Miller and Elliott take top honours

Prahran’s James Miller and Dandenong’s Sarah Elliott have taken home Premier Cricket’s highest awards at the Bartercard Premier Cricket Awards night at The Pullman Hotel tonight.

Miller claimed the Jack Ryder Medal in a dramatic final round which saw him leapfrog Camberwell’s Simon Hill and St Kilda’s (and formerly Frankston Peninsula) Matt Chasemore.

Heading into the final round, Chasemore held a one vote lead over Hill with Miller three votes further back.

A match-winning 148 in the final round against Northcote was enough for Miller (38 votes) to claim five votes with Chasemore (37) not polling and Hill (37) only receiving one vote to see him finish in equal second.

Miller was the leading wicket-taker in the home and away rounds with 47 wickets at 14.36 and also scored 602 runs at 37.63.

Dandenong Lions all-rounder Elliott claimed her second Una Paisley Medal for the Premier Firsts Player of the Season.

The 32-year-old polled 36 votes, seven votes clear of Box Hill’s Meg Lanning and nine votes clear of Anna Lanning who finished in third place.

Elliott polled in 10 out of her 14 matches which included eight best on ground performances.

The Commonwealth Bank VicSpirit star amassed 491 runs, at an average of 54, whilst with the ball, the off-spinner claimed 13 wickets with best bowling figures of 3-1.

The Premier Men’s Team of the Season was also named with David King, Dean Russ, Hill, Marcus Stoinis, Graeme Rummans (C), Chasemore, Aaron Ayre, Miller, Ian Holland, Jake Haberfield, Bryce McGain and Jake Reed all selected.

Meg Lanning was named as captain of the Women’s Team of the Season alongside Elyse Villani, Elliott, Emma Inglis, Kelly Applebee, Emily McIntyre, Anna Lanning, Erica Kershaw, Kristen Beams, Nicola Hancock, Kathleen Hempenstall and Tammy Norquay.

St Kilda were awarded the JA Seitz Club Championship while presentations were made to all premiership winners, including Bartercard Premier Cricket 1st XI winners Footscray Edgewater and Box Hill, who claimed both Twenty20 and one-day premierships in the Essteele Premier Firsts.

Carlton’s Trent McCormick was named 2nd XI Player of the Season, Melbourne’s Max Tomkinson was awarded the 3rd XI title, Hawthorn Monash University’s Prashant Jhala won top honours in the 4th XI and Brighton Districts’ Lucy Uncles received the Sue Woolcock Award for the Essteele Premier Seconds Player of the Season.

In other presentations made this evening, Melbourne University and Essendon Maribyrnong Park were awarded the Spirit of Cricket awards, Russell Turner received the Umpires Recognition Award and Carlton’s Glenn Arnup and Geelong’s Matt Baker were named Curators of the Season.