Four months after the conclusion of the cricket season, Echuca Cricket Club’s Taylor Beard is still tallying up the accolades.
This time, Beard has been named as an all-rounder in the Victorian Country Cricket League 2021-22 Team of the Year after a stellar season in Goulburn Murray Cricket.
The VCCL side recognises the best regional cricketers across the season, with selection hinging on runs and wickets and placings in each player’s respective league’s Team of the Year.
In terms of the numbers, Beard posted some eye-watering stat-lines during the 2021-22 campaign.
The ECC skipper blasted more than 523 runs and snared 31 wickets as the club snapped a 17-year, A-grade premiership drought — the sole representative out of GMC.
Beard top-scored with 117 not-out and compiled five half-centuries for the season, averaging 74.41 for the season with the stick in hand.
With the ball, Beard was equally impressive conceding an average of just 7.94 with his haul of 10-55 in a two-day clash against Cooma the highlight.
VCCL recognition comes after Beard secured a number of individual accolades, including the Graham Turner medal as GMC league best-and-fairest, his fifth league award.
Beard followed that up, unsurprisingly, with a place in the league’s Team of the Year before taking out Echuca’s club best-and-fairest in a clean sweep during award season.
It writes another chapter in the significant legacy for one of the best local cricketers in recent times, with a case for the greatest player in the GMC era evident.