By David Nagel
Pakenham captain Dale Tormey looks a great chance to become the third cricketer in the last decade to win dual Terry Stephenson Medals when the winner of the prestigious award is announced at Holm Park Reserve on Sunday.
The Casey Cardinia Cricket Association’s (CCCA) highest individual accolade has been won twice in the last eight years by all-rounder Russell Lehman – Pakenham 2014/15 and Tooradin 2019/20 – and Pakenham gun Chris Smith, who triumphed in 2015/16 and again last year.
Tormey won his first Terry Stephenson when he burst onto the scene for the Lions in 2018/19, taking 23 wickets and making a staggering 960 runs.
The Lions leader has had nowhere near a good a season as that with the blade, making 454 runs at an average of 56.75, but his bowling has been the most impressive of his five seasons at the club.
The bustling right-arm medium pacer snared 32 wickets during the home-and-away season at an average of 14.88.
He claimed a best of 6/37 against Officer in round five, and claimed back-to-back five-wicket hauls in the last two rounds of the season.
Tormey finished as the leading wicket-taker in the competition and finished top-three in batting.
Confidence in Tormey polling well stems from the impact he had with either bat or ball in multiple games this season.
If our predictions are correct, he could poll in eight or nine of the 13 games that the Lions played in 2022/23.
If we are off the mark, and Tormey doesn’t win the ‘Tezza’, it could be a big fortnight for Kooweerup all-rounder Luke McMaster who celebrated his first grand final win with the Demons on March 19.
The gun all-rounder is in the thick of the action from the start, in both facets of the game, opening the batting and bowling!
He is sure to poll well with innings of 193 against Clyde in round five, and backing that up with 98 against the Cougars in the first game after Christmas.
McMaster made only one other half-century for the season, but did some serious damage with the ball in hand as well.
He took his best of the season 7/44 against Officer in round 14, and is sure to have grabbed the umpires’ attention with a devastating 6/12 against Merinda Park in round 12.
McMaster made 459 runs at an average of 38.25, and took 26 wickets at 14.43.
He looks set to poll well in six games…and could easily claim three votes in all six!
Little could separate Tormey and McMaster when the final votes are tallied.
The other serious contender appears to be Tooradin all-rounder Josh Lownds, who had a brilliantly consistent season for the Seagulls.
In the same mould as Tormey – left-hand bat, right-arm bowl – Lownds had a purple patch with the bat either side of Christmas, making an even 100 against Kooweerup in December before carving 104 against Carlisle Park in the first game of 2023.
He only made one other half century, but had a solid mid-season period with the ball.
He could poll ‘heavy’ votes in four consecutive games – between rounds five and eight – and should claim the three votes in round 11.
Lownds finished with 451 runs at 37.59, and claimed 23 wickets at 12.96.
He should poll strongly, but may not have the voting ‘firepower’ of the top-two.
Other players to keep an eye on this Sunday include Cardinia skipper Jake Prosser, Clyde’s Michael Vandort, Pakenham keeper-bat Rob Elston and Tooradin all-rounder Brad Butler, who should poll in up to half-a-dozen games.
Kane Hawkins will finish strongly after a great end to the season for Officer, while Kooweerup’s Gamini Kumara and Pakenham off-spinning all-rounder Jason Williams should also attract attention.
The CCCA Presentation Event begins at 3pm on Sunday 2 April at the Beaconsfield Football Club headquarters at Holm Park Reserve.
TERRY STEPHENSON MEDAL – MOST RECENT PAST WINNERS
PREMIER PLAYER CLUB VOTES
2021/22 Chris Smith Pakenham 17
2020/21 Jake Prosser Cardinia 16
2019/20 Russell Lehman Tooradin 26
2018/19 Dale Tormey Pakenham 19
2017/18 Jess Mathers Kooweerup 22
2016/17 Mark Cooper Kooweerup 23
2015/16 Chris Smith Pakenham 18
2014/15 Russell Lehman Pakenham 21
2013/14 Aaron Avery Tooradin 15
2012/13 Callum O’Hare Tooradin 17
