Tara Murray
St Albans all-rounder Geeth Alwis wasn’t expecting to win the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division best and fairest award.
Having fallen just short the past two seasons, finishing in the top three on both occasions, Alwis didn’t think he had a chance this season of claiming the Roy Paxino Medal.
He would finish on 24 votes, two clear of second.
“Feeling excited about it,” Alwis said. “I was shocked. The last two years I didn’t win it and was just off the medal.
“The last two seasons were better, so I was shocked to win this year after not winning the last two seasons. This season was okay.”
Alwis, who took 21 wickets, the fourth most in the division, said while his bowling had remained strong, his batting wasn’t where it had been in recent years.
He made 385 runs at an average of 35, the lowest he has averaged since the 2016-17 season.
“I couldn’t get that many runs,” he said.
“The last few years I was averaging about 50, this year was 30. With my bowling I was still getting a lot of wickets.”
It’s the second time Alwis has won a VTCA best and fairest award. He won the north A1 medal for the 2016-17, when St Albans broke a 30 year premiership drought.
The Saints featured high in the Paxino Medal votes, with Simon Lambert finishing equal second with Yarraville Club’s Trent Lawford, and Janoda Arosh finishing third.
All three Saints were named in the team of the year.
Alwis said while all three of them had good seasons, they would have preferred some team success.
The Saints missed out on finals, finishing fifth.
“We had a really good team,” he said “We had three of the top players but we still couldn’t play finals.
“As a team we couldn’t get the performances to win. We were close to getting the wins a number of times.
“Individually we did well, but not as a team. We know what mistakes we made and what we need to do next season.”
Haig Fawkner’s Jaspreet Bhatti and Khalid Hassan, Aberfeldie’s Jordan Kight and Craig Sheedy, Druids Michael Hay, Yarraville Club’s Trent Lawford and Sangaran Nandhalal and Keilor’s Miguel Cummins were also named in the team of the year.
Hay was named captain of the side.
Haig Fawkner’s Jaspreet Bhatti and Khalid Hassan, Aberfeldie’s Jordan Kight and Craig Sheedy, Druids Michael Hay, Yarraville Club’s Trent Lawford and Sangaran Nandhalal and Keilor’s Miguel Cummins were also named in the team of the year.
Hay was named captain of the side.
Sunshine’s Kaushal Lokuarachchi won the division 1 Issacs Howarth Medal. Greenvale’s Jon Kent (division 2), East Keilor’s Rasanjana Don Arachchige (division 3), Gellibrand’s James Ryan (division 4), Footscray United’s Jarrod Eccles (division 5) and Westmeadows’ Natalie Linton (women’s) were among the other winners.
