Cricket Victoria celebrates 2020-21 Premier Cricket Awards winners

O’Donnell polled 33 votes, finishing two clear of Box Hill’s Zoe Griffiths on 31 votes. Essendon Maribyrnong Park Ladies’ Elyse Villani finished on 20 votes in third place.

For O’Donnell, the season saw her make 488 runs and take 25 wickets for the Demons. She becomes the third Melbourne player in five years to win the Una Paisley Medal.

The win is all the more special for O’Donnell who is based in Mildura and commuted to Melbourne for club commitments on a weekly basis. O’Donnell made her Victorian debut during the 2018-19 season and has played WBBL for both the Renegades and the Hurricanes.

In winning tonight’s count, Edwards become the first Richmond player since England international Paul Collingwood MBE won the Ryder Medal in a tie with Ringwood’s Darren Dempsey in 2001. Edwards is only the second Tiger to win the medal since the Ryder Medal’s introduction in 1973.

For Ryder Medalist Edwards, 2020-21 was a career-best season. The Tonga-born gloveman polled 37 votes, finishing two votes clear of Carlton’s Evan Gulbis on 35 while Prahran’s Damon Egan finished third on 34 votes.

Edwards, who has represented the Netherlands in international cricket on numerous occasions, scored 637 runs for the season, averaging 45.5. Those runs had him seventh on the list of top run scorers and he completed 22 dismissals behind the stumps.

2020-21 Jack Ryder Medallist
Scott Edwards (Richmond)

2020-21 Una Paisley Medallist
Rhiann O’Donnell (Melbourne)

2020-21 Women’s Premier Cricket Awards

Women’s Premier Firsts Best First Season Player
Isabel White (Box Hill)

Women’s Premier Seconds Player of the Season (Sue Woolcock Award)
Hasrat Gill (Melbourne)

Women’s Premier Thirds Player of the Season
Teagan French (Essendon Maribyrnong Park Ladies)

Kookaburra Women’s Premier Team of the Season
Teagan Parker (C) (WK) – Melbourne
Tiana Atkinson – Dandenong
Makinley Blows – Essendon Maribyrnong Park Ladies
Bhavisha Devchand – Ringwood
Kim Garth – Dandenong
Zoe Griffiths – Box Hill
Olivia Henry – Ringwood
Anna O’Donnell – Melbourne
Rhiann O’Donnell – Melbourne
Natalie Schilov – Essendon Maribyrnong Park Ladies
Laura Shaw – Ringwood
Ellen Williams – Prahran

2020-21 Men’s Premier Cricket Awards

Men’s Premier Seconds Player of the Season
Jack Wrigglesworth (Geelong)

Men’s Premier Thirds Player of the Season
Jacob Hind and Jordan Hesline (Tied) (Richmond)

Men’s Premier Fourths Player of the Season
Oscar Gordon (Essendon)

Kookaburra Men’s Premier Team of the Season
Eamonn Vines (C) – Geelong
Scott Edwards (WK) – Richmond
Damon Egan – Prahran
Evan Gulbis – Carlton
Fergus O’Neill – Melbourne
Eddy O’Sullivan – Carlton
James Nanopoulos – Dandenong
Thomas Rogers – Ringwood
James Seymour – Essendon
Henry Thornton – St Kilda
Matt Wilcox – Prahran
Kyle Williamson – Melbourne