While Aidan O'Connor put on a fantastic performance against Sheffield, it was not enough to stop Jeremy Jackson from claiming the lead in The Examiner's Cricket North player of the year.
South Launceston's captain took 5-19 as the sole spinner in his bowling line-up before making an unbeaten 55 to steer the Knights home and ensure a crushing victory over Latrobe.
O'Connor could not quite guide Riverside over the line against Sheffield despite smacking 88 off just 62 balls and taking 2-25.
Sandwiched in between them in the round-eight votes was Westbury's Ian Labrooy, who took 5-36 against Devonport.
- Three votes - Jeremy Jackson
- Two votes - Ian Labrooy
- One vote - Aidan O'Connor
Leaderboard
- South Launceston's Jeremy Jackson - 8
- Riverside's Aidan O'Connor - 7
- Mowbray's Ishang Shah, Westbury's Joel Lloyd - 4
Team of the week
Jeremy Jackson (South Launceston, captain)
- 55* off 101 balls and 5-19 from 8.5 overs
The competition's standout player for the round, Jackson had one of the better all-round performances in recent memory to ensure victory for his team.
Cam Lynch (Launceston)
- 56 off 73 balls
From one captain to the next, Lynch set the scene for what looked like being a comfortable Lions win before a quick collapse made it a tight one.
Sisitha Jayasinghe (Westbury)
- 53 off 73 balls
The hard-hitting opening batter who made the move to the Shamrocks this season scored his first half-centrury of the year, eclipsing his previous top score of 33.
Oliver Knowles (South Launceston, wk)
- 46 from 65 balls
Knowles was the sole batter to be dismissed for the Knights in their nine-wicket win but produced his second score of 40-plus for the season and will look to convert those into half-centuries soon.
Oliver Wood (Westbury)
- 56 from 60 balls
The former Greater Northern Raiders skipper has hit a nice vein of form, scoring back-to-back half centuries in the last two weeks.
Aidan O'Connor (Riverside)
- 88 from 62 balls and 2-25 off 10 overs
Currently plying his trade with Tasmania's second XI, O'Connor showed why he is one of the state's brightest prospects with a hard-hitting knock while Riverside were in trouble against the Mountaineers.
Dravid Rao (Launceston)
- 28* from 26 balls, 1-36 off 10 overs
Though several batters scored more than the Raiders representative, he was the hero in Launceston's heart-stopping win against Ulverstone, hitting back-to-back boundaries to win off the penultimate ball.
Archie Wilkinson (Launceston)
- 3-35 off nine overs
Launceston look to have found something special with Wilkinson's bowling, having played several roles for the Lions in the past. The three-wicket haul marks two appearances in the league's best in as many weeks.
George McAdam (South Launceston)
- 2-20 off five overs
After a quick stint in second grade, left-armer McAdam is back amongst things in the top grade and doing it well, marking his first appearance in the team of the week.
Ben Spinks (Mowbray)
- 3-48 off 10 overs
The Mowbray tall, who played for the Australian Indigenous side earlier this year, produced his first multiple-wicket showing for the Eagles.
Ian Labrooy (Westbury)
- 5-36 off 10 overs
Labrooy has taken 12 wickets for the season, the fifth-most in the competition, and is one of three spinners in the top five.
Josh Partridge
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
