STRATHFIELDSAYE'S Chathura Damith has become just the second Jets' player to win the Bendigo District Cricket Association's Cricketer of the Year Award.
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Sri Lankan Damith lived up to his pre-count status as the favourite by taking out the BDCA's top individual honour with 20 votes tonight.
All-rounder Damith joins Ben Devanny (2013-14) as the only two Strathfieldsaye players to have won the BDCA's Bill Stephenson Award.
Damith finished four votes clear of joint runners-up Adam Burns (Kangaroo Flat) and Kyle Humphrys (Bendigo), with the pair of former winners both polling 16 votes.
Kangaroo Flat's Dylan Klemm finished third with 14 votes.
Damith earned the Cricketer of the Year accolade for a brilliant all-round season in which he combined 30 wickets with 579 runs and was also the No.1 player in the Addy MVP rankings with 1209 points.
Among the highlight performances for Damith was scoring his maiden century for the Jets with an unbeaten 101 against White Hills in round 10, which was one of four scores he made above 80.
And his 30 wickets featured two bags of five-for - 5-57 v Eaglehawk in round four and 5-65 v Kangaroo Flat in round 11.
Damith, who has now played six seasons with the Jets, polled votes in eight games, including the maximum three in four matches - v Eaglehawk in round four (32 and 5-57), v Bendigo United in round five (87 and 3-56), v Huntly North in round nine (97 and 2-23) and v White Hills in round 10 (101 n.o. and 1-19).
Despite Damith's heroics with bat and ball, it wasn't enough for the Jets to make the finals. Having started the last round in fourth position a round 12 loss to Strathdale-Maristians saw the Suns slip to sixth.
Such was the load Damith carried for the Jets this season, skipper Devanny said last month: "Unfortunately, we're putting him under pressure most weeks (with the bat) and are relying heavily on him. It would be fair to say we'd be a number of spots lower on the ladder if Chatty wasn't doing what he currently is."
As well as winning the BDCA Cricketer of the Year award, Damith also took out the champion player award with 1044 points and was named in the Team of the Year.
Damith's season for the Jets:
Round 1 v Bendigo - 12 and 1-28
Round 2 v Sandhurst - 28 and 2-56
2 votes
Round 3 v Golden Square - 28 and 4-21
Round 4 v Eaglehawk - 32 and 5-57
3 votes
Round 5 v Bendigo United - 87 and 3-56
3 votes
Round 6 v Bendigo - 30 and 0-24
Round 7 v Eaglehawk - 84 and 1-22
2 votes
Round 8 v White Hills - 38 and 3-15
2 votes
Round 9 v Huntly North - 97 and 2-23
3 votes
Round 10 v White Hills - 101 n.o. and 1-19
3 votes
Round 11 v Kangaroo Flat - 38 and 5-65
2 votes
Round 12 v Strathdale - 4 and 3-42
First XI leaderboard:
20 - Chathura Damith
(Strathfieldsaye)
16 - Adam Burns
(Kangaroo Flat)
16 - Kyle Humphrys
(Bendigo)
14 - Dylan Klemm
(Kangaroo Flat)
13 - Savith Priyan
(Strathfieldsaye)
11 - Grant Waldron
(Strathdale-Maristians)
10 - Brent Hamblin
(Kangaroo Flat)
10 - Cameron Taylor
(Strathdale-Maristians)
In other grades, the second XI Cricketer of the Year was won by White Hills' Linc Jacobs on 16 votes, while the third XI Cricketer of the Year was Eaglehawk's Jason Abbott, also with 16 votes.
BDCA AWARDS:
FIRST XI
Cricketer of the Year - Chathura Damith (Strathfieldsaye), 20 votes.
Champion player - Chathura Damith (Strathfieldsaye), 1044 points.
Batting average - Adam Burns (Kangaroo Flat), 376 runs @ 62.6.
Bowling average - Adam Burns (Kangaroo Flat), 31 wickets @ 9.6.
Batting aggregate - Kyle Humphrys (Bendigo), 653 runs.
Bowling aggregate - Cameron Taylor (Strathdale), 34 wickets.
Wicket-keeping - Campbell Smith (Kangaroo Flat), 33 dismissals.
Fielding - Matt Newbold (Strathfieldsaye), 13 catches.
Under-21 Player of the Year - James Barri (Strathdale), 531 points.
Under-18 Player of the Year - Xavier Grant (Eaglehawk), 296 points.
SECOND XI
Cricketer of the Year - Linc Jacobs (White Hills), 16 votes.
Champion player - Linc Jacobs (White Hills), 764 points.
Batting average - Hugh Behrens (Bendigo United), 303 runs @ 75.5.
Bowling average - Scott Dole (Bendigo), 20 wickets @ 10.5.
Batting aggregate - Mat Christie (Golden Square), 505 runs.
Bowling aggregate - Jamie Bysouth (Golden Square), 38 wickets.
Wicket-keeping - Lachlan Harris (Bendigo United), 19 dismissals.
Fielding - Tom McKinley (Golden Square) - 11 dismissals.
THIRD XI
Cricketer of the Year - Jason Abbott (Eaglehawk), 16 votes.
Champion player - Jason Abbott (Eaglehawk), 528 points.
Batting average - Chris Cullen (Strathfieldsaye), 201 runs @ 67.0.
Bowling average - Patrick Stanton (Sandhurst), 18 wickets @ 10.5.
Batting aggregate - Jason Abbott (Eaglehawk), 523 runs.
Bowling aggregate - Michael Rogers (Maiden Gully Marist), 22 wickets.
Wicket-keeping award - Brent Anstee (Strathdale), 13 dismissals.
Fielding award - Reece Yarwood (Sandhurst), 11 dismissals.
FOURTH XI
Champion player - Harry Purcell (Strathdale), 532 points.
Batting average - Lachlan McKay (Kangaroo Flat), 291 runs @ 145.5.
Bowling average - Ovee Bhuyan (White Hills), 15 wickets @ 12.3.
Batting aggregate - Marty Harris (Strathfieldsaye), 366 runs.
Bowling aggregate - Ovee Bhuyan (White Hills), 15 wickets.
Wicket-keeping - Lewis Ritchie (Strathdale), 12 dismissals.
Fielding award - Liam Rielley (Kangaroo Flat), 11 dismissals.
WOMEN'S
First XI champion player - Kate Shallard (Sandhurst), 868 points.
Second XI champion player - Milly Shaw (Maiden Gully), 401 points.
First XI batting aggregate - Tammy Norquay (Golden Square), 578 runs @ 96.3.
First XI bowling aggregate - Kate Shallard (Sandhurst), 18 wickets @ 7.5.
First XI wicket-keeping - Karmel McClure (Golden Square), 12 dismissals.
First XI fielding - Kate Shallard (Sandhurst), 12 dismissals.
Second XI batting aggregate - Milly Shaw (Maiden Gully Marist), 336 runs @ 112.0.
Second XI bowling aggregate - Katelyn Jackson (Golden Square), 8 wickets @ 15.2.
Second XI wicket-keeping award - Zoe Tucker (California Gully), 8 dismissals.
Second XI fielding award - Jasmine Burzacott (California Gully), 4 dismissals.
LEAGUE AWARDS
Jim Styles under-18 player - Harvey White (Eaglehawk).
Representative player - Kyle Humphrys.
Personality of the Year - Glenn Cole.
Challenge Cup - Bendigo United.
Champion club - Strathdale-Maristians.
Spirit of Cricket - Eaglehawk.
TEAMS OF THE YEAR
FIRST XI
Brayden Stepien (WH)
588 runs @ 45.2
Ryan Grundy (HN)
495 runs @ 38.0
Kyle Humphrys (Bgo)
653 runs @ 45.6
24 wickets @ 22.8
Grant Waldron (SM)
513 runs @ 57.0
James Barri (SM)
486 runs @ 48.6
Angus Chisholm (Eh)
478 runs @ 47.8
Chathura Damith (S'saye)
30 wickets @ 14.2
579 runs @ 52.6
Campbell Smith (KF)
33 dismissals
163 runs @ 16.3
Cameron Taylor (SM)
34 wickets @ 18.8
363 runs @ 30.2
Adam Burns (KF)
31 wickets @ 9.7
376 runs @ 62.6
Dylan Klemm (KF)
30 wickets @ 16.1
336 runs @ 28.0
Sam Johnston (SM)
29 wickets @ 15.6
163 runs + 27.1
Paul Martin (umpire)
..........................................
WOMEN'S
Tammy Norquay (GS)
578 runs @ 96.3
9 wickets @ 8.7
Kate Shallard (Sand)
553 runs @ 79.0
18 wickets @ 7.5
Sarah Mannes (GS)
406 runs @ 40.6
17 wickets 6.8
Letesha Bawden (WH)
366 runs @ 28.1
10 wickets @ 13.0
Sarah Perry (GS)
326 runs
4 wickets @ 2.0
Maree Pearce (Sand)
245 runs @ 61.2
15 wickets @ 9.4
Shelby Giorlando (SM)
226 runs @ 28.2
Karmel McClure (GS)
12 dismissals
49 runs @ 12.2
Holly Ryan (Bgo)
16 wickets @ 6.2
50 runs @ 7.1
Bella Eddy (SM)
16 wickets @ 10.7
143 runs @ 23.8
Zoe Ross (Bgo)
11 wickets @ 6.2
78 runs @ 15.6
Megan Baird (GS)
11 wickets @ 6.4
Sarah Mannes (coach)
