Premier Cricket Awards 2023-2024

PREMIER CRICKET AWARDS

Good evening,

This is a wonderful night to recognise not only the major award winners and some outstanding individual efforts, but everyone who has contributed to another successful season of Kookaburra Victorian Premier Cricket.

The competition continues to go from strength to strength and we saw another season of fine performances across all levels.

On behalf of Cricket Victoria, I want to extend my thanks to every player, coach, volunteer and administrator for the hours of dedication and commitment that we see, and all of those hours that we don’t.

Tonight we will celebrate two new recipients of the Jack Ryder Medal and the Una Paisley Medal.

These medals are both steeped in history, their past winners represented but not just some of the biggest names in Victorian cricket,

but some of the biggest names in international cricket.

Premier Cricket is a pathway to Victoria’s elite teams and it has been wonderful to see so many male and female players make the step up over the past twelve months including Doug Warren, Fergus O’Neill, Poppy Gardner, Georgia Prestwidge and Aanliya Cheeran. This couldn’t happen without the collaboration and support of the Premier Cricket clubs and I’d like to congratulate everyone for their work in this regard to ensure that cricket in Victoria remains strong.

I’d also like to extend my thanks to our Official Partner Kookaburra and all of our

commercial partners, for their support of the Premier Cricket in this state and the game more broadly.

I look forward to celebrating our award winners and I hope you enjoy the evening.

NICK CUMMINS

Chief Executive Officer

Cricket Victoria

2023–2024

UNA PAISLEY MEDAL

CONGRATULATIONS

STEPHANIE TOWNSEND 25 VOTES

Geelong’s Stephanie Townsend has won the 2023-24 Una Paisley Medal.

The former Bomber and Demon has made her move to Geelong a notable one, securing her first Una Paisley Medal by polling 25 votes, to win by 1 vote over Carlton’s Cailin Green, with Melbourne’s Hasrat Gill in 3rd place on 23 votes.

Townsend played in 9 One Day matches across the season and finished with 458 runs @ 57.25 with a top score of 96, 3 wickets @ 13.67 (best bowling of 3/30), 7 catches and a stumping. Townsend’s performances with the bat saw her as the leading run scorer in the Home & Away rounds.

Townsend polled in 5 games in total, with 4 of these securing the maximum 6 votes. Stand-out efforts from Townsend across the One Day season were 56 & 3/30 against Box Hill in Round 2, 83 against Prahran in Round 5, 96 against Ringwood in Round 6, 86* against Dandenong in Round 10 and 76 against Ringwood in Round 12.

Townsend marks history for Geelong by winning their first Una Paisley Medal in the club’s inaugural season within the Women’s Premier 1st XI competition and follows on from her win in the Sue Woolcock Award as the best player in the Women’s Premier 2nd XI competition last season.

2023–2024

JACK RYDER MEDAL

CONGRATULATIONS

Dandenong batsman Brett Forsyth has won the 2023-24

Jack Ryder Medal.

Forsyth claims his second Jack Ryder Medal after polling 27 votes to win by 2 votes over Footscray batsman Dylan Brasher and Fitzroy Doncaster pace bowler Sean McNicholl, with Melbourne skipper Blake Thomson another 2 votes further back in outright 4th.

Forsyth played in 14 matches across the season and finished with 781 runs @ 78.10 with 4 centuries (top of 137), 1 x 50 and 4 catches.

Forsyth polled votes in 5 matches across the season, with some stand-out performances being 135* vs Casey South Melbourne in Round 1, 113* vs Prahran in Round 2, 76 vs Fitzroy Doncaster in Round 5, 137 vs the Camberwell Magpies in Round 16 and 122* (carried bat) vs Geelong in Round 17.

Forsyth adds this win to his 2018/19 Ryder Medal win and remains the only Panther to win the Jack Ryder Medal.

WOMEN’S PREMIER FIRSTS TEAM OF THE SEASON

MEN’S PREMIER FIRSTS TEAM OF THE SEASON

ASHLEY

DYLAN BRASHER FOOTSCRAY

JAI LEMIRE CARLTON (WK)

BRETT FORSYTH DANDENONG (C) CALLUM STOW GEELONG

FARZAN CHOWNA ESSENDON

NATHAN LAMBDEN

WILLIAM WALKER CAMBERWELL MAGPIES

DHANUSHA GAMAGE DANDENONG

BLAKE THOMSON MELBOURNE

CHANDRASINGHE CASEY SOUTH MELBOURNE

CASEY SOUTH MELBOURNE

SEAN MCNICHOLL FITZROY DONCASTER

JACK LALOR NORTHCOTE

MEN’S PREMIER

PLAYERS OF THE SEASON

WOMEN’S PREMIER

PLAYERS OF THE SEASON

SUE WOOLCOCK AWARD - WOMEN’S PREMIER SECONDS ONE DAY PLAYER OF THE SEASON Chedean Nation (Greenvale Kangaroos)

Carlton drew with Prahran 4/72 (12 overs) at Russell Lucas Oval

Carlton awarded Premiership as higher placed team in result of Match Drawn due to rain

WOMEN’S PREMIER FIRSTS T20 PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Sophie Reid (Carlton) & Tess Flintoff (Ringwood)

Back: Bridie Groves, Grace Moyle, Ella Baulch, Kiara Jones, Tahlia Simpson, Cailin Green, Sara Kennedy

Front: Mia Earl, Erica Kershaw (Captain/Coach), Eve Sheehan, Sophie Reid, Bridget Stute

MEN’S PREMIER FIRST PREMIERS CARLTON

WOMEN’S PREMIER FIRST ONE DAY PREMIERS MELBOURNE

Back: Hayleigh Brennan, Amelie O’Meara (12th Player), Teagan Parker (Captain/Coach), Ella Stallwood, Ella Hayward, Erika Quinn, Zoe Samuel, Wendy Moore (Scorer), Alexandra Parker (Team Manager)

Front: Hasrat Gill, Indigo Noble, Rhiann O’Donnell, Annecy Homberg, Amy Yates, Georgia Prestwidge

Left to Right: Kevin O’Neill (Scorer), Mick Connop (Team Manager), Nick Ross, Cameron Stevenson, Xavier Crone, Dominic Sullivan, Mackenzie Harvey, Michael Archer, Andrew Poppa, Jai Lemire, Evan Gulbis (Captain/Coach), Bruce Waldron (Asst. Coach), Connor Rutland, Tom Smyth, Jack Atkinson (12th), Neville Box (President), Harrison Smyth.

MEN’S PREMIER SECONDS PREMIERS NORTHCOTE

WOMEN’S PREMIER SECONDS PREMIERS MELBOURNE

Back: Jordan Watson, Brea Sutton, Phebe Molkenboer, Felicity Leighton, Abbey Samild, Kamal Kaur, Graeme Lay (Coach)

Front: Sahana Tarini, Kamya Mishra, Jess Couser (Captain), Amelie O’Meara, Darcy Collins, Limmy Thilikarathna, Kampi Nainhabo

Back: Mark Sundberg (President), Will Waters, Tearan Gleeson, Archie Lalor, Leo Manteit, Mitch Lawson, Roby Lane, Jack Andrew, Jack Stevenson Front: Will Blair, Matt Pearce, Warren Pereara (Coach) Nick Brandon-Jones (Captain), Michael Rogneda, Elliott Brandon-Jones

MEN’S PREMIER THIRDS PREMIERS ST KILDA

WOMEN’S PREMIER THIRDS PREMIERS

MELBOURNE

Back: Bobby Jackson (Assistant Coach), Billy Sewell, Dilshan De Silva (Assistant Coach), Jordan Hesline, Vinnie Page, George Valentine, Moe Spencer, James Smith, Saksham Kapoor, Steve Zayler (Assistant Coach)

Front: Henry Gray, Luke Gandy, James Gray (Captain), Daniel Meddings, Max Stevenson, Jayden Banks, John Murphy (Assistant Coach)

Back: Darcy Collins, Rasandi Padmaperuma, Pravanya Pillay, Alannah Gora, Yolanne Carvalho (Captain), David Moody (Coach)

Front: Shenali Fernando, Mekala Wijeratne, Yashvi Pillay, Alex Cornelius, Mia Gouws, Parry Jenkins, Alice O’Brien

MEN’S PREMIER FOURTHS PREMIERS ST KILDA

Back: Luke Destito, Paul Ryan (President), Ed Verco, Tom Hill, Miles Fricke, Josh Sugden, Gurbir Singh, Thivi Salwathura, Rishi Talwar, Glenn Lalor (Head Coach), Paul Meddings (Vice President), Adam Crosthwaite, Chris Skyring (Admin Manager/Scorer)

Front: Ashish Ashish, Jobe Kennedy, Will Faulkner (Captain), Austyn Nugent, Will Begy, Callum Chasemore, Jackson Martin, Tom Deighton, Tim Loughry (Team Manager)

UNDER 18 MEN’S PREMIERS ST KILDA

UNDER 18 WOMEN’S PREMIERS MELBOURNE

Back: James Gray (Assistant Coach), Harry Jones, Tom Paddington, Gurbir Singh, Freddie Newing, Lachie McNamara, Rory Wright, Adam McNamara (Coach).

Middle: Mark Buttler (Assistant Coach), Nick Gillard, Cooper Rojko, Gus White, Moe Spencer (Captain), Reyaan Farooq, Ned Macmillan, Paddy Bouchard.

Front: Clock (Team Manager)

Back: Alannah Gora, Amelie O’Meara, Darcy Collins, Kamaljot Kaur, Darcy Russell, Demi Zanoni, Indigo Noble, Kamya Mishra.

Front: Tabetha Barrance, Pravanya Pillay, Zoe Samuel, Hasrat Gill (Captain), Yashvi Pillay, Sahana Tarini.

DOWLING SHIELD PREMIERS

RICHMOND

MARG JENNINGS CUP PREMIERS

GEELONG

Back: Sriman Adapa, Lincoln Nicholls, Ranbir Singh (VC), Luke McCann, Noah Montgomery, Hugh Lynch, Xavier Martin, Siddhant Goel, Charlie Johnson, Joshua Gunawardana, Griffen Box

Front: Jonathan D’Rozario (Coach), Will Brown (Assistant Coach), Charlie Morris, Will Naughton, Jack Czosnek (Captain), Dehan Nanayakkara

Back: Kori Davenport, Clio Cameron, Clover McIlwaine, Ayva Mitchell, Zarli Knight, Nara Rohan, Ally Croft, Bianca Summers.

Front: Lilly Reading, Ruby Flett, Grace Potter, Eve Righetti (Captain), Isabelle Kelly, Macey Williamson.

JA SEITZ CV CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

PRAHRAN

Prahran has won the 2023-24 Club Championship, earning a total of 668 points to win by 1 point from Fitzroy Doncaster and 111 from 3rd placed Richmond. This is Prahran’s 1st ever Club Championship win in their club’s history.

1st XI points are multiplied by 5, 2nd XIs by 3, 3rd XIs by 2, 4th XIs by 1.

NOTE: Camberwell Magpies 1st XI were docked 2.1 ladder points, Essendon 1st XI were docked 2 points, Carlton 2nd XI were docked 2 points and Northcote were docked 2.4 points from their 3rd XI for exceeding the Penalty Over allotment of 15 overs during the Home & Away season.

WOMEN’S CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

MELBOURNE

Melbourne has won the 2023-24 Women’s Club Championship, earning a total of 466 points to win by 90 points over Carlton, with Geelong in 3rd place another 29 points further behind. Women’s 1st XI points are multiplied by 3, 2nd XIs by 2 and 3rd XIs x 1.

NOTE: Plenty Valley 2nd XI were docked 2.6 ladder points and Greenvale Kangaroos 3rd XI were docked 2.5 points for exceeding the Penalty Over allotment of 15 overs during the Home & Away season.

MEN’S SPIRIT OF CRICKET AWARDS

RINGWOOD

Ringwood has won the Spirit of Cricket Award for the 2023-24 season, averaging 8.38 across all four grades.

Footscray finished second and the Greenvale Kangaroos finished in third.

Ringwood has made it a hat-trick in this award and congratulations must go to the captains across the season and the club administration led by President Greg Macklin and Club Administrator Paul Ferris.

WOMEN’S SPIRIT OF CRICKET AWARDS

PRAHRAN

Prahran has won the Spirit of Cricket Award for the third time (and have made it back-to-back wins), with an average of 8.73 out of 10.

Dandenong finished second with an average of 8.68, with Ringwood finishing in 3rd with an average of 8.64.

GROUND AWARDS

MAIN OVALS

THIRDS & FOURTHS OVALS

The Albert Ground has been adjudged the best Premier ground for season 2023-24.

Congratulations go to curator Glenn Arnup and the Melbourne CC.

Melbourne CC has taken out the best 3rds & 4ths ground with the Beaumaris Secondary College - South Oval for season 2023-24.

Congratulations go to Melbourne CC and curator Liam Maling.

RECOGNITION AWARD

Gerry has been on the Premier Cricket Umpires panel since the 2006/07 season and has umpired 308 Premier matches to date across his 18 years of continuous service. Gerry also holds 1st XI Heritage Cap #526 and has umpired in 20 1st XI matches to date.

This season’s Umpire Recognition Award recipient is Gerry Schembri.

In addition to his Premier Cricket officiating, Gerry has served in all major positions within the VCAUSA Executive Committee. Gerry is currently the Secretary and has been in this role for 7 seasons (since the 2017/18 season).

Gerry has also served as the President for 2 seasons (2013/14 & 2014/15), Vice President for 2 seasons (2015/16 & 2016/17) and Treasurer for 4 seasons (2009/10 to 2012/13).

Gerry’s commitment to umpiring has also been recognised by the VCAUSA, with Gerry receiving the Robin Bailhache Award in the 2016/17 season for being the most committed VCAUSA member.

Cricket Victoria acknowledges Gerry’s great contribution to cricket and umpiring in this state. This year’s Umpires Recognition Award goes to Gerry Schembri.

Congratulations to the following umpires who reached milestones during the 2023/24 season, a fantastic achievement by all.

JACK RYDER MEDAL

CAMBERWELL MAGPIES CC

CASEY-SOUTH MELBOURNE CC

DANDENONG CC

JACK RYDER MEDAL

VOTES BY CLUB

FITZROY DONCASTER CC

FRANKSTON

CC

JACK RYDER MEDAL

VOTES BY CLUB

GREENVALE KANGAROOS

KINGSTON HAWTHORN CC

MELBOURNE CC

JACK RYDER MEDAL

VOTES BY CLUB

NORTHCOTE CC

JACK RYDER MEDAL

VOTES BY CLUB

JACK RYDER MEDAL PAST WINNERS

Inaugural Ryder Medal winner Ron Bird (left) receives the medal from Jack Ryder.

UNA PAISLEY MEDAL

VOTES BY CLUB

DANDENONG CC

ESSENDON MARIBYRNONG PARK CC

MELBOURNE CC

UNA PAISLEY MEDAL

WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING PARTNERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT