Lucindale police officer Jason Doig recalled this during the memorial cricket match

The sounds of a cricket match filled an oval in south-eastern South Australia this weekend, but Lucindale Cricket Club were not playing for points.

The club played in memory of their local officer, volunteer and friend, Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, who was fatally shot a year ago while visiting a property in Senior, north of Bordertown.

On Sunday the Lucindale community held the first Jason Doig Memorial Cricket Match to mark the anniversary.

Jaydn Harley Stimson, 26, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Brevet Sergeant Doig, with the case expected to go to trial next month.

The model country agent

The 55-year-old, affectionately called Doigy, worked as an agent in the region for more than ten years.

During that time he endeared himself to many local Lucindale residents, including Country Fire Service volunteer and former post office owner Geoff Robinson.

“We shared coffee, we shared free time together, we were involved in fires together,” Robinson said.

“He was very talented at what he did, even outside of his police work [with] his photography, his fishing, his [recreational] to shoot.

Brevet Sergeant Doig was involved in a number of sporting clubs, including the football and cricket clubs, as well as tennis and bowls.

Since its opening in 2019, he also served as a lifeguard at the community pool, which he advocated for and donated money to.

Tragedy leaves 'a hole'

After Brevet Sergeant Doig died last year, a pre-scheduled cricket match for the local football club went ahead in his honor and became a de facto memorial.

Sunday's match also served as a fundraiser for Lucindale Area School, with Lucindale Cricket Club hoping it would become an annual event.

The club's treasurer, Daniel McCarthy, was instrumental in organizing this year's competition.

“The community was his family,” he said.

Former South East Field Days secretary Lyn Crosby said Brevet Sergeant Doig was helping the events committee behind the scenes.

“It was his community and he really liked it here, and we really liked him,” she said.

Supporting his family

The match featured Brevet Sergeant Doig's mother Faye Edwards, along with community members and local police, who tossed the coin before the match.

“Jason is always with me,” she said.

Ms Edwards said she appreciated the outpouring of support for her family, including from SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and his wife Emma, ​​who lost their son Charlie the day after Brevet Sergeant Doig's death.

“The police have been amazing, they're an incredible amount of people, but they're like family now,” she said.

“Grant and Emma were absolutely amazing, and my heart goes out to them too.”

Go one step further

Brevet Sergeant Doig's friend and colleague, Brevet Sergeant Manyy Singh, is now the commanding officer at Lucindale.

He led a memorial service for the death of his colleague and came up with the idea for Sunday's match.

SA Police Limestone Coast Operations Inspector Will Humphris said the competition was a show of Brevet Sergeant Doig's legacy in the community.

Before the event, the charity Cops for Kids announced a scholarship named in honor of Brevet Sergeant Doig.

For Cops for Kids board member and Mount Gambier chief officer Senior Sergeant Nick Patterson, it was a fitting tribute to his former colleague.

“Jason was a genuine person, with a great sense of humor and who always gave his time,” he said.

“Cops for Kids has established this brand new scholarship for a local Lucindale youth who demonstrates humanitarian care and volunteer work in the community that share similar traits to how we remember him.”