Finished: Premiers – (w-l-t) 10-4-1
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Round by round-ladder position: 6th, 4th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd.
Twenty20 tournament: Beaten in semi-final – Harry Donegan 190 runs; Josh Cruse 8 wickets.
Most BDCA Cricketer of the Year votes: Ben Gunn (11).
Most Bendigo Advertiser-Bicknells votes: Nick Crawford (25).
Addy Team of the Year: Matt Pinniger, Ben Gunn and Nick Crawford.
Highest score: 122 – Ben Gunn, v Eaglehawk, round 7.
Best bowling: 7-49 – Miggy Podosky, v Strathdale, semi-final.
FOR the sixth time since 2000, the Redbacks won the Bendigo District Cricket Association premiership.
The Redbacks, under the guidance of coach Marcus Smalley and captain Leigh McDermott, couldn’t have timed their run any better as they hit their peak in the finals with two commanding wins.
First was a comprehensive seven-wicket semi-final win over the former three-time defending premiers Strathdale-Maristians, followed by a 164-run belting of Golden Square in last weekend’s grand final.
It stung at the time, but perhaps the back-to-back losses to White Hills and Bendigo - two teams that didn’t make the finals - in rounds eight and nine were the best thing that could have happened to the Redbacks as it forced them to have a good hard look at themselves.
The much-vaunted Redbacks’ batting featured nine of the premiership players scoring at least 100 runs for the season.
Opener Matt Pinniger (828) made more runs than any other BDCA player this season, while recruit Ben Gunn (512) topped the 500-run mark in his first season at Harry Trott Oval.
The bowling was superbly spearheaded by veteran off-spinner Nick Crawford (36 wickets), Miggy Podosky (36) and McDermott (27), who combined for 99 wickets.
A fantastic season by a club that also had its third XI win a flag.
STAT LEADERS:
Batting:
Matt Pinniger - 828 runs @ 63.7
Ben Gunn - 512 runs @ 42.7.
Heath Behrens - 338 runs @ 42.3
Nick Crawford - 227 runs @ 32.4
Mark Di Fede - 186 runs @ 28.6
Bowling:
Nick Crawford - 36 wickets @ 14.3
Miggy Podosky - 36 wickets @ 15.4
Leigh McDermott - 27 wickets @ 14.3
Ben Gunn - 13 wickets @ 17.9
Byron Perrin - 11 wickets @ 15.8