Sport
The News hands out its end of season lower grade awards in a one-off Super Saturday Sundries
On Monday night, the red carpet will be rolled out for Cricket Shepparton’s stars, who’ll clink their glasses and toast to another year in the books.
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While players from all grades are set to attend the league’s presentation night, the Lightfoot Medal race — anointing the best-and-fairest in the Haisman Shield — is again the main talking point.
But what about the B-grade battlers or D-grade bruisers — where’s their podium moment?
In this special edition of lower grade highlights — a Super Saturday Sundries, if you will — we’ll give the sloggers and part-timers their flowers with a News selected slate of awards to thrust the average joes under the limelight.
The criteria? No A-graders allowed.
It’s the Oscars meets the Razzies under a cricketing guise, so grab a glass and get ready to salute.
Best batting performance: Mark Nichol (Waaia E-grade)
A balmy Saturday afternoon at Nathalia in late February brought the explosives-laden antics which earn Mark Nichol a special mention — as well as going a long way towards his Team of the Year inclusion.
Nichol strode to the crease after the Bombers went one down without a score and very, very quickly removed all thought of a comfortable 40 overs for the Eagles’ bowling stocks.
Creating automatic runs with a staggering 33 different swings of his willow — 22 fours and 11 sixes to have been able to raise the bat three times without ever getting down the crease — Nichol powered his way to Cricket Shepparton’s one and only senior double ton in season 2024-25 with an innings of 203.
The fact his extraordinary knock came against a then-unbeaten Katandra side only added levity to the lethality, Nichol proving the ultimate weapon that handed the blue and gold its first defeat.
Best bowling performance: Tim Brett (Northerners D-grade)
The only individual cricketing feat in our realm which was so undeniable it got its own story on a Saturday evening kind of had to be here, didn’t it?
Tim Brett’s one-man demolition effort against Murchison in early November was the catalyst for plenty of fanfare and attention — and yes, some apparent controversy among observers, given the gulf of experience.
The former Haisman Shield campaigner was simply merciless, taking Dylan Baker’s wicket with the day’s third ball and only becoming more aggressive from there.
Stunningly, despite taking eight wickets in a batting performance which lasted just 37 balls, Brett managed to find himself denied a hat-trick by one ball on two separate occasions — but he would eventually claim the rare feat.
Nonetheless, figures like this don’t come around often; Brett’s 8-0 haul this day shall live in fame for some, infamy for others, but you can’t ignore it either way.
Most runs: Travis Guppy (Karramomus C-grade)
Karramomus’ Travis Guppy has been the definition of a run-machine across the 2024-25 C-grade season.
Throughout the Jim McGregor Shield, Guppy has struck an incredible four tons and three 50s to top the competition's leading run-scorer tally.
Guppy has blasted 748 runs at an average of 74.8 a knock this summer to guide his side to a grand final appearance against Central Park-St Brendan’s on Saturday.
The Bloods’ willow-wielder has been a migraine mixed with an electric drill to the head for opposition teams, making runs week-in, week-out.
His highest score came in round two when he struck 137 not out off 123 balls against Pine Lodge.
The innings included 15 boundaries and four sixes and was a clear sign of the damage Guppy was about to inflict on the rest of the competition throughout the season.
Most wickets: Andrew Nicholls (Katandra B-grade)
The man with more nicknames than off-spin variations couldn’t be stopped this summer.
Katandra’s Andrew Nicholls was the image of consistency for the Eagles in B-grade as he finished with 41 wickets at an average of 9.56.
Nicholls took multiple wickets in 10 out of his 13 innings and only failed to take any scalps in a match on one occasion.
The veteran spinner’s best run of form came throughout the middle of the season when he took three five-fors in a row.
Here’s the rap sheet: a 6-37 against Central Park-St Brendan’s in round eight, a 5-26 against Old Students in round nine and a 5-26 against Nagambie in round 10.
Nicholls finished his season off with a 10-wicket haul against Shepparton Youth Club United.
The wily off-spinner snared four and six wickets in the first and second innings, respectively.
The one area of improvement for Katandra’s captain next season is to remember to submit the required player permit requests when necessary.
Cricketer of the Year: Dustan Ebborn (Numurkah D-grade)
At last, our crowning glory for lower-grade competition this season.
Nobody was bringing it on both sides of the game like opening all-rounder Ebborn, whose Blues remain in the SJ Perry Shield finals series.
He’s no small part of why.
Ebborn nailed down five half-centuries with bat in hand, his crowning achievement coming in round 12 away at Old Students where he whipped and walloped his way to 102 with 15 fours and two sixes.
Just casually, he also walks into this Saturday’s D-grade semi against Northerners as one of Cricket Shepparton’s most in-form bowlers following a truly destructive month of work on the back end.
Having amassed 31 wickets for the campaign to date, Ebborn rattled off no fewer than 19 in his last four games, featuring season-best figures in the final home and away game at Pine Lodge’s expense with 6-51.
Ebborn’s credentials are second to none in the lower grades this season and he leads The News’ Sundries Team of the Year aptly — perhaps even slightly unlucky to miss an opening spot?
Must have been too good at bowling.
Team of the Year
1) Tim Brett (Northerners D-grade) — 509 runs, 38 wickets
Although Brett is famed for his bowling, what those outside of Northerners’ circle may not realise is the Jets’ stalwart operates as an opening batter (and bowler). With half a ton of runs from the number one spot, Brett is a lock to face the new ball.
2) Travis Guppy (Karramomus C-grade) — 748 runs, 13 wickets
Guppy is no fish out of water when it comes to raising the blade. The Karramomus opener has made Vibert Reserve his playground with three of his four tons arriving at home. But given his record, we’d trust Guppy to clear the ropes anywhere in the wider Goulburn Valley.
3) Mark Nichol (Waaia E-grade) — 701 runs
Nichol has been simply rude with the bat this season and, despite many of his big knocks coming at first drop, we think he’d do a half decent job smacking them out of the screws wherever he is put. That said, he’s given us 701 runs, that’s why giving him the keys to door number three is a good idea.
4) Simon D’Elia (Mooroopna B-grade) — 531 runs, 21 wickets
If there’s anybody who typifies the fact that class is permanent, D’Elia is it. The experienced campaigner is averaging 54.5 with the willow this season and also claimed 8-80 with the rock in one game, making him a shoo-in for this side.
5) Chris Crouch (Karramomus B-grade) — 530 runs, four wickets
There’s something in the water at Karramomus when it comes to big hitting. Like Guppy, Crouch has been in electrifying touch, but with all his runs coming in the middle order, the Bloods’ veteran is one of a select few to have raised the blade three times in an innings.
6) Dustan Ebborn (Numurkah D-grade) — 546 runs, 31 wickets (wk)
With Ebborn claiming our Cricketer of the Year prize, there was no way he was being left off this esteemed list. We don’t actually know if he regularly keeps, but given there is photo evidence of it, he’s behind the stumps here.
7) David Marsters (Undera C-grade) — 25 wickets, 210 runs
Marsters has been around the block when it comes to the Cricket Shepparton coterie, but wherever he goes, castles crash. The swing king has also been consistent with the bat in 2024-25, helping Undera finish the home and away season on top.
8) Darcy Wilson (Waaia E-grade) — 24 wickets, 216 runs
Similar to Brett, Wilson is a unicorn when it comes to batting and bowling. Opening in both facets for Waaia, he takes a bowling spot in this XI simply for the fact Brett has outgunned him on the runs front. Still, 216 big ones isn’t bad by any stretch.
9) Andrew Nicholls (Katandra B-grade) — 41 wickets, 93 runs
If you need a wicket, Nicholls is your man. The wily Eagles tweaker sports a tidy average and a satiation for big hauls, making him a great option to bring in first or second change.
10) Reydan Lacuin (Numurkah B-grade) — 38 wickets, 25 runs
A cool name goes a long way in most areas of life, but Lacuin proved he is more than that this year. A real late season specialist, his two six-fors in the final three games boosted him to 38 wickets at 10.2.
11) Josh Sidebottom (Northerners B-grade) — 34 wickets, 79 runs
Sidebottom completes the bowling brigade and would likely take the new ball, given “Twiggy” was knocking stumps over in A-grade as recently as last season. His 34 wickets at 7.91 make him one of the stingiest bowlers in the lower grades.