Sport
1 April, 2026
Knights celebrate successful season
COBDEN Cricket Club has celebrated season 2025/26 with a presentation day at the Cobden Community Bank Recreation Reserve.
An exciting division one vote count saw a three way tie between captain Johno Benallack, young all-rounder Eddie Walsh and wicket-keeper batsman Campbell Walsh.
The award is the fifth time Benallack has taken out Cobden’s premier award, while for the Walsh cousins it was a first for both.
The pair join Campbell’s twin Parker as one-time winners, with Parker leading the count in his own right heading into the finals only to be overtaken by the successful trio.
Benallack took out the leading run scorer award, with 379, just ahead of Eddie Walsh with 367 and Campbell Walsh with 342.
Eddie Walsh’s runs came at 33.36 per innings which was enough for him to take out the batting average award.
Parker Walsh took out the bowling aggregate with 34 wickets.
Seam bowler Paul Pekin won the best in finals award, with Bailey Clarke winning the captain’s award.
Long serving Knight Leigh Walsh took out two of the club’s most prestigious awards, winning the Clubperson of the Year and Knights honour awards.
“Leigh won the best club person which is voted on by all members, and the Knights Honour which is voted on by the committee,” Cobden president Matthew Hanks said.
“Both these awards recognise the significant contribution Leigh has made to the club for the 2025/26 season, he is our head curator of the wicket and spends countless hours at the club.”
Brodie Hanks was presented with the president’s award which is awarded to a club member who has shown great club attributes and is always willing to help out.
“Brodie has been the first one to help with the drinks on a Saturday morning, always puts his hand up to help with the covers or the pub raffle, as well as anything else that the president has asked of him this season, without hesitation.
“While these two were rightly recognised for their work this season, we are very lucky as a club to have a great group of volunteers and a playing group that will help out in any way that is required.”
Anna Dickson won the Cricketer of the Year award for Cobden’s team in the Warrnambool Moyne and District Cricket Association’s women’s competition.
Dickson also won the batting aggregate with 154 runs, with Rachel O'Keefe winning the bowling aggregate with nine wickets.
Jacque Dickson was awarded best in finals, with Sally Merrett winning the captains award.
In division two, Jack Hutt took out the Cricketer of the Year award as well as the batting aggregate with 349 runs.
Hutt also took out the best in finals award.
Cooper Beard won the bowling aggregate with 13 wickets, with Grady Rooke winning the captains award.
Stevie Benallack won the division three Cricketer of the Year award in a season where he also took out the batting aggregate with 316 runs.
Teenage off-spinner Eamon Sloane won the bowling aggregate with 16 wickets, Broly Henderson was best in finals while Brodie Hanks won the captains award.
In the South West CA women’s competition, Ingrid Bellman won the Cricketer of the Year award.
Jess Walsh took out the player’s player award.
Bellman led the Gold team run scorers with 248 runs, with Anna Dickson winning the Cobden Blue award with 137.
Kelsey Fratantaro, Bellman and Akeisha Bishop won the bowling award for Gold with five wickets each, with Katie Hansford leading the Blue wicket takers with eight.
The best in finals went to Charlotte Meade for Gold and Anna Dickson for Blue.
Meade also took out the most improved award, with Mikayla Hein taking out the coaches award.
Captains awards went to Anna Dickson for Blue and Kelsey Fratantaro for Gold.
For the under 16 boys, Mikey Benallack took out the Cricketer of the Year award.
Monty Darcy won the batting aggregate with 249 runs, with 12 wickets each to Jack Couch and captain Eamon Sloane seeing that pair take out the bowling aggregate.
Ben Vogels was most improved, Rhys Darcy best team player, Ryan Bailey was most promising and Nate LaFranchi took out the coaches award.
Reflecting on the season, Hanks saw lots of positives.
“Every one of our south west teams played finals, our women made finals in Warrnambool, I think it was only our under 17 Mortlake/Cobden team that missed out,” Hanks said.
“It’s obviously disappointing not to win a premiership, they are hard to win, but to have nine out of 10 teams play finals is still very pleasing.”
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