Wanderers Cricket - Grand Final Weekend Wrap

March 21st / 22nd, 2026.

There you have it, our 2025/26 season of junior cricket is now complete! A bit of wild weather caused some havoc over both days this weekend, which was a little disappointing for some games, however thankfully (at least for LWCC!) did not decide any grand final results.

Along with all our final round match reports, including our U11 Girls local derby, we have three junior Grand Final match reports featured below. Our U10 Reds were very brave in defeat and should be extremely proud of their season. We crowned two new premiers - our U10 White and our U15 Black! Fun fact: this is the third consecutive season that LWCC has beaten Concord Briars in the U15 decider.

Read on for all the details and we wish you all the very best for the off-season, whether it's winter cricket, winter sport or even a break! (Does that exist?).

We'd like to thank every single one of you for being part of our club, our community and our family for season 2025/26. We sincerely hope you've all enjoyed your time with us and will return again next season! Remember, once a Wanderer, always a Wanderer!

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Presentation Night

With cricket now over for the season, we shift our attention to preparing for presentation night. Mojo Picon are back cooking their delicious paella, and the BBQ will be fired up for the traditional sausage sandwiches. The bar of course will be open and the 'Glitterarti' face painters will be back again this year!

For this year, there are two even more compelling reasons to attend:

• Firstly, all registered players will be in the draw for our lucky door prizes, one of which is a free registration* for the 2026/27 season! But if your name is drawn, you must be in attendance to collect your prize!

• Secondly, this year we have slightly switched up our award structure, with all registered players from our younger teams receiving a medallion (in addition to the individual awards nominated by each team's coaches & managers). This covers U8 to U12 Mixed teams, and our U11 and U13 Girls teams. (For our older teams - U13 to U17 Mixed, and Stage 3 Girls - the existing individual award structure remains in place).

*Terms & conditions will apply.

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Around The Grounds: Highlights & Match Reports

Performance of the Season

There is no individual performance-of-the-round this week - rather, a collective performance-of-the-season, for all the coaches, assistant coaches, managers, scorers, umpires & supporters who volunteer their time and energy every single week for our kids to enjoy their junior cricket. Well done to all of you, your involvement is what makes this club what it is!

Highlights

• Bonnie Wilson (U11 Girls Black) – 3x run-outs Honour Roll

• Arjun Shanmugam (U8 White) – 3 for 4 (off 2)

• Frederick Werner-Gibbings (U10 White) – 3x run-outs, 1x catch Honour Roll

• Huxley Emerson (U10 White) – 3x run-outs Honour Roll

• Reuben Garber (U10 White) – 2 for 12 (off 3); 14* (off 15)

• Arshdeep Sidhu (U13 Black) – 36 (off 49), 3x fours

• Nevaan Singh (U15 Black) – 47 (off 55), 3x fours, 3x sixes

• Xavier Rohanek (U15 Black) – 2 for 11 (off 5); 2x catches

Match Reports

U10 White – LWCC (4-134) def. Pirates Pearls (4-104)

All the worries of a rainy Grand Final day were allayed when we awoke to a beautiful blue sky. An unfortunate dislocated pinky meant captain Jake was out for today, but despite losing the toss we wanted to bowl first anyway with the wet grass. Like a grand final at the MCG the boundaries were pushed out meaning fours and sixes would be hard to come by.

So with a plan of pushing for quick singles and a run a ball, Reuben and Ryan pushed hard at almost a run a ball with very few dot balls and Ryan with a gorgeous on drive for 4. The pressure continued with Bas and Tommy continuing the quick running and causing an early team talk from the opposition coach in an attempt to stem the runs. Zane and Louis came in next and Pirates turned the screws a bit with very accurate bowling and losing a few wickets to their accurate bowling and fielding. The final partnership of Hux and Fred pushed forward with some big hitting and fast running. After a great team batting performance last week, this was just as good, finishing with 94 runs - the best score against this team all season. Highest scorers were Ryan on 16, Fred on 15 and Reuben on 14.

The scoreboard pressure had an impact on Pirates with some erratic running, combined with accurate bowling and some top tier fielding put the screws on with 8 wickets in the first 4 overs including 5 run-outs, 2 wickets to Reuben and one to Tommy. The highlight being the team hat-trick in the third over! Zane pulled off his best over of the season with just 1 run off it consistently beating the bat. Overs 5-10 went for just 15 runs meaning at drinks the pressure was on Pirates needing 76 runs off the last 10 overs. The accurate bowling led to multiple dot balls despite Pirates attempting to up the run rate. The team stayed positive even in pressure moments and the encouragement was from all directions (on and off the field - thanks supporters!). Overs 11-15 went at just 4 an over, and in over 16 Tommy piled that final bit of pressure with another wicket, and Ryan bowled a fantastic 18th over with just 1 run off it. Zane had the pleasure of the last over with pirates needing 36 and giving only 5.

The game was played in great spirits by both teams, and having lost to them twice and winning once it all came down to who turned up on the day and for the big game it was us!

Super proud coach, the kids upped their game for both finals games. Massive thanks to Mel and Liesl for being the ever present manager and scorer. And the support of Jake, the parents, siblings, grandparents and aunts and uncles from the sideline made the win even more special.

Go Wanderers!

U10 Red – LWCC (6-76) def. by Pirates Buccaneers (3-118)

It was always going to be a tough Grand Final against a very strong Pirates team. The Reds gave it everything we had but just fell short on the day.

After losing the toss on a large ground with a slow outfield, our batters found it difficult to get full value for their shots. A few wickets at key moments meant we finished just a little short of the total we were aiming for.

But if there’s one thing this team has shown all season, it’s that there are no limits to what they can do in the field. The Reds came out determined and full of energy, and for a long period we had the Pirates under real pressure. At drinks, we knew we were only a wicket or two away from turning the game. Despite a huge effort from our bowlers and fielders, the Pirates dug in during the second half of their innings and were able to hold on.

It was a monumental effort to cap off a wonderful season, and there were plenty of highlights to be proud of:

• Henry once again showed his growing confidence with both bat and ball, delivering his now customary maiden over and picking up an early wicket to give us real belief.

• Jack E charged in all day, bowling with pace and intent, even rattling the opposition’s best batter with a superb bouncer early on.

• Jack T competed to win every ball, finishing with today’s best figures of 2/10 and contributing an equal top score of 8, while fielding to his usual high standard.

• Jude showed real courage and technique, getting behind the line, placing the ball smartly, and setting the tone in the field with his constant energy and support.

• Luca also top scored with 8 and took a sharp catch, always thinking about the game and helping teammates with what he could see.

• Lucy was outstanding again, possibly our finals MVP, combining a tough batting effort with a brilliant catch and a direct-hit run out in the same over that briefly swung momentum our way.

• Krish, returning from injury for his first game since Christmas, didn’t miss a beat, hitting good areas straight away and unlucky not to take a wicket.

• Spencer refused to give in, taking our first wicket with a run out and leading the way in the field with determination and resilience.

Will showed his all-round class once again with bat, ball, and gloves, crisp cover drives and sharp work behind the stumps highlighting his game awareness.

There was no Player-of-the-Mach awarded today. It was simply too hard to single out one player in a team that never gave up, worked tirelessly for each other, and pushed a very strong opponent all the way.

As this is the final report of the season, there are a few important thank yous. To the club, especially Chris and Gabby, for the enormous effort that goes into getting teams on the park each week, it doesn’t go unnoticed. Congratulations also to the U10 White and U15 Black on their premierships.

A big thank you to all the U10 Red parents for your support throughout the season. A special call out to Tim Byrne and Craig Thornborough for their help with managing and coaching, the team is all the better for having had you involved.

And finally, to the players – thank you. It has been a privilege to watch you develop, not just as cricketers, but as teammates. The way you support each other, encourage each other, and play for each other is something truly special. There were moments all season, including today, where everyone watching could see the strength of that bond.

You should be incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved.

Congratulations on a fantastic season, Reds.

U15 Black – LWCC (3-77) def. Concord Briars White (9-73)

YES! What an amazing day of cricket for the Leichhardt Wanderers u15’s. One of those days where the dominant team of the season was expected to win. But not today. What we witnessed was a culmination of a fantastic season, and yes - the team delivered their best performances in both Semi Final and Grand Final matches. Last year we were crushed by the threat of defeat before a ball was bowled. This year - we stormed into the game completely confident we could win and we did!

Can I start first by openly and honestly congratulating the boys on a fantastic win. I’ve said a few times - it’s their win. One of the learning goals this season was to teach the boys how to run their own team, and play cricket on their own. Set batting/bowling orders, set fields, make changes in the field in response to the play. Respect each other, the opposition and the coaches. Play hard, play to win and most of all play within the spirit of the game.

NB: For the uninitiated - the spirit of cricket is almost impossible to define - more a collection of unwritten, occasionally contradictory principles than any formal set of rules. Play to win, but not at all costs. Compete hard, but not too hard. Play fair, but not so rigidly that you disadvantage your own side. Follow the laws of the game, while respecting the quirks of local conditions - and, ideally, carry yourself as though any victory was a happy accident rather than the plan all along. In short, ensure that no one could ever accuse you of cheating, tampering, or unduly influencing the result - only of playing the game in the ‘right spirit’, whatever that may be. Having played cricket for over 40 years, I have come to understand that this spirit is less about rules and more about how the game is carried: with respect, enjoyment, and a genuine regard for others. Passing on that love of the game - its joy and its camaraderie - is part of our responsibility as players and supporters. Just as important are the friendships formed along the way - the shared moments, quiet encouragement, and laughter that bind a team together long after the final ball is bowled. It is something to be proud of, then, that the Leichhardt Wanderers U15s have embodied these values throughout the season. They have been outstanding representatives of the game in every sense. Congratulations on a well-deserved premiership.

To follow tradition we lost the toss - but using the 75% theory of ‘toss-victory-probability' the opposition elected to bat, which suited us as we wanted to bowl. 'Let the Concord team set a target, and we’ll get it' was the mentality. We gathered together after our usual warm-ups and discussed a plan. ‘These boys are bigger than you, and their plan will be to overpower you with brute strength. So fight first and hard. Bowl so they can't smash you around, and keep the fielding sharp. Make it so hard for them they collapse in a heap. You have this game. Go play your best cricket and WIN’. That was the speech. I let them go - concurrently under instruction from the umpire who clearly directed ‘no coaching from the sideline’.

What was amazing, the boys did exactly this. Edwards Park never looks great on any day, so they decided to light up the place. They executed some of the best bowling and fielding I’ve ever seen from them. Right from the first over. Xavier delivered a maiden. Then on Linus’ first over, the first wicket - gone for a duck. Caught. Desperate for runs already he hit a catch straight to Ronav. Xavier’s second over - caught and bowled. Gone for 1. Xavier and Linus continued the excellent line and length, with good pace and bounce. The captain of the opposition fell the same way, hit the ball on the up straight to Ronav for a fantastic diving forward catch. Batsman was NOT happy. Gone for 5. Concord are in deep now - 3-8, in the final. 3 of their top order gone.

Change of Bowler Austin and Xavier continued for a good session of tight bowling, then joined by Sam Spiller. Frustrated by the lack of runs Austin claims his wicket - BOWLED. Batter tried to hit over cow corner a full ball on off stump. Duh. Gone for 6. Sam Spiller joined in the fun and sent a catch to Xavier to dismiss the only batter to reach double figures. 5-30. Navaan and Ronav took us to the tea break. Quick team meeting - we’ve got them now. Don’t quit. Keep the foot on the Jugular. This is not a time to let go. Linus came back on for another wicket - top edge to Lord Harrison. Great catch. Nevaan wasn’t happy to watch so he decided to bowl the next batsmen out for a duck. 7-45. Linus, George, Barnabas and Ronav all conitinue to bowl in some excellent bowling changes to finally dismiss the next one for 2. 8-67.

The field placements were strategic, interesting and effective. Well done boys. Brought Barnabas back on for an alternate bowling style (leg-spin!), thinking this might not work, it did. Caught! Conor. I might add, Conor made an excellent save to protect himself from certain nose injury or decapitation earlier on with a screamer smashed straight at him. He stopped a four, saved his own life and managed to not break any bones in his hands. This is good. I actually didn’t know how to deal with that anyway so that was a relief. Nevaan and Ryan continued for a bit until the score limped to 9-73 on the 26th over. It was then that the fine sunny day at Concord was interrupted by a lightning strike. Followed by a small annoying storm, light rain - but inevitably a rather boring rain delay.

Then lightning again. 30 minute clock is started. It’s about 3:45pm.

Then again. 30 mins.

Then again. 30 mins. Duh.

I could keep going, but the final lightning strike was at 4:35pm which meant play would resume at 5:05pm. The Concord innings was declared closed, we are to bat now with a minimum of 15 overs to play. We calculated a run-rate required at a rather idle 2.9/over if we are to win this.

Quick summary of wickets - Linus 2-11 (4) - 1 maiden, Xavier 2-11 (5) - 3 maidens, Austin 1-5 (3), Sam 1-8 (3) - 1 maiden, Nevaan 1-7 (5) - 1 maiden, Ronav 1-9 (2), Barnabas 1-9 (2), George 0-5 (1), and Ryan 0-4 (0.4).

And catches - these were a highlight! Harrison - 2, Conor - 1, Ronav - 2, Xavier - 2.

OK - here it goes. Sam and Nevaan get going with a pace that hasn’t been seen all day. Good clean shots all over the ground. Sam looking really good, making the bowlers regret anything short or wide for his 15 off 22 balls, including 2 fours. Of note - Concord only hit 2 boundaries all day, both from the one batter, who happened to score 21. Oh - this is funny - the Concord team thought they saw lightning again and were begging for the umpires to call play off for another 30 mins. They knew they were cooked.

Oh well - Sam was brought undone by a ball that kept low after the rain. Nevaan showed some brilliance with his drives, glances, late cuts and ramps to put a fantastic total of 47 (55) including 3 x 4s and 3 x 6s. I could see the eyes bleeding of the opposition captain - completely unable to contain the flow of runs. Austin joined him in the middle for a while, hitting a brief 2 (8) until he too copped a ball that didn’t bounce. Xavier played a measured 8* (16) with some beautiful drives that were stopped dead by the beautiful lush outfield of the football-season-friendly Edwards Park. Barnabas didn’t trouble the scorers, with 0* (2). Both batters not out as we crossed the line in just 18 overs. 3-77.

What a win!! Premiers!! We bowled so well - and fielded like champions - made batting look very difficult until we batted. Then it looked easy. Runs everywhere.

To those who didn’t bat today - Lachlan, Ryan, George, Harrison, Linus, Conor - your support from the sideline all adds to the feels when it matters.

What a fantastic win. The team went out there with true belief and executed their best cricket of the season on the day when it really mattered. Not that winning is everything, but for a Grand Final this is about the only time it really does.

Congratulations to the team, it’s a pleasure to co-coach this team with Harish Auti, and our ever-present scorer/manager - David Starkoff.

We had a few celebratory drinks at the Briars Club, and in such beautiful fashion the boys played soccer with the opposition as the sun went down. The adults from both teams had a few drinks and celebrated a wonderful cricket community we have.

Premiers - 2025/26 and the boys did it on their own.

U11 Girls Derby – LWCC Black (2-112) def. LWCC Red (2-84)

A fitting end to the season with another derby game against the U11 Blacks, leading to a festival atmosphere at Campbell Park. Parents and siblings brought food, drinks and picnic blankets and the crowd swelled to close to 50 at its peak.

The cricket lived up to the anticipation, with Bonnie electing to put the Blacks into bat. The Blacks batted beautifully from top to bottom, with quick singles galore and everyone getting in the runs. Alexia and Lucia both smashed 12 but it was Audrey's 5 at the close of the innings that stole the show. Wickets were hard to come by, although Alice took an absolute peach with an unplayable yorkers, and both Susie and Lyla enacted runouts to give the Reds a chance.

Blacks bowled tightly and 'rocket arm' Bonnie Wilson threw down the stumps three times to put real pressure on the Reds batting. Nellie hit a couple of boundaries on her way to 11, and Charlotte, Lexi and Susie finished the innings strongly, but it was Blacks who ran out deserved victors with a fine all round performance.

There was time for some reflections and congratulations from the coaches to this wonderful group of 17 girls who have been a pleasure to work with all season. Roll on next season and an ambitious goal of three girls teams at U11!

U13 Girls – LWCC (7-57) drew with (abandoned) Ashfield Magpies (2-30)

U13 Girls played our final against Ashfield at Russell Park, despite a massive downpour just before the game started.

Emily won the toss and we batted first. “Flats we bat”, she deadpanned in her reflector sunnies!

Juno top scored with a magnificent 12. Despite being hit by a full toss in the side, she bravely batted on. This was her highest score of the season against a very strong side. Well done to Juno!

Emily, Sofia, Emilie and Karthika also contributed, but once again we didn’t post a very large total.

But our bowling and fielding delivered as usual. Sofia bowled fast and was unlucky to only have 1 wicket. Emilie got a great run out using a fast, bounce throw to the bowler.

But, then the lightening came and called our game off early. A good season for our girls with the new girls learning and improving a lot. We always tried our best and kept up our team spirit and support.

S3 Girls – LWCC (3-35) def. by Pirates (6-118)

When we finally found the ground at Bedlam Bay, we got off to a good start with the ball. Ava capably opened the bowling, Charlotte had an excellent 2 overs (0-7), Lila took an absolute screamer of a catch on the boundary of Moo’s bowling (1-12 off 2 overs), and both Connie (1-6), Bella (1-5) and Sofia (1-11) cleaned bowled three of the opposition batters. Ellen also bowled tidily (0-6 off 2 overs) as did Zoe (0-4 off 2 overs), Carmen (0-9 off 1 over), Cate (0-9 off 2 overs) and Lila (0-18), and Cate and Ava executed a great run out! In all it was a good bowling performance from Leichhardt.

There was a bit of thunder and rain around, so we went into bat very quickly to try and get a game in. Again, Charlotte opened and got us off to a good start (8* off 15) with Ellen (3* off 15). We then lost a few quick wickets after some good hitting before there was more thunder and lightning around. We took a short break, but then abandoned the game as conditions declined.

A big thank you to all of the team for a great season of cricket, despite not winning a game. You all showed so much improvement over the season, particularly in the last month. Your skills and confidence have increased immensely, and your support and encouragement of each other never waned. It was a delight to watch you all turn up to training each week (we regularly had more than 11 members of the team there) and to see you enthusiastically play every Saturday, and even volunteer to go and play for another club so they could get a game in.

Thanks also to all the parents for their support and assistance with umpiring, scoring, warming up, training and providing ice blocks on hot days, and for being there to cheer the team on.

Thanks also to Aditi for volunteering to play for Briars on Saturday so they had an additional player for their final.

The Stage 3 experiment worked, and I hope it can continue next season. Well done team!

U8 White – LWCC (0-103) def. Ryde Hunters Hill Pearls (7-64)

And just like that, we were at the final round of what has been a fun and highlight-filled first cricket season for our U8 Blast (White) team! We were elevated to the Boronia Park 1 field for Saturday's match, where the surface was delightfully consistent for the final game against the RHH Pearls.

Prodigal son Max returned from his long hiatus with a broken arm, winning the toss and electing to bat. Theo got the innings underway, with a 6 off the first ball (a free hit), and Arjun followed with a solid 4 the next delivery. While the excitement levels were high, runs were a little harder to come by over the subsequent 7 overs - Arjun and Theo finished their innings with 17, and Oliver & Alfie added 12 - mostly from runnings singles aside from Oliver's delightfully hit 6 over square leg off a free hit.

Liam & Max stepped up the run-rate, with an energetic 39-run partnership, Liam top-scored with 25, and Max added a solid 14 in his first innings back from injury. The Wanderers finished their innings with 68 off the bat, without dismissal!

The boys had a spring in their step as they came out to the field - the wet grass had mostly dried up, and conditions were perfect. The Pearls started confidently, rotating the strike with singles and a four off Oliver's first over before Liam shifted the momentum with a quick ball that kept low and struck middle stump for the Wanderers first wicket. Two balls later the same again - but this time hitting the top of off stump after a deflection of the batter's thigh (Liam 2-17 for the day). The Pearls opening pair held it together well though, finishing 2-21.

And then Arjun was handed the ball.. briefling measuring out a run-up that almost started on the boundary (before shortening it slightly at the suggestion of his Dad and his coach). Arjun steamed in, and cleaned up the stumps for his first wicket. And then again the next ball.. another wicket.. and Arjun was on a hattrick! Brushing off the anticipation, he delivered a ball that narrowly missed the stumps after beating everything. The batsmen swapped ends, and Arjun steamed in to claim another wicket - 3 wickets in 4 balls - Arjun finished 3-4 off his two overs, and the second Pearls batting pair were contained to 3-8.

The bowling and fielding was sharp and energetic, the boys created two great run-out chances and an 'almost-catch' to keep the pressure on. Alfie and Oliver both added wickets in their final overs. While the batting totals were tight (Pearls 64 vs Wanderers 68), it was the 7 wickets that really secured the win.

Final score Wanderers 0-103 def RHH Pearls 7-64.

Well done to all of the boys on a terrific season of cricket. In their 17 matches, the boys scored 1,406 runs, took 95 wickets and had 14 wins. Special mentions for batting to Liam (434 season runs), Oliver (245) and Austen (232), and for bowling to Arjun (23 season wickets), Theo (16) and Oliver (16).

It's been terrific to watch the boys enjoying playing cricket together as a team, encouraging each other, and improving so much over the season. Well done for all of your efforts boys, and thank you to our parents, grandparents and other family for all the support with training, warmups and scoring. Well done Wanderers!

U9 Red – LWCC (105) def. Concord Briars Gold (32)

The final game of the season at Greenlees Park dawned with an air of anticipation, but no one could have predicted the dramatic turns that awaited. As the clock neared 8am, thick dew blanketed the outfield, glistening under the early morning sun, but curiously, the U9 Gold Briars were nowhere to be seen. The U9 Reds, hearts heavy with uncertainty, wandered across to Jesse Stewart Reserve, only to find their fellow Leichhardt Wanderers team staring at an empty pitch as well. Was fate conspiring to deny both teams their season finale?

Just as talk of a friendly inter-squad derby began to circulate, a last-minute twist to salvage the day, a commotion erupted at the far end of the park. Like a plot straight from a sporting fable, the U9 Briars Gold arrived en masse, breathless and apologetic, revealing that a mix-up had sent them to the wrong field. With that unexpected twist resolved and a quick apology exchanged, the coin was tossed, the Briars captain called correctly, and the stage was finally set for a showdown.

Yet fate had more in store, the U9 Reds found themselves with only five players, their roster depleted by illness, travel, and the lure of pre-season soccer. In a heartwarming turn, Ollie’s much younger brother Leo volunteered to step in, undaunted by the age gap and ready for the challenge. With the team patched together by spirit and determination, the theatre of cricket truly came alive.

Bodhi opened the bowling, and from the very first ball, the tone was electric. Three consecutive dots, and only three runs surrendered in his opening spell, sent a message, the Reds were here to play. Ollie followed, unleashing a fearsome over that saw the bails fly, and the opposition’s confidence shaken. So rapid was the Reds’ attack that the Briars opening batter, clearly rattled, turned to the umpire and asked in disbelief if all the bowlers were this quick.

The drama escalated as Frankie bowled a miserly over, then Teddy struck, thanks to a sharp outfield catch by Mateo. Not to be outdone, Mateo delivered a stunning play, fielding a fierce drive, he deflected it onto the stumps, catching the non-striker out of their crease and securing a rare and thrilling wicket. Leo, the rookie, stepped up and bowled with poise, holding his own against far older opponents.

Tension reached fever pitch as Teddy, now in his second spell, snatched two wickets in rapid succession, putting himself on a hat-trick. The crowd held its breath, but the elusive third wicket slipped through his grasp. Regardless, his spell, three wickets for just four runs was nothing short of world-class, especially on a damp, unpredictable pitch. The Reds’ relentless fielding and disciplined bowling strangled the Briars’ hopes, limiting them to a mere 32 runs.

But the plot’s most thrilling chapter was yet to be written. U9 Reds took to the chase with Teddy and Mateo leading the charge, Teddy building on his bowling heroics with a crisp four and steady accumulation, while Mateo lit up the field with a flurry of boundaries, his bat as lively as his fielding had been. Bodhi and Frankie seized the momentum, turning sharp singles into doubles and keeping the pressure on, with Bodhi hammering a four and Frankie adding valuable runs.

Then, in a fitting climax, brothers Ollie and Leo strode to the crease. Ollie batted with the poise and power of a seasoned pro, sending the ball racing to the boundary six times in a dazzling display reminiscent of the greats. Leo, undeterred by the occasion, contributed vital runs, helping push the Reds’ total ever higher. For the first time all season, the U9 Reds’ innings went without a single dismissal, a testament to their focus under pressure.

When the final tally was revealed, 105 to 32 for a brilliant LWCC U9 Reds win, the magnitude of their victory was clear. The man of the match accolade fittingly went to Leo, whose courage in stepping up epitomised the team’s spirit. As the dust settled on a 15-2 season, it was hard not to marvel at the journey, a team forged in adversity, thriving through unexpected twists, and united by their love for the game.

Coaching this remarkable group has been an absolute privilege. Through rain, hail, or shine, they’ve shown up, lifted each other, and grown stronger together. As we look forward to next season, I have no doubt their story will only get more exciting, because with this team, there’s always another plot twist waiting just beyond the boundary.

U9 White – LWCC (61) def. by Concord Briars Blue (64)

The call of the winter sports meant that it was only a five-person team that made their way to Jessie Stewart for the final game, of what has been an amazing season for these young Wanderers. The players were unphased by the challenge, and were ready to finish the year on a high!

The commencement of the game was straight out of an episode of Seinfeld, with Wanderers fully assembled and ready to face… well, nobody it seemed. Our opposition was nowhere to be seen. A hastily arranged match against Wanderers Red (who it seemed had also been stood up at Greenlees) was to follow… Just as that was about to kick off, our respective Briars teams showed up! And it was finally game on!

Briars won the toss and sent Wanderers in to bat. We knew that with the lush outfield and and clumps of grass clippings at ‘Jessie’ meant that the scoring would be low. The lack of some of our missing stars was on show a wee bit, and Wanders found the going a bit tough with the bat. The exception was Archie who found that the best way to deal with the slow outfield was to take the ‘aerial route’. He plundered four huge sixes and two fours in a wonderful total of 33. Wanderers had made their way to a small total of 6-41… needless to say our bowling would need to be out of this world to give ourselves a chance… Surely not?

The smaller numbers meant that Conor would get 3 overs for the day… He took the new cherry with his typical enthusiasm and after starting with ‘medium pacer’ to find his line (great listening mate) he turned up the heat, bending back off stump! Great start! He followed up his great opening over with a brilliant piece of fielding to effect a run-out of Tilly’s first over. Wanderers were back in the hunt!

Ruairi then sent down two of the best overs he’s bowled all season. Almost every ball was right on line, with several deliveries actually moving off the seam. He was unplayable at times and finished with 0-4 from two overs, to go with a brilliant fielding performance. Even his one (coach approved) leg spinner was a decent nut. Awesome stuff Ruairi!

Freddy and Tilly both relished the chance of bowling a two over spell each… they both found their range in their second overs, bowing straight at the stumps with many of their deliveries. Brilliant stuff!

Scoring had been kept to a minimum, but Wanderers needed wickets to give themselves a chance. Again it was Conor who struck the stumps with his last over of the season! What a player he has become. He finished with figures of 2-5 of three overs (and left a few bruises on the briars batsman as well). What a handful he will be with the red ball next year!

Wanders need two wickets off the last over of the season to have an outside chance of finishing with a win. Archie took a brilliant caught and bowled off the first ball, before the very next ball found an edge that fell just short of the keeper! Wow, it was all happening! But in a nervous finish Briars saw out the final few balls to hold on for the tightest of wins. Wanderers had kept Briars for 4-34 in a wonderful bowling and fielding effort. -The final score was 61 Wanderers vs 64 for Briars.

A huge “well done” to the ‘famous five’ on today’s effort! Given the missing players we had, this was such a courageous performance - one that really felt like a win for the players and parents alike. And it was great to see the Briars and Wanderers players sharing snacks after the game… the perfect way to bring the season to a close.

And what a wonderful season it has been. In truth I’m not sure of the final tally, but we definitely won more than we lost… were right in the mix in just about every game we played (apart from two ‘Barry Crockers’).

The Blast format has been such a great way for all these kids to learn the game, and most importantly every single game was played in brilliant spirit.

We were a team of debutants at the start of the year, with a range of ages, and all the players improved out of sight, especially in our bowling… it has been cool to see. Our team of 8 featured a brother and a sister, two sets of brothers, five kids from the same primary school, and a pair of first time coaches that hopefully finish the year as even better friends than we started. Thanks for the season Az. Huge thanks also to Adrienne our scorer / player manager, and to Rich who provided so much help during training and on match days.

On behalf of U9 White, I’d also like to say thanks very much to Chris and Gabby for supporting the club and our team all season.

Go Wanderers, and enjoy the off season!

U13 Sabres – LWCC (7-110) def. by Randwick Scorchers (7-114)

With a touch of sadness, this marks the final cricket report of the season for the mighty Sabres. Avid followers will know we fell just short of a top-two finish, leaving this final match as something of a dead rubber. With no local grounds available, we made the long trek out to the Eastern Suburbs.

In scenes reminiscent of "Groundhog Day", the conditions felt all too familiar: a damp outfield and looming rain clouds. We lost the toss and were sent in to bat under tough conditions. With tight opposition bowling and a painfully slow outfield, runs were hard to come by. Still, the boys dug in well to post a fighting total of 110. Oli led the way with 21, supported by Arjun’s composed 15* and James A’s 12.

It felt like a defendable score, and confidence was high as we took to the field. However, the return of the “extras curse” from earlier in the season proved costly, gifting the opposition too many runs. Despite this, the team battled well, taking regular wickets to have them struggling at 6 for 64 - a win firmly within our grasp.

Unfortunately, missed chances at crucial moments came back to haunt us. In a dramatic and all-too-familiar finish, the game slipped away on the very last ball - an incredible and frustrating repeat of an earlier heartbreaking loss this season.

The disappointment was evident, even for a dead rubber, but the boys showed great character to quickly lift their spirits once reflecting on a strong season filled with great performances and memorable wins. Of course, the post-match BBQ and chocolate donuts helped.

Chris and I have thoroughly enjoyed coaching and managing this fantastic group of young men and it was particularly rewarding and pleasing to see how they bonded and gelled as a team and also see their development through the season. A big thank you to all the parents for your ongoing support and for helping put together a brilliant BBQ to cap off what has been a thoroughly enjoyable season.

Other match results:

U13 Black – LWCC (91) def. Randwick Crushers (72)

U17 Black – LWCC def. by (forfeit) Balmain

U17 White – LWCC def. (forfeit) Easts Devils

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We are Leichhardt Wanderers Through and Through!