Week 1 – ‘The Opening Spell'

First ball – Sangha spectacular lights up Raby Sports Complex!

Only days after launching the Sydney Thunder’s 23-24 Big Bash kit range, Jason Sangha has gone and launched the Campbelltown Camden bowling attack into orbit. A special T20 innings of 114 (not out) from 58 deliveries, including 11 fours and 6 sixes, ensured Randwick Petersham began their Kingsgrove Sports T20 Cup campaign without defeat.

_{Cover pic supplied by Randwick Petersham // Peter Bannigan.}

Second ball – Macdonald madness sees Saints march on to 2-and-0!

NSW squad member Blake Macdonald amassed 153 runs from 83 deliveries across two T20 innings over the weekend. Macdonald’s first at-bat would see him add 73 runs (44 balls), including 3 fours and 6 sixes, as St George collected a 35-run win over Sutherland, at Sutherland. His second innings involved 8 fours, 6 sixes and 83 runs (39 balls) and would result in a 53-run victory over Blacktown Mounties.

Third ball – Sundays are for centuries!

Scorers were put to work during the first round of the Poidevin-Gray competition, with six batters reaching triple figures:

• Northern District skipper Lachlan Shaw led the round in runs, reaching 118 from only 70 deliveries. Shaw’s innings included 12 fours and 6 maximums and would see the Rangers chase down a Fairfield-Liverpool total in under 40 overs.
• Ryan Freeman notched an even 100 runs (116 balls) to help his Bankstown side set a 232-run total against Western Suburbs. This would not be enough as Australian U19 representative Harjas Singh plundered 10 fours and 6 sixes on his way to reaching 115 runs (97 balls), setting Wests up to reach the Bulldog’s total in 39 overs.  
• Mosman’s Joe Colgan finished unbeaten on 110 (not out) from 106 deliveries to see his side set an unbeatable total (5/321) against Sydney.
• Ghosts opener Bailey Abela scored 109 (117 balls) in a convincing 154-run win over Blacktown Mounties.
• Zak Keogh’s first innings score of 100 (122 balls) would prove vital to his Randwick Petersham side as they would go on to defeat UNSW by 19 runs.

_{Pic supplied by Randwick Petersham}

Fourth ball – Rivalrous rematch goes the way of the Students!

Last year’s Kingsgrove Sports T20 Cup runners up Sydney University, inflicted revenge on competition rivals and reigning champions Sydney, with a new recruit proving crucial to securing the points. NSW squad member and now Gold and Blue representative Will Salzmann took figures of 3-34 before top scoring with 68 runs (38 balls) to chase down Sydney’s 132-run total.

Fifth ball – Dominating duo!

Fairfield-Liverpool captain Luke Ohrynowsky scored 94 runs from 50 balls (5 sixes, 8 fours), adding 117 for the 4th wicket with Mansukh Singh 44 (not out) from 26 balls to defeat UNSW by 83 runs in their T20 opener. In the Lion’s afternoon fixture, Singh would score 59 (not out) from 39 balls whilst Ohrynowsky collected 46 runs (24 balls) to secure triumph over Sutherland.

Sixth ball – Young guns fire in battle of the beaches!

An innings of 53 runs off 18 balls with 6 sixes and 3 fours from Elijah Eales enabled Mosman to register 9-158 against Manly-Warringah. However, it was not enough. Coming in at 1-4 after his brother Joel fell to the third ball of the Manly innings, Ollie Davies scored 104 (not out) from 62 balls in an explosive outing that included 11 fours and 7 sixes. This was Davies’ seventh first-grade century.

_{Ollie Davies in action. Pic supplied by Ian Bird.}

Second Over

First ball – Special Saturday for Marshall!  

Liam Marshall, playing for Bankstown, took a hat trick with the first three balls of the 18th over, and two more wickets in five balls in the last over to end the Northern District innings at 133. Marshall’s last 11 balls produced figures of 5-5 which by innings end were 6-22. Marshall was the only first-grader to achieve a 5fa in any NSW Premier Cricket T20 fixture over the weekend.

_{Liam Marshall produced a special spell. Pic supplied by David Clifton}

Second ball – Fine, I’ll do it myself!

Chasing 136, Gordon opening batter Axel Cahlin scored 101 runs (66 balls) to secure the win against Hawkesbury. Cahlin smacked two boundaries in the 19th over to reach his milestone and end the T20 encounter.

Third ball – Captain’s knock!

These first-grade T20 skippers led with the willow on the weekend:

• Baxter Holt 74 (45 balls) for Eastern Suburbs v Randwick Petersham. Randwick Petersham would claim a 26-run victory.
• Ryan Mizzi 65 (43 balls) for Hawkesbury v Sydney. Hawkesbury won by 7 wickets.
• Ryan Gibson 59 (39 balls) for Penrith v Eastern Suburbs. Eastern Suburbs claimed a 17-run win.
• Peter Forrest 58 (44 balls) for Mosman v Parramatta. Mosman secured a 9-run victory.  

_{Mosman skipper Peter Forrest. Pic supplied by Ian Bird.}

Fourth ball – Not for lack of trying!

St George Poidevin-Gray cricketer Jack McDonald took figures of 5-52 with ball in hand before tallying 46 runs (57 balls) in his team’s tight loss to Gordon.

Fifth ball – Opening stand!

Randwick Petersham’s opening pair Jack Wood 69 (38) and Anthony Sams 58 (35) produced the perfect start to the new season, sticking together until the tenth over in their T20 win over the Dolphins.

_{Jack Wood was hitting them hard. Pic supplied by Randwick Petersham // Peter Bannigan}

Sixth ball – Dream mates to team mates! Courtesy of Ian Bird

This photo was taken 11 years ago when my brother Jackson Bird lined up for Tasmania in a shield fixture at Bankstown Oval.

Pictured L-R Jack Edwards, Jackson Bird and Ned Hole.

_{Pic supplied by Ian Bird.}

This photo was taken over the weekend when all three lined up for Manly Warringah’s first-grade side in their T20 clash against Mosman at Bankstown Oval.

Pictured L-R Jack Edwards, Jackson Bird and Ned Hole.

_{Pic supplied by Ian Bird.}