Photo Credit: South Australian Cricket Association
A remarkable five athletes have been crowned major medallists at SACA’s annual Bradman Rolton Sincock Medal Night in 2024, with two ties in both the men’s highest awards.
Port Adelaide’s Thomas Andrews and West Torrens’ Kelvin Smith were the joint winners of the Bradman Medal as best West End Men’s First Grade players in Division One, while Alex Price earned the Rolton Medal for best player in Kookaburra Women’s First Grade.
There were also two winners of the inaugural Sincock Medal, recognising the best player of West End Men’s First Grade Division Two – Sturt’s Thomas Kelly and Adelaide’s Suraj Rajesh.
Andrews earned his first Bradman Medal after making 560 runs at an average of 70, including three centuries, while also taking 18 wickets throughout the season with a best of 4-37.
This is Smith’s second Bradman Medal, which he was awarded after topping the competition’s run scoring with 635 runs at an average of 90.71, thanks in large part to a superb innings of 200 not out against East Torrens.
Eight years after winning her first Rolton Medal, Price has won her second off the back of an outstanding season for Sturt that helped her team make the finals.
It was a brilliant all-round season for the Sturt captain, taking 23 wickets (the second highest in the competition) at an average of 11.74 and with best figures of 4-24, while also making 425 runs at an average of 38.64, featuring two 50’s and a century.
After becoming the youngest pace bowler to play Premier Cricket when he was selected to open the bowling for Kensington at the age of 15 in 1966, Andrew Sincock went on to take 762 First Grade wickets, the third highest in South Australian history. Sincock said last year he was ‘thrilled’ to have a medal named in his honour, recognising the best player in Men’s First Grade Division Two.
Both Rajesh and Kelly earned the Medal on the back of their batting prowess, with Rajesh topping the run scorers tally with 672 runs at an average of 67.2, while Kelly made 590 runs in only eight innings at a remarkable average of 98.33, the pair making seven centuries between them.
All five major medallists feature in teams that made SACA Premier Cricket Finals, with the Grand Finals to be held this weekend.
Glenelg’s William Bowering finished runner-up in the Bradman Medal, while Kensington’s Eliza Doddridge placed second in the Rolton Medal.
George O’Connor from Southern Districts was the runner-up in the Sincock Medal.
A number of other winners were recognised for outstanding seasons on Wednesday night at the event held at Adelaide Oval.
In the shorter formats, Glenelg’s Eleanor Larosa won the Shelley Nitschke Medal and Northern Districts’ Josh Kann and Tea Tree Gully’s Joe Gatting earned the Darren Lehmann Medal as the best players in the T20 series’.
Kensington’s Josh Doyle was named the best player in the One Day Cup and was awarded the Fred Godson Medal, while SACA’s Premier Cricket’s Rising Star Award, the Jason Gillespie Medal, went to Hamish Case from Tea Tree Gully.
Winners of Second, Third and Fourth Grade Medals were also recognised on the night, amongst many others for their contribution to SA Premier Cricket both on and off the field.
Congratulations to everyone on their efforts throughout the 2023/24 SACA Premier Cricket season! See a full list of winners below:
Bradman Medal
Winners: Thomas Andrews, Port Adelaide and Kelvin Smith, West Torrens (24 votes)
Third: William Bowering, Glenelg (22 votes)
Rolton Medal
Winner: Alex Price, Sturt (31 votes)
Second: Eliza Doddridge, Kensington (23 votes)
Third: Emma de Broughe, Sturt (20 votes)
Sincock Medal
Winners: Thomas Kelly, Sturt and Suraj Rajesh, Adelaide (23 votes)
Third: George O’Connor, Southern District (17 votes)
2023/24 Kookaburra Premier Cricket Women’s Team of the Year – voted on by captains and coaches of each club:
Alex Price (Sturt) (c), Emma de Broughe (Sturt), Eleanor Larosa (Glenelg), Eliza Doddridge (Kensington), Paris Hall (West Torrens), Sam Betts (Sturt), Rachel Church (Kensington) (WK), Shae Daly (Kensington), Maggie Clark (West Torrens), Lucy Bowering (Glenelg), Abbie Cawse (Sturt), Emmerson Filsell (Kensington)
Women’s Coach of the Year: Daniel Murdoch (West Torrens)
2023/24 West End Premier Cricket Men’s Team of the Year – voted on by captains and coaches of each club:
Kelvin Smith (West Torrens) (C), Conor McInerney (Glenelg), Tom Andrews (Port Adelaide), Thomas Kelly (Sturt), Suraj Rajesh (Adelaide), Joe Gatting (Tea Tree Gully), Josh Barrett (East Torrens) (WK), Cam Valente (Port Adelaide), Corey Kelly (Sturt), Campbell Thompson (East Torrens), William Bowering (Glenelg), Luke Robins (East Torrens)
Men’s Coach of the Year: Mark Harrity (West Torrens)
Spirit of Cricket Award:
Women’s: West Torrens
Men’s: Prospect
Premier Cricket Umpire of the Year: Dhaval Bhatt
Premier Cricket Volunteer of the Year: Barry Earl (Adelaide)
Shelley Nitschke Medal (Twenty20 Cup Player of the Series): Eleanor Larosa (Glenelg)
Marg Jude Wicketkeeping Trophy: Rachel Church (Kensington)
Joanne Broadbent Fielding Trophy: Shae Daly (Kensington)
Fred Godson Medal (West End One Day Cup Player of the Series): Josh Doyle (Kensington)
Darren Lehmann Medal (West End Twenty20 Cup Player of the Series): Josh Kann (Northern Districts) and Joe Gatting (Tea Tree Gully)
CW Walker Memorial Trophy (Most Outstanding Wicketkeeper): Isaac Conway (Port Adelaide)
Talbot Smith Fielding Trophy: Sam Kerber (Adelaide University)
Jason Gillespie Medal (Male Rising Star): Hamish Case (Tea Tree Gully)
KC Butler Medal (Men’s Second Grade): Daniyal Khan (Port Adelaide)
Lyn Fullston Medal (Women’s Second Grade): Chloe Rosenzweig (Northern District)
Sid Daly Medal (Men’s Third Grade): Matthew Ferraro (West Torrens)
McLeod/Wilson Medal (Men’s Fourth Grade): Sid Kumra (East Torrens)
Name of Author: South Australian Cricket Association
The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) is the governing body for cricket in South Australia. Based in Adelaide, it oversees the South Australian men’s and women’s teams and manages the South Australian Grade Cricket League.
