haul. Williamson’s 4-34 allowed him to jump up to fifth on the competition wicket-takers charts with 20 scalps at 15.60. He denied Geelong star Eamonn Vines a century on Saturday, knocking him over for 90, as well as the in-form Tom Jackson as the Dees picked up a 40-run win.

Kylle Williamson is enjoying a fine season for the Demons. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Nick Boland (Prahran)

One of the True Blues’ big off-season recruits returned his best haul of the summer in his side’s emphatic win over Kingston Hawthorn. Boland grabbed 4-20 from 10 immaculate overs, including the scalp of opposition skipper Shorye Chopra, as he destroyed the visitors’ middle-order. The paceman has 16 wickets at 25.2 this season, with 11 victims coming in 2021.

James Seymour (Essendon) – 12th man

After a quiet return from Big Bash League duties, Seymour was back to his best on Saturday to set up Essendon’s thrilling three-wicket win over Fitzroy Doncaster. Normally fast scoring, Seymour showed he can bat with patience as well as his 83 came off 142 balls. It still included four boundaries and three sixes. Despite falling with 19 runs needed, he and Liam Molloy’s 81-run run partnership was match-winning.