By Alesha Capone
Daniel Spencer from the Bellbridge Cricket Club in Hoppers Crossing has been recognised with a top honour by the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.
Spencer was announced as recipient of the Pollock Medal, as division 5’s best-and-fairest player, at the VCTA 2020-21 awards earlier this month.
Spencer, a Hoppers Crossing resident, received the gong after notching up 27 votes – six more than Sidharth Sood from the Williamstown Colts.
Spencer and fellow Bellbridge player, Dillon Hinge, were named in the VCTA’s Division 5 Team of the Year.
Spencer said he had an inkling that he may be up for an award at the VCTA presentation, after Bellbridge president Damian Henderson asked him to be sure to attend the ceremony.
“I thought it was coming, I had a pretty good year – I said to the president that it’s one most awesome years I’ve had in my career,” Spencer said.
His efforts this season included taking a hattrick against the Melton South Royals, the first in his cricket career.
Spencer also scored 190 runs in a match against Sunshine YCW in February, which he followed up the next week by recording 107 runs against Barley Street Uniting.
He said that he had previously scored over 100 while playing in England and for the Footscray Angliss Cricket Club.
Spencer said that when his partner was first told about his 190 achievement, she did not believe it, thinking the number had been reached by the entire team.
Spencer said that he took up cricket about the age of six to engage in “a bit of competition” with his father Steve, who also used to play the sport.
After Steve turned up to watch the match when Spencer scored 190, his Bellbridge teammates decided his father was the team’s “lucky charm” and have since urged him to attend all their games.
“He comes down and watches every week,” Spencer said.
Spencer said he enjoyed cricket because of the game itself, the socialisation and the “good culture” at Bellbridge Cricket Club.
“It’s one of the better clubs I’ve played at in my time and a lot of guys have said that too,” he said.
Spencer said the cricket club also has “good bench of juniors” and young players showing promise for the future.
