Wanderers Cricket - Round 13 Wrap

leichhardtcricket
2 days ago
27 min read

February 21st / 22nd, 2026.

As many of you would have seen, last week, Leichhardt Wanderers Cricket Club launched Pitch Perfect: Girls Cricket Academy. This is a super exciting new project for our club to be part of and designed to give our girls a fantastic opportunity to develop their cricket skills in the off-season, led by a professional coach and held at a professional cricket facility. We are pleased to say, we've had overwhelming support from our players, getting their registrations in early, and are (almost!) full for the 2026 program - thank you for your support of this great new program! We of course hope that it's a big success and the girls find it rewarding, as the plan is to make this a regular program in our annual club calendar.

A massive thank you to our girls' cricket coordinator, Dan Moore, for not only his initiative in setting this up and getting Cricket NSW on board to be part of it, but also for all his energy and commitment to girls' cricket at Leichhardt Wanderers this season.

More details can be found on the Academy page on our website.

Now on to the weekly wrap... This week we're treated to a marvellous gallery of photographs from around the grounds!

As we approach the last weeks of our 2025-26 season, don't forget to save the date for our annual Club Junior Presentation evening, on Saturday 9th May. More details to be shared soon but this is the biggest event on our calendar, so don't miss it!

Around The Grounds: Highlights & Match Reports

Performance of the Round

Archie Buckley (U11 Red) – a brilliant weekend for Archie from our U11 Reds, who scored a blistering 30* (off 18) including 6x fours, but then raised the stakes with the ball, with figures of 3 for 16 off 4 overs - including a HAT-TRICK - which turned the game on its head! Amazingly, this is Archie's second hat-trick, after claiming his first in his debut season last year in U10. Honour Roll

Highlights

Nellie Wood (U11 Girls Red) – 3x run-outs; 13* (off 20) Honour Roll
Charlotte Coad (U11 Girls Red) – 2x run-outs
Imogen Taylor (U11 Girls Red) – 2 for 24 (off 3)
Karthika Polepalli (U13 Girls) – 31* (off 22), 6x fours
Mihrimah Clark (U13 Girls) – 17 (off 19), 3x fours; 2x catches
Charlotte Williams (Stage 3 Girls) – 21 (off 24), 3x fours; 1 for 15 (off 2)
Luca Houston (U10 Black) – 33* (off 15), 6x fours; 2 for 8 off 3
Jack Thornborough (U10 Red) – 1x run-out, 2x catches; 19* off 18 Honour Roll
Frederick Werner-Gibbings (U10 White) – 30* (off 14), 2x fours, 1x six
Zane Henderson (U10 White) – 4 for 8 (off 3) Honour Roll
Thomas Platen (U10 White) – 3 for 16 (off 2); 1x catch, 1x run-out
Reuben Garber (U10 White) – 1x run-out, 3x catches Honour Roll
Dilhan Clark (U12 Black) – 3 for 3 (off 2)
Xavier Mogan (U12 Gold) – 3 for 6 (off 3)
Flynn Sawers (U12 White) – 50* (off 48), 10x fours; 1x catch, 1x run-out Honour Roll
Arshdeep Sidhu (U13 Black) – 47* (off 48), 5x fours, 1x six; 2x catches
Zebulun Dunne (U13 Gold) – 3 for 18 (off 5)
James Day (U13 Gold) – 3 for 19 (off 4); 25 (off 52), 3x fours
James Ayre (U13 Sabres) – 3 for 13 (off 3.3)
Jacob Skowno (U13 Sabres) – 3x catches Honour Roll
Xavier Rohanek (U15 Black) – 34* (off 35), 3x fours, 1x six
Gus Cassim (U17 Black) – 3 for 25 (off 6); 35 (off 29), 3x fours
Frazer Tapia (U17 Black) – 1x run-out, 2x catches Honour Roll
Oliver Lista (U17 Black) – 54 (off 22), 3x fours, 6x sixes Honour Roll
Kabir Sharma (U17 Black) – 30 (off 24), 3x fours
Edward Smith (U17 White) – 57* (off 69), 4x fours Honour Roll
Huon Wright (U17 White) – 3 for 19 (off 6)

Match Reports

U13 Girls – LWCC (2-97) def. by Carss Park Royals Red (5-111)

The U13 Girls were back down at Carss Park for the second week in a row. We lost the toss and were asked to bowl. Off the very first ball, Karthika made a direct hit run out from point. A magic bit of fielding that set the tone. We bowled well, but probably gave away a few too many extras and Carss Park limped to 5-111. Mihrimah kept wicket really well and took two quality catches. Lara kept in the second half and made a sharp run out.

We batted superbly. Juno and Karthika opened and both retired not out, setting an excellent platform. Emily came in at 3 and batted smartly - smashing her first ball for 4 (13 not out). Mihrimah nearly took out the umpire hammering her first ball back over the bowlers head for 4 (17). Karthika came back in and nearly won us the game with 31 not out. We fell a few runs short and only lost 2 wickets across our 20 overs.

Our girls came very close to winning today. It was the small things - singles and extras that lost us the game. Cricket is a game of fine margins and small moments. Well done girls - the coach is very proud of your efforts today!

Stage 3 Girls – LWCC (8-73) def. by Easts Narwhals (3-185)

We started well against a stronger than last season Narwhals side. Captained strongly by Ava, Charlotte bowled well later in their innings with 1-14 (2), Harper got an excellent wicket 1-4 (1) with a great catch from Zoe, and Carmen executed a superb run out from behind the stumps. Cate, Sofia, Ellen and Moo bowled well too.

The Narwahls had a standout rep player who got 64* (25) - 7 sixes, which with other strong batting performances made for a big chase.

Charlotte was our standout batter with 21 (24) - 3 fours, ably supported by Connie 22* (25) - 3 fours and the rest of the side. Suki was able to retire not out, and Sofia came ever so close to doing the same.

It was a tough day for cricket but it was still an enjoyable match. Well done team.

Shout out to Bella for playing for Briars on Saturday in the Eastern Suburbs so they were able to get a game in – much appreciated, but the team missed you.

U9 Black – LWCC (73) def. Ryde Hunters Hill Pirates Bandits (126)

An 8am start against the RHH Bandits - a bit of dew about, a few yawns in the field - but that changed very quickly.

Donald took the new ball and, first delivery of the morning, there was an edge… safely taken by Jack. First ball. That wakes everyone up rather nicely. Still in that very first over, Hamish spotted his moment and produced a sharp run out. Two wickets in the opening over. A cracking start - and plenty of excitement before some parents had finished their first coffee. The energy stayed high. Another burst of wickets followed, Harry adding a very smart run out of his own. Hamish then held a fine catch off Jack’s bowling - safe hands, quick thinking. He was never far from the action. Jonty bowled beautifully - consistent and much improved, hitting good areas time and again. Billy was lively in the field, and there always seemed to be a run-out chance just around the corner. Altogether, a terrific team effort in the field.

Now to the batting. Jack struck a big six - clean as you like. Ethan produced the biggest hit of the day, a towering six that had everyone watching its flight. Harry timed one beautifully to the boundary, scoring eight runs thanks to where it landed. Donald batted with real purpose, and the running between wickets was sharp all morning.

In the end, we lost a few too many wickets due to some wonderful bowling and fielding by the opposition and the total proved just out of reach, the final score 126 to 73. But there was plenty to admire - especially that electric first over.

If you can start a day like that at 8am, you’re doing something right!

And that’s cricket.🏏

U9 Derby – LWCC White (77) def. LWCC Red (69)

White

Wanderers White were super excited for the epic local derby against Wanderers Red at Blackmore. Both teams arrived bright and early, although play was briefly delayed while we tracked down the stumps (which had been on loan for Benji’s birthday party the weekend prior). Sorry about that everyone!

Wanderers Red won the toss decided to have a bowl first with a brand new cherry. Asher and Conor batted as the first pair for White, putting on a solid partnership of 0-12 that included a thumping pull shot for four from Conor.

The middle and final overs of the first innings belonged to Wanderers Red. All three remaining pairs (Eoghan and Rauiri, Archie and Freddy and then Tilly and Benji) were kept pretty quiet by some outstanding bowling. Archie broke loose momentarily with back to back sixes off the tee in the middle overs, but otherwise, boundaries had been very hard to come by. The fearsome Wanderers Red attack had been awesome, and the Whites had finished on 2-47 after our 12 overs.

It had been tough batting and mood was a little bit quiet… there were a few ‘flat Whites’ at the change of innings… It would take our best bowling and fielding of the season to defend that total… Could there be a miracle at Blackmore?

The first 5 overs by Conor, Asher, Eoghan, Archie and then Tilly were all of a very high quality. But Red hadn’t lost a wicket and had made their way to 0-20… They looked to be in the drivers seat to close this one out.

The 6th over of the game was huge, when Rauiri sent down an over of classic ‘seam up’ bowling that saw several deliveries skimming past the stumps for a sensational maiden over. After taking 4 wickets last week, again it was Benji who broke the game open for White in the 7th over by rattling the stumps with a great delivery! And Benji wasn’t out of the game long either… the very next over he chased down a drive into the powerplay zone off Freddy’s bowling, and threw down the stumps from down at deep extra cover to effect the runout! What an incredible few minutes of cricket it was by Benji!

Conor returned to the attack, and bowled a fast and furious over, with his last ball smashing into the top of off stump! The very next over Asher also hit the stumps with the last ball of his spell (followed by a world class celebration), and White were back with a chance…

In the 11th over there was another incredible piece of fielding… This time it was Conor who created a near identical copy of Benji’s runout earlier by chasing down a straight drive out towards the boundary, and throwing down the stumps with a direct hit for another run-out! Incredible stuff! Well done to Eoghan as well for his diving effort for an attempted catch off his own bowling… what a brave effort!

The game was still on a knife’s edge when Archie took the ball to for the 12th and final over. He sent down a great over including a handful of dot balls, before bowling a classic yorker that hit the stumps on the very last ball of the day! Red had finished on 6-59, and had outscored White… but six wickets the last six overs had handed White the most unlikely of victories.

It was a pretty cool outcome for the team, but the real highlight was just seeing everyone enjoying their cricket, doing their best, and not giving up. Very well done Wanderers!

It was an awesome performance by both Wanderers teams on a very hot and humid day when ball dominated bat… A big thanks to Red for a great game played in great spirit. Have fun in your remaining games.

Red

It was local derby day again at the early start time of 8am on Blackmore Oval. Captain for the day, Drew won the toss and decided to bowl, planning on the wet dew on the ground drying out later in the second innings and assisting with boundaries during our time to bat.

Hudson opened the bowling for Red and again provided a maiden in the first over. He continued his great bowling by taking a wicket maiden in his second over to end the day with a wicket for no runs. Ollie also had another great spell delivering a maiden in his only over, bowling at pace and making it hard to score off. Drew took a wicket as well and although we only took 2 wickets in the innings, we did well to restrict the Whites to 47 runs only.

It was then our turn to bat and White made it difficult for Red to score particularly with the slow outfield with a number of shots stopping short of the boundary. (Might need to get the grass cut in the outfield before the next test eh! 😊)

Mateo did well to score 11 runs, Ollie came in and scored 12, and whilst Red did well to score 59 runs overall in a low scoring match, three well taken runs outs and 6 wickets overall for White really turned the tide for them. In the end it was fairly close with White taking it with 77 runs to 69. A close game played in good spirts in the local derby. On to training this week for Red with some running between the wickets to be a focus. Well done to White on their win.

U10 Red – LWCC (6-125) def. Iron Cove (5-76)

A great bounce-back from the U10 Red. Skipper Spencer lost the toss and we were sent in to bat against a very strong Iron Cove team, with plenty on the line as the winner would move into second place with only a couple of rounds to go.

Jack E and Spencer were extremely solid opening up. The big ground and spongy outfield made boundaries hard to come by, especially against the new ball, so running between the wickets was crucial.

Jude, Luca, and Lucy kept things ticking through the middle overs. Luca showed real intent by hitting their fastest bowler straight over his head for four, while Lucy carved a pull shot that would have reached the rope on any other day. But it was Jude who really summed up the team’s attitude. Asked to stay behind the ball, he took one flush in the chest from the opposition’s quickest bowler. He didn’t flinch, didn’t step back, and kept getting behind the ball; a brilliant example of the toughness and courage this team is showing.

We had built a strong platform, but heading into the final overs we knew we might be a touch light on runs. Up stepped Jack T and Will. Their smart running and excellent placement turned the innings around, with JT top-scoring with 19 and Will striking two boundaries on his way to 18, finishing the innings in a rush.

What followed in the field was something special. Spectators from both teams commented they hadn’t seen such an intense bowling and fielding effort from a junior side. Every player was switched on; walking in, backing up, encouraging, and hunting every ball. Iron Cove simply couldn’t find easy runs.

Our first four overs conceded just nine runs, with tight bowling and sharp fielding building pressure. With wickets still needed, Henry stepped up fresh from school cricket earlier in the day and delivered a stunning double-wicket maiden in his first over. He followed it up with another maiden to finish with the best figures of the day: 2-2 from three overs. Wickets kept falling, with Jude, Jack T, and Will all chipping in.

In the field, the effort was relentless. Jack E never stopped moving and encouraging his teammates, Lucy pulled off a brilliant one-handed save. Luca (twice), Jack T, and Jude all produced run-outs. Behind the stumps, Spencer and Will kept like veterans, meaning there were no easy runs anywhere. Iron Cove managed only 30 runs off the bat from their 20 overs, a remarkable effort from the Reds.

In the end, it was a comprehensive win, though the scoreboard doesn’t fully capture how tight and intense the contest felt. Cricket really is a team game, and the Reds showed exactly what that means today.

Player-of-the-Mach went to Jude, for his courage with the bat, tight bowling, and a run out to cap off a terrific all-round performance.

Great reward for great effort, team. Well played!

U11 Red – LWCC (5-203) def. Ryde Hunters Hill Pirates Mariners (5-188)

LWCC U11 Red, 5th on the ladder, were up against a strong Pirates Mariners team, in 2nd place, knowing that only a win would keep any hope of a finals birth alive…..

Pirates won the toss and put the LWCC Reds into bat, on a field that had a smaller boundary than my backyard. It was going to be a high scoring game, but you never know if it’s a good score until the other side get to bat…….

Finn (24) and Archie F (9) opened the batting with a strong start for the team, Finn scoring a PB and advising dad Michael, that with 4 boundaries, new rods for his bike were to be duly purchased! Next paring of Jeremy (29) and Rohan (13) continued to build on the score, Jeremy also claiming a PB with 4 boundaries. The runs continued to come as Spencer (16) and Partick (20) combined boundaries with running between the wickets. Archie B topped scored with 30, including six boundaries. While the LWCC Reds finished with a high score, they had also lost 7 wickets and knew they would have to limit boundaries of the opposition and take some wickets to have any chance of a result today.

It was evident from the fist few overs that the Pirates were used to their home advantage and looked to score short boundaries whenever possible. The LWCC Reds did their best to limit the run chase and picked up a few wickets for their efforts, Jeremy, bowling great spin, saw a ball loft up high and over the wicket keeper, however Archie B kept his eye on it and was able to take it safely in his gloves as he ran back. Rohan took another wicket this week, taking out middle stump with an impressive delivery. At the drinks break after the first 10 overs the Pirates were well ahead on the overs run chase. Archie B, was relieved of wicket keeper duty and thrown the ball by Chris for the next over. Two balls in and the Pirates connected with a fast delivery hitting it straight back down the wicket which Archie B managed to catch with both hands. Next ball saw middle stump down. The Pirates were rattled. The team (and parents) whispered hat-trick ball up next... and after what seemed like an age Archie started his run up and let fly… off-stump gone! Cue wild celebrations from the WHOLE TEAM - including a pitch invasion from younger brother Sasha.

The Reds had their tails up and were focused for every delivery. Two more wickets would fall to brilliant run outs from Patrick and Rohan (again) as the Pirates chased runs. Despite their top batter scoring 42, and the team getting five sixes, the Reds held on for the best win of the season!

Player-of-the-match went to Archie B, but the spirit across the TEAM won a very close game…

U12 Derby – LWCC Black (54) def. by LWCC Red (4-105)

Black

It was our first game of the season at Callan Park and was reminded how nice a venue it was for a game of cricket, with both the outlook and the excellent surface. The grass, uniformly mowed as it was, was definitely damp though, so Captain Louis opted quickly to bat when he won the toss.

After being dismissed early in recent matches (often to rash shots), the pre-game talk was all about “building an innings” and “respecting good deliveries”, but again wickets fell early and often to have us struggling to post any sort of total. Things were looking dire at 5-12 before Noah S (7 off 27) and Louis (9 off 38) combined for a welcome partnership. It was mid- season signing Noah S’s highest score and he grew in confidence with every ball he faced and it was a welcome return for Louis who nonchalantly slapped the ball over the infield several times to keep the scoreboard ticking over. When he retired, Caleb (11 off 21) continued the good work to post the top score of the innings and push the total above 50. The rearguard action was ably supported by Henry, who on his cricket debut, survived 17 balls to finish on 1*, and was given a big cheer by both teams when he scored his first run.

With only a small total defend, it was going to take some tight bowling and every chance was going to have to be taken. Dilhan has been bowling well without luck for weeks, but was rewarded for his efforts with 3/3 off his two overs. Noah L (0-8), Caleb (0-4) and Rufus (0-9) all bowled well too, but ultimately too many extras were given away and the Reds ran the total down pretty quickly.

Good luck to the Red team for the rest of the season!

Red

Losing the toss and having to bowl on a very moist surface was always going to be tricky and early wickets were going to be essential before the cherry morphed into a mashed potato. Emmett H grabbed the first one in the 3rd over. Dylan C, returning to the Reds after about 10 weeks after recently having his cast removed from his arm, grabbed the second wicket in the 4th caught by Emmett H. Bravo to Dylan on doctor’s orders can only field with 1 hand. Your (at times) overzealous enthusiasm has been sorely missed at the Reds. John O after his last week hat-trick, kept the pressure on with line and length bowling for 2 Wickets started with a fifth over caught by Leo L and clean bowled in the 7th. At this stage the ball was looking pitiful, however we were able to extract some utility from it. Kiran C cleaned bowled in the 8th followed by Oscar R a middle stump in the 12th. Jacob W, running across town to get from school cricket to our game, had immediate success with great bowling to claim a clean bowled. And to close it out Daniel F, who has been working so hard on his bowling claimed his second wicket of the season with a sharp catch to gloveman Emmett.

All out for 54 it was a modest total to chase, but the cricket Gods are sometimes Devils. Coming out to bat Oscar R, Emmett H and John O all got to retirement, and this laid the platform for a convincing win. Stand out batter was Henry H, with 9 not out, off 12 balls. This may be his highest score?? True LWCC spirit, both coaches agreed to give everyone a bat and bowl in trying conditions and keep playing after the result was declared, because the reason we do this every Saturday is so that our boys play the game they love. Three cheers for Black, they are good sports.

U12 White – LWCC (6-142) def. Ryde Hunters Hill Pirates Black Beards (141)

White captain Lincoln called “Hills”… and it was Flats! They chose to bat first. That makes it five tosses in a row we’ve lost - and once again we were sent into the field with a wet ball. We came up against an undefeated side in 2026, fresh off three big wins scoring 200+ in each match. We’re still searching for our first win of the year and our highest total to date had been just 66 last week. We knew this would be tough - but we also knew we were due.

They started confidently, racing to 0-30 after 4 overs. Lincoln struck in his first over, removing one of their key batters with a brilliant catch from Paddy . Soon after, Sebastian bowled their other opener. At 2-64 in the 9th over they were still in control, but our improved bowling and sharp fielding kept us in the contest. Flynn broke through again in the 12th over, followed quickly by Benji Roy taking a wicket in the 13th - caught by Flynn. At 4-86 they were scoring but running out of recognised batters. In the heat, they dug in until the 22nd over when Flynn ran one out off Owen's bowling. The very next over Sebastian executed another run out off Xander's bowling. All out for 141. 142 to win would require our highest score with the bat.

Their opening bowlers were quick and accurate, striking early. We were 3-33 after 10 overs when Xander retired not out, bringing Flynn and Benji to the crease. The pair combined beautifully, lifting the run rate and taking us to 4-79 before Flynn retired and Benji was run out in the 18th over. But that’s when our belief kicked in. (“Believe.” - Ted Lasso). Owen and Paddy pushed us to the 23rd over before Paddy was bowled. At 5-104, Freddie Baker and Flynn built another crucial partnership to reach 6-131 before Freddie was caught in the 28th. Xander returned to join Flynn for the final push. A couple of boundaries each… and we crossed the line. 142 with 4 balls and 2 wickets to spare. Xander’s highest score (not out). Flynn's second half-century this year with 10x fours. Our highest score ever and our first victory in 10 matches.

Bowling Highlights

Flynn Sawers - 1-20 (3 overs), 1 run-out
Benji Roy - 1-3 (2 overs)

Batting Highlights

• Flynn Sawers – 50* (48), 10x fours

• Benji Roy – 16 (16), 1x four

• Paddy McColough – 15 (14), 3x fours

• Xander Shen – 15* (29), 2x fours

Well done to White for fighting for the victory until the very end on a very hot day, and congratulations to Pirates Black Beards for such a competitive match. This was our strongest complete performance of the season - our best fielding, bowling and batting effort combined. It bodes very well for the final few rounds. Go Wanderers!

U12 Gold – LWCC (7-27) def. by Concord Briars Yellow (8-74)

Fresh off their maiden win of the season, U12 Gold hoped to carry their momentum into their Saturday morning game against Briars Yellow. A hot day was forecast and even though we lost the toss and were set for a bowl first up, maybe we could give the Briars a good grilling?

Elliott certainly thought so - following up his 4-for last week with an LBW dismissal in the first over, taking out the Briars' rep opener.

And the attitude continued through the bowling attack. Hugo bowling well, to uproot the poles of the numbers 3 and 4 in a spell of tight accuracy The pressure was on for Briars on a pitch where the spongy undergrowth made scoring runs difficult, as easy scoring shots slowed down to be fielded and boundaries were literally impossible to score. This pressure helped us get a couple of run outs - Finley, Jack and Liam combining for 2 run-outs.

But after Elliott's heroics last week, it was up to Xavier to become unplayable this week, the crafty left arm orthodox spinner landing ball after ball on the money. Some of these were unplayable - balls bouncing over the stumps followed by an seemingly identical one which stayed ankle height. 3 being Xavier's final number of dismissals - truly the "magic number" - and the Briars all out on 74.

So 75 to get - gettable on a normal day even with only 8, but difficult today due to the undergrowth in the outfield.

And so it proved - the lack of ball speed preventing runs being scored and leading to risks in running quick singles and shot selection. We never really got "over the worm", and a series of tight bowlers meant we eventually succumbed for 28 - well short of the set total. But for a moment we had a fire and a hope, and sometimes that's still a positive you can take from the game.

Thanks to Briars for the extra fielder, and well done to Xavier on his 3-for and MOTM match ball.

U13 Gold – LWCC (105) def. by Concord Briars Gold (7-106)

On a scorching Saturday afternoon in Sydney, with the sun beating down and humidity high, Leichhardt Under 13 Gold won the toss and made the decision to bat first. The last time these two sides met, Concord Briars piled on 264 runs, including a commanding century from one of their star players. Several members of their side are representative cricketers and are among the leading run scorers in the competition this season. They are a formidable team with serious talent. This time, Leichhardt were determined to compete.

A Gritty and Composed Batting Effort

Batting in strong heat required discipline and concentration. After early wickets, the innings was rebuilt through composure and resilience. Grayson set the tone with an energetic 23 from 22 balls, showing positive intent and rotating the strike well. Captain James then anchored the innings superbly, crafting a resolute 25 from 52 balls. His knock was built on patience and calm decision making, ensuring stability when wickets fell around him. Patrick contributed a vital 17 from 35 balls, digging in when needed and helping push the total towards respectability. Importantly, the lower order all played their part. Time at the crease was valued. Partnerships, even small ones, mattered. The boys battled through the heat, absorbed pressure and accumulated steadily to post 8 for 105 from 26.3 overs. It was not a huge total. But it was honest, hard earned and defendable.

A Nightmare Start

As the second innings began, the weather shifted. Clouds rolled in. The air thickened. Thunderstorms threatened in the distance. Unfortunately, the start could not have been worse. The Concord opening pair came out aggressively. One opener raced to 45 retired not out from just 25 balls. The first wicket did not fall until 59 runs were already on the board, and it came after very few overs had been bowled. The opening partnership of 59 had effectively halved the target before Leichhardt had settled. At that point, it looked as though the match would finish quickly and comfortably in Concord’s favour. But LWCC U13 Gold does not give up.

Seven for 29. A Fightback to Remember

What followed was one of the most spirited passages of cricket the boys have produced all season. Leichhardt struck back, hard. Seven wickets fell for just 29 runs. Pressure built with every dot ball. Energy lifted in the field. Voices grew louder. Belief returned. Zebulun was outstanding, delivering a spell of 3 for 18 from his 5 overs. He bowled with control and intelligence, hitting his areas consistently and forcing mistakes. James then stepped up again with the ball, claiming 3 for 19 from 4 overs, including crucial late wickets that gave Leichhardt a genuine chance to pull off an extraordinary victory. Finn Kelly chipped in with a key breakthrough, and the fielding unit backed up the bowlers superbly, with some strong catching and relentless pressure. At one stage, Concord needed 18 runs with just one wicket in hand. Leichhardt were within a single breakthrough of an incredible win. There were multiple moments where the game could have turned entirely in their favour. In the end, Concord scraped home at 7 for 106 after 21 overs. But the scoreboard does not tell the full story.

A Metaphor for the Season

This performance sums up the season of this team. They are competing in a competition with three exceptionally strong sides filled with representative players. Early in the season, results were tough and margins were large. It would have been easy for heads to drop. Instead, the boys have stayed together. They have now won two matches, including a thrilling victory in their previous game. They have pushed one of the strongest teams in the competition to within a single ball of defeat. And against Concord, they transformed what looked like a heavy loss into a near miracle. At no point this season have they blamed one another. They have supported each other after losses. They celebrate effort as much as outcome. They compete hard and play fair.

That is cricket the Leichhardt Wanderers way.

While this match will officially go down as a narrow loss, it felt like something more significant. It was proof of progress. Proof of resilience. Proof that this team belongs. The boys should be enormously proud of the way they fought, the way they believed and the way they represented their club.

U13 Red – LWCC (66) def. by Ryde Hunters Hill Pirates Black Beards (1-67)

The Pirates swaggered, dripping with reps and clads and chanting ‘Red sky at night, Pirates delight’ but Ted flexed with a winning call of flats and chirpy ‘we’ll have a bat’ causing teeth to gnash the run hungry Pirates to turn on their stand in captain with serious accusations that he had in fact been ‘selling’.

Bowling purgatory avoided, the Reds bolstered by stoic Whites Archer, Eamon and James (to whom we doff our caps for their dedication) set out against the powerful Pirates attack (largely div 1 reps) and impressed with tenacious opening stanza, Ted, Eamon, Archer and James A all locking in. The wickets when they came were unlucky for us, it just all went the Pirates way. Setting a target of 67 highlights were Ted’s fine work with the Adam Zampa head band and a patient 19 n/o off 38 with 3 hard earned fours, Archer’s slapping cover drive and unlucky caught off a Shane Lee flick, and James M bringing up the rear with a fist-fighting counterattacking 9 off not many.

'Six-seven' (selling 2025 reference) to win and it was over to James M to open the bowling, having been overlooked on the long run for far too long. Probably a tough draw as the Pirates were only too keen to prove what a great toss it was to win by insisting on scoring at ~12 runs per over. Charlie’s wicket was a highlight though, taking down a tall poppy and moral victory at the end for James A and Ted with a caught behind that was but wasn’t given.

Another not quite triumph but the force is strong. Shout out to Leo for his last game of the regular season and we now collect a bye next week so let’s give training a miss and go on school camps or similar instead, look forward to a final hitout Tuesday week ahead of our titanic clash with the Swashbucklers the week following. Stay classy!

U13 Sabres – LWCC (4-115) def. Randwick Scorchers (8-114)

The Sabres travelled to Daceyville vs Randwick Scorchers, and with our fellow U13 Blacks on the next pitch over, there was a strong Leichhardt Wanderers presence in the east. Sent in to field early on a wet outfield, Archer & captain Ronav put on a masterclass in opening bowling, limiting any opportunities for their opening batters to score. Scorchers, 1 for 11 off the first six overs, which set our innings with the ball up nicely. James A was the pick of the bowlers, with 3 for 13 off his 3.3 overs, including two unplayable balls obliterating the stumps. Wickets also to Eamon (1) and our two loyal fill-in players James D "JD" (1) and Jacob (1), who's triple threat leg-spin bowling at the death (with Kurtis) held the Scorchers to only 114 runs - all out. (However, 30 extras in that total is still way too many, and continues to be an area of improvement). Jake also took three catches for the honour roll, including one at wicket keeper and a superb diving effort at point.

Whilst chasing a modest total, the outfield remained slow even in the (muggy) heat, and would be no mean feat. However, just like our fielding innings, our openers Oliver (26*) and Arjun (12*) set the tone brilliantly (and followed the coach's instructions to a tee!), both retiring not out from their 30 balls. We were well on our way as Jacob added 14 (off 29), before a flurry of middle-order wickets and a run drought saw the worm head east across the horizon, generating a few nerves in the Wanderers' camp. However, a surprise drop-in visit from coach Bill and James L in formal attire (away on family duties) buoyed the team's spirit, and captain Ronav (11* off 19) strolled out to the crease to steady the ship from the front, as any good captain does. He welcomed Archer (23* of 21) to the partnership, who decided to end the ordeal in a hurry, including back-to-back sixes off consecutive balls. In the end we chased down the total in the 26th over, finishing 4-115. Never in doubt! (?)

Great job Sabres! Now with two wins and two narrow losses, we can believe we're good enough to compete with anyone in this competition!

U15 White – LWCC (4-87) def. by Ryde Hunters Hill Pirates Jolly Rogers (0-89)

Match report compliments of Harry.

We showed up to the game today in the hot 32 degree heat. We managed to win the toss and chose to bat first. Anton and Darcy got us off to a solid start with an opening partnership of 24 before Anton retired on 10*. Harrison came in at three and scored a couple of runs with Darcy, who eventually retired on 16*. Yoris then joined Harrison in the middle and they really started to take control. They put on a massive 44 run partnership and things were looking great until the Pirates finally broke through, Yoris was bowled for our first wicket with the score at 75. Harrison retired shortly after on 27*.

Bowie and Jack H came out looking to score some fast runs, but the Pirates fought back with some good bowling. Jack H was unfortunately bowled by a nice ball and while Charlie tried to steady things, the wickets kept coming as Bowie and Felix both got bowled. Emily joined Charlie to tally some late singles, finishing our 30 overs at 87 runs.

Defending 87 runs was always going to be tough. Yoris and Darcy opened the bowling keeping the Pirates runs low until their batters started to find the gaps. Anton and Max R bowled the second spell and created some pressure. We had a couple of close calls but we were unlucky not to get one. Max F behind the stumps was doing an awesome job today, nearly getting a runout and stopping many byes. Harrison and Bowie came on to try their luck but unfortunately got hit for the winning runs.

U15 Black – LWCC (8-141) def. by Concord Briars White (5-142)

Finally we won the toss!! We decided to bat first on quite a hot day at the home of true grass cricket - Callan Park! Long live the natural atmosphere, and the beauty of the area. This is a No Plastic Zone.

This opposition team have some serious gun players, many of them more than six feet tall, muscle bound, tall dark and gruesome cricket fellows.

I thought we batted quite well for the most part. We dug deep, played through the difficult overs, and certainly made hay when possible. The tall angle of the ball very reminiscent of the Michael Holding v Allan Border days.

Some notable scores - Sam 12 (25), Xavier 34* (35), Nevaan 14 (31) before a very tight runout, Austin 26 (33), Ronav 16 (16) with additional runs from Conor (9), George (4), Linus (most unfortunately ran out on the last ball, 0) and Ryan (1*). We looked for runs, and gave the team some real challenges in the field. They dropped 9 catches due to the pressure of our batters. We scores at 4.7 an over which is well within 30 over cricket territory. After 30 overs, 8-141.

They also bowled 25 extras. They can own that.

We did really well in the first 12-15 overs of the innings with some good spells of bowling. A few early wickets to their star opening batsmen set us up really well. We slowed them down and kept piling on the pressure. Wickets to Xavier, Linus, Ronav, George and Sam. A couple of drops due to our focus dwindling somewhat in the second half. A good lesson to learn is to keep going until the end. Don’t give up. Unfortunately we gave them a few pies which went to the fence. These batterare big 15 year olds who will always smash a short ball or long hop to the fence, which they did on a few occasions.

Catches to Nevaan, Xavier and Ronav (2).

The team came together well this week and performed well against a strong team. Always things to work on, so we’ll get together before we meet our mates from the U15 Concord Blacks next week.

U17 Black – LWCC (6-171) def. Balmain Hurricanes (6-169)

LWCC U17 Black produced a clinical run chase to defeat the Hurricanes, reaching 6-171 in just 21.4 overs after the Hurricanes posted 6-169 from 32 overs.

The Hurricanes were built around a quick 58 from old boy Gus Blackley, but steady bowling from Gus Cassim (3-25) and tight support through the middle overs kept the total down. The fielding was also exceptional, and well skippered in the heat by Vinny.

In reply, Oliver set the tone immediately with a blistering 54 from 22 balls, striking at over 240 and putting the chase on track from the outset. Kabir (30) and Gus (35) ensured there was no loss of momentum, and despite a brief middle-order wobble, as the pitch deteriorated, we closed the game calmly with more than ten overs to spare.