By David Nagel
Narre Warren star Amila Ratnaike has added to his already bulging trophy cabinet by winning the Gartside Medal as the best player in DDCA Turf 2.
Ratnaike was the star signing at Sweeney Reserve this season after winning multiple league awards when playing for Leongatha Town.
The batting all-rounder bucked the trend this summer, sitting top of the Turf 2 batting list for a large chunk of the season despite Narre Warren’s poor winning record.
He finished with 635 runs, 192 runs clear of his nearest pursuer in HSD’s Mackenzie Gardner.
Ratnaike made two centuries and four half-centuries throughout the summer with a best of 117 against Coomoora.
He polled 34 votes in the two-umpire system, finishing four clear of Cranbourne skipper Harrison Carlyon.
The opener came with big wraps as an international from the other side of the world and has not disappointed for the Eagles in what could be a premiership season.
His exploits with the bat and the ball have been vital for Cranbourne in leading them back to contention.
Carlyon top-scored on his team’s batting card on four occasions, three times in victories, and was a consistent threat with his spinning options with the ball.
Carlyon made one century and three fifties for the season.
2023/24 medal winner Triyan De Silva finished in third place with 26 votes, falling narrowly short of becoming the fourth player to have won multiple Gartside Medals since its inception in 2001/02.
GARTSIDE MEDAL
Amila Ratnaike Narre Warren 34
Harrison Carlyon Cranbourne 30
Triyan De Silva HSD 26
Satheesh Fernandu Parkmore Pirates 23
Mackenzie Gardner HSD 20
Ankit Saxena Parkmore Pirates 16
Himesh Galhenage Don Lyndale 16
Rajika Fernando Lyndale 15
Travis D’Souza Parkfield 15
Ryan Patterson HSD 14
