Benalla cricket stalwarts Trevor Saker and Greg Hoysted are inaugural inductees into the Victorian Country Cricket League’s Hall Of Fame.
They received the honour at a function in Ballarat on Sunday, February 11 and were among 24 inaugural inductees.
Saker attended to receive his award, while Hoystead was unable to attend as he was in the West Indies playing in an international masters (over 60) competition.
Saker’s contribution to cricket in the Benalla region and his passion for the annual Melbourne Country Week series is legendary.
He attended Melbourne Country Weeks mostly as a player but, later, as a part-time player and official from 1988 until the Benalla association disbanded in 2015.
In three stints over nine years he was president of the Benalla District Cricket Association.
After Benalla disbanded, Saker was assistant manager with Wangaratta District Cricket Association in 2016 and 2018.
He gave a total of 30 years in service, played 86 games at Melbourne Country Week with three years as captain and winning three titles.
He managed to play two games in the 2013 and 2015 country weeks and played his last match in the Melbourne series at the age 58.
He was primarily a bowler with best figures of 6/14, while his top batting score was 38.
As the main organiser for Benalla’s Melbourne Country Week teams from 1993 until 2015, Saker was the team bus driver from 1989, a role he also had for two years with Wangaratta.
Restricted by his profession as a teacher, Hoysted still attended at least one or two days in 20 Melbourne Country Week trips representing the Benalla Cricket Association.
He scored a total of 1654 runs including 11 half centuries and an average of 35.96, with a highest score of 89. He also took 20 wickets at an average of 19.05.
In the division four final at Melbourne Country Week in 1990 he made an unbeaten 62 and in the division three final in 1992 he struck 84.
Hoysted played in four title winning Benalla teams at Melbourne Country Week, two as captain in 1999 and 2001.
He was the Benalla District Cricket Association president for nine years, and was involved in the administration/management of the Melbourne Country Week teams for many years.
His wife Sue and daughter Elizabeth attended the Ballarat function to receive his reward.