We’ve brought together the top players in the GDCA in our Teams of the Year

Runs and flowed and wickets have tumbled in the Gisborne District Cricket Association this season. We’ve brought together the best-of-the-best in our elite XIs from the top three tiers.

Leader's GDCA Teams of the Year.

The runs have flowed and wickets have tumbled across the Gisborne District Cricket Association this season.

We’ve sifted through the stats to bring together the best of the best in the top three tiers.

From run-scoring machines to wicket-taking heroes, there’s plenty of talent across the district.

Check out our hand-picked XIs below.

Senura Perera in action for Sunbury United. Picture: Josh Chadwick

Alex Browne in action for Macedon. Picture: Josh Chadwick

McINTYRE CUP

1. Fabian Fernando (Sunbury United)

Runs: 685 Ave: 52.69 Wickets: 15 Ave: 26.73

2. Riley Vernon (Gisborne)

Runs: 912 Ave: 65.14 Wickets: 24 Ave: 20.21

3. Marcus Stewart (Woodend) (Capt)

Runs: 693 Ave: 49.5

4. Upul Fernando (Sunbury United)

Runs: 623 Ave: 47.92

5. Damien Edwards (Sunbury United)

Runs: 609 Ave: 46.85

6. Alex Browne (Macedon)

Runs: 548 Ave: 45.67 Wickets: Ave:

7. Matt Barake (Gisborne) (WK)

Runs: 215 Ave: 23.89 Catches: 18 Stumpings: 4

8. Taylor Stevenson (Romsey)

Runs: 438 Ave: 36.5 Wickets: 34 Ave: 17.29

9. Warren Else (Woodend)

Runs: 362 Ave: 40.22 Wickets: 30 Ave: 11.73

10. Senura Perera (Sunbury United)

Runs: 324 Ave: 32.4 Wickets: 26 Ave: 28.12

11. Leigh Brennan (Gisborne)

Wickets: 29 Ave: 17

12. Matt Twentyman (Rupertswood)

Runs: 555 Ave: 55.5

Rhys Berry in action for Diggers Rest Bulla. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Wallan batter Bryan Vance. Picture: Stuart Milligan

JOHNSTONE SHIELD

1. Bryan Vance (Wallan)

Runs: 399 Ave: 44.33

2. Tristan Francis (Eynesbury)

Runs: 318 Ave: 63.6

3. Ben Bryant (Eastern Hill) (Capt)

Runs: 377 Ave: 31.42 Wickets: 37 Ave: 6.76

4. Charandeep Kalsi (Aintree)

Runs: 465 Ave: 46.5 Wickets: 19 Ave: 18.74

5. Nathan Fowler (Wallan)

Runs: 326 Ave: 36.22

6. Ryan Cran (Eynesbury)

Runs: 300 Ave: 23.08 Wickets: 19 Ave: 21.68

7. Vinay Kumar Sharma (Aintree) (WK)

Runs: 239 Ave: 18.38 Catches: 22

8. Rhys Berry (Diggers Rest Bulla)

Runs: 223 Ave: 18.58 Wickets: 27 Ave: 16.56

9. Hammad Rashid (East Sunbury)

Wickets: 20 Ave: 14.55

10. Scott O’Donnell (Wallan)

Wickets: 27 Ave: 15.07

11. Daniel O’Sullivan (Eastern Hill)

Wickets: 29 Ave: 10.48

12. Ryan Cumberland (Wallan)

Runs: 322 Ave: 32.2

Luke Castle batting for Riddell. Pictures Angie Basdekis

East Sunbury’s Hammad Rashid. Picture: Andy Brownbill

JENSEN SHIELD

1. Harry Fisher (Riddell)

Runs: 467 Ave: 38.92

2. Luke Castle (Riddell) (Capt)

Runs: 396 Ave: 36 Wickets: 22 Ave: 15.95

3. Mandeep Singh Aujla (Harkness)

Runs: 666 Ave: 60.55

4. Harrison Knott (Sunbury United)

Runs: 390 Ave: 78

5. Gurinder Singh Grewal (Harkness)

Runs: 378 Ave: 37.8 Wickets: 12 Ave: 16.33

6. Lachlan Mitchell (Lancefield) (WK)

Runs: 351 Ave: 58.5 Catches: 11 Stumpings: 3

7. Nathan D’Antonio (Melton South)

Runs: 258 Ave: 28.67 Wickets: 24 Ave: 11.21

8. Harry Johnson (Riddell)

Runs: 234 Ave: 26 Wickets: 22 Ave: 13.95

9. Rubal Singh (Harkness)

Runs: 220 Ave: 20 Wickets: 23 Ave: 14.7

10. Matt Lloyd (Riddell)

Runs: 224 Ave: 20.36 Wickets: 20 Ave 12.1

11. Andrew Richardt (Lancefield)

Wickets: 22 Ave: 12.55

12. Callum Sankey (Lancefield)

Runs: 346 Ave: 34.6

Josh Eastley in action for Woodend. Picture: Josh Chadwick

WOODEND EYEING PREMIERSHIP DOUBLE

After a seven-year wait, Woodend is back in the Gisborne District McIntyre Cup semi-finals.

The club already has the association’s inaugural one-day cup under its belt.

And, after winning the minor premiership, it is now just a couple of wins away from its first top-flight premiership since 2003-04.

But first, it must first get past perennial contender Sunbury United in the weekend’s cut-throat final.

Woodend claimed both matches this season, winning by 102 runs at Gilbert Gordon Oval in Round 5 and 17 runs at Langama Park in Round 9.

Joe Monk in action for Woodend. Picture: Josh Chadwick

After a testing three-wicket win over Broadford on Saturday, skipper Marcus Stewart said the club would be looking to keep things simple.

“We were disappointed to miss finals last year, so to finish top and get a home final we’re pretty happy,” Stewart said.

“Nothing really changes this week, we’ll just go about it and hopefully find ourselves in a grand final.

“We got the one-day premiership, which was good, but the main one is the two-dayer.

“You know we’re in with a shot but we don’t really need to change anything and if we can play our best cricket we’re going to be there in the end.

“Any position we find ourselves in we can find a way to win, the boys have good belief this year.”

Stewart led from the front with the bat, scoring 693 runs at an average of 49.5, second only to run-away competition leader Riley Vernon.

The opener scored 120 in the Round 5 encounter with the Bees and added centuries in the one-day competition final triumph and the GDCA’s Country Week campaign.

Josh Eastley added 434, ranked 14th in the competition, while Warren Else scored 362 (16th).

Else was also the second-ranked wicket-taker this season with 30 scalps at 11.73, while Harrison Sheahan claimed 27 wickets to be fourth overall and Hamish McDonald snared 17.

“It’s been good (personally), a few hundreds in there which is nice,” Stewart said.

“I’ve got in positions over the years and haven’t cashed in, so it’s nice this year to do that.

“It doesn’t mean anything if you can’t make them in a big final so, the main thing this weekend is, in a way, forget about what’s happened and just go out there.

“(Warren) has never won a McIntyre, he’s chasing one for sure.

“Waz is good, he’s played a lot of cricket and he’s knows his game so well.

“He holds us up with bat and ball, so if he doesn’t score many runs he always picks up a few wickets, and I think he’ll win the league bowling average – I don’t reckon he’s won one.”

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Woodend has already celebrated premiership success after its Third XI claimed the Jensen Shield Thirds title a fortnight ago.

The team won 10 straight games from November to storm to the flag with a 50-run win over Sunbury Kangaroos.

Meanwhile, Gisborne and Romsey will meet in the other semi-final at Gardiner Reserve in a rematch of last year’s grand final.

Gisborne claimed last year’s title after Romsey had won the 2022-23 flag.