Wanderers Cricket - Round 2 Wrap

October 25th / 26th, 2025.

"We are Leichhardt Wanderers Through and Through" is the club's motto, which you would have seen used across our communication channels and website (and used widely by the LW Rugby League club). But what does it mean?

Well it means a lot of things to different people, but to me, it represents the strong club and community spirit the Wanderers are known for. This means an inclusive environment for our people to enjoy playing their sport of choice, whether cricket, rugby league or netball. Where participation in those sports far exceeds, in importance, the concept of winning. Of course, people (especially our kids!) like to win, but this club is about more than that. Getting on the park to play is what it's all about, regardless of results.

I love that even as early as round 2, this club spirit is on display in spades. In our smaller cricket association, Leichhardt derbies are a consistent occurrence. We've seen tremendous club spirit in these matches, with Leichhardt opponents treating each other with huge respect. We've seen teams sharing players to fill in for other teams when they are short numbers, ensuring everyone gets to play, including teams providing sub fielders for their opposition. And we've seen younger players filling in for their older siblings' teams (including one poor 10-year old who copped a ball in the worst possible location whilst wicket keeping against his older brother's fast bowling, filling in for an U13s team - ouch!). We are Wanderers Through and Through!

Keep it up Wanderers!

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Around The Grounds: Highlights & Match Reports

Performance of the Round

Gus Blackley (U15 Black) - what an incredible innings from Gus, the club's highest score by a junior. Gus finished 196* off only 71 balls, with 14x fours and 20x sixes. Honour Roll

Highlights

• Coco Scunthorpe (U11 Girls Red) - first wicket, on debut

• Frederick Werner-Gibbings (U10 Black) - 24 (off 14), 4x fours; 2 for 1 (off 2)

• Krishan Iyer (U10 Red) - 3 for 2 (off 2)

• Rohan Mahalingam (U11 Red) - 3 for 15 (off 3)

• Patrick Jordan (U11 Red) - 3x catches Honour Roll

• Finn Gadsby (U11 White) - 32* (off 30), 4x fours; 2 for 20 (off 5)

• Adam Schurr (U11 White) - 5 for 12 (off 5) Honour Roll

• Dylan Corfield (U12 Red) - 32* (off 30), 4x fours

• Flynn Sawers (U12 White) - 41 (off 49), 5x fours, 1x six; 3 for 4 (off 2.2); 1x catch

• James Lezes (U13 White) - 3 for 23 (off 4)

• Arek Malalasekera (U13 Black) - 33* (off 47), 6x fours

• Ted Fitzpatrick (U13 Red) - 55* (off 38), 11x fours; 1 for 14 (off 4); 2x catches, 1x run-out Honour Roll

• Xavier Rohanek (U15 Black) - 50* (off 32), 11x fours; 2 for 31 (off 5); 1x catch Honour Roll

• Barnabas Ford (U15 Black) - 50* (off 54), 7x fours Honour Roll

• Bede Russell (U17 Black) - 5 for 21 (off 5.4) Honour Roll

• Frazer Tapia (U17 Black) - 2x catches, 1x run-out Honour Roll

• Hardik Sethi (B Grade) - 84 runs

Match Reports

U15 White: LWCC (2-58) def. Concord Briars Gold (8-54)

A very successful game today. After being asked to bowl, we launched a quick attack with the first wicket falling in the 7th over after Jack F gave a ball to the batters that went cleanly in Max R’s hands. Next over, Anton was quick to catch on, and it continued to go back and forth between the two, both wishing to seek the most wickets. With new batters in, the whole team kept in close, adding pressure on the batsmen, however the batsmen remained stubborn as attempt after attempt was thrown after them, luckily the momentum was stopped short when the batters chipped a well-placed ball from Jack H, right up to Harrison in slip. The batters remained in trouble as the field remained close with a new energy. Briars Gold bowled out 8-54 after 18.1 overs, after Darcy sent the wickets flying on his first ball.

Walking out to open, Anton and Darcy walked to their ends and began their magic, however an unlucky edge had us suddenly feeling like we were in trouble. Luckily, Max F came out ready for revenge before both Darcy and Max retired. Next up was Jack, who came out like a mad man and Emily soon followed before unluckily being caught after a high-pitched ball. Not believing that he was actually going to bat, Hartley quickly ended the game with a four. Leichhardt 2-58 after 14 overs. (Editor's note - for some members of this team, this was their first cricket win for several seasons - what a relief! A big congratulations to all for your determination!)

Feedback from Briars: much appreciation from the opposition coaches today for our sporting attitude and approach. Well done all!

U17 Derby: LWCC Black (6.337) def. LWCC White (8-72)

The Wanderers U17 teams met at Snape Oval and the story was dominated by one player. Gus Blackley’s magnificent 196 not out is the highest ever score by a Wanderers junior player. Gus opened the batting and despite facing fewer than half the deliveries, smashed his century before the drinks break. He retired then and later returned refreshed, picking up exactly where he left off, and it was only the close of the innings that prevented him from reaching the double century milestone. Gus’s statistics tell the story of his power hitting: 196 runs from just 71 balls, including 14 fours and 20 sixes, with 90% of his runs coming in boundaries. Even an innings of this quality needs partners at the other end, and credit goes to the rest of the team for their contributions, notably Frazer and Aabir for remaining unbeaten, and enabling all 32 overs to be bowled.

On another day, Bede’s figures of 5-21 would have taken the headlines, and he will be delighted to join his team mate on the honours board after cutting through the batting line-up in his six-over spell. Ben and Will contributed the other wickets, with special mention to Frazer’s two catches and a stumping behind the wickets.

U15 Black: LWCC (5-211) def. RHH Pirates Jolly Rogers (7-193)

“Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row.” The famous proclamation may have come to mind on Saturday evening had any of U15 Black players (and, to be fair, several of their parents) been born when Vitas Gerulaitis finally triumphed over Jimmy Connors.

From the time of the Barbary pirates, there were flags that struck fear and dread into the hearts of those who had the misfortune to espy them on the high seas. Across several seasons, the RHCC Jolly Rogers have been a bogey team for the Blacks, most recently in the U13 grand final earlier this year. On Saturday, just as Captain Ogle of the HMS Swallow defeated the real life inspiration for the Dread Pirate Roberts off Cape Lopez, the U15 Blacks defeated the Jolly Rogers on the shores of Morrison Bay. 

The game started well with Linus winning the toss and choosing to bat. Xavier (50* off 32) and Barnabas (50* off 54) scored unbeaten half centuries, with solid contributions from Ronav (21 off 23), Conor (17 off 24), Sam (13 off 15), and Harrison (14* off 13) leading to the team setting an intimidating target of 211.

After an early wicket, and an economical spell from Linus that sent the required run rate climbing, a dangerous partnership was broken by Austin (1-31) dislodging the bails. With the opposition looking to lift the run rate, Ryan (1-18) got rewards from textbook you-miss-I-hit bowling, and George (1-18) tempting a mis-hit to have the opposition’s fastest scorer caught in the deep. With two players bravely playing hurt to not let the team down, there were some nervous moments, but late wickets from Ronav (1-18), Linus (1-13), and Xavier (2-31), and some sharp fielding from Harrison, put the result beyond doubt, ultimately winning by 18 runs.

And as the sun set, after a full 60 overs at a run rate that would lead to points deductions in the World Test Championship, the players allowed themselves only a fleeting glance over the field of battle, remembering it would be only 5 weeks before they would need to face their bête noires again.

U11 Girls Red: LWCC (140) def. Marrickville CC Flaherty (112)

The U11 Girls Reds continued their unbeaten start to the season with a home win against Marrickville. Our girls batted first and started strongly with Lyla hitting a couple of boundaries in just her second game on the way to a top score of 13. A slight frustrating patch in the middle of the innings, as an inexperienced opposition bowling attack meant not much chance for hitting. But Nellie and Adelaide finishing off well with some great shots to take us to a competitive total of 140.

Some immediate success in our bowling innings with a sharp run out by Adelaide off the third ball. The excellent fielding continued with further run outs by Charlotte, Susie, Nellie and Lyla. With Imogen and Lyla both sound behind the stumps. All the girls bowled well, and a wicket for Charlotte. But particular mention for debutants Coco, who got her first ever wicket, and Lexi who closed out the game to restrict Marrickville to 112, and a deserved win for our girls.

An awesome team effort and good to see the girls showing great respect to the opposition today too.

U11 Girls Black: LWCC (89) def. by Easts CC Dolphins (146)

Round 2 saw the U11 Girls Black team braving the traffic and travelling to Double Bay for their 2nd Round match versus Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club. Easts won the toss and elected to bowl.

Runs were hard to come by as Easts put on an excellent bowling and fielding display. A stand out with the bat was our newcomer Evelina who put some big hits through mid wicket and top scored with 12 runs (three fours). Elsie also showed great support taking quick singles to lead by example running between the wickets.

Our bowling was solid across the board. Annabel showed exponential improvement in only her second game, and another newcomer Alexia shined, taking 2-10 off 3 overs, with one being a wicket maiden, thanks to a sharp caught caught and bowled.

Stand out for the day however was the team spirit shown by ALL the girls at such an early stage of season. The girls were supportive, inspirational and most importantly had great fun! Bring on Round 3; let's go Black, let's go!

U13 Girls: LWCC (4-46) def. by Carss Park Royals Blue (2-104)

Our U13 Girls travelled to Carss Park. While a beautiful spot, it’s a long way away!

We won the toss and bowled. Hannah got her first ever wicket - a magnificent caught and bowled. Juno started bowling leg spin and was incredible and very unlucky not to grab a few wickets. Zoe’s keeping was first class and a much better second 10 overs in the field restricted Carss Park to just over 100.

We went out to bat with high hopes, but their bowling was very consistent and we fell short of their total. Mihrimah top scored, and Karthika and Sofia looked very solid with the willow.

Many thanks to Suki, Zoe and Harper for making sure we had a full team.

U9 Derby: LWCC Red (110) def. LWCC Black (50)

Red

Saturday was local derby day on Blackmore Oval, with the U9 Red team taking on U9 Black at the early 8am start time.

Bodhi, our captain for the day, won the toss and decided to bat, taking into account the flat wicket and clear skies (actually we were still waiting for our last player to arrive).

The batting was excellent today with man of the match Mateo top scoring with 25 runs including a huge six, Teddy scoring 19 and Hudson also scoring a well-timed 14. Sam hit a four on his first game of the season having missed game 1 last week.

There were some excellent bowling and fielding performances today with Drew bowling the unplayable delivery of the day, clean bowling middle stump. Mateo took two run outs, Hudson took an outstanding 2-4, Teddy took 1-6 off his two overs and Bodhi taking another excellent 2-2 off his two overs and also throwing down the wicket from mid-wicket for a great run out. Overall U9 Red did well to restrict the U9 Blacks to 45 runs.

Final result was 110-50 but a great local derby match, and we are all wishing U9 Black all the best for the rest of the season.

Black

The U9s Blacks played the U9s Reds in a home derby on Saturday. It was a great match and effort by both teams, with the Reds taking 5 wickets and the Blacks 1. Great work from Blacks players Harry and Donald for their combined 22 with the bat.

Overall the Reds prevailed, 110-50. Well done to the Blacks playing only their second ever game of cricket and as a team.

U9 White: LWCC def. Concord Briars Green

Wanderers were on a high after a great first game, and were excited to arrive at Greenlees to play Briars Green. Benji won the toss and decided to bat first.  

Wanderers opening pair of Tilly and Archie added a terrific 26 for the loss of 1 wicket to get the match off to a great start. Archie rocked the Briars attack early, blasting a pull shot over mid wicket for the first six of the season. Benji and Conor were super-solid, and the game was very evenly poised halfway through the Wanderers innings.  

The next partnership was an example of classic middle order batting. Rauiri and Asher scored 20 without losing a wicket, with Asher ‘cashing in’ on the power-play zone with some great straight hitting. Asher definitely owes Rauiri an ice-cream, as Rauiri's speedy legs running to the ‘danger end’ added plenty to Asher’s scorecard. It really was terrific teamwork.

Freddy and Eoghan closed the innings in nice fashion against some of Briars best bowlers. Freddy had to face the quickest bowler of the day and he did very well. The quality of the bowling did not stop Eoghan belting two fours, and Wanderers finished with 64 for the loss of 3 wickets (+15 to briars). It was a solid total, but was it going to be enough? 

Benji and Eoghan’s opening overs with the ball were ‘fast and furious’ and put Briars on the back foot. Wanderers were focused in the field from the outset and picked up two run-outs in the first two overs.  It was a great start by the team. 

Briars had some very good batsman and they got back into the contest… but Tilly’s accuracy in the middle overs was crucial and she was rewarded by a wicket. Conor also bowled an important ‘maiden over’ to restrict the flow of runs, followed by Archie bowling a briars batsman ‘middle peg’.  

All in all, Briars and Wanderers both scored exactly 64 runs off the bat... but is was the fielding of Wanderers, which ultimately included four run-outs (plus two wickets to the bowlers) that won the game. A big call-out must go to Rauiri and Conor who both made multiple courageous saves in the field. Eoghan’s ‘direct hit’ was also a great piece of skill. 

The highlight was watching all team members shaking hands with every Briars player that they could, and showing great sportsmanship throughout the game. Well done Wanderers.

U10 Red: LWCC (130) def. Concord Briars Maroon (75)

Another fantastic win for the mighty U10 Red, again getting the better of a Briars team!

We lost the toss and were sent in to bat. Will and Jude opened up, giving us a steady start. Will played the attacking role, finding the gaps, while Jude kept pushing the ball straight past the bowler like a pro.

Our middle order was all about smart cricket. Lucy and Henry made sure we didn’t lose many wickets, while Jack T and Krish turned up the pressure with some strong scoring. Krish showed off what we’ve been practicing at training, sending two booming straight drives right back past the bowler.

Then came the finishing fireworks! Spencer and Jack E (who top-scored with 16) smashed 17 runs in the last two overs with a mix of big shots and lightning-fast running between the wickets. When the dust settled, we had a great total of 94 runs off the bat.

Next up, we bowled. And wow, what a team effort! Everyone bowled straight, full, and accurate, giving away next to no extras. Captain Spencer (one wicket and two great catches) led from the front. There were wickets to Jack T, Jude, Henry, and Jack E (a wicket and a run-out). Lucy, Luca and Will bowled beautifully too and were unlucky not to grab wickets this time.

The bowling highlight of the day went to Krish, who tore through the Briars taking three wickets for just two runs from his two fast, full, and deadly accurate overs. Add that to his awesome batting, and it’s no surprise he was our Player-of-the-Mach.

Two wins from two. What a start to the season, Reds!

U11 White: LWCC (114) def. by RHH Pirates Jack Sparrows (148)

With the 'Annandale Public Lurgy' claiming two of our squad we faced up to a lively yet friendly Black Beards team who were awesome enough to lend us two wicket keepers and two fielders so our four fit lads could put in some solid spells.

Alas we lost the toss and were sent in on a green top (most synthetics are I suppose). Finn G took advantage of the 30-ball-a-player innings and knocked up 30 or so to lead the way with strong support for Adam S who in his second game looked like a ten-year pro with some lovely cover drives and stonewall defense. Young Tyler then came in at first drop, hit his first boundary in his short career and ran beautifully between the wickets supporting our rock Maxy A, who once again leveled up with some superb pull shots. 

With the boys rotating between the four of them they the bowled brilliantly to gallantly try and defend their total. Adam S took his first (and our first) "Michelle Five-Fa" with his variety of cutter and the odd ripping leggy. Tyler then chipped in with two clean sticks in two balls with the Whites taking a team double hat-trick off the back of Adam S’s previous over. Whilst the Black Beards proved too strong, cricket and the way our lads went about it certainly won the hearts of the packed hill, come game's end. 

Superb day.

U11 Red: LWCC (131) def. by RHH Pirates Mariners (175)

It's a crisp morning at Callan Park, Scotty already setting up half hour before the game, stepping into Chris's shoes today to umpire. Archie F looking fresh (his dad's a bit dusty after raging last night). A splendid crowd of around 15 adults and one dog today.

The Pirates are in first. After a tight first three overs Spencer takes Ethan R's middle stump. Followed by a well pitched delivery by Ro the next over resulting in a catch for Patrick at extra cover. Finn as ever a safe pair of hands behind the stumps having no trouble with the pace of Archie B. Sam dismisses J Harrison with a beauty on the off stump in the 8th. Pirates playing well given they are made up of year 2 to year 4 kids.

After the break instant first ball wicket Rohan gets the nick, super catch leg side by Patrick the second half keeper. Ro can't get too cocky as Chris H smacks him for four next ball (note this will happen later). Finn up for a spell now... and what do you know wicket first ball, right on the money against the formidable C Harrison. Archie B then gets a nick and Patrick takes the catch to dismiss legendary Langfield. Don't mess with Langer's though, who then promptly smacks a four next ball. No time to get cocky here (remember what I said earlier).

Scott umpiring to almost perfection, the odd blip on the ball count but not as many as Chris.

Hello sailor, great throw by Archie B to Sam for a run-out in the 14th. Good to see the retirement of C Harrison, a real thorn in LW's backside, with a lovely innings of 13. That's two takes for Patrick behind the stumps he's having a pearler. Ro in the 17th remembers to take his hat off before bowling (the boys learning) and Bob's your uncle Ro gets a nick which carries to guess who? Patrick again!

Finn bowling tight today. I will forgive him for wearing his hat. Archie G on fire with five boundaries for the Pirates. Could be important in the end. Archie F clean bowls Gorman in the 19th (hard to believe it's only his second game)! Then he's slapped for four by Gorman! There's a definite pattern here. Sam bowls an absolute yorker to dismiss Gorman in the last over... stumps flung everywhere.

Innings over at 10am no fines for a slow over rate with this team. Pirates rack up 131, we scored 160 last week, so feeling good about today.

Arch B and Sam to open. C Harrison perfect line first over, then clean bowls Sam... it's game on! J Harrison bowls Archie next ball. We will have to play well get out of this one. Beautiful four from Archie F in the 4th a lovely leg glance, followed by a cut for two the next ball. Sam hits a lovely off drive but is then run out, followed by Archie F being bowled in a gem of a 4th over by J James (who also cracked 21 runs in their innings). We've been caught shipwrecked by the Pirates.

New bowler Harvey gets a wicket first up, score for Pirates creeps over 150 with valuable runs from wickets... and ouch, another run-out, all in the 5th over. Seven wickets in five overs, the Pirates are all over it. Lovely square drive by Arch F to take some pressure off. Few boundaries required now! Archie Gorman bowling a line and length masterclass in the 7th. Ro and Patrick in now. Ro running quickly between the wickets sensing the urgency. Can Ro and Patrick pair up like they did in the field?

Lovely cover drive for two by Pat in the 9th. Nice leg sweep by Pat for two. No wickets for the last four overs. Pat with a smooth on drive for four! Good partnership between these two. Ten overs to go, we need a run a ball it's a mountain to climb. Legendary Langfield unfortunately back on with a tidy over to start... run rate climbs. Finn and Archie F now pairing up. There's no let up from this quality Pirates bowling attack. Wickets have stopped but unfortunately also the runs. J James killer blow in the 16th bowling Finn out. The crowd chant "are you watching Christopher Biggs?".

Finn pulls for four in the 17th. About 15 more of those needed. Spencer and Finn working hard to get some late runs, lovely cover drive from Spencer. Another four for Spencer lovely leg glance. He's as polished as a sandwich from Mark's and Spencer. 50 of 2 overs required. Gorman clean bowls Spencer it's like a stake through the heart. Another run for Finn to equal top score with Pat today on 13 but it's not enough.

The Pirates win by 44, it's back to the drawing board for LW Red, as we look to regroup before the Leichhardt derby. Patrick, my MOTD, with four catches and runs to boot. Shout out to Suze for doing the scoring and Scott for umpiring like Dicky Bird.

U12 White: LWCC (8-115) def. RHH Pirates Black Beards (8-83)

What. A. Comeback!

After last week’s tough loss, the Wanderers bounced back in style - sailing past the Pirates with teamwork, grit, and a few magic moments!

This week’s skipper Milosh lost the toss, and the Pirates decided to bowl. Perfect - because this week we wanted to bat! Freddie B and Flynn S opened, but it was tough going early. The outfield was damp, the bowling was tight, and the Pirates’ fielding was clean but soooo slow. Singles and dots ruled the day until Freddie cracked the first boundary in the 3rd over, followed by Flynn in the 5th. Freddie was bowled soon after - 1-23 in the 6th.

Then came a mini wobble - Benji R and Patrick M were both bowled by a couple of rippers. 3-38 in the 11th and we were in a grind. Flynn dug in and retired not out on 11 (off 25). Not flashy, but oh boy would it matter later. Jack M and Owen S steadied things, both retiring not out before Xander S fell to a great caught-and-bowled. 4-72 after 20 overs.

Lincoln S joined Milosh, but both were tied down by some really tight bowling. Lincoln was run out trying to push the pace - 5-76. Milosh retired not out, Jack returned and was caught chasing runs - 6-87 in the 24th. Then came the spark we needed - Flynn returned and launched into the Pirates, finding the boundary and lifting the rate alongside Owen. Flynn finished with a brilliant 41 off 49, taking us to 8-115 by the 30th over. Game on!

Time to bowl… or should I say, ATTACK!

Lincoln S opened and struck first ball - their gun batter was caught by Flynn for a golden duck! The air went out of the Pirates (and their supporters behind me)...1-0! Then came a fiery spell from Flynn S - he bowled a batter on a no-ball (ouch!) but came back breathing fire, bowling him again two balls later, then nabbing another wicket soon after. Flynn 2-2, Pirates 3-20!

Xander, Owen, Freddie, and Benji all kept it tight, making runs hard to find. Xander knocked over another. They were reeling at 4-30 - and then Freddie joined in with two more wickets. 6-79.

Benji R clean-bowled another, and Flynn came back to finish the job - 8-83, all out! Victory!

A cracking team effort from start to finish - everyone played their part, everyone contributed, and everyone walked off smiling. Well played, U12 White - can’t wait to see what you pull off next week!

U12 Derby: LWCC Red (0-116) def. LWCC Black (8-115)

Red

A local derby and true to the Wanderer spirit, Black knowing that Red was a player down for the best part of an innings not only offered a fielder but also elected to bat. “We are Leichhardt Wanderers through and through”.

Terrific bowling and fielding efforts from all the boys. The standout bowler was Henry R, whose skillful use of loop and drop consistently challenged the opposition. Ben S his first wicket for the Wanderers and ridiculous economy rate of 1.33, three overs, 1-4 (and only 1 extra). Two great catches each from Kiran C and Emmett H, and tight fielding bowled the opposition out 8-115 in the 27th over.

Coming out to bat, openers Oscar R and Dylan C with a 62-opening stand before both retired not out. John O & Emmett H chased down the remaining runs needed to score an emphatic win in the 16th over. I am very proud of the effort and already in our second game, I saw improvement. Enjoy the week boys you are playing beautifully as a team.

Black

Another week and another Wanderers derby, this time taking on U12 Red. 

The pre game talk was all about batting out the overs, and Felix, as Captain this week, set the example remaining not out and having to retire for the second week in a row. He was supported well by Toby who is improving every week and had to retire again too. The excitement of the innings was provided by the power hitting of Dilhan and Louis, and Charlie who scored his first ever runs in cricket, including his first boundary. But ultimately the tight bowling of the Red team kept the total to a modest (compared to last week) 115.

The team knew they'd have to be at their best with the ball and in the field, but despite excellent spells from Rufus, Noah and Angus on debut, they couldn't find a breakthrough and the scoreboard kept on ticking over. Caleb kept brilliantly and did his best to help keep the energy up in the field, and Felix shuffled the field around to try and stem the flow, but unfortunately the boundaries kept coming and the wickets did not.

Despite the loss, after the joint team photo, the team was already talking about things we can work on at training to find improvement, next week!

U13 Derby: LWCC Red (5-137) def. LWCC Gold (8-107)

Red

The Red Corvettes rolled into Callan Park for episode two of season 25/26 all sporting intriguing main character storylines and a generally determined vibe. After some interesting debate and solid pre-net, Leo as skipper won the toss and chose to bat first, with the order then set by committee chaired by Charlie and Noah. Up front and steering us through the suburbs the brothers Holtsbaum looked solid against Gold’s quicks, both retiring and setting the stage for the revving engines in the middle order. Charlie copped a very unlucky burnout with a nibble on to his leg stump but James and then Ted (on the back of a duck last week) made some quick gear changes to get us to 1-62 at drinks with the ball starting to fly. Post drinks James fell for 14 to the returning quicks who tightened things up considerably at one end but Ted kept his foot on the gas and Leo provided sound support and we were racing again, Ted retiring after blasting 47 of 30 or so, leaving Ollie B and Noah with the baton. Noah’s new George Bailey action stance styled for extreme pace spun out against the slow stuff but Ollie B looked crisp whacking square, punching drives at the top of the bounce and running the extras hard with Charles and Ashton to move us into the 120s in the late overs before Ted returned at the end with a flurry of missed chances and pull shots to notch up a maiden half century (go you good thing!) and take us to a competitive, but attainable 137.

The bowling and fielding needed some sting against our brothers in Gold, and the boys all brought it. Charlie kicked off the long run with an early-ish wicket followed by Ted with a sweet caught-and-bowled as the ball flew past him. There were fours but the fielding was energetic and wickets and retirements kept us rolling, Charles bowling a heavy ball rocking the stumps twice and Leo landing a sneaky yorker to take out the middle order. Gold seemed to lock in though from this point showing some striking power and we went into drinks with the game feeling eerily in the balance. Post drinks the game felt tense but clutch bowling plays from Noah, Ollie B, James and Ted with the gloves kept us on top until the last Gold batters Zebulan and Xavier flexed with some hefty blows.

Did we have enough gas? Who ya gonna call? Noah with a drifting 'god-ball' delivered the goods as the sun started to set over the Jacarandas - 'it was Saturday night, guess that makes it alright' the boys were heard humming as they flew down fig tree hill post match to celebrate.

Winners were grinners but it was a game played in good spirit and proof it’ll be a close comp this year. Looking forward to another close one hopefully against heavy-weights U13 White next week, again a Callan - ‘what have we got to lose?’ See you all at training if you can make it and looking forward to the return of Ollie S as master blaster.

Gold

It was a perfect Saturday afternoon for cricket at Callan Park, with the sun glistening off the water and a gentle breeze making for ideal playing conditions. LW U13 Red and U13 Gold met in what turned out to be a highly competitive and entertaining encounter between two evenly matched sides.

First Innings: Red Build a Strong Total

Red won the toss and elected to bat first, making the most of the conditions with a composed and confident batting display. Their top order laid a solid foundation, and were supported by steady contributions throughout the innings, Red built a commanding total of 5-137 from their 30 overs.

Despite the strong batting from Red, the Gold side showed noticeable improvement in the field compared to last week. Their energy, communication, and catching were all lifted, keeping the scoring under control for long periods. The highlight of the innings came from Harry J, who produced a career-best spell of 2-7 off three overs, combining accuracy, movement, and clever changes of pace to trouble all the batters.

There were also crucial contributions from Kasper A, whose 1-15 off three overs was one of his finest bowling performances to date, built on consistent line and length that kept the batters guessing. Patrick T opened the bowling strongly and later returned to claim a vital wicket, finishing with 1-23. With tight support from Zebulun D, who bowled two maidens in his five-over spell, Gold’s bowlers fought hard to restrict what could have been an even bigger total.

Second Innings: Gold Fight Hard with the Bat

Chasing 138 for victory, Gold began with intent. Xavier R anchored the innings with a composed 22, retiring before returning late to help push the total towards the century mark. Zebulun D played one of the innings of the day, a stylish 24 not out (retired) that featured two boundaries and a memorable six that cleared the rope with ease. Archer G was equally impressive, finishing 13 not out, showing great shot selection and composure under pressure.

While wickets fell at regular intervals, Gold’s batting was full of positives, with multiple players contributing and the team showing depth and resilience. Their total of 8-107 off 24.2 overs reflected a much-improved collective performance and genuine progress since the opening round.

A Game to Build On

Though Red claimed victory, both sides could be proud of their performances in a spirited and respectful contest. For Gold, this was a display of significant growth: improved fielding, disciplined bowling, and a much more confident batting effort across the board.

The match showed that the Gold team is learning quickly, growing stronger each week, and laying the foundation for what promises to be a successful and enjoyable season ahead.

U13 White: LWCC (3-115) def. (8-114)

Against some familiar faces of Concord Briars Maroon - and with coach Adrian overseas - coaches Chris & Bill took the reigns, which felt like riding a bike. Concord won the toss and elected to bat first on a freshly-mown and "faster" Greenlees.

Leichhardt's bowling innings was tight and the fielding effective, ably supported by our 10-year-old fill ins Oscar & Emmett, the latter who took the gloves for ~25 overs before an unfortunate blow to the groin took him out of action (and to add insult to injury, came off his brother's bowling). Wickets went to quicks James A (2), Oliver (1), Archer (1) and Kurtis (1), with tidy spells by Eamon and Oscar, plus spinners Jacob & James L, who claimed three superb wickets to claim best figures of the day. The catching was also very tidy, with a sharp chance from Archer at point and an outstretched pair of hands from Kurtis in the deep, keeping Concord to 115 runs all out. Though, at 7-65, Briars put on 49 for the last wicket, to give them a respectable score, which on Greenlees is always a challenging chase!

Kurtis (15 off 30) looked solid as opener, though Concord claimed the early wicket of Jacob. James L looked promising before falling caught behind. But the next pairing of James A (26 off 28 - a PB!) and Archer (27* off 30) set up the win for LWCC, with some excellent pull shots on display from James A and some classy leg flicks and bruising drives from Archer. Oliver and Oscar finished off the job, with Oscar hitting the winning run (we could tell by his father's shriek of joy from under the trees). Nice to get on the board for season 25/26 before next week's derby at Callan. You're welcome Adrian ;)

U13 Black: LWCC (5-168) def. by Sydney Coastal CC (7-169)

This was a high scoring and entertaining game which was played in great spirits by both teams. Winning the toss and electing to bat the U13 Black got off to a great start thanks to a solid opening stand between Harry and Zach who put on 44. The innings saw Ari (with a team high 33), Eamon (19), Lachie (13) and Will (2) all remain not out. Reaching 5-168 in a great all round batting performance.

We started well with the ball with tight bowling and regular wickets falling - highlighted by two wickets each from Eamon and Flynn - but ultimately we fell one wicket short, with two retiring batsmen returning to put on 59 for the last wicket, to get their side across the line with a few overs to spare.

A couple of call outs in the field including g a screamer of a catch at cover from Bradley and an outfield run-out from Alfie.

Unlucky loss this week but a great team performance.

Seniors - LWCC B Grade (6-289) def. Catholic Cricket Club - Papal Bulls (3-288)

Our B Grade team this week had an incredible performance, chasing down a total of 288 in less than 35 overs! We have a new first this week - our first AI-generated match report provided by the B's.

Innings Flow

• Powerplay (Overs 1–6): Harry took control with clean hitting after an early wicket; LWCC reached ~60/1.

• Middle Overs (7–20): Steady partnerships between Harry, Dave, and Carlos consolidated the innings to around 150/3.

• Final 10 Overs: Himanish, Ricki, and Aiden launched an aggressive assault — 100+ runs came in the last 10 overs at nearly 10 RPO.

Boundary Summary

• Total 4s: ≈ 30

• Total 6s: ≈ 9

• Runs from Boundaries: ~165 (64% of total)

Team Highlights

🏅 Top Scorer: Harry – 84 off 55 (10×4, 3×6)

🔥 Finisher: Himanish – 47 off 32 (5×4, 2×6)

⚡ Aggressors: Ricki (38 off 25) and Aiden (23 off 16) added rapid runs in the back end.

💪 Strong Finish: LWCC scored over 100 runs in the final 10 overs, turning a solid total into a match-winning one.

Seniors - LWCC D Grade: LWCC (8-139) def. by Ashfield CC (4-142)

Good fight was shown from D grade last weekend. Lucas still hasn’t lost a toss this year and chose to bat first. D's batted pretty deep on Saturday and it showed, reaching their highest total of the year. There were contributions all the way through the order with the leading run scorers being Brendan (24), Harry and Lucas (22 each). D's set Ashfield 139 to win on a pretty quick outfield.

It wasn’t the best day out in the field, with a couple drops and a few basics going astray from everyone. They showed some good fight though with some tight bowling and a lift of intensity in the later overs but after some good hitting by the Ashfield keeper, they reached our total in 22nd over.

D grade has shown some great improvement with the bat the last couple weeks and if they can put it all together this weekend, they’ll be a great chance of winning their first game and staying off the bottom of the table.

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For all coaches & managers, we would love to receive highlights and brief match reports after your matches, which we will publish in the weekly newsletter and on our News page. (Please submit these by Monday night each week). We'd love to hear from all teams! We're particularly keen on hearing about special achievements, whether it's a standout performance, acts of sportsmanship or general good stories about your games of cricket!

The Honour Roll will also be celebrated for the season for individual achievements. This year, we have changed our requirement for junior bowlers to 4+ wickets in an innings (instead of 5+ wickets for last season). This is to reflect the more limited overs junior bowlers can bowl, plus the lower number of wickets available (in S2 & S3 formats).

• 50+ runs in an innings with the bat

• 4+ wickets in an innings with the ball, or a hat trick

• 3+ dismissals in the field: any combination of catches, run outs or stumpings

Please send details to us at leichhardtcricket@gmail.com highlighting any individual achievements that meet this criteria!

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We are Leichhardt Wanderers Through and Through!