By Steve Brown
The Basin all-rounder Blake Walter capped off a fairy tale season when he was awarded the Jack Feaver Medal for the best and fairest cricketer in Reeves Shield in the Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association.
Walter polled 24 votes at the Thursday 18 April presentation night, eight ahead of his nearest rival, Knoxfield off-spinner Zac Wilson.
In what can be described as a phenomenal year, Walter’s list of achievements included winning the association batting average with 571 runs at 63, runner-up in the bowling average and scorer of the highest aggregate of runs (819) during a season including finals in the 71-year history of the FTGDCA.
He also won the Stephen Lee Medal for the best player in the grand final.
In Decoite Shield, Lysterfield premiership skipper Nathan Hicks tied with Monbulk’s Shane Cosstick for the Ron Lomax Medal.
Both players polled 14 votes and were former team mates at Eildon Park.
Cosstick added the Lomax Medal to his collection of two Feaver Medals, secured in 2007 and 2008.
Other highlights of the awards night included Jayden Turcinovic accepting The Basin’s first ever Reeves Shield premiership flag and Rowville’s Darren Hill presented with his Over-50s Australian World Cup cap.
Braden Taeuber from the Monbulk Cricket Club was awarded the Bob Parish Medal for the best under-21 player in the association.
