By Nick Creely
Tooradin star all-rounder Russ Lehman has snared the West Gippsland Cricket Association’s top gong, the Terry Stephenson Medal, after a stunning 2019/20 season with the Seagulls.
The WGCA announced its award winners for last season on its social media pages this week, which is sure to generate some excitement ahead of this season, which is scheduled to begin in mid-November but is subject to Victorian State Government restrictions on community sport.
Lehman won his second Terry Stephenson Medal in the Premier division – after winning it back in 2015 – with 26 votes after a remarkable home and away season that saw the all-rounder score strongly with 505 runs and snare a mind-boggling 40 wickets at an average of 10.83.
Some of Lehman’s most brilliant performances of the season included 7/39 and 4/30 in the same game against Cranbourne Meadows in Round 5, 5/21 against Cardinia in Round 7, 62 not out and 3/21 against Devon Meadows in Round 9, and 101 not out and 3/60 against former club Pakenham in Round 14.
Lehman also took out the Premier grade bowling average and bowling aggregate. Pakenham star Dale Tormey – the 2018/19 Terry Stephenson medalist – took out the batting average award and batting aggregate in a season in which the Pakenham star scored a stunning 946 runs, with a best of 173 not out as he continues to take the WGCA by storm with the blade.
In the District Division, Upper Beaconsfield’s Imesh Jayasekara has claimed the Player of the Year award, as well as the batting average award.
Jayasekera had yet another dominant season for the Maroons, crunching 559 runs at 50.83, with a best of 87 as his consistency was once again was on show at the top of the order.
Carlisle Park Vikings batsman Ravindu Kodithuwakku snared the batting aggregate award with 600 runs, and Officer’s Leigh Boyle took out the bowling aggregate with 31 wickets, while Emerald’s Trent Rolfs took out the bowling average.
In the Sub-District division, Kooweerup’s Ayden Mills was rewarded for a strong season with the Player of the Year award.
Mills hit 276 runs during the home-and-away season and snared 13 wickets in what was an extremely consistent season with both bat and ball.
Pakenham’s Brad Senior took out the batting average award, while Niran Warnakula from Lang Lang won the batting aggregate with 499 runs. Tooradin’s Daniel Quinn won the bowling aggregate for a brilliant season with 27 wickets, while Arie Hazendonk’s strong season for Kooweerup was rewarded with the bowling average award.
For the remaining award winners, pick up a copy of next week’s Gazette.
