When Ted Murray started the season, he was just focusing on doing his best to help South Dubbo.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Little did he know by the end of the season the Hornets batter would score more runs than anyone in Dubbo and representative cricket.
Fresh off one the most successful individual seasons Dubbo cricket has seen in a few years, Murray was named Cricketer of the Year at the association's presentation evening on March 21.
The biggest award of the night was won by one of the youngest players in attendance and the Hornets co-captain said it was a shock.
"I didn't (expect it) as a young chap that I am but I know I had a good season," he said.
"I like how I played and am really proud of myself."
Scoring 614 runs at an average just shy of 40, Murray's ability with the bat has never been questioned, it was just about consistency.
"I had a couple of alright scores last year and this season just everything clicked," he said.
"I kept putting on good scores back-to-back or tried to. Everything worked out pretty well."
Stepping up when needed
For someone who has scored a century for Dubbo, made his Western Zone opens debut and made more than 600 runs, Murray's season has been full of highlights.
However, for the man himself, one particular performance stands above all of the rest.
"I think definitely the Megahit (final)," he said.
"Playing in that game with blokes falling around me and to be that man to step up for our step was a pretty good feeling, I love that."
The Souths co-captain produced a match-winning 68 to lead the Hornets to the title against a strong CYMS bowling attack.
Representative honours
As previously mentioned, Murray had a stellar representative season as well which earned him another award on presentation night.
Named Representative Player of the Year, the wicket-keeper made 268 runs for Dubbo at an average of 90, including a century against Orange.
Throw in winning player of the day for the Western Plains Outlaws and it was easy to see why he was selected for Western Zone.
Alongside fellow Souths co-captain Lachlan Rummans, Murray made his Zone debut in Orange last November, a special moment he reflected fondly on.
"It's like that with us because we are such a young team, we've got a couple of special talents," he said.
"It was a great opportunity for us to play Western Zone and play alongside older blokes and to get more experience.
"I'm just hoping we can bring a few more South Dubbo boys through to play with them."
The future looking bright for Souths
Rummans and Murray are shaping up as two of the best young players in Dubbo, if not already and they continue to work well together.
Taking on the captaincy this season, Murray said he had enjoyed some success before.
"I had one captaincy last year and we won the game," he said.
"I was away the week after and never got it back. It was good to work with Lach, we got to the end of the season and got a big win."
Souths finished at the bottom of the RSL Whitney Cup ladder but as they have done in previous seasons, the young Hornets continue to make steps forward.
With finals cricket just out of reach, Murray hopes it isn't long before the Hornets are back in the hunt for a title.
"It's definitely a thing we are working towards," he said.
"This year we have improved a lot but the boys are going to uni and we've got a few people leaving so it's a bit harder to work for."