Sport
11 March, 2021
Bourke wins South West’s top award
NOORAT’S Gus Bourke joined South West Cricket’s elite on Monday night, with the all-rounder winning the association’s Cricketer of the Year.
NOORAT’S Gus Bourke joined South West Cricket’s elite on Monday night, with the all-rounder winning the association’s Cricketer of the Year.
Bourke polled 17 votes to win the division one award by a vote ahead of joint runners-up Simon Harkness (Heytesbury Rebels), Lahiru Fernando (Pomborneit) and Fraser Lucas (Bookaar).
The former Noorat skipper’s season included 406 runs at an average of 36.91 and 21 wickets at 19.62 from 13 matches.
He said he was thrilled to win the award.
“It’s good to be up there with the best cricketers in the league,” Bourke said.
“It’s something that you look forward to so it feels nice.”
Bourke credited his season to a more consistent approach, spending many an hour in the lead-up to games with his dad William.
“It was probably more consistent than anything,” he said.
“Like I was batting better than I usually do and bowling a little bit tighter which is something you always work on.
“I had more consistency this year than other years because of more training.
“Like on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights I was with Punk on the bowling machine and even with young Jimbo Moloney, he came down a couple of times.”
The Steamrollers bowed out of the finals against Pomborneit on Saturday but Bourke believes his side is well placed to rebound next season.
“With young Daniel Kenna, Isaac Kenna and Jimmy Moloney we’re in pretty good hands bowling wise,”
“We probably just need another batter because we’re pretty shaky when it gets on turf and is spinning a bit.
“We should be fine, there is a few boys going out of the team this year but hopefully we can get another batter in there somewhere.”
Harkness and Fernando claimed the division’s batting and bowling aggregates, with Harkness blasting 524 runs and Fernando taking 36 wickets respectively.
In division two, Grant Cameron’s standout season was rewarded with the Woorndoo skipper winning the Cricketer of the Year and Batting Aggregate awards.
Heytesbury Rebel Simon Illingworth won the bowling with 26 wickets.
Pomborneit’s Stephen Hill claimed division three’s top gong ahead of Princetown’s Ash Price.
Hill also won the batting aggregate and MyCricket Player of the Year while Bookaar’s Greg Teal won the bowling award.
The association’s Team of the Year was also announced and featured: Simon Harkness (Heytesbury Rebels), Tommy Moloney (Terang), Isaac Wareham (Mortlake), Johno Benallack (Cobden), Tom Place (Pomborneit), Gus Bourke (Noorat), Eddie Lucas (Bookaar), Lahiru Fernando (Pomborneit), Jack Lehmann (Mortlake), Sam Munro (Terang), James Moloney (Noorat) and Tim Fitzgerald (Bookaar).
