Bailiff caps off top season
Hannans all-rounder Gavin Bailiff's rise as the Eastern Goldfields Cricket Association's most consistent performer was sealed with his O'Shaughnessy Medal victory on Saturday night.
The short-priced favourite for the association's top individual award after a dominant campaign, Bailiff polled 17 votes to lead the count from North Kalgoorlie's Trent Mais (12).
Norths recruit Matt Carter (10) and Hannans captain Aaron Heal (9) rounded out the top four.
Bailiff's standing as the EGCA's premier player caps one of local A-grade cricket's great success stories since arriving in the Goldfields six years ago.
Bailiff, 25, grew up in Zimbabwe but moved to Bournemouth, on England's south coast, at 13 before he, his mother and younger sister decided to pursue a new life in Australia.
The family had initially planned to settle in Perth, but his mother's visa requirements meant they had to spend two years in regional WA, of which they chose Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
After a rocky start following the move, Bailiff said he had never looked back since joining Hannans, whose support on and off the field included securing him an electrical apprenticeship.
"The day we arrived in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, my granddad passed away," he said. "He'd taught me everything I know about the game of cricket and without him, I wouldn't be here (as an O'Shaughnessy Medallist) now."
Bailiff's superb 2014-15 campaign comprised 474 runs at 39.50 and 20 wickets at 11.60.
He claimed the batting aggregate and average trophies and a separate Cricketer of the Year trophy.
In the other A-grade awards, Mais led the bowling aggregates with 28 wickets at 11.05 and Hannans' Michael Harling topped the averages (25 wickets at 9.76).
Among the reserves awards, Norths' Ashley Malec was the Cricketer of the Year with 15 votes.
Malec and Hannans' Greg Newberry shared the bowling aggregate trophy and Malec headed the averages with 18 wickets at 13.72.
Hannans' veteran strokemaker Rick Smith-Ince claimed both batting awards, with 433 runs at 86.60.
Malec, who had an ankle reconstruction 18 months ago, was also judged the grade's top all-rounder and EGCA life member Brett Crook was Umpire of the Year.
