Wanderers Cricket - Round 9 Wrap

December 13th / 14th, 2025.

We've officially reached the half-way point of the 2025/26 season, which also marks the end of club matches for 2025! We hope everyone is enjoying their cricket and looking forward to returning in 2026. Of course, everyone deserves a much needed break, which is a great opportunity to refresh for the second half of the cricket season (particularly for parents and coaches, let alone our players!). Put your feet up and settle in for the Ashes; with the third test commencing in Adelaide today, could the series be decided this week?

For our final edition of 2025, we have a bumper issue of our weekly newsletter - a junior cricket extravaganza! There are tonnes of match reports, a huge list of performances to highlight (including plenty of new Honour Roll entries) and fantastic photos from across our club! Enjoy!

On another note, in recent times, there have been some significant challenges for the community to face. We at Leichhardt Wanderers are thinking of our cricketing community families at this time.

We hope that everyone at our club and in our community has a safe and happy holiday period with family and friends. Look after one another, be kind. Happy holidays and look forwarding to seeing you all in 2026!

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Congratulations to our Leichhardt Wanderers who will be playing in the AW Green Shield competition!

(The competition started on Tuesday 16th December and runs across the summer holidays).

Sydney’s 20 NSW Premier Cricket clubs enter U16 teams into this prestigious competition, which is the toughest age-based cricket tournament in Australia and a pathway for young players to enter the grade cricket system.

It’s a strong year for LWCC with 9 current and former players in the competition:

• Bede Russell – Randwick Petersham

• Adam Blasi – Randwick Petersham

• Vincent Gardiner – Sydney Cricket Club

• Christian Paipetis – Sydney Cricket Club

• Kabir Sharma – Sydney Cricket Club

• Oliver Lista – Sydney University

• Henry Wakeling – Sydney University

• Gus Cassim – UNSW

• Gus Blackley – UNSW

All the best to our Wanderers as they test their skills and take on the contest!

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Around The Grounds: Highlights & Match Reports

Performance of the Round

Eamon Russell (U17 Black) - Eamon, an U13 player, stepped up for U17 Black at Snape Park on Sunday afternoon. In Eamon’s first game on turf he opened the bowling, taking 4-20 of his six overs, and causing a run-out, seeing the team get a comfortable win. Beware of the youngster! Honour Roll

Highlights

• Evelina Sidey (U11 Girls Black) - 20 (off 24), 3x fours; 1 for 20 (off 4)

• Emily Moore (U13 Girls) - 23* (off 43), 3x fours; 1 for 7 (off 3)

• Elizabeth Coughlin (S3 Girls) - 41 (off 25), 6x fours, 1x six; 1x catch

• Cate Timpany (S3 Girls) - 26* (off 22), 3x fours; 1 for 15 (off 2)

• Luca Houston (U10 Black) - 3 for 12 (off 4)

• Jake Woolsey (U10 Black) - 1x catch, 2x run-outs Honour Roll

• Ryan Petkovich (U10 White) - 4 for 6 (off 3); 2x catches Honour Roll

• Reuben Garber (U10 White) - 3 for 7 (off 3); 1x run-out

• Finn Gadsby (U11 White) - 3 for 16 (off 4)

• Jordan Mayes (U12 Red) - 39 (off 45), 4x fours; 2x catches

• Patrick Thornton (U13 Gold) - 41* (off 53), 6x fours; 2 for 10 (off 4)

• Zavier Rodrigues (U13 Gold) - 3 for 23 (off 5); 1x catch

• Ted Fitzpatrick (U13 Red) - 50* (off 54), 7x fours; 2 for 28 (off 4) Honour Roll

• Morello Mayes (U13 Red) - 3 for 19 (off 5)

• Oliver Stoddart (U13 Black) - 3 for 15 (off 4); 27* (off 28), 5x fours

• Xavier Rohanek (U15 Black) - 52* (off 25), 10x fours Honour Roll

• Conor Truong (U15 Black) - 37 (off 21), 5x fours, 2x sixes

• Bede Russell (U17 Black) - 67 (off 44), 9x fours, 3x sixes Honour Roll

• Gus Cassim (U17 Black) - 50* (off 36), 3x fours; 1x catch Honour Roll

• Frazer Tapia (U17 Black) - 50* (off 52), 5x fours; 1x catch Honour Roll

• Hugo Hood (U17 White) - 3 for 35 (off 5)

• Gus Cassim (U17 White) - 52* (off 52), 8x fours; 2 for 27 (off 4.5); 3x catches Double Honour Roll

• Frazer Tapia (U17 White) - 46* (off 60), 5x fours

• Nik Warmerdam (D-Grade) - 61 runs Honour Roll

• Joseph Neely (B-Grade) - 3 for 28 (off 5)

• Nikhil Senaratna (B-Grade) - 48 (off 59), 5x fours

U17 Black's triple fifties!

Match Reports

U11 Girls Red - LWCC (91) def. by Summer Hill CC Gold (99)

Some great results in a competitive league saw the U11 Girls Reds finish mid-table and tee up a finals round game against Summer Hill Golds. Summer Hill won the toss and elected to bat with their best two players opening up. Our girls started strongly in the field with Nellie and Adelaide combining for a run-out in the first over. The batters then settled in with a few boundaries. However, as soon as their top two had finished our bowlers turned the screw with some tight overs from Charlotte and Imogen in particular and Coco’s best spell of the year. We were incredibly unlucky not to snare some more wickets with plenty of balls bouncing just over the stumps and a couple of catches falling just short. Some excellent fielding showed just how much the girls have progressed this season, with two more sharp run outs from Nellie and Imogen. Summer hill ended up posting a competitive but gettable 79 off the bat.

Our reply started strongly with Nellie and Lexi combining well. The running between the wickets showed again how much the team has progressed this season. Lexi hit a cracking boundary, as did Alice when she came in. Again, though, it was the same two players from Summer Hill who had hurt us earlier with the bat again doing the damage with the ball, and we lost a couple too many wickets in the middle overs. The game was still alive in the last couple and Adelaide took it close, with support from Susie and we managed 83 off the bat. However, it was those couple of extra wickets that cost us, or the couple that we had just missed bouncing over the stumps earlier! With the wickets added to the totals we had just fallen short by 8 runs.

Big shout out to all the girls, having played fair and hard this spring. But particularly to those new to the club: Coco, Alice, Nellie, Lexi, Lyla and Imogen. Bring on the summer season!

U13 Girls - LWCC (4-78) def. by Carss Park Royals (3-79)

The U13 girls played their final against Carss Park at their picturesque oval by the water. It was a nice cool afternoon with a gentle sea breeze.

Emily won the toss and batted. Carss Park bowled an impeccable line and length, but Emily (23 not out), Sofia (13 not out) and Mihrimah (15) made sure we posted a competitive 78 runs, given the very thick and slow outfield.

Our girls bowled some good balls with Karthika and Emily taking early wickets. Hannah and Juno bowled their best overs of the season. But we gave away too many sundries and Carss Park limped over the line with 2 overs to go.

Our girls showed great improvement over the first half of season and have come together as a great bunch of kids and parents. Our new kids - Hannah and Lara - have added to our cricket community and we are looking forward to the “summer” season after Christmas.

Stage 3 Girls - LWCC (8-145) def. by Easts Narwahls (5-172)

Our match was 5th (Easts) vs. 6th (LWCC) in the Stage 3 Girls Sixers finals series. And what a game it was.

We welcomed Elizabeth to the team for the game, and what a difference she made. We won the toss and sent Easts in to bat. Bowling was tight, Ava with 2-11 (2) and Cate with 1-15 (2), and a great wicket by Harper with 1-14 (2). Elizabeth took a great catch (and had figures of 0-17 from 2 overs), Moo was tight with 0-8 (2) and Connie executed a super run-out, but we couldn’t get rid of their best batter who posted 65* (48). Moo and Bella were solid behind the stumps too.

Regardless of their high total, we were confident and we got off to a great start, Aditi hitting a cracking 4 for her 4 runs (3) before hitting a great shot right to a fielder. Cate was in form with the bat, scoring an excellent 26* (22) and stealing a number of sneaky singles. Elizabeth was great with the ball, and magnificent with the bat, scoring 41 (25) and smashing an amazing 6. Bella scored a superb 22 (26), Connie with 7* (15) and Suki impressed with her 6 (16). Sofia’s time at the crease was short-lived but she snagged a single for the team before holing out in the deep.

In the end we came close with our highest score of the season (perhaps ever for us?) - an achievement in itself. The team were also passionate, positive, supportive and had fun, the same way they have been all season. It was a great way to end the year. Thanks to all the parents for supporting, assisting at training and the warm-ups, with scoring and umpiring. Big thanks to coach Ben for his guidance, patience and good humour.

Well done team - have a wonderful break and we look forward to seeing you back in February! Thank you for enjoying the game of cricket and taking us along for the ride with you.

U8 Derby - LWCC Black def. LWCC White

Black

What a game of cricket this weekend. Wanderers Black took on Wanderers White in what was easily our toughest match of the season so far.

The Whites are a very strong side with some real talent across the team. They were well organised & competitive. From the first over it was clear this wasn’t going to be an easy outing, and the boys had to work hard if they wanted the win.

Credit to our Black team for backing each other and continuing to play under pressure. While we were fortunate to come away with the win, this game also gave us plenty to learn from and areas to keep improving as the season progresses.

A big thank you to Wanderers White for such a great contest. Games like this are exactly what help all the kids develop and grow their skills and confidence.

With that result, Wanderers Black remain undefeated for the season. Very proud of the effort, teamwork, and attitude shown by the group.

U9 White - LWCC (58) def. by Concord Briars Black (68)

Wanderers were pleased to return to the familiar territory of Jessie Stewart reserve for the second weekend in a row for the much awaited clash with Briars Black. The team was pumped and ready for the last game before the long Xmas break.

Eoghan won the toss, and elected to have a bowl. Asher had come in fresh after a week’s holiday, and was handed a brand new cherry to open the bowling. He made an immediate impact, knocking over off stump with the third ball of the day, and finishing with 1-5 from his two overs. It was a sign of things to come for Wanderers with, all the bowlers sending down some terrific deliveries. There were very few wides, and it is just awesome to see the improvement from our early games.

Rauiri, Eoghan, and Archie all attacked the stumps with almost all their deliveries, before Conor eventually snared Wanderers second wicket with the first ball of his second over. Sensational! A special mention to Benji, who’s was super-accurate and quick, and Tilly, who’s second over of the day was great.

Wanderers had restricted Briars to 2-48. It was a total Wanderers knew would be a challenge given the larger field we were playing on, and the lush outfield. Boundaries would be tough to come by. Could they do it?

For Wanderers, their batting lineup featured three pairs of siblings. It was Benji and Asher to open the innings. They batted superbly well, with Benji and Asher both having to face the quickest bowler we have seen all year (wow...), and both boys played him very well.

Eoghan and Rauri were next to the crease and they did not disappoint. Eoghan hit two brilliant hook shots along the ground for four to get Wanderers into the game. It was very cool to watch…. Rauiri had some high bouncing deliveries to contend with and he did very well, and in the end the brothers had compiled a 16 run partnership.

It was then Tilly and Freddy’s turn to face the fierce Briars attack. They did well, and their innings included some great running between the wickets. Archie and Conor then braced themselves for the return of Briar’s best bowler, with Archie kindly offering Conor the opportunity to face the first ball. Both boys batted so well, with Conor playing his trademark leg glance, and Archie defending some genuine heat with class, before playing a few shots…. they managed to share a nice 0-13 run partnership of the final overs.

In the end the teams had scored an identical 48 runs, but the additional wickets that Briars had taken were too much for Wanderers. This game was super close, and another boundary or two would have gotten the kids from Blackmore over the line. What a great game this was, and we look forward to the re-match after the break next year.

Wishing all the players a Merry Christmas, and I hope Santa brings you all plenty of runs in the new year! Take care all.

U9 Red - LWCC (120) def. Concord Briars Blue (42)

The Leichhardt Wanderers U9 Red had another very impressive home win today against Concord Briars U9 BLUE with the early 8am start game at Blackmore Oval.

With a heavy dew on the outfield slowing up the ball pre-game we were hoping to win the toss and field first with the idea of a fast drying outfield would help the second innings batting when it came to boundaries. As luck would have it we lost the toss, but we were asked to field, primarily because the Briars were still a few players short at the start of play.

We started the game with Ollie conceding only 1 run from his first over, once again steaming in with some serious pace to surprise the opposition batters. It didn’t get any easier in the second over for Briars, with Drew also coming in at pace and also only conceding a run from his first over. Teddy was next up, and he took the Wanderers first wicket and conceded only 2 from his first over. Hudson was next up and was right on queue from the get go, taking a wicket with his third ball, and ended up with 2 x wickets for 4 runs off his two. Mateo was also on track and conceded only 1 run from his over. Ollie ended with figures of 1 for 7. Bodhi again bowled well for his figures of 0-7. Wanderers did well in the field and restricted Briars to the total of 37 runs only.

It was then the Wanderers turn to bat. Frankie and Mateo opened the batting with Frankie scoring a solid 6 and Mateo 18 off their 10 balls. Man of the match Hudson backed up his impressive 2 wickets and a run out and a solid 22 runs including 3 boundaries. Drew also contributed 7 with the bat before the excellent batting combination of Ollie and Bodhi entered and combined for 42 runs off their 20 balls, with Ollie backing up his excellent bowling with 24 runs and Bodhi 18. Teddy then came in and saw out the rest of the deliveries displaying some fine forward defensive shots to anchor the innings.

This was a fantastic end to the 2025 calendar year with the U9 Red now having a record of 8 wins and only 1 loss from the 9 rounds to date. The boys are having a fantastic time training and playing together with lots of encouragement throughout the games for a great batting shot, fielding, or wicket taken. Everyone is very much looking forward to commencing cricket again at the end of January. Merry XMAS and happy holidays to all!

U10 Red - LWCC (4-117) def. Concord Briars Maroon (97)

It was a terrific way to wrap up the first half of the season for the U10 Red. Captain Will lost the toss and we found ourselves in the field for our final game before the summer break. The Briars started brightly, with some sneaky running of byes putting our fielders under early pressure.

That pressure didn’t last long. Will set the tone with two excellent run outs, and soon after Jack T produced an amazing reflex catch at mid-wicket. Next ball, Krish added his second stumping of the season, placing Jude on a hat-trick. Jude narrowly missed out but still finished with the best figures of the day, 2/11, while Will capped off a very strong opening spell by bowling the batter with the last ball before drinks.

As the day heated up, the bowling effort stayed just as strong. Spencer took a spectacular one-handed diving catch off Lucy’s impressive bowling, while Jack E and Henry were both rewarded with bowled wickets from quality deliveries. Late in the innings, Jack T showed great resilience by bouncing back from a tough dropped chance to effect a smart run out. Heading into the change of innings, we knew our 10 wickets would be a big advantage, but we’d still need to bat well as the Briars’ excellent running between the wickets had resulted in a tough total.

And bat well we did. With the large boundaries making fours hard to come by, the focus was on protecting wickets and running hard. Krish and Lucy worked patiently to keep the new ball out, Jack T struck a beautiful first-ball cover drive for four, and along with Spencer and Jude, kept the scoreboard ticking with clever singles and twos. Will played a captain’s knock, top scoring with 12.

With three overs to go, Jack E joined Henry at the crease, and the message was clear, the only way we could lose was by losing wickets. The batters put the team first, parked their egos, and defended their stumps with real determination. With the help of a few wides, no-balls, and well-run byes, we edged far enough ahead without taking risks. It was a fantastic example of team-first batting.

Player-of-the-Mach was a tough call, but ultimately went to Jude for his near hat-trick, strong bowling, and tireless work in the field.

At the halfway point of the season, the improvement across the entire squad is clear to see, and the team is playing some excellent cricket. We wish everyone a safe, fun Christmas and New Year, and hopefully Santa brings plenty of runs, wickets, and cricket gear!

Well played, team and Merry Christmas!

U12 Gold - LWCC (53) def. by Ryde Hunters Hill Pirates Royals (3-191)

As we reach the last week before Christmas, the question on all of U12 Gold's lips was "Will Santa bring us a win as an early present?".

Unfortunately, some late illness, and some hikes meant we only had 8, but that just meant the glory could be greater...

That said, the holiday atmosphere seems to generate a lack of discipline. We seemed to find trouble finding our line and length, and some of our catching wasn't up to the standards of prior weeks. However, we did have some positives - Hugo bowled with great disciple with 4-1-10-0, Jack took a fine catch off Elliott's bowling, before Jack clattered the stumps in the next over. And Henry took a fantastic caught and bowled to earn his first wicket of the season.

But overall, the target of 191 seemed challenging.

Unfortunately the need to score runs seemed to create a sense of urgency which overrode the basic desire to protect wickets, as the top of the order tried positive shots but these seemed to find fielders' hands. And the Royal's fastest bowler punished any loose defensive shots taking 3 wickets with unplayable pace. Dhilan played his best innings of the year to top score on 17, and Finley played a couple of glorious drives before the fast bowler struck, leaving Curtis not out on 9 (and a foot away from the first 6 of the year!).

So Santa didn't come early, but maybe he's just late this year?

Player of the Match: Dhilan Hira.

U12 White - LWCC (74) def. by Ryde Hunters Hill Pirates Jolly Rogers (7-155)

We came up against another strong, established side and, playing a player short, were tested from the very start. After a fast start from the Jolly Rogers, our team showed great resilience - tightening our bowling, lifting our fielding, and fighting back hard. Although we lost wickets in clusters while batting, the effort and spirit never dropped, and the performance was one we could be proud of. White captain Xander won the toss, called “hills” - and it was hills! We elected to bowl first.

Bowling & Fielding

The match began with the Jolly Rogers dominating early, but our response was outstanding.

Flynn set the tone with an excellent opening over, conceding just 2 runs against their strongest batter.

Sebastian struck with his very first ball, well caught by Owen , leaving them 2-8 after 2 overs. Despite disciplined bowling and sharp fielding, wickets were hard to come by. Two batters retired before Flynn ran out their next batter off Milosh's bowling. At drinks, the Jolly Rogers were 2-87, with three batters retired.

After the break, our bowling and fielding were superb. Just 5 runs conceded across 3 overs by Benji, Owen, and Xander. Lincoln answered the call, bowling a key batter in the 20th over: 3-103. Owen followed with an LBW in the 24th over: 4-128. The final over was full of excitement: a run-out by Sebastian assisted by Flynn; Benji bowled the next batter for a duck; the final batter was run out by Benji, assisted by Owen.

The Jolly Rogers finished 7-155 - a strong total, but one built under real pressure after drinks.

Batting

Milosh and Jack opened the innings, facing exceptional bowling and fielding. Despite Jack’s determined batting, we were 3-10 after 7 overs, losing Milosh, Lincoln , and Benji cheaply. Jack and Owen steadied the innings before Jack retired not out. Flynn joined Owen, and the pair batted through to drinks: 3-53, with momentum building.

Unfortunately, the first ball after drinks saw Flynn dismissed to a brilliant catch: 4-53. Xander joined Owen, focusing on protecting his wicket and keeping Owen on strike. Owen was given out LBW while playing forward (a tough decision), making it 5-56. Sebastian showed great composure batting with Xander until Xander proudly retired not out - his first time this season. Jack returned but was caught and bowled in the 26th over: 6-74. Xander returned but was bowled late in the same over, leaving us 7-74 and out of batters.

Match Highlights

• Flynn Sawers – 25 (21 balls), 5 fours

• Jack Malone – 21 (42 balls), 2 fours

• Lincoln Sawers – 1-7 (4 overs), economy 1.75

• Owen Sharkey – 1-11 (4 overs), economy 2.75

Well done to White for fighting right to the end, and congratulations to the Jolly Rogers on a strong performance. This was our best all-round fielding and bowling effort of the season and bodes extremely well for the second half. I couldn’t be prouder of the way the team competed, supported each other, and never gave up. Wishing all families a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. Go Wanderers!

U12 Red - LWCC (115) def. by Ryde Hunters Hill Pirates Galleons (3-117)

Losing the toss (again) sent into bat. Due to three regulars away or injured we recruited the Jordon and Morello twins to have a dig with the Reds. Great opening stand from Oscar R & Jordon M Before the Div 1 Rep brothers combined to stump Oscar R for 13. Jordon returned from retirement to hit the top score of 39 including four 4s. Emmett H had a handy 23. The Pirates teaming with around 6 or 7 under 12 Rep players were too good for us and restricted the team to 115. Great to see Henry R retire twice and score his highest score of 5*.

Great economical bowling without a wicket from Emmett H and the Mayes boys. John O picked up 2 wickets off 2 overs and Ben S also claimed a wicket. 2 catches to Jordon M and a catch to John O. Special mention to Leo L for a late call up to keep. He had a clean slate with zero byes. The team was very thankful for the twins to help us out this week. It’s been a tough four weeks since our blistering start to the season, but we have grown and have improved our craft. It always amazes me each season, that players come back after 6 or so weeks of holidays that they are taller, faster and better cricketers.

Merry Christmas to the boys and families. Can't wait to see you in late Jan.

U12 Black - LWCC (6-56) def. by Iron Cove Balmain Tigers (6-148)

There was a big improvement from the team today, with easily the best bowling and fielding performance of the year so far. On top of that, the opposition umpire commented that this was the most pleasant day of cricket they have had this season due to the spirit and sportsmanship of the team, so a huge pat on the back to the team and supporters for encouraging a positive environment.

Everyone contributed today.

Captain Rufus (1-29) was rewarded with his first wicket of the season by keeping the batters guessing with his combination of pace and spin and he adjusted his field thoughtfully throughout the day to support the other bowlers and limit the run scoring.

Angus's batting practice is paying off, looking the best he has all year to remain 5 not out, supporting Dilhan at the other end who returned to blistering form with the bat (24 off 27 balls) and ball (1-8 off 4 overs) really keeping us in the game.

It was Louis and Toby's turn to open the batting today and both were a little nervous to face the opening bowlers with the new ball, but they did an excellent job, holding firm and seeing off the opening salvo. Batting success for them today was measured in balls faced, rather than runs scored and both did the job admirably. Cricket always gives you other ways to contribute and Louis took a key wicket in a tidy spell (1-13) and Toby took his first ever catch, holding onto a spectacular one in the outfield.

Noah's keeping was a standout, using whatever part of his body was necessary, including his helmet grill, to stop byes. He was back in the runs with 10 today and took a wicket, assisted by another nice catch from Felix, who now has 3 catches and 2 runouts to his name this year. Felix also hit the shot of the day with a sweet cover drive before shockingly getting out for only the 3rd time this year.

Caleb missed out with the bat today but was awarded the match ball for his spell of fast bowling, taking an incredible 2-8 off 3 overs. He rattled the stumps for both wickets, with the second one hitting the base of middle stump so hard it popped the spring off.

The team heads into the Christmas break with only one win, but lots of personal highlights and achievements and an excellent team spirit. Really looking forward to the season resuming and attempting to convert the effort into a couple of wins.

U13 Derby - LWCC Gold (7-182) def. LWCC Red (118)

Gold

Saturday morning began in challenging circumstances for U13 Gold, with the side losing yet another player to injury, this time through an unexpected bout of appendicitis. Credit must go to the club for its swift support in ensuring the team could still take the field, and special thanks to Leichhardt U13 Red for their generosity in allowing U13 Gold to use two fill in players from the Pirates. It was a gesture that summed up the values of the club and set the tone for a terrific morning of cricket.

Winning the toss, U13 Gold elected to bat and immediately found themselves in a competitive contest against a determined U13 Red outfit. Despite early wickets, Gold kept the scoreboard ticking over consistently, showing patience and intent throughout the innings. Both fill in players, Shawn and Ryan, made valuable contributions with the bat, providing handy knocks that helped build momentum and stability through the middle overs.

A standout batting performance came from Patrick, who produced a powerful and composed innings of 41 not out. The knock was made all the more impressive given Patrick had been battling the flu all week, yet he showed remarkable resilience and focus to anchor the innings. He was superbly supported late by Archer, who produced what can only be described as a career defining innings of 25 not out. Archer batted with confidence and maturity well beyond his years, helping push Gold to a highly competitive total of 7 for 182 from their full 30 overs.

Gold took the field with intent and discipline, and from the outset ensured they had the match under control. Tight bowling, sharp fielding, and excellent energy across the park meant Red were never allowed to build sustained partnerships. The fill in players again played their part, with both Shawn and Ryan contributing wickets to underline their impact on the game.

Special mention must go to Zavier, who led the bowling attack superbly with outstanding figures of 3 for 23 from his five overs. Patrick capped off a remarkable all round afternoon by backing up his batting heroics with exceptional bowling, taking 2 for 10 from four overs. Both performances were pivotal in keeping the pressure firmly on Red throughout the innings.

Captain Kasper led calmly and confidently in his first win as skipper. He claimed a wicket himself and finished with figures of 1 for 23. Another highlight was the debut of U10 Wanderer Rafi for U13 Gold, who was incredible in the field and delivered two super tight overs against a batting line up that included two of his older brothers, a moment that will be remembered fondly.

In the end, U13 Gold secured their first win of the season, but more importantly, the match was played in outstanding spirit. Both Leichhardt teams walked away having played hard, fair cricket and enjoying an excellent afternoon of camaraderie and enjoyment. It was a fitting way to close out the final game before the Christmas break, and a strong reminder of what makes the Wanderers such a special club.

Red

Match report by Ted.

Without Noah’s “inner Marnus” and missing Ollie B, spirits were down. It was a tough game going in and bowling first, but with the sub-in of Morello and Jordan, they made things happen. Special mention to Morello, who got 3 wickets in 1 over and sent his little brother back to the stands for a golden quacker :) Otherwise we were pretty much dismantled by some strong batting from our bros in Gold.

Chasing 182, there were many partnerships, including the Charles (Charles and Charlie), Unlucky for Charles and a great knock to start off the innings from Charlie (13 off 20). Then came the middle order, which was super unfortunate for Leo, with the ball swinging both ways there was really not much you could do. Again, Moe and Joe came in and stuck around for a bit, building a great partnership, before one fell after another. Thank you for coming down and supporting the team and we hope to see you again later this season. Last well done to me ‘no glaze’ for my second 50 of the season, and thanks James for the last man stand.

Congrats to Gold, it was a fun game, in the end.

U13 White - LWCC (54) def. by Concord Briars Maroon (4-55)

Concord won the toss and sent us into bat with eight players including stand-in Harry from the LWCC U13 Black Sunday team – thanks Harry, you did yourself and the team proud.

We faced some accurate seam bowling, but it just wasn’t our day with the bat. Highlights were James A (24 off 27) and a 20-run last-wicket stand from Harry and Eamon who faced 34 and 25 balls, respectively.

The bowling plan was to be straight and attack the stumps. Short spells saw everyone have a go, with Oliver, James L and Kurtis getting a wicket each, and Harry securing an awesome run-out.

We were about 40 runs short of a total that would have let us seriously push for a victory. We’ll need to work on our calling and running, and patience when down a few early wickets, to play to the situation and ensure we see out the overs next time. Stay positive and have a good break – see you in 2026!

U15 White - LWCC (53) def. by Concord Briars White (5-182)

Match report by Anton.

Leichhardt Whites arrived at Edward’s Park ready for a big day of cricket. Unfortunately, we lost the toss and were sent out to bowl first. Hartley and Yoris opened the bowling and did a great job keeping the runs to a minimum early on.

Anton and Darcy bowled the next spell, continuing to apply pressure. In the ninth over, Bowie bowled an amazing delivery to dismiss one of the Briars’ opening batters. The Briars batters found scoring difficult through the middle overs, with tight bowling and sharp fielding keeping them in check. Max R then bowled a terrific ball to break another key partnership.

After a break from injury, Emily returned to bowling and with a bit of extra bounce and a great catch at slip by Max F, we picked up another.

At the death, we saw some good pressure from Jack to stem the flow of boundaries and a bit of extra pace to trap their no.8 LBW in the final over.

When our openers Darcy and Max F came out to bat, we were chasing a total of 182, a huge improvement compared to the 293 we chased the last time we played this team earlier in the season. Max and Darcy put together a solid opening partnership, batting well for the first 12 overs. Unfortunately, after the 15-over break, a very strong Briars bowler came on and claimed four wickets.

In the end, we were unlucky to fall short, but the team played well and made Briars work hard for the win.

U15 Black - LWCC (6-155) def. Concord Briars Black (4-154)

What a fantastic game of cricket! Our opposition - also our mates, always enjoy this fixture.

We lost the toss at our home ground, Callan, and had a bowl first.

LWCC started with an excellent spell of aggressive fast bowling. Xavier (1-21 off 5) snared Sam Miller 0 (2) LBW in the first over for the second time this season. Linus (2-19 off 5) kept it tight at the other end, and handed himself 2 consecutive wickets later in the innings - Ethan and Cooper both bowled - stumps cartwheeling. Linus finished the innings on a hat-trick, what a fantastic feeling that is. We kept our fielding sharp, good attitude and tight throwing. A couple of missed chances, let’s just put it down to end of term weariness. These things happen. There was only one other wicket which went to Conor (1/7 off 2), caught Lachlan. Maiden overs to Austin, Linus and Conor. Our team did quite well to keep the runs down, with nice contributions from every player. Tidy bowling from the team after 30 overs, Concord were 4/154.

We started well with the bat Nevaan, 14* (30), both Barnabas 0 (3) and Ronav 2 (6) unfortunately handed the team some catching practice, but the ship was settled by Lachlan 13* (30) to set the stage for some pretty aggressive batting to come. Xavier, put on his Megatron outfit again and teamed up with Conor to put Concord’s fairly average bowling to the sword. Xavier 52* (25) and Conor 37 (21) brought our team within earshot of victory. Finished up nicely with Austin 5 (4), George 5* (11), Harrison 1 (11), Ryan 2 (7) and Linus 5* (5) to bring about victory in just 25.5 overs.

Well done Leichhardt for defeating your old buddies from Concord which was always played in good spirits. Good energy, and a positive win - thoroughly deserved.

We celebrated together with a lovely BBQ and some bevvies by the beautiful Callan Park foreshore.

U17 White - LWCC (2-202) def. Marrickville CC Ernies (201)

Minor placing finals are strange affairs. Sheep stations aren’t on the line let alone premiership glory and yet they still matter much in the same way that all games matter. Two sides keen for one more chance to make their mark in the annals of cricket history. And so it was we arrived at Snape Oval on an overcast morning for 5 (MCC Ernies) v 6 (LWCC Whites). We (the Whites) were somewhat surprised to make the finals round having finished the regular season with a single win and had to scramble to field a team with several of our regulars away. Fortunately our good friends in the Blacks came to our rescue with both Gus C and Frazer available and Drew also available for his first game of the season meaning we would have a team of ten. This came as somewhat of a relief to the team as last time we played the Ernies we started with 9 players, finished the game with 8 and lost by 124 runs chasing 321.

Like that game we lost the toss and were put into bowl. Nick our captain rallied the troops with “don’t worry I’ve never lost a game as captain” – famous last words? Fifteen year old bravado? Prophecy? Who can say. What does hold true though is catches win matches. Beau and Hugo opened the bowling with Hugo finding the edge only to see a sharp chance go down behind the stumps. It’s moments like these where what happens next is almost more important than what actually happened. And whilst Beau’s radar was off early in his spell he soon started to hit his length and enticed a top edge that went square of the wicket where Declan took a fine catch (1-12). This then saw a flurry of runs with Hunan the MCC opener who’d scored 120 plus against us last time we played starting to up the tempo. But Beau wasn’t done and with a fine piece of bowling removed the number three (2-32). This brought on our change bowlers Nick and Gus. Nick struck first removing the dangerous Hunan LBW (3-43). Gus then produced a fine ball angling into the batsman passing between bat and pad to clip the top of middle stump (4-71) and picked up another wicket just before the drinks break with a sharp catch by Drew (5-95).

After the drinks break the Ernies dug in and wickets became hard to come by as we bowled spin from both ends. And just when it seemed nothing was on Eddie enticed a loose stroke for a fine running catch by Quinlan at long on (6-144). Again the Ernies dug in with runs coming at 5-6 an over when Hugo came back for his final spell to take three wickets. First, he struck with an LBW (7-175) then Declan took a sharp catch off Hugo’s bowling in the Covers region (8-184) and Gus produced one of the best short cover catches seen in these parts to make it 9-184. We wouldn’t be chasing 300+ today. Last ball of the innings saw Gus get his third catch with a sharp caught and bowled. The Ernies all out with 201 runs on the board.

By this stage temperatures were rising and the Whites felt like we were well and truly in the game. Eddie and Beau opened the batting. Eddie looked strong scoring at greater than a run a ball with five fours when he played across a straight one and fell LBW (1-39). This brought Frazer to the crease to join Beau. Beau made it to 23 from 33 when he retired not out and Gus came to join Frazer at the crease. Gus and Frazer then set about a steady run chase putting away the bad balls and respecting the good ones. At the drinks break we were 1-98. After the drinks break Gus and Frazer continued to wear down the Ernies attack with both retiring not out Gus (52 runs off 39) first and then Frazer (46 runs off 60 balls) we had a solid platform and needed a run a ball to win with about 50 runs required. Meaning Quin and Drew were now at the crease.

Quin produced his best innings of the year and with 17 required from the last two overs hit two fours through the offside and a ran a smart single to see us needing 8 runs to win from the last over. Suddenly it felt like there were fielders everywhere. Quin and Drew though were going to run everything. The first two deliveries resulted in singles. The boys had a chat 6 from 4 needed – the plan hit and run. Quin hits the ball sets off on a sharp single and calls “two – two” but was just short to be run out (30 runs off 27 balls). We now needed 5 from 3. In comes Charlie. First ball no run. The equation gets tighter 5 from 2. Charlie swings connects and the boys run 2 runs. One ball remains and three runs needed. The bowler delivers the ball on a fourth stump line and Charlie hits it on the up, the fielders are in close and mid-off has to turn and run for the catch, the ball falls in his hands but does not stick. One run completed, they turn for another and as Drew says “run” the fielder throws to the keeper who misfields and loses control of the ball. Two runs and Drew on seeing the ball is on the ground is running to the keeper’s end. Charlie turns and sets off to the bowler’s end, the keeper has regathered throws to the bowler who fumbles and Charlie and Drew are both safe. Three runs completed – the Whites win by 8 wickets.

A big thank you to Fraser, Gus and Drew for answering the call – we couldn’t have done it without you. A big thank you to the boys for the season – it has been tough but a couple of wins into the break certainly help. Thank you to our LWCC team mates the Blacks for helping out when we have been short it is much appreciated. And finally thank you to the parents who have helped with scoring and supported their boys in playing this wonderful and absurd game. Have a great break all and let’s see what the summer season has to bring for the Whites.

U17 Black - LWCC (4-227) def. Concord Briars Black (9-114)

The U17 Black finished their season in style with a comprehensive win over a team that had beaten us a few weeks previously, to achieve third place in the table. Winning the toss and batting, was a great start on a hot afternoon and the top 4 went about the hard work of scoring runs. James was unlucky to be dismissed just one ball short of retirement, after patiently building a platform for his teammates, but Bede, Frazer and Gus C all achieved 50s. Bede’s big hitting as he approached and exceeded the milestone provided quick useful runs. It was particularly pleasing to see Frazer raise his bat, having played for his team mates all season, with many vital scores in the 30s and 40s. Gus’s unbeaten 50 was his second of the day for the Wanderers, so it is just disappointing that we haven’t found an evening team to allow him to keep on going.

The second innings, however, was all about one player, as captain Bede asked his younger brother Eamon to bowl an opening spell and Eamon set about doing all he could to send players and parents home early. His fine bowling was supported by some excellent outfield and slips fielding from Gus, James and most eye-catchingly, a diving Frazer. Eamon ended up with a four-for, with the value of a five-for, as he also ran out the non-striker with his quick reactions. Although the fielding was excellent, Ben, Lachlan (x2) and James made little use of it, as they cleaned up the rest of the batters by simply hitting the stumps each time.

It is very pleasing to see the Spring season end in this way, with a group of players who didn’t know each other well in October, now operating as a happy and successful team in December.

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We are Leichhardt Wanderers Through and Through!