Albany Advertiser names the Albany and Districts Cricket Association Team of the Season for 2022-23

With my first full cricket season in the books and after lot of deliberation, I have compiled an Albany and Districts Cricket Association Team of the Season for 2022-23. This selection often creates a fervent debate, with a stack of talented players bound to miss out on the 12 spots. Narrowing it down to a small bunch of players was no small feat, each member was placed in the categories of batsmen, bowlers, wicketkeepers and all-rounders. Every team had at least one player feature in the team, premiers Mt Barker enjoying the highest representation in the squad with four players while unsurprisingly their arch rivals Royals had three. Collingwood Park had two players named along with Manypeaks while Railways had just the one. There are at least five all-rounders in the squad in the form of Alex Fergie, Nathan Crudeli, Coen Marwick, Oliver Davidson and Jeremy Wood who all provide serious scoring options through the top and middle order plus genuine options with the ball. Fergie was an easy choice to open the batting order, while proven run-scorer Mitch Green, although often coming in at third drop this season, was my second pick as he spent time opening during the T20 matches. Lions’ Lincoln Joy, Bulls pair Neil Ferreira and Nathan Crudeli and A-grade cricketer of the year Coen Marwick find themselves in the middle order, all possessing the ability to win a game off their own bat. Crafty all-rounder Oliver Davidson along with Bulls captain Jeremy Wood are both dangerous middle-order batsmen. Picking the wicketkeeper was one of the more difficult calls and I ended up siding with Seb Stanton, his capabilities with the bat playing an important role in my decision along with his glove work. Jack Steel and youngster Devon Jefferis are both stiff to miss out. Three dangerous quicks make up the top of the bowling attack with the competition’s joint-leading wicket taker Teague Valli earning his place alongside English quick James Bottomley (Manypeaks) and Park’s Josh Dallimore. Picking a spinner was a no-brainer with Davidson claiming 29 wickets at an average of 13.28 in his first season in the ADCA to finish on equal wickets with Valli. For my captain, I’ve gone with experience. Wood proved his leadership qualities once again this season, taking the Bulls to back-to-back flags this season, even more impressive after things looked uncertain through the middle stages of their campaign. Marwick showed great leadership this season with a struggling Tigers side while Mitch Green and Nathan Crudeli were also considered but I’ve landed on the ever-reliable Wood. It was a lot of fun putting this team together and I look forward to both the good and the bad feedback in the weeks to come. ADCA Team of the Season 2022-23 1. Alex Fergie (Mt Barker): An easy pick at the top of the order, the third-highest scorer this season who proved once again how valuable he is in any team. Guided his side to a memorable grand final victory over Royals. 2. Mitch Green (Royals): A cool and collected top order batsmen who whacked 527 runs across all competitions with a batting average of 35.57, scoring above 80 on three separate occasions. 3. Lincoln Joy (Royals): The dynamic left-hander is a handy inclusion at number three, showed his knack for being able to score big early in the season with an 107-run innings against Collingwood Park. 4. Neil Ferreira (Mt Barker): A seasoned option at four, very handy at settling things down and soaking up early pressure in an innings. Can spend a long time at the crease and has the ability to score at will. 5. Nathan Crudeli (Mt Barker): A walk-in to this squad, can score quickly and change the outlook of a game very quickly. Hit 509 runs this season, came at an average of more than 70 and he remains one of the premier players in the competition. 6. Coen Marwick (Railways): The cricketer of the year and the captain’s player of the year for 2022-23 made 597 runs in a struggling Railways side while also taking 13 wickets. Averaged 39.8 with the bat and is a wonderful death bowler. 7. Oliver Davidson (Collingwood Park): The Scotland international certainly made his mark this season and was among a select few in contention for cricketer of the year honours. Can be aggressive with the bat when he needs to be and was the joint-highest wicket taker. Was also named a joint winner of the umpires player of the year award. 8. Jeremy Wood (Mt Barker): Scored three half-centuries and also snared 15 wickets as an all-rounder for the Bulls, proving his longevity by leading his side to back-to-back flags. Can turn games quickly. 9. Seb Stanton (Manypeaks): A very capable wicketkeeper who was the No.1 gloveman for the ADCA first XI at country week. Was in a close battle with couple of other keepers but his ability to score vital runs gets him in this team. 10. Teague Valli (Royals): A destructive right-arm quick who cemented himself among the best of the best this season at such a young age. Brilliant line and length and is a danger for anyone that faces him. 11. James Bottomley (Manypeaks): Another dash of international flavour in the mix, a reliable and damaging quick that can take wickets and restrict scoring. Took 25 wickets at an average of 16 in a brilliant display. 12. Josh Dallimore (Collingwood Park): A formidable fast bowler that was one of the catalysts for Park’s early season success, fifth highest wicket-taker this season and can be dangerous at any stage of a match.