Viewers’ all-round consistency paves the way for early lead in EGCA standings

Lake View’s one-game lead in the Eastern Goldfields Cricket Association’s A-grade standings through five rounds has rewarded the squad’s across-the-board consistency, as opposed to relying on individual brilliance.

The Viewers, who chase a fourth victory against North Kalgoorlie when matches resume this Saturday, have three players in the top-10 for batting, and two among the competition’s leading three bowlers.

Ashley Malec leads the squad with the blade with 123 runs at 30.75.

He sits fifth overall, behind Hannans’ Graham Kennedy and Aarib Khan, and Great Boulder teammates Bevan Bennell and Waqar ali Ahmed.

Malec’s teammates, Matt Carter and David Forrest, are seventh and 10th, respectively.

Kennedy was last season’s O’Shaughnessy medallist with 585 runs at 48.75, complemented by a competition-best 41 wickets at 6.29.

However, it is Kennedy’s brother, Stuart, who is in 2024-25 showing the way with the ball for Lake View with 11 scalps at 11.36.

Hannans’ Harry Merritt-Bland, is second (10 wickets at 16.00) from Lake View’s Corey Yeo, with Hannans boasting three among the top-five.

This weekend’s round is the first of three before a break — resuming on January 11.

The resumption, however, will be short-lived with general byes also scheduled for January 18 and January 25 because of the annual senior country week series in Perth.

Domestic matches resume on February 1 and continue through round 13 on February 22 before another bye on the March long weekend, underpinned by Hannans’ 100th anniversary gala dinner and reunion.

Fixtures resume on March 8 for the second-last round of qualifiers.

A-grade leaders:

Batting:

Graham Kennedy (Hannans) 159 runs at 39.75.

Aarib Khan (Hannans) 150 runs at 50.00.

Bevan Bennell (Great Boulder) 139 runs at 139.00.

Waqar ali Ahmed (Great Boulder) 135 runs at 45.00.

Ashley Malec (Lake View) 123 runs at 30.75.

Michael Noble (North Kalgoorlie) 121 runs at 40.33.

Matt Carter (Lake View) 112 runs at 28.00.

Alex Jago (Hannans) 112 runs at 28.00.

Brandon Williams (Hannans) 100 runs at 25.00.

David Forrest (Lake View) 85 runs at 28.33.

Bowling:

Stuart Kennedy (Lake View) 11 wickets at 11.36.

Harry Merritt-Blann (Hannans) 10 wickets at 16.00.

Corey Yeo (Lake View) eight wickets at 12.75.

Graham Kennedy (Hannans) seven wickets at 12.57.

Harrison Wheatcroft (Hannans) seven wickets at 24.43.

Josh Rushmore (Great Boulder) five wickets at 7.20.

Blake Willis (North Kalgoorlie) five wickets at 15.00.

Daniel Colling (Great Boulder) five wickets at 23.40.

Nick Willis (North Kalgoorlie) five wickets at 23.60.

Waqar ali Ahmed (Great Boulder) five wickets at 24.60.