A stack of the region’s finest cricketers have been busy plugging away in the state’s top tier and high on the lists of whiz bowlers and classy hitters are faces who once called Cricket Shepparton home.
Central Park-St Brendan’s export Josh Larkin is currently perched inside the top 15 run scorers in the men’s first division having peeled off 415 for the season to go along with a hefty bag of 13 wickets.
His catalogue includes a respectable handful of half-centuries, the biggest of which blossomed into an 87-run cameo against Frankston Peninsula earlier this month.
Larkin has been one of Geelong’s linchpins through the middle order, as has Karramomus’ Josh McDonald.
The ex-Blood smacked 104 early on in the campaign to surpass 4000 first XI runs for the club and now boasts 347 runs scored during the 2024-25 tilt.
McDonald and Larkin are in a handy spot against Prahran, featuring Old Students product James Billington (268 runs), as Geelong remains at 2-30 chasing 183 for victory.
Michael Archer’s raid on VPC has continued as his 23 wickets places him equal fifth on the bowling charts, keeping Carlton resting at the competition’s summit with three home and away matches remaining.
The Tatura spin freak famously won last year’s premiership via reverse outright decision alongside Karramomus’ Andrew Poppa and, at the moment, Carlton seems to be in the driver’s seat once again.
That covers the more senior figures, but what about the greener talents?
Euroa teen Walter Jackson has chipped in with 11 wickets plying his trade for St Kilda’s fourth XI and under-18 outfits, while 2023-24 Haisman Shield winner Angus McKenzie (Kyabram) has six wickets for Fitzroy Doncaster in the third and fourth tiers.
Katamatite revelation Kepler Lukies has tallied 13 wickets for Fitzroy Doncaster’s under-18 contingent, while Old Students pup Bayden Hutchins has 119 runs from his past six knocks for Footscray’s under-16s.
On the women’s front, Echuca’s Grace Moyle has dominated with 331 runs for Carlton in the first XI and under-18s, while Puckapunyal’s Madison Albers has 11 wickets across all formats for Essendon-Maribyrnong Park.
