Who have been some of the leading South West Cricket division one players so far in the 2022-23 season?

After five rounds, Heytesbury Rebels and Pomborneit lead the charge but the competition, despite all of its washouts remain on track for an exciting lead-in to finals with nine rounds to be played. The Twenty20 competition, won by the Bulls, was also an exciting spectacle despite the weather obstacles which stood in its way.

But who have been the top performers from an individual perspective leading the way so far?

The Standard takes a look at 10 players who have started the season with a bang:

It's little surprise to see the Sri Lankan gun on this list. In his fifth season for the Bulls, the crafty all-rounder is at his best with both bat and ball, leading the competition for runs (191) which includes a sparkling century and also for wickets (11).

The veteran spinner has such great control in all formats and his Twenty20 tournament was electric, especially the grand final against Cobden where he made 60 not out and took 2-6. A key figure for the Bulls if they are to double it up with a division one premiership in 2022-23.

The Rebels jet always charges in for his side and delivers a consistent performance and his early season form is no exception.

Equal-top for wickets in the competition with 11 at a staggering average of only 4.3, he simply knows how to take wickets in bundles, which in one-day cricket is arguably the most important tool you can have in your repertoire. Hauls of 3-12, 3-16 and 3-14 have been impressive, as is his economy rate of 1.5.

Consistency has been key for the Bookaar opener who has crunched three half-centuries from four digs and is setting his side up in the most important position in the batting order.

A couple of blips along the way don't take away from what has been a solid start to the season, which includes some tidy work behind the stumps too.

Performs year in, year out and will need to keep firing if the Pelicans are to challenge for finals this season.

Very good player and will cause plenty of headaches in the second-half of the season with his ability with both bat and ball.

The top-order bat has also featured in the South West's festival of cricket representative side and crafted a half-century against Warrnambool so knows what it takes to perform against the best cricketers in the region.

At club level, he's averaging almost 88 with bat in hand, including a 95 prior to Christmas against Woorndoo. There's another gear to go with his bowling and if he fires up and takes more wickets will be a hard man to stop.

All-rounders are premium in one-day cricket and often games can be decided by the players who stand up in big moments.

The Noorat skipper is one of those players and is enjoying a solid start to the 2022-23 season with promise he can build on some electric performances.

Bourke crunched 97 just prior to Christmas against Bookaar and has been threatening with the willow all season despite not going on with an innings.

With the ball, the reliable all-rounder has a knack for taking wickets and has seven next to his name to be among the leading bowlers in the competition.

Pencil in the reliable Bull for a score almost every single week, such is his consistency for the division one premiership hopefuls.

The Bulls champion has dipped below double figures with the willow just once, including Twenty20s and is well on truly on track for his most productive season since at least 2017-18.

Scores of 50 and 82 in the regular season, alongside handy contributions of 30, 36 and 38 in a fantastic Twenty20 campaign which yielded silverware indicate his ongoing value to the fabric of the club.

As the year wears on, the value of the former Knights skipper, who returned to his home club this season after a few seasons away, will become evident.

The all-rounder has been a strong contributor across both formats in the first portion of the season, scoring over 100 runs and taking 12 wickets at 10.4.

Uwland's ability to be a match winner was evident in his destructive haul of 5-12 against Terang in the round five division one game against Terang and his Twenty20 exploits which helped his side reach the grand final were something to marvel at.

Across the three Twenty20 matches, he took 4-15 and 2-10 while also chipping in with 78 runs. A dangerous player.

The top-order Bull has been one of division one's most prolific run scorers in recent seasons and the 2022-23 campaign is no exception.

The opener started the year run-out but bounced back in style with a ruthless 109 off 87 balls against Camperdown, sending five balls sailing over the fence in the process. Hasn't scored below 20 since the opening round and will take some work to get out when the weather heats up post-Christmas.

The hard-hitting all-rounder arrived at the club from Stoneyford with expectation and indications early are he's slotted into the side perfectly.

The former Cobden and Simpson cricketer is well-known in South West Cricket circles and while he hasn't quite had the opportunities just yet with the bat to show what he's made of, his bowling has been strong with wickets in every game and a healthy average of 7.3 from three matches.

The 19-year-old paceman simply must make the list after snaring insane figures of 7-28 in the final round before Christmas against Woorndoo. The youngster was dominant in the Lakers' big win and will be hoping it can provide the spark for a big second half of the season.

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