Week 2 – ‘The Opening Spell’

First ball – Simmons roars into record books!

Fairfield-Liverpool first-grader Jaydyn Simmons has hit his way into club and competition history, striking 134 (not out) runs from just 66 deliveries against a Blacktown bowling attack at Hurstville Oval. The knock, which included 13 fours and 7 sixes, made Simmons Fairfield-Liverpool’s first ever T20 centurion, and puts him at second on the list of all-time highest individual scores in a NSW premier cricket T20 fixture. Simmons’ total sits just five runs behind James Crosthwaite, who scored 139 (not out) for Manly Warringah against UNSW on November 11, 2016. The Fairfield Liverpool innings finished at 3-246, again second only to the 5-265 UNSW totalled against Eastern Suburbs on November 22, 2020.

_{Jaydyn Simmons was seeing them very well // Pic by Ed Frendo}

Second ball – What’s better than one centurion?

Penrith stormed home to a resounding second-grade win over the Lions thanks to Adam Bayliss’ (122 runs) and Callan Kean’s (104 runs) triple-figure innings. The Panthers duo took their team total from 1-3 to 2-224 as the hosts trounced the visiting Fairfield-Liverpool eleven.

Third ball – One-two punch!

Randwick Petersham’s third-grade side have claimed a 64-run win over Bankstown at Petersham Oval after Joshua Mellick set the hosts up with the bat and Lachlan Skelly brought the points home with the ball. Mellick fired 101 runs from just 87 balls, striking 8 fours and 6 maximums, before Skelly tore through the Bulldog’s middle order to take figures of 5-37.

Fourth ball – Parramatta tail stands tall!

Parramatta’s fifth-grade squad looked to be in trouble at 8-81 against Mosman, with only one batter in the top eight able to reach 20 runs. That is before batter nine, Prapta Das (54* runs), batter ten, Aryan Kumar (17 runs) and the last man in, Connor Culnane (47 runs) rescued the innings, guiding the Two-Blues to 200-all out. Das (2-22), Kumar (3-33) and Culnane (1-42) would then all contribute with the ball to dismiss the Whales for 162 all out.

Fifth ball – Led with the bat, led with the ball!

Shrey Parsania can do it all. The Blacktown Mounties all-rounder put in a shift in his side’s second grade win over UTS, notching a match-leading 107 runs (100 balls) before snaring 3-34, also the best figures of the fixture.

Sixth ball – Milestone men!

• Randwick Petersham first-grade stalwart Anthony Sams broke the club’s T20 batting record during their clash against Penrith. The opening batter overtook Adam Semple’s 1,200 runs record to end the day with 1,292 runs.
• UTS North Sydney captain Nic Bills, playing in his 250^thmatch, took 3-37 against former side Sydney, taking him to 500 first-grade wickets at an average of 21.93.

_{Randwick Petersham's Anthony Sams // Peter Bannigan}

Second Over

First ball – Who hit my car!

• Western Suburbs’ James Psarakis teed off against Eastern Suburbs, slamming 103 runs from just 46 deliveries. Wests won by 82 runs.
• Randwick Petersham’s Jack Wood finished unbeaten on 101* (from 50 balls) after launching the Western Suburbs bowling attack to all areas of, and areas surrounding Coogee Oval. Club officials have stated one of Wood's sixes travelled over a near McDonald's, which would measure at 140 metres! Randwick Petersham reached their target with two overs to spare.
• Blacktown’s Eknoor Singh despatched a Fairfield-Liverpool line-up for 101 runs (64 balls) but as mentioned above, Jaydyn Simmons’ history-making century proved too lethal as Blacktown fell 38 runs shy of their 246-run target.

_{Randwick Petersham's centurion Jack Wood // Peter Bannigan}

Second ball – Decent debut that!

Fifth-grader Kai Croft kicked life in Manly Warringah colours off in style, scoring an unbeaten, match-winning century (120* runs) in a 195-run partnership with teammate Luke Watts (61*). The pair would chase down a Sutherland total with 11 overs to spare.

Third ball – 6fas in fifth-grade!

• Gordon’s David Monaghan put in the best bowling performance of any grade over the weekend, grabbing 6 wickets in 10 overs going at one run an over in a win against Campbelltown Camden.
• Bankstown’s Chris Stefanish finished with figures of 6-43 though his team could not deliver with the bat, falling 50 runs short in their chase.
• Paras Pathania delivered for St George, collecting figures of 6-69 to secure the points against last year’s premiers Northern Districts.

Fourth ball – 5fas in other grades

• Andrew Calvert grabbed 5-24 as his Parramatta second-grade side snatched the win over Mosman.
• Third-grader James Lennox dismissed five Fairfield-Liverpool batters though his efforts would go unrewarded as the Lions snuck home to a 1-wicket win.
• Sam Tomlinson snatched figures of 5-26 but his Manly Warringah Waratahs would fall to Sutherland by 56 runs in their third-grade clash.
• Shivam Vohra finished with figures of 5-28 to see his UTS North Sydney Bears home to a 107-run victory.

Fifth ball – Blake!

If it’s not Macdonald it’s Nikitaras! The St George pair piled on the runs this weekend with Macdonald recording 66 runs (53 balls) in a 23-run win over UNSW in the club’s Saturday fixture, whilst Nikitaras (82* from 50 balls) steered the Saints home to an 8-wicket over Fairfield-Liverpool on Sunday.

Sixth ball – Front foot forward to begin the new season!

• Hugh Cranendonk toppled a Sydney bowling attack, tallying 124 runs for his Easts Dolphins.
• Jake Egan scored an unbeaten, even 100* (114 balls) for the Randwick Petersham second-grade team.
• Matthew Newton tallied 105* (not out) for his third-grade Gordon outfit against Campbelltown Camden.
• Russel Gascoigne raised the bat for a well-earned 101* for Campbelltown Camden’s fifth-grade side against Gordon.