Outstanding Romsey opening batsman Ben Way (pictured) has been named as captain of the Victorian Country Cricket League’s 2017-18 Team of the Year.
The team was announced last week and Way said it came as a surprise as he was not aware the team was being chosen.
Way made 820 runs for Romsey as playing coach last season and also won his second Sullivan Medal. His dashing 175 for Gisborne District Cricket Association at Bendigo Country Week was rated as a remarkable innings.
Dynamic Bacchus Marsh pace bowler Madushanka Ekanayaka, runner-up in last season’s Sullivan Medal, was also included in the VCCL team in a further boost for cricket in this region.
Romsey sporting legend Rob McIntyre is current GDCA president, as well as being the new VCCL vice-president and chairman of selectors.
He said Way and Ekanayaka had outstanding seasons and were certainly worthy inclusions in the VCCL team.
Way spent about seven seasons with Melbourne Cricket Club before finding time to play cricket at Romsey, where he is also a talented ruckman-forward with the town’s football club.
He was largely instrumental in Romsey’s cricket team reaching the McIntyre Cup finals last season, and will again be in charge in 2018-19.
“I think we will do pretty well again … we’ve retained all last season’s players,” Way said.
Spin bowler Matthew Milne, who was an outstanding junior cricketer at Romsey, returns to add depth to the side.
In recent years Way and his wife Lena – a well credentialed netballer – have been kept very busy establishing and building up their free range Springfield Eggs enterprise on their farm .
“We started with around 1000 hens and have built up to 3000,” Way said.
Gisborne District Cricket Association was expected to finalise its 2018-19 fixture last night.
