PAKENHAM Upper-Toomuc’s Chris Smith has put a significant down payment on the inaugural Pakenham Gazette Cricketer of the Year Award with a blistering 135 against Pakenham on Saturday. Already one of three equal leaders in the Premier division award sponsored by SportsPower Pakenham, Smith’s top knock almost guarantees him three votes when round 12 concludes this weekend.
This new award is an initiative by the Gazette to recognise the best cricketers in the region and the winners in all three senior divisions will receive a framed colour montage trophy of their season with the winner in Premier division also receiving a voucher from Sports-Power Pakenham.
Of the two other leaders, Cardinia’s Neil Barfuss made a rare failure against Kooweerup while Tooradin’s Callum O’Hare claimed three wickets in the Seagulls’ rout of Beaconsfield but faces stiff opposition to poll votes.
O’Hare’s team mate Lukas Hoogenboom snared four wickets for the day while Tigers’ all-rounder Jordy Andrews bagged a five wicket catch in Tooradin’s reply.
Kooweerup’s Chris O’Hara has been prolific with both bat and ball this season and his 4/23 has him primed for maximum points if he can perform his usual with the willow this Saturday. O’Hara is currently two votes behind the leaders with team mate Michael Giles and the two clash head on with fellow contender Dwayne Doig on the weekend.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:PREMIER DIVISION LEADERS
13 – Neil Barfuss (Cardinia)
13 – Callum O’Hare (Tooradin)
13 – Chris Smith (PUT)
11 – Dwayne Doig (Cardinia)
11 – Michael Giles (Kooweerup)
11 – Chris O’Hara (Kooweerup)
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:DISTRICT
Jess Mathers and Peter Zauner look unlikely to poll the big votes with their team mates smashing runs in the first half of their round 12 match ups. Mathers has to contend with Adam Newstead’s 108, with 10 sixes and nine fours, while Zauner watched Darren O’Brien make a District season record 165 not out.
To update last week’s results, in Catani versus Lyndhurst Vikings, Stephen Shuttleworth picked up the three votes with 36 not out to guide the Blues home and 1/11 and the Coupes, Rob and Tom, picked up the two and single votes respectively.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:DISTRICT LEADERS
15 – Jess Mathers (Merinda Park)
12 – Peter Zauner (Devon Meadows)
10 – Sam Vanderzalm (NNG-M)
9 – David Greensmith (Lyndhurst Vikings)
8 – Glen Ward (Devon Meadows)
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:SUB-DISTRICT
Last chance for the chasing pack to pick up votes against Bodie Brown and Dean Williams, with the Lang Lang bowler back from a work injury hopefully in next round’s match against Nar Nar Goon-Maryknoll and Williams absent from the Cougars line-up.
With the Murdochs not among the big runs, the movement might come from lower down the table with Rogan Fraser knocking in six wickets for Lang Lang and Caleb Boswell starring with bat and ball against Gembrook.
In last week’s matches, Nar Nar Goon-Markknoll’s Ash Bailey picked up the three votes for his 4/30 against Upper Beaconsfield and Clyde’s Nick O’Brien snared the other three with 29 not out and 4/9 against Cardinia. This alters last week’s printed Top Five, with Kane Latham falling to six and Bailey moving to equal third.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:SUB-DISTRICT LEADERS
12 – Bodie Brown (Lang Lang)
12 – Dean Williams (Clyde)
10 – Lee Murdoch (Cranbourne Meadows)
10 – Ash Bailey (NNG-M)
9 – Brent Murdoch (Cranbourne Meadows)
