Wimmera cricketers in team of year

Four Wimmera cricketing allrounders have won selection in a 2016-17 Western Waves team of the year.

Horsham Cricket Association and Homers club left-hand opening batsman and right-arm off-spinner Simon Hopper, with his third selection, is the most decorated player in the team.

Horsham Saints’ top-order batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler Matt Combe, and Blackheath-dimboola off-spinning middle-order batsman Lachie Watts, have won selection for a second time.

Wimmera-mallee Association and St Arnaud all-rounder Pat Gregory has also made the team.

Hamilton’s Brendan Huf is honorary team captain.

The 12 players are now in the running for inclusion in a Victorian Country Cricket League team of the year.

Regional cricket officials will present awards at a lunch at Hamilton on Sunday, and acknowledge team members at an annual meeting on August 6.

Waves president Kelvin White said there were undeniable trends in the make-up of regional teams-of-theyear during the six years of their existence.

“Good batsmen make runs most seasons, with six of the first seven in this year’s batting order re-appearing, while bowlers might still have good seasons but might not pick up high numbers of wickets every year,” he said.

“While there are four designated bowling spots, the players who take them seem to vary from year to year.”

Mr White said he believed the team would be competitive against other regions. “It has great batting depth and everyone can bowl,” he said.

Criteria for selection takes into account batting, bowling and wicket-keeping aggregates and averages across the regions’ associations.

No finals performances are considered and only Twenty20 stats if the matches are part of the association’s home-and-away fixtures.

Mr White said the task to select the Waves team was a fascinating exercise.

“So many good players, so many impressive stats,” he said.

“By asking all associations to compile their best teams, I have had conversations with people right across the region about the merits of their best performers for the season.”

Western Waves team of the year 2016-17

Brendan Huf, c, St Andrews, Hamilton, 511 runs @ 56.78 and 11 wickets @ 15.27; Simon Hopper, Homers, Horsham, 669 runs @ 55.75 and 21 wkts @ 12.95; Charlie Nield, Macarthur, Hamilton, 721 runs @ 120.17 and 19 wkts @ 15.16; Heinrich Joyce, Grampians, Hamilton, 597 runs @ 74.63, 16-4 dismissals; Jason Perera, Port Fairy, Warrnambool, 595 runs @ 54.09, 35 wkts @ 11.17; Lachlan Watts, Blackheath-dimboola, Horsham, 584 runs @ 48.67 and 15 wkts @ 25.53 Mathew Combe, vc, Horsham Saints, Horsham, 543 runs @ 49.36 and 24 wkts @ 18.63; Cameron Williams, Russells Creek, Warrnambool, 23-6 dismissals; 441 runs @ 29.40; Mark Murphy, East Warrnambool-ycw, Warrnambool, 32 wkts @ 12.69 and 515 runs @ 36.79; Patrick Gregory, St Arnaud, Wimmera-mallee, 30 wkts @ 10.83 and 259 runs @ 32.38; Michael Vogels, Heytesbury Rebels, South-west, 32 wkts @ 9.53 and 22 runs @ 3.67; Ben Evans, Wesley CBC, Warrnambool, 37 wkts @ 10.49 and 12 runs @ 2.40.