HIS mission was to have a big season, but Cooper Brien never imagined it would be so big he would find himself holding the Bathurst Orange Inter District Cricket's best and fairest trophy.
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The St Pat's Old Boys talent was revealed as season 2022-23's finest on Sunday afternoon in Orange.
Brien polled 14 votes across the season - one which saw him pick up four man of the match honours - to beat out Cavaliers' Matt Corben and Orange CYMS' Josh Coyte by a point.
Rugby Union duo Sam Macpherson and Jameel Qureshi rounded out the top five.
Joining the likes of fellow Bathurst talents Keven Geyer (1992-93) and Peter Francis (1998-99) in winning the best and fairest award was certainly a good consolation after Cooper's Saints were eliminated in the first week of finals.
"When Frecko [Mark Frecklington, BOIDC chairman] told me I did get it, it was a surprise because it's been a big year for everyone, there's been a lot of runs, so it was definitely nice surprise," Brien said.
"It's definitely not something I thought I was going to get, but I did go into the season wanting a big year and I guess the hard work has paid off.
"Like it obviously would have been nice to play in that grand final and win the trophy that Cavs did, but you take the good with the bad."
There was plenty of good for Brien this season.
Across the regular season he scored 608 runs at an average of 76. It was by far and away his best haul since making his BOIDC debut, with Brien's previous tallies reading 237, 188 and 328.
Prior to this season Brien's highest score with the bat in BOIDC was 79.
Now he has three centuries on his record - a 108 and 102 against Centrals and 107 against Bathurst City.
Brien was only once dismissed for single figures, while he blasted 61 boundaries and 13 sixes across the season as most Saturdays he scored at better than a run a ball.
On top of that he claimed eight wickets for the Saints during the regular season too, which included a 4-83 off 19 overs against Orange CYMS.
So what was it that led Brien to those impressive numbers?
Hard work and the confidence he got from playing for New South Wales at the Under 19s National Championships.
"I feel like I've gone into the season a lot more prepared than I have previous years, I had a pretty big pre-season and I tried to keep that up, which I was able to do. It was very good," he said.
"I had lots of New South Wales stuff with the 19s which definitely helped me to really hit my straps early.
"That 100 percent helped with my confidence, I went into the season hoping to have a big year and once I did get selected in that 19s it did help me push and keep motivated for sure.
"Before the season I knew that our batting line-up was going to be pretty strong, so going out there and playing my natural game and knowing there were people around me that could contribute just as much as I could, yeah it was good for me."
While Brien's 108 off 99 deliveries in round two against Centrals was a special moment, that's not what he rated as his highlight.
For him it came in the round 14 win over ORC.
He hit 74 on the second Saturday of that two-day contest as part of a 150-run stand with his older brother Bailey (98).
It didn't quite eclipse his best batting partnership in BOIDC - that's still the 179 for the second wicket he and Nic Broes put on against Orange CYMS - but it did seal the Saints an unlikely win.
ORC had gone into the second day in control at 5-235.
"The last round against ORC, it wasn't my biggest score but I got to bat with my brother and we put on a fair partnership, that would be the highlight," Brien said.
"To chase 315 down in 47 overs to make the final was pretty special for sure.
"I remember throughout the week we were talking and had a weird feeling we were going to chase these runs down. Then we got to the game and Browny [Andrew Brown] and Bailey started off the innings so well, it was very good to watch."
As for the BOIDC premiership trophy which was also presented on Sunday, that went to Cavaliers who defeated Orange CYMS.
Cavaliers opening batter John Warrington was named player of the match, thanks to his 117 not out.
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