Sport
6 January, 2026
A grade prepares for two-day matches
As the dust settles on the 2025 one-day season, the MDCA A grade competition quickly turns its attention to five rounds of gripping two-day action starting this weekend.
One-day reigning premiers Laanecoorie Dunolly currently lead the standings on 54 points as they look to reclaim the two-day crown from Colts Phelans, who sit just three points behind.
Three points also separates Beaufort in fourth and Carisbrook as the battle for the last available finals spot looks to go down to the wire.
That race could get even spicier if Clunes start their two-day campaign strongly with Beaufort and Caris-brook in their first three games.
Maryborough finds itself in a rather peculiar position wedged in between the ladder. The Owls are 15 points clear of Beaufort, while also 15 points adrift of the second-placed Colts.
With teams looking to bring some holiday joy to their cricket after the festive break, here are some key players who will look to continue their splendid seasons with the red ball.
MDCA A grade’s top 10 leading run-scorers
1) Nafis Shaikh, Laanecoorie Dunolly Runs: 393 Average: 56.14 50s: 3 High Score: 87* vs Carisbrook, Round 7
Shaikh came to Bryants Oval from the West Herts Cricket Club in Derbyshire to much fanfare, and the little magician has quickly joined the lineage of all-star international recruits who have bestowed the Laane colours.
It almost seems destined for Shaikh to bring up his maiden century without the over restrictions of one-day matches after scoring three sublime fifties, including two against Colts Phelans.
2) Asim Akhtar, Colts Phelans Runs: 325 Average: 36.11 50s: 1 High Score: 66 vs Laanecoorie Dunolly, Round 5
If you like entertaining batsmen who attack bowlers with aggressive, hard-hitting, look no further than UK import Akhtar.
As the Colts’ middle order basher, Akhtar has gone on some stunning scoring sprees this season, boasting boundaries aplenty.
It will be intriguing to see if Akhtar implements a more calm approach during the two-day format or continues his free-flowing ways.
3) Tom Hannett, Laanecoorie Dunolly Runs: 324 Average: 54 50s: 2 100s: 1 High Score: 111* vs Carisbrook, Round 2
Laane’s captain and star opener hasn’t lost a beat since his Ken Gibbs medal-winning 2024/25 campaign, where he hit a league-leading 548 runs and two centuries at an average of 78.29.
Hannett is one of two players, alongside teammate Tom Hart, to hit a hundred in the MDCA’s A grade this season with an unbeaten 111 versus Carisbrook in round two.
4) Oliver Bennett, Maryborough Runs: 321 Average: 53.5 50s: 3 High Score: 85 vs Carisbrook, Round 10
Maryborough’s remarkable renaissance in the MDCA’s A grade wouldn’t have been as successful without the arrival of Bennett to their top order.
Despite the Owls missing out on two of their last three one-day matches due to a washout, Bennett has kept pace with the competition’s elite batters with an average above 50, one of four players in the top 10 to boast such a achievement.
5) Elliot Cullinan, Carisbrook Runs: 307 Average: 43.86 50s: 3 High Score: 83 vs Beaufort, Round 9
After finishing dead last in runs scored last season, Carisbrook currently leads the competition in that category, and the development of Cullinan is a big reason why.
The teenage opener showed flashes of brilliance early in his debut foray in A grade, but has since blossomed to average 66.25 in his last four knocks.
6) Tom Hart, Laanecoorie Dunolly Runs: 282 Average: 40.29 50s: 1 100s: 1 High Score: 105* vs Clunes, Round 10
With an average of 15.8 after nine rounds, Hart was barely in the discussion for the leading run-scorers.
However, with an unbeaten century against Clunes and a best on ground Grand Final knock versus Colts Phelans, Hart hopes to harness his outstanding recent form into the two-day format.
7) Josh Collinson, Colts Phelans Runs: 263 Average: 32.88 50s: 1 High Score: 86 vs Maryborough, Round 2.
Collinson’s highly respectable spot in the run-scoring charts doesn’t truly contextualize his impact with the bat this season.
With the Colts batting second in seven of their 11 one-day en-counters, Collinson has routinely been the glue ensuring his team over the line, top scoring in run chases versus Maryborough, Beaufort and Clunes.
8) Mitch Coppick, Clunes Runs: 262 Average: 29.11 50s: 2 High Score: 57* vs Colts Phelans, Round 4
Similar to Collinson’s impact at the Colts, Coppick continues to be the lifeblood of a noticeably improved Clunes batting lineup.
Amongst an expansive catalogue of memorable knocks in Magpie black, Coppick’s 57 not-out against Colts Phelans in round four has to be near his best, hitting the game-tieing boundary on the last ball to snap his team’s long-standing losing streak.
9) Dean Nalder, Carisbrook Runs: 235 Average: 26.11 50s: 2 High Score: 55 vs Maryborough, Round 10
There are very few guarantees in the highly variable world of cricket, but one that remains a safe bet is Nalder scoring runs for Carisbrook.
The star all-rounder is on pace to surpass 300 runs for the fifth consecutive season, with two half-centuries against Clunes and Maryborough already to his name this season.
10) Jarrod Blandford, Beaufort Runs: 225 Average: 56.25 50s: 3 High Score: 72* vs Clunes, Round 7
Despite only playing five matches, Blandford currently leads the Bulls in runs scored this season with 225.
Blandford was integral to Beaufort’s best run in the one-day season with back-to-back-to-back fifties, including a season-high 72 not out against Clunes.
MDCA A grade’s top 10 leading wicket-takers
=1) Noah Davies, Clunes Wickets: 20 Average: 13.55 Economy: 4.27 Best Figures: 3/21 vs Maryborough, Round 3
At the start of the season, very few would’ve predicted Davies leading the competition’s wicket-taking charts at the holiday break, but the tearaway quick has earned his place atop the leaderboard.
What’s made Davies’ season to this point so remarkable has been his unrivalled consistency, taking two or more wickets in eight of his 10 matches this season.
=1) Brandon Walsh, Beaufort Wickets: 20 Average: 13.7 Economy: 5.01 Best Figures: 4/51 vs Maryborough, Round 5
Since his homecoming this season following an extended stay at Mount Clear, Walsh has been one of the most impactful players in the MDCA as Beaufort’s captain.
Alongside his 177 runs with the bat, Walsh has bowled the Bulls to winnable positions on numerous occasions, taking three or more wickets on five occasions.
3) Alex Cook, Laanecoorie Dunolly Wickets: 16 Average: 14.06 Economy: 2.88 Best Figures: 4/13 vs Clunes, Round 1
While he’s been rarely called upon with the bat after scoring a staggering 431 runs in his inaugural campaign, Cook’s encore season at Laane has been just as prolific with the ball.
Cook’s 20 breakthroughs in 2024/25 at an average just above 10 seemed an unrealistic pace to maintain, but the Englishman is somehow matching those startling figures.
Arguably even more impressive than Cook’s 16 wickets has been his ability to choke up the run rate. Even as a spinner, Cook hosts the best economy rate of the top 10 wicket-takers.
4) Nick Henderson, Colts Phelans Wickets: 15 Average: 15.6 Economy: 3.3 Best Figures: 4/23 vs Clunes, Round 9
While the Colts’ vaunted bowling lineup underwent some drastic changes during the off-season, Henderson remains a stalwart of the attack, continuing to cement his legacy as one of the best fast bowlers in MDCA history.
Already with 15 wickets this season, 2025/26 marks the ninth time in the past 10 seasons Henderson has taken double-digit wickets.
5) Ben Evans, Colts Phelans Wickets: 14 Average: 20.5 Economy: 3.88 Best Figures: 4/30 vs Beaufort, Round 10
While his aforementioned teammate Henderson currently leads the team in wickets, the Colts’ lethal frontline spinner is just as integral to the reigning premiers’ sensational attack.
With the MDCA A grade now switching to the two-day portion of the season, Evans’ role is expected to be expanded after he took 17 wickets during the two-day competition last season, including his premiership-winning six-wicket haul versus Carisbrook in the 2024/25 Grand Final.
=6) Josh Fitzpatrick, Laanecoorie Dunolly Wickets: 13 Average: 18.46 Economy: 3.65 Best Figures: 3/14 vs Beaufort, Round 3
Following the departure of long-serving seamer Daniel Romeo, who took 17 wickets at an average below 10 last season, Laane were keen to find a replacement for his pro-duction.
Fitzpatrick quickly cemented himself as the man for the job, generating 11 breakthroughs in his first five matches.
While the wickets dried up slightly during the tail-end of the one-day season, Fitzpatrick remained effective in stunting the opponents’ progress with a strong economy rate of 3.65.
=6) Theo Trevelyan-Clark, Beaufort Wickets: 13 Average: 24.38 Economy: 5.37 Best Figures: 4/66 vs Maryborough, Round 5
The Englishman had some rocky moments to begin his tenure in Bulls country, but Trevelyan-Clark started to find his stride following his round five hat-trick versus Maryborough.
With Beaufort currently sitting just three points inside the top four, they will be looking for Trevelyan-Clark to continue building on his contributions with both bat and ball.
=8) Oliver Cassidy, Maryborough Wickets: 12 Average: 15.08 Economy: 3.77 Best Figures: 4/23 vs Clunes, Round 3
Despite already taking 12 wickets with one of the best averages in the competition, it feels as though Cassidy is just scratching the surface of his full potential.
The teenager could’ve been mistaken for a Mitchell against Clunes back in round three — delivering a devastating spell reminiscent of fellow rapid left-armers Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc that truly showcased what he’s capable of.
=8) Jasper Trickey, Maryborough Wickets: 12 Average: 20.33 Economy: 6.1 Best Figures: 4/45 vs Beaufort, Round 5
From one highly touted Mary-borough prospect to another, Trickey continues to live up to his namesake when it comes to causing headaches for opposing batters.
After leading the Owls with 12 wickets in their last A grade campaign, the young spinner has already matched that mark after the one-day season with a strike rate of just 20.
=8) Asim Akhtar, Colts Phelans Wickets: 12 Average: 22.08 Economy: 3.57 Best Figures: 2/9 vs Carisbrook, Round 3
As the only player to crack the top ten for runs scored and wickets taken, it’s easy to see why Akhtar is an early frontrunner for the Ken Gibbs Medal.
Akhtar has routinely bowled key spells for the Colts, taking a wicket in nine of his 11 matches for the club.