Gonawala wins top awards for Cats

MORTLAKE Cricket Club wound up the 2025/26 season with its presentation night at the DC Farran Oval clubrooms on Saturday.

Premier division Cricketer of the Year: Saman Gonawala and runner-up Clinton Baker.

Saman Gonawala took out the Premier division top award, the Harold Jewell Cricketer of the Year award with 21 votes, ahead of runner-up Clinton Baker on 15.

Gonawala also took out the batting aggregate with 591 runs, the batting average with 45.46 and the best finals player award.

Baker took out the bowling aggregate with 29 wickets at an average of 13.55 which was enough to also win the bowling average award.

Gonawala won a century award for his 116 against Noorat Terang, with five wickets in an innings awards going to Kalhan Sineth for his 5/11 against Merrivale, Clinton Baker 5/19 against Noorat Terang and 5/22 against Dennington, and to Damien Goddard 5/52 against Allansford-Panmure.

Wynter Bradbury took out the Georgia Wareham Women’s Cricketer of the Year award with 14 votes, ahead of Erin O’Brien on nine.

Bradbury also took out the batting aggregate and average with 172 runs at 21.50 and the bowling aggregate with six wickets.

Audrey Ringe, with her wickets coming at 16.50 each, won the bowling average award.

The coaches award went to Amelia Horan, with Ella Jones most improved.

In the championship division, Stephen Blacker won the Cricketer of the Year award on 10 votes, ahead of Sonny Podger and Brendan Gherashe on nine each.

Cooper Herry took out the batting aggregate with 236 runs, with Gherashe the batting average with 22.67.

Off-spinner Podger, with eight wickets at 22.88, took out the bowling aggregate and average.

Clinton Baker won a five-for trophy for his 5/40 against Hawkesdale.

Opening batsman Corey Rounds took out the division three Cricketer of the Year award with 17 votes, ahead of Neil Kelly on 13.

Kelly won both batting awards with 424 runs at an average of 53.00, with Jordan Wareham taking out both bowling awards with 12 wickets at 21.58.

Century awards went to Kelly for 167 against Koroit and 109 against Warrnambool, and to Rounds for his 102 against Koroit.

Five wicket awards went to Jordan Wareham for 5/34 against Nirranda and Will Ruddle for 5/35 against Nirranda.

For the Mortlake/Cobden under 17 team, Max Slater won the Cricketer of the Year award with 397 points, ahead of Arlo Herry on 287 points.

Slater won the batting aggregate and average with 247 runs at 41.17, with Jobe Baker winning both bowling awards with seven wickets at 14.43.

Eli Bradbury won the coaches award, while Cameron Goddard was awarded most improved.

The Cricketer of the Year award for the Mortlake/Cobden under 15 team went to Mikey Benallack on 428 points, with Clem Walsh second on 271 points.

Benallack won the batting awards with 288 runs at 72.00, with Rhys Darcy winning the bowling awards with 11 wickets at 5.36 each.

Jack Couch won the coaches award, with Cruz Lamont most improved.

Charlie Mahncke took out the senior Twenty20 Player of the Year award, Clinton Baker was the PlayHQ player of the year with 871 points, Max Slater won the senior coaches award, while Damian Goddard was the senior most improved player and best under 21 player.

The Glen ‘Snooks’ Davis Clubperson of the Year award went to dedicated volunteers Dion and Tania Podger.