EASTERN Hill’s Ben Bryant headlined Seymour District Cricket Association’s end-of-season awards, taking out A Grade cricketer of the year honours for 2022-23.
Totalling 407 runs at an association-leading average of 45.22 and claiming 19 wickets at an average of 11.16, Bryant proved an obvious selection for the award.
Although Bryant’s Eagles fell short of back-to-back premierships in the grand final against Tallarook, they also had plenty of representation in team of the year selections.
Bryant was named vice captain, with fellow Eastern Hill players Seamus Feery, 171 runs at 21.38; keeper Dallas Bergowicz, 18 catches and 254 runs at 25.40; Daniel O’Sullivan, 20 wickets at 9.55; and Jake Sutherland, 29 wickets at 6.83 also earning selection.
Tallarook also dominated selection, with premiership skipper Lachlan Watts named captain of the side with 178 runs at 22.25.
Josh Rudge, 215 runs at 26.88; Leigh Irving, 221 runs at 36.83; all-rounder Ben Tarran, 177 runs at 25.29 and 20 wickets at 10.55; and Shane Topham, 20 wickets at 9.30, were the other Tallarook players picked in the side.
The remaining spots went to Seymour’s Jason Brown, 180 runs at 16.36 and Broadford’s Jeremy Bradshaw, 17 wickets at 13.65.
Bryant also took out the A Grade batting and all-rounder awards, while Sutherland completed a clean sweep for Eastern Hill with the bowling award.
Bryant took home the Frank Zanelli Medal with 14 votes, while in B Grade Alexandra’s Justin Leary was awarded the John Gadd Medal with 12 votes and Eastern Hill’s Michael Brown took out the C Grade Lawrie Boyd Medal with 11 votes.
Juniors Edison Waghorn of Yea and Rory Kennedy of Eastern Hill picked up the under 13 Sam Watts Medal and under 15 Ken Hall medal with 18 and 20.5 votes respectively.
Alexandra duo Matthew Wal and Luke Wal were named Kookaburra cricketers of the year for the under 13 and under 15 competitions respectively.
The B Grade batting award went to Pyalong’s Paul Duggan with 267 runs at 33.38, the bowling award was taken by Pyalong team-mate Jason Ryan with 17 wickets at 11.35 and the all-rounder award went to Alexandra’s Justin Leary with 386 points.
C Grade batting honours went to Eastern Hill’s Michael Brown with 435 runs at 62.14. Brown also picked up the all-rounder award with 515 points, while the bowling award was taken by Yea’s Edison Waghorn with 14 wickets at 10.07.
The under 15 batting award went to Rory Kennedy with 259 runs 51.8, the bowling was taken by Matthew Wal with 16 wickets at 4.44 and Luke Wal took the all-rounder award with 273 points.
Matthew Wal continued his successful night in the under 13 awards, completing a clean sweep of the batting, bowling and all rounder awards.
