.png)
December 7th / 8th, 2024
After a couple of disappointingly wet weekends, many of us have not been able to get on the park for our matches for a while! Round 7 saw very little cricket and whilst most Saturday matches were washed out for round 8, we did see some cricket proceed on Sunday - read on for match reports below!
This Friday, 13th December, we have our big end of year (not end of season!) fundraiser and club celebration in the clubhouse! We know mid-December is always busy with lots on for everyone, so there'll be some that can't attend - we get it! But for those who can attend, even for half an hour for a quick drink and a sausage sandwich, we greatly appreciate it!
We are commencing in the clubhouse from ~5pm and we'll go for a few hours, so drop in any time. If your team is training on Friday afternoon, come over for a bite and wet the whistle during or after the session to keep you occupied, or feed the hungry children post fielding drills! We will have plenty of Wayward, wine and soft drinks chilled in the fridge, with the BBQ fired up for sausage sandwiches, our tasty chicken souvlaki kebabs and salad options - something for everyone!
Leichhardt Wanderers Cricket Club needs your support to keep functioning as a community cricket club and events like our summer party on Friday and the Wayward beer sales fundraiser are a great way to do so. Buy a drink and some food, it all helps! We will also have our training kits and other LW merchandise available for sale on the day!
Encourage your teams to come down, hang out and reflect on our season so far with the Wanderers community!
But wait, did someone say Wayward beer sales fundraiser? Yes, it's back for 2024! Our annual Wayward beer sales fundraiser is here - time to order! Click the link above or visit our website at www.leichhardtcricket.com to order now!
Around The Grounds: Highlights & Match Reports
Performance of the Round
Whilst fewer highlights this week due to the lack of games, we couldn't go past Laurence Bennell's century for U17 Black - scoring 101 not out off 47 balls, including 9x fours and 7x sixes!
Highlights
We'd also like to take the opportunity to highlight a fantastic performance from back in round 6 which was unfortunately missed for the round 6 newsletter (sorry Connie!). Connie Rawson from our U13 Girls team scored 59 not out off 45 balls, including 9x fours - well done Connie!
Match Reports
U15 Gold: LWCC (108) def. by Randwick Juniors CC (8-151)
So Close Again!
Lots to celebrate from that performance particularly our competitive spirit. We were up against it but we fought our way back into the game after a solid start from the Hurricanes with several retirements.
Highlights:
Luke was on fire with 3 wickets and was happy to break the drought and score a run!! Good game Luke.
Liam got 2 wickets including taking out their best batsmen for 4. Great catch from Evan. Liam also top scored again with 46 runs in a uncharacteristically patient partnership with Declan.
Work horse Declan was again very solid with the bat scoring a crucial 16 runs not to mention a great stumping as wicket keeper.
It’s worth mentioning that their bowling was very, very good, which gives weight to our effort with the bat.
Sam Evans bowling was also exceptional, once again. Only 7 runs scored off his 5 overs and one magical caught and bowled,
Ryan and Evan added to the wickets.
Captain Theo took a great catch to finish their innings and his bowling was very tight. He also scored an important 9 not out.
Our enthusiasm in the field has improved greatly. Standouts were Lewis, Zane and Ryan. The best fielders will be rewarded at the end of the season!! Applying pressure in the field is a massive opportunity and keeps the batters in two minds whether to run or not. Bowlers need to stay alive after they have bowled and get behind the stumps.
Well done all, it was a good match up and we showed fight. A wider spread of runs could have made a big difference.
U9 Black: LWCC def. Concord Briars
Congratulations to U9 Black on another impressive win - making it two in a row!
In a rain-soaked battle against Concord Briars, the boys showed incredible resilience and never gave up. Special mention to Willem for being awarded Player of the Match! His fantastic bowling and superb leg glances were truly top-notch, just like the pros. And to top it off, it was his birthday—happy birthday, Willem!
A big shoutout to Will for his leadership, captaining the team to victory!
Once again, congratulations to U9 Black on the well-deserved win!
U17 Black: LWCC (2-158) def. Concord Briars Black (155)
It’s been a strong finish to the season for the U17 Black but a badly timed flash flood meant that they missed out on finals. In week seven, the Wanderers’ bowlers, seeking a quick victory, reduced the opposition to 8-28 at drinks. Another 45 minutes play might have been enough for victory, but the strength of the thunderstorm left no room for argument, and the points were shared. Asher was the day’s star performer, with two wickets and a run out.
The week eight game therefore became a mid-table contest but the boys treated it with requisite seriousness, sharing the wickets between them (Will S with 3) and setting the Wanderers’ batters what should have been a challenging target of 158. Cam and Max both contributed tidy, unbeaten innings but Laurence made quick work of both the Concord attack and Greenlees pitch for a magnificent 47-ball, 16-boundary century to give the win to Leichhardt.
U12 Red: LWCC (6-82) - match abandoned
Cutting to the chase, match abandoned at 6-82 in our Reds first innings. The rivalry with Briars (Shelbyville to our Springfield) continues though with some interesting manoeuvres to keep us batting in tricky, wet conditions until thankfully the rain got too big to ignore.
Batting highlights:
The Mayes boys looked the goods again as openers, Jordan top scoring with 18 and resembling a young Mr Cricket.
Charlie with a composed 11 retired, running well between wickets and disarming the Shelbyvillians with his confidence and concern for their wellbeing in the wet
The dramatic return to play with the rain pouring which saw a flurry of wickets perhaps due to some confusion as to whether the match had become a friendly or not, until Leo and Leon steadied the ship with some solid drives and nudges and saw us into the next undeniable downpour and a consensus that we'd all had enough cricket and it would be better to slide in the puddles.
U13 Black: LWCC def. by rain and a slippery pitch....
We were scheduled to play the Concord Briars Black team. Hours of prep, bowling order, batting order, rotated players for the day. Specific training drills for this particular team.
We organised extra ice, water, shade and a BBQ with 50+ sausages for both teams.
Very exciting and fun to be had by all. The photo sums it up well!
We have one special match report to share this week....
U15 Div 1 Weblin Shield: Inner West Harbour (9-254) def. Parramatta (6-209)
Last Sunday, several Leichhardt Wanderers boys were part of the Inner West Harbour Weblin Shield team (Under 15s Division 1), who won their semi-final to progress through to the grand final of the NSW Youth Championships this weekend.
Gus Cassim, Oliver Lista, Christian Paipetis, Bede Russell and Henry Wakeling have all been vital members of a team that is aiming to be one of only three Inner West Harbour teams to take out a Youth Champs Division 1 title in approximately 70 years.
After progressing to the final series 3rd in their pool, they have had to beat more fancied opponents in sudden death playoffs to get to the GF. They have faced up against tournament heavyweights Manly and Parramatta over the last two weeks and have come out on top through spirited performances across the board. On Sunday, they set an impressive target of 254 for Parramatta to try and chase down. Some tight bowling early put some pressure on Parramatta but they were accumulating runs consistently and it was probably an even money bet at the 30 over mark - and the tension was palpable! That was about when Gus and Bede started bowling together. Parramatta only managed 2 for 36 from Gus and Bede's combined 10 overs, when a tick over 6 an over was required, so it was pretty much game over after that.
They will play Hornsby Ku-ring-ai & Hills Cricket Association next Sunday for a chance to get their hands on the Shield.
We wish all players - though especially our Leichhardt Wanderers - the very best of luck for the grand final on Sunday!
The grand final will commence at 10am on Sunday 15th December and is being played at Berowra Oval, if you'd like to show your support and enjoy a cracking game of cricket!
As we approach the end of 2024 and head into the summer holidays - where we take a break from club cricket for a well-earned rest and recharge - we hope to see you down at Blackmore Clubhouse on Friday afternoon from 5pm to finish the year strong and celebrate our club. If you see me, I'd love to hear some of your favourite moments, highlights and stories from the season (so far!).
Cheers!
Chris Hudson
LWCC President
We are Leichhardt Wanderers Through and Through!