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November 9th / 10th, 2024
There is a paradox at the heart of cricket. This complex sport is the ultimate team game. And yet it is also a deeply solo venture. In order for the game to function you need a bowler, a wicket keeper, two umpires, a scorer, nine fielders spread in any number of positions, two sets of stumps, two batters equipped with pads, and a ball made of specific leather with a specific seam pattern woven into the side of it. And yet, the truth is that all of this collective effort fades into the background as the real battle begins: the battle of the mind.
In few sports is your day’s play brought to such a crushing conclusion with a moment’s lapse in concentration. As a batter losing your wicket, the slow surrender from the field is soundtracked by the voices in your head telling you how you should’ve played it differently. Over and over: “that wasn’t the one to hit,” or “you should’ve seen that bowler off and waited for the spinner”.*
*Credit: Gentlemen's Journal
The cricket rolls on this week with plenty of individual and team highlights to celebrate, new additions to our honour roll, as well as dual wins from our seniors teams at Timbrell Park. Howzat??
Around The Grounds: Highlights & Match Reports
Performance of the Round - Elizabeth Coughlin (U15 Girls) wins our performance of the round this week, with an all-round performance: 43* (34) with the bat, followed by 3 catches in the field for the honour roll!
Match Reports
U15 Girls: LWCC (2-104) def. by Concord Briars Gold (4-105)
(Almost) Magnificent Seven
After a struggling to make the required numbers to play a last minute step-in (thank you, Alice) allowed the girls to take to the field against Briars.
The girls put up 104 with Beth Coughlin top scoring with a swashbuckling 43* but the batting plaudits this week go to Isabella Fogarty who scored a personal best of 22 of 27 deliveries including her first 6.
In the field the girls struggled with extras but still took the game to the penultimate over and a fantastic double-wicket maiden by Lila Sayers (with two great catches from Beth) providing a fantastic highlight of an excellent effort against the odds.
U15 Sixers: LWCC Gold (169) def. by Easts Lions (1-172)
The Records Fall but the Win Eludes Us Once Again
The Lions won the toss & sent us into bat at Callan Park on Sunday. Whilst our trusty openers had a day off this week it was our out of form batsmen that stepped up & put on a masterclass of stroke play, communication & encouragement. Both have been in the wilderness with only ducks to their name in our first two games.
Liam Seymour 44 off 31 & Lachlan Shadforth 41 off 52. New to the team Ryan Hewitt posted a solid 26 off 35 & was super energetic in the field. Paddy Quinane joined us for the first time this year due to rep commitments & showed what a class act he is with Bat & Ball. A great influence on the team.
Whilst this was the second week in a row of achieving our highest ever runs total, it was devastatingly not enough again!! Our bowling attack just could not get the breakthrough needed to see off the East Lions top order, who were formidable with the bat.
There are tough lessons to learn from that game but we will take a lot of confidence in our ability to build a competitive total.
U10: LWCC Black (173) def. Iron Cove Tigers (81)
The Juggernaut continues with 4 from 4.
It was great to finally win the toss for the first time of the season. Being Junior Cricket stage 1, the prudent decision is to bowl first, as the attention span of our warriors can drift in the 2nd 20 overs, and it was evident with our boys being extraordinary in the field after sending the opposition into bat. All our bowlers were economical. Well done to Emmett Hudson 3 overs 3 wickets for 12 and Fredrick Werner-Gibbings 4 overs 1 Maiden 3 wickets for 10. But I must take my hat off to Oscar Rawson, 2 overs 1 maiden 3 wickets for 2 without any extras. John O’Connell chipped in with a well-crafted 2 wickets for 13 runs. Master Blaster John O’Connell also top scored with 21 runs including 5 4s. Oscar does apologise for running him out 2 weeks in a row. I have put him on notice. A shoutout to Kiran Chandramouli for 17 runs including 2 4’s.
The most pleasing aspect of our performance has been the backing up of the stumps and the energy in the field. Well done boys for executing what we have trained for. Running between wickets has significantly improved but is still a work in progress.
U13 Girls: LWCC (1-105) def. Easts Sixers (4-101)
Great win for the U13 Girls! Solid bowling performance and much improved fielding kept Easts to a low score, Eva Karakaidos with the best figures of 1/5 (2) including a super caught and bowled! We batted strongly to overtake their total in the 11th over, Cate Timpany top scoring with 21* (12) and Charlotte Williams 19* (12). Well done team!
U12: LWCC Red (8-74) def. by Iron Cove Tigers Bradman (2-75)
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, our boys posted a slightly sub-par target of 8-74.
The aggressive intent shown was great though, with everyone playing shots and trying to move the game along. The highlight was Jordan and Ted's excellent partnership, some lovely shots and energy in running between the wickets. Things were looking pretty good at 3-70 or so at the fifteen over mark. Unfortunately though Iron Cove's opening bowler Jack returned after drinks with a sigma Dayle Steyn-like streak and tore through the rest of the order, sending stumps flying with a series of 'god balls' and bringing our innings to a fairly abrupt end at 74 which was always going to be hard to defend.
The boys turned up though in the field and played with spirit, despite knowing that they had probably been 'cooked' with the bat. The stumps were rattled a couple of times and there was again some excellent keeping from Noah and a couple of close run out chances with good throwing. So all in all vibe is good, parents not unhappy with the earlier close and easily rationalised after seeing pretty much the same game play out between A v Pak later in the day. Look forward to next week.
U12: LWCC Gold (5-135) def. RHH Pirates Buccaneers (8-108)
In a strong display of skill and teamwork, the Leichhardt Wanderers U12 Gold team returned to the winners' circle in their clash against the Pirates U12 Mixed Buccaneers at the scenic Bedlam Park. The match saw a confident performance across all aspects, with each player contributing to an impressive victory.
Batting first, LWCC U12 Gold built a solid total of 135 while losing only 5 wickets across 30 overs, showcasing disciplined batting and a strong intent to preserve wickets. Connor Bubb led the charge with an outstanding 44 runs, retiring not out after hitting 7 fours and a six, setting the tone for a strong innings. The team also saw retired contributions from skipper Will Barratt, who added a reliable 18* runs, along with a valuable 19* from Oscar Green. Jax Lee batted well and contributed a strong 16 runs from his 25 balls.
New team member Zavier Rodrigues made a strong debut, batting, bowling, and fielding with great confidence and skill, fitting in seamlessly with his new teammates.
The Wanderers' bowling and fielding were the sharpest they had been all season, dismissing the Pirates for 108 runs in 24.4 overs. A highlight of the fielding performance were three incredible run-outs, two from Will Barratt and one from Grayson Cranny, showing that the Wanderers were quick on their feet and attentive to every play.
James Day led the bowling charge, claiming two key wickets and creating crucial breakthroughs for his team. His final figures for the day were 2/14. Supporting him were many effective bowling performances. Notables include Will Barratt, Oscar Green and Kasper Arnmark each claiming a wicket. Wanderers' consistent line and length made scoring difficult for the Pirates, who struggled to build momentum under the Wanderers' pressure.
This well-rounded performance was a true team effort, with a strong outstanding debut, disciplined batting, sharp fielding, and effective bowling. Leichhardt Wanderers U12 Gold has set the bar high as they look forward to their next match.
U13: LWCC White (8-52) def. by Concord Briars Black (8-109)
Some tidy bowling and fielding had a good Briars team all out for 109. Led by Harrison and Anton with the new ball, and then James who applied pressure, Eamon secured a double breakthrough. Archer, Darcy and Jack finished them off with two wickets each, well supported by Yoris. Gun bowler Oliver was being saved to bowl the death overs but was only needed for one - a maiden - as the wickets fell quickly. Our catching was a season highlight - 5 from 5 - including an athletic c&b from Archer.
Sadly, our batting didn't match our fielding and bowling effort. Harrison, Archer, Yoris and Jack missed straight ones early in their innings. Eamon and James were unlucky with deflections off wide balls onto the stumps. Darcy and Anton dug deep and gave the innings some hope, but alas the team didn't have enough on the board to get the win this time. Overall a good game with some good moments, played in the right spirit. Onto a LWCC derby next weekend!
U15: LWCC White (4-173) def. by Concord Briars Black (3-191)
The first home game of the season at the picturesque Callan Park didn’t result in a win however saw some great performances and team spirit from U15 White to come within 18 runs of the Briars. The boys bowled nicely under pressure with minimal extras this week.
Our batting innings started with a steady opening partnership from Bede Russell (23) and James Garland (53 retired not out) backed up by Will Berkelmans (44 not out) and Drew Karakaidos (40 not out) who helped drive up the runs to achieve a decent total.
Congratulations to James for scoring the first 50 of the season and also a shout out to Bryn Hall who is doing a great job navigating the fast pace that thunders down the pitch and variety of ball from our bowlers as our newest wicket keeper in the team. Photos are of Callan Park and James after his 50.
U11: LWCC Black (126) def. by Concord Briars Blue (242)
LW U11 Black lost the toss and were given the task of chasing against a very strong Concord Briars Blue. With some great bowling again from Dilhan Clarke (4/13) and Curtis Jenkins (0/9), plus some vastly improved lines and lengths from the rest of the team, the Briars were kept to their lowest score with the bat so far in this competition. Special mention to Caleb Rohanek who put his hands up to a very hard hit ball to prevent a six at deep square. Having bowled too many wides and no balls last week, the LWCC Under 11 Black this time kept it to 12 only from the innings.
In reply Felix Hagen and Dilhan Clarke opened with an unbeaten 36 but from there the flow of wickets could not be stopped. For showing a huge improvement in his game all round, Toby Maher received our match ball. His commitment to work hard on his skills throughout the week is showing, particularly with his ability to bowl more and more legal deliveries and trouble batters. Perhaps the shot of the innings came from Toby’s bat after he ramped the keeper! A great showing from Leichhardt Wanderers U11 Black, despite defeat, we go again next week.
U11 Girls: LWCC (94) def. by RJCC Belles (113)
Under 11 girls travelled to Randwick today and played on a lovely ground with a nice sea breeze. Emily and Mirimah topped the batting with some great shots. All the girls batted and ran aggressively between the wickets. While we bowled without any luck whatsoever, our fielding kept us in the game. In the end, Randwick just snuck home. The game was played with a tremendous spirit on both sides.
D Grade
A remarkable comeback victory for D-Grade against Ashfield yesterday, with contributions all over the park.
We won the toss and elected to bat. We lost a few early wickets, but Andrew D and Jared managed to bat through most of the 1st session, picking up steady runs throughout. On the final ball before drinks, Anthony R broke the cardinal rule and gave Jared out LBW (half-way up the pad, plum in front) for 29 runs, bringing us to 5/64 at drinks.
Andrew (21) followed soon after drinks, walking to a faint edge to the keeper. Our most important partnership of the day, came while we were in a little bit of trouble at 7/84. A lethal combination of one of our most experienced players (Glen, 27 n.o.) and one of our newest (Seb, 12), provided us with some very welcome runs. A quick cameo by Himanshu (11 n.o.) at number 10, left us with a respectable score of 9/143 from 30 overs.
Ashfield's openers came out swinging, making it difficult for our opening bowlers to find their rhythm and for us to restrict the flow of runs. This also provided us with a few catching opportunities which we weren't able to capitalise on. Anthony E (2/29) finally made the breakthrough, picking up 2 well deserved wickets in consecutive overs. Himanshu picked up the other opener a couple of overs before drinks with a sharp catch from James at backward point, but it still felt like an impossible task with Ashfield on 3/99 at drinks. We decided to change tact slightly and brought the field right in to dry up the easy runs. The pressure finally paid off as Pat and Himanshu picked up wickets in the 19th and 20th overs breaking up another dangerous partnership. All of a sudden, the momentum shifted in our favour, despite the opposition still only needing 24 off 60 balls, with 5 still in the sheds. After tireless 6 over spells from Himanshu (2/20) and Pat (1/31), Pramod and Andrew took over, with huge pressure on their shoulders. Both understood the assignment and bowled magnificently, backed up by a squad who put their bodies on the line and didn't give away a single run for free. We tore through the tail end, picking up the last 5 wickets for just 16 runs. Brendan was exceptionally sharp behind the stumps, picking up a couple of freakish catches. Andrew picked up 1/7, and Pramod picked up the best bowling with 3/9 off 4.2 overs, plus a run out!
Shout outs to Josh and Anthony Robinson for quietly going above and beyond, sweeping the pitch before and between innings, as well as setting up and packing down the field. Also, a shout out to the extras, who top scored with 31.
One of the most memorable and enjoyable games to be a part of. Let's roll on and make it 3 from 3 next week! Go Wandies!
Reminder that we would love to receive highlights and brief match reports from coaches and managers after their matches, which we will publish in the weekly newsletter and on our News page here. (Please submit these by Monday each week to leichhardtcricket@gmail.com). 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!
We are Leichhardt Wanderers Through and Through!