By Tara Murray
Bacchus Marsh’s Madushanka Ekanayaka and Romsey’s Taylor Stevenson have shared the Gisborne and District Cricket Association’s top individual honour, the Sullivan Medal.
The two finished equal on 15 votes, to win the medal. Bacchus Marsh’s Alex Porter finished third, a further two votes back.
Ekanayaka, who polled votes in seven games, had the lead into the final round, before Stevenson received three votes in the final round after making 125, to draw even.
Ekanayaka, who also claimed the bowling award, finished the season with 44 wickets, while averaging 27 with the bat.
Stevenson took 31 wickets, the fourth most, while averaging nearly 30 with the bat.
Gisborne pair Jakson Knight and Recordo Gordon rounded out the top five.
It’s the fourth straight year that a Romsey player has taken out the award. Romsey captain-coach Ben Way shared the medal with Riddell’s Matthew Livingstone last season and shared it with Jason McGann and Rhys Berry in the 2015-16, with Chris Burkett winning it in the 2016-17 season.
Ekanayaka is the first Bacchus Marsh player to win the medal, since 2010-11 when Dennis O’Loughlin tied with Sunbury United’s James Hughes.
Porter took out the batting award having made 706 runs at an average of 58.83.
In a big night for the Bulls, premiership winning captain James Lidgett was named captain of the team of the year.
He was one of three Bulls named in the team, with Ekanayaka and Porter also being named in the team.
Way was named vice-captain of the side, with his Redbacks team mates Burkett and Stevenson also in the team.
Wallan’s Kieran Atkin, Woodend’s Warren Else, Gisborne pair Jakson Knight and Recordo Gordon, and Diggers Rest Bulla’s Upul Fernando and Rhys Berry round out the team.
In the Johnstone Shield, St Anthonys’ Cam Clayton claimed the overall championship player.
Clayton also claimed the batting award, having made 937 runs at an average of 93.70. East Sunbury’s Cody McDorman took out the bowling award, having taken 25 wickets at an average of 13.96.
