After the 2019/20 grand finals were cancelled last week, the Goulburn District Cricket Association has foregone its usual presentation ceremony and announced its season award winners on Facebook.
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First Grade
Premiers: Hibo Green
Though there is an asterisk above Hibo Green's title, as it was awarded by default after the final was cancelled, their record from the season spoke for itself.
Hibo Green won nine, lost three, and drew two of 15 matches throughout the season, and Hibo Gold were the next closest with six wins and six losses.
Runners-up: Workers Stags
Though they finished in third place on the ladder, the Workers Stags were the team with the best chance at beating Hibo Green in the final, having done so twice already in 2019/20.
With a plethora of match-winners in their lineup, the Stags were prone to occasional bouts of both brilliance and disappointment.
The Stags are fitting runners-up and would more than likely have pushed Hibo Green right to the limit in the grand final.
Batting Aggregate: Dane Stevenson
The captain of Hibo Green, Stevenson played a crucial role in the middle order throughout 2019/20.
His 151* in the third round against the Workers Stags was crucial after the team fell to 3-28 in the first innings, and his 97 in the next match secured a one-run win for Hibo Green over Crookwell.
Though Stevenson endured a dry spell through the middle of the season, he capped it off with another critical performance in the final round, with a score of 78 against the Workers Stags which secured Hibo Green top spot on the ladder.
Batting Average: Dane Stevenson
Unsurprisingly, Stevenson's early flood of runs caused his average to balloon. Though it flattened out early in 2020, he still finished the season with an average of 49.
Bowling Aggregate: Raheem Abdul
Abdul comfortably finished on top of the wicket-takers' column for 2019/20, with 35 wickets from 15 games.
The youngster, though still only 15, opened the bowling for Hibo Gold and his brisk pace and sharp inswing made many opening batsmen sweat.
Those attributes, combined with surprising accuracy for a teenager, made Raheem dangerous on any surface against any opposition.
Bowling Average: Raheem Abdul
Considering his wicket haul, it is unsurprising that Raheem averaged less than 10 runs per wicket.
In fact, each wicket only cost him 9.4 runs, and three five-wicket hauls for the season (along with a hattrick) underlined his importance in Hibo Gold's very young bowling attack.
- Also read: Let's all enjoy the footy while we can
Champion Player: Raheem Abdul
Though Stevenson no doubt challenged for this award, Raheem's dominance in the wicket-taker's column, along with his sensible batting at the top of the order, made him unequivocally Hibo Gold's most important player.
Along with his wicket haul, Raheem averaged 28 opening the batting with 371 runs and three half centuries.
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