With the new Warragul and District Cricket Association season beginning on Saturday and a bevy of stars from eras new and old ready to make their mark on the 2019/20 campaign, we have gauged the opinions of club coaches and a selection of experts in their ranking of the best of the best – the top 15 Division 1 stars for this upcoming season.
Here are the results…
Honourable Mentions:
Jeff Walsh, Danny Sheehan, Sean Masterson, Dane Fawcett.
15.
Trevor Gardiner
(2018-19: 406 runs at 50.75)
While the spin of Dale Weller and the aggressive Damon Healy stole headlines in last year’s flag for Drouin, the inclusion of Gardiner mid-year after a knee infection was the key to Drouin’s stunning turnaround. Along with his tough, gritty batting, Gardiner offers outstanding leadership and bowls handy left-arm mediums – solidifying his position as one of the most respected cricketers in the association.
14.
Brent Eastwell
(2018-19: 356 runs at 29.67)
A fierce, multi-talented sportsman, Eastwell epitomises the value of experience in the league. Despite a mediocre year by his standards, those around the league still rate the classical Eastwell as one of the very best in the competition – with a massive 2017-18 premiership season the feather in his cap of recent years, as his return to Buln has seen him amass critical centuries and crucial wickets. Expect a big season from him to return Buln to its lofty premiership heights.
13.
James Williams
(2018-19: 29 wickets at 11.55)
A prolific wicket-taker in every sense of the term, Williams is one of the most consistent performers of the past five years. Hallora’s poor season, in which they missed the finals, certainly wasn’t Williams’ fault. A sensational season with the ball, showcased by a seven-wicket haul against a strong Buln outfit, showed just how dangerous Williams is on a turning deck. Put your house on it: judging by his form in the past five years, you can count Williams in to be placed top five in the wicket-taking stakes.
12.
Fraser Duncan
(2018-19: 360 runs at 32.73)
Another of Hallora’s consistent performers, Duncan’s sensational Division 1 career continued last year with the aesthetically pleasing Duncan reaching 3500 career WDCA runs (seventh since 2003-04). With talent that very few in the league have, and an array of difficult shots that is rivalled by few, Duncan has improved his one-day game in recent years so expect him to lift to another level this year to help Hallora back into premiership contention.
11.
Damon Healy
(2018-19: 347 runs at 43.38)
A serious knee injury almost derailed the ferocious Healy’s entire 2018-19 season. Instead, he was the player of the finals as he led his side to premiership glory. Healy’s aggressive nature and headstrong attitude means batting on one leg didn’t stop him, and with career-best innings in the book, don’t be surprised to see a full-season from Healy equate to a massive amount of runs and more critical March performances.
10.
Jack Armour
(2018-19: 574 runs at 38.27)
A brilliant summer in England did the trick for the talented Armour, who had a breakout season to become the premier wicket-keeper batsmen in the league. Tidy with the gloves, elegant and classical with the bat, Armour has quickly become Buln’s most important player. With a batting aggregate award under his belt, and another prolific England trip in the books, expect Armour to break through for a maiden Division 1 ton and another 500-plus run season.
9.
AK Tyrone:
(2018-19 [Division 2]: 1088 runs at 98.91, 31 wickets at 15.58)
If there was any doubt about the reputation Tyrone built for himself in Division 2 last season, the respect shown from the other Division 1 coaches in the league alleviates it. Tyrone is the real deal. A preposterous season with both bat and ball in his first Australian summer has him primed to become a dominant force in the league, and with many having not seen him before, don’t be surprised if he shoots to number one this season.
8.
Jack Ward
(2018-19: 513 runs at 42.75)
Is Ward still the most underrated player in the Division? The variation in the coaches’ opinions of the Neerim captain certainly say so. His ranking ranged all over the place, however there is no doubt he is in the elite category of cricketers in the area. A breakthrough century against hostile Western Park bowling underlined his class and, with Neerim catching fire late in the season, Ward and the rampaging Stags are primed for a massive campaign.
7.
Dale Weller
(2018-19: 31 wickets at 16.35)
You may as well call Weller the Luke Hodge of the WDCA – the man just always gets it done when it matters. Has Weller been bettered in a clutch situation? His love affair with Western Park continued in a mesmerising semi-final performance last year, and he played a huge role in the decider. The wily off-spinner simply oozes class and is mentally tougher than most in the league. The greatest Weller stat? A total of 43 finals wickets in his career is the most since the inception of MyCricket.
6.
Nuwan Perera
(2018-19: 24 wickets at 19.67, 416 runs at 34.67)
There is a lot of talented all-rounders left to come in this list – with the experienced and charismatic Perera unlucky not to be higher. Perera did not put a foot wrong in his first season in the league, posting outstanding statistics with both bat and ball. The best in the league saw his class first-hand with some outrageous Country Week batting, and with a five-wicket haul and a ton already under lock in his first season, expect more of the same from Perera in the years to come.
5.
Ben Spicer
(2018-19: 521 runs at 43.42, 17 wickets at 23.59)
Coming into the WDCA with a terrific reputation of batting destruction, Spicer lived up to the hype, transforming Ellinbank into a powerful line-up which narrowly missed out on a rare grand final berth. With a bevy of hard-hitting strokes and a temperament to match, Spicer’s greatest trait and impact on the league may be his attacking captaincy and ability to promote youth – evidenced by the growth of Sean Masterson and Matt Farthing into key players in last year’s finals push.
4.
Nick Fairbank
(2018-19: 477 runs at 53, 16 wickets at 29.06)
Undoubtedly the biggest reason for the Eagles’ transformation into a contender since his arrival after a brief hiatus from the WDCA, Fairbank picked up where he left off from Bunyip and has proven to be one of the most mercurial players seen in the league. With bat or ball, Fairbank has the ability to win games in the blink of an eye – with his ability to explode seemingly out of nowhere and bat strongly with the tail rarely seen in the league or at this level in general. Innings such as his blistering 142 not out against Buln in 2017 show his ultimate talent. He will be hoping to elevate himself to number one in the league and capture an elusive flag for Ellinbank.
3.
Sanjaya Gangodawila
(2018-19: 516 runs at 36.86)
It is hard to quantify Gangodawila’s skill just by looking at his stats as they don’t jump off the page when looking at his career totals in the league (despite being mighty impressive by normal standards). Those who have seen Gangodawila play live, though – particularly the voting captains who must set fields to his unbelievable stroke-play – can attest to his utter brilliance. With centuries coming in T20 finals, Country Week games, and two-day semi-finals, ‘Ganga’ has proven to be perhaps the finest exponent of T20-style batting we have seen in the league and if he can turn around some inconsistencies in the longer format of the game, he could comfortably be the leading run-scorer this season.
2.
Sam Batson
(2018-19: 278 runs at 34.75, 17 wickets at 18.53)
Despite numerous injuries hampering the young quick, and multiple difficult finals series, Batson has proven time and again he is the most destructive bowler – and occasionally batsmen – in the league when he is on song. With the best average of the past two decades with the ball (222 wickets at 12.53), figures of 7-6 to his credit, a century, many half-centuries and five-wicket hauls, two bowling aggregate trophies, a cricketer of the year medal, and numerous swashbuckling cameos with his free-swinging willow behind him, Batson is the x-factor of the league. With a clean run at the upcoming season, don’t be surprised if the tear away dominates the pre-Christmas rounds.
1.
Gamini Kumara
(2018-19: 561 runs at 51, 22 wickets at 17.27)
Realistically, who else could be number one? Unanimously voted in by those who know best, Kumara has simply been the best cricketer the league has seen this decade – and it’s not even close. His career averages are mind-blowing – 230 wickets at 15.49, 5211 runs at 54.85, and only 44 runs away from number one on the MyCricket leaderboards for runs (from 49 less innings than the legendary David Sharpe). For comparison, the next best average for a person who has played 100-plus matches is 36, and he has 11 centuries to go with it (including a best of 187 not out in a losing semi-final). The only thing Kumara hasn’t been able to do of recent years is play finals – and for the sake of the league, with a strong Panther lineup this year, it would be a joy to see what ‘Gamma’ could do in March. One thing is for sure – this time next year, he will almost certainly be number one once again, and will continue to firm his push as the best performed player in league history.
***
Finally, when it comes to the GCL and representative cricket, the WDCA will be running a similar set-up to last season. Norm Berry will serve as coach, with Fraser Duncan captaining the side and Jack Armour serving as vice captain. Craig Spicer has also joined the group as a scout, with Grant Duncan the team manager. Games are on 20 October versus Traralgon and District at Hallora; 11 November versus Bairnsdale at Western Park; 24 November versus Leongatha in Wonthaggi; 12 December versus Sale Maffra at Sale Catholic College; and 2 February versus Latrobe Valley at Bellbird Park. The initial squad includes: Jack Armour, Corey Jagoe, James Vela, Matt Mitchell, Fraser Duncan, James Williams, Natsai M’shangwe, Sam Batson, Leigh Diston, Asantha Singapuli, Sanjaya Gangodawila, Ben Spicer, Matt Farthing, Sean Masterson, Gihan DeZoysa, Gamini Kumara, Nuwan Perera, AK Tyrone, Trevor Gardiner, Brad Glover, Simon Gardiner, Damon Healy, Jake Harper, Jack Ward, Nathan Bayne, and Dane Fawcett.
