Kane Leathem from the Creswick Imperials, winner of the Bernie Davey Medal.
KANE Leathem’s outstanding season with bat and ball saw him join the list of Bernie Davey Medal winners last night.
The Creswick Imperials skipper headed into the count as one of the favourites, and secured a two-vote victory as the Ballarat Cricket Association district division one’s standout performer.
“I think it was probably the best year I’ve had cricket-wise ever,” Leathem said last night.
“The captaincy helped make me stand up and make some runs.”
Leathem said club legend David Coxall had urged him to lead from the front at the start of the season, particularly in his second year as captain.
Leathem had a one-vote lead heading into the last match of the season and held off his rivals with a single in the round 11 clash with Ballan.
He finished clear of Burrumbeet batsman Darren Linane, VRI Delacombe paceman Lachie Isbister and Lucas captain Nathan Clarke, who all tied for second.
Leathem, who made a century in his team’s semi final loss to Buninyong at the weekend, was the competition’s leading all-rounder.
He made 320 runs at an average of 40 during the home-and-away rounds and took 15 wickets while leading his side to second on the ladder.
“I’m not a big stats man, but I was up there in the wickets and up there in the batting and it was a pretty even competition.”
Meanwhile, Ballan took a clean sweep of the aggregate and average awards.
Mick Loughnane (382 runs at 54.57) headed a list of three Ballan batsmen to take home the batting aggregate, however teammate Jarryd Graham (321 runs at 64.20) pipped him for the average, while Ryan Aquilina (26 wickets at 10.50) won both bowling trophies.
tim.oconnor@fairfaxmedia.com.au
