Cricket season fairest and best shaping up as one-horse race with Zane Marwick favourite for Doug Hogue Medal

After a stellar season with bat, ball and in the field, Wanderers’ Zane Marwick is going into the medal count as heavy favourite to claim his second consecutive Doug Hogue Medal.

It is up to the umpires but Marwick will be hard to beat for local cricket’s highest individual honour.

Cricket players, officials and supporters will gather at Towns Football Club on Monday for the 2024-25 Doug Hogue Night, with doors opening at 6pm and the two-hour presentation starting at 7pm.

Most cricket awards are statistically based but the Hogue is different as umpires are instructed to select players, on a 3-2-1 system, for the influence they had on a game, not just raw numbers.

But when it comes to numbers, Marwick has that covered with 654 runs, 28 wickets and 15 catches this season — a phenomenal effort. If he succeeds, he will be a back-to-back winner.

Other contenders include Ringo McKenna, who has blossomed as a batter this season while becoming even more deadly with the ball, and Jarrod Jupp, though injury precluded him from bowling in the past month.

McKenna has averaged 15 with the bat, with a high score of 69 against Chapman Valley Northampton, while averaging 10 with the ball with season-best figures of 5-11 against Wanderers.

Jupp also averages 15 with the bat with a high score of 62 coming against Chapman Valley Northampton and averages 16 with the ball with season-best figures of 4-8 that came against Sporties.

Ian Oglesby, Josh DeLacy, Clint Yeates and Jay O’Brien should also poll well.

The Hogue Medal was instituted in 2010-11 at the behest of then-executive officer Steve Davies. He argued there was more to cricket than numbers which should be recognised.

He said the award should carry the name of a person who had been involved in Geraldton cricket and who embodied everything good about the game. He nominated Doug Hogue and agreement was instantaneous and unanimous.

Other awards are cricketer of the year for A and B-grades and women’s competitions, along with batting and bowling honours.

There will be recognition of Geraldton’s best at country week with the Keeffe Medal for the best male player and a medal for the best female.

Gongs will also be handed out for under-21 and 19 players and the Swarbrick Medal for best umpire.