Week 3 – ‘The Opening Spell’

First ball – Picking up where you left off!

Women’s NSW Premier Cricket First-Grade Player of the Year last season, Grace Dignam, has commenced the 2023-24 season in damaging fashion scoring 84 runs (71 balls) to propel her Northern District side to a season opening victory over Bankstown. Similarly, Sydney Cricket Club’s Eva Ragg top-scored (56) in her first, first-grade outing of the season to help set a match-winning total against the St George-Sutherland. Ragg’s spectacular start to the new season marks her first premier-cricket appearance at Drummoyne Oval since notching a grand-final century to claim the 2022-23 second-grade premiership for Sydney.

_{Cover photo: Eva Ragg in the runs for Sydney // Jazz Chalouhi}

Second ball – Flawless victory!

Manly Warringah’s women’s second-grade side had a weekend to remember against the Ghosts. After winning the toss and opting to bat, openers Elizabeth Cambridge (77*) and Hannah Moss (55*) put on an unbeaten 162-run stand in their allotted 20 overs. Lara Hughes (3-8), Erica Sharma (3-14) and Cambridge (1-8) then split the opposition’s batting line-up with the ball to claim a 115-run win.

Third ball – The usual suspects!

These cricketers have made multiple appearances in ‘The Opening Spell’, and will most likely go on to make many more:

• Bankstown’s first-grade captain Dan Solway put together an unbeaten 137-run innings (152 balls) to guide the Bulldogs to a 2-wicket win over Fairfield-Liverpool. It has been a strong start to the season for the reigning O’Reilly Medallist; his five innings have produced 289 runs (20, 39*, 28, 65*, 137*) at an average of 144.50.
• Joel Foster opened for Manly-Warringah and scored his fourth century, 125 runs (146 balls) carrying his bat throughout the innings of 7-253.

_{Joel Foster raises the bat  // Adam Cavenor}

• Easts Dolphins’ Angus Robson collected his 13^thcentury, 102 not out from 113 balls. In at 1-51, chasing Gordon’s 223, Robson launched 4, 4, 6, 6 off the first four balls of the 48^th over to reach his century and take Eastern Suburbs score to 3-225 and victory. His century took him past 6000 first-grade runs, to 6007 at 36.85.
• Blake Macdonald scored 114 runs (118 balls) for St George in an 83-run win over Mosman. Macdonald’s century was his seventh in first-grade. His five innings this season have produced 340 runs at 68.00 (73, 83, 66, 4, 114).
• Blacktown’s Eknoor Singh became the first player to score two centuries this season when he added 103 not out (119 balls) against Sydney, to the one he scored last weekend.
• Tyran Liddiard opened for Penrith against Hawkesbury and scored his sixth first-grade century, adding 122 runs (129 balls) of his team’s 6-268. Liddiard also held onto four catches behind the stumps.
• Randwick Petersham’s Daniel Sams blazed an unbeaten 130 run innings (89 balls) to lead his side to a 2-wicket victory over Campbelltown Camden.

_{Daniel Sams put on a hitting display for Randwick Petersham // Peter Bannigan}

Fourth ball – And still!

St George-Sutherland Slayers’ third-grade captain Stephanie Gillet (50*) and Mikayla Kolbe (50*) led their side to a 43-run win over Parramatta. This is a reminder that this squad completed the entire 2022-23 premier cricket season undefeated. Could they do it again!?

Fifth ball – Welcome to the club!

Brodie McDowell smashed a superb 132 (not out) on his club debut for Manly Warringah, in their fifth-grade clash against UTS. McDowell’s explosive knock takes the Waratahs to the top of the fifth-grade ladder.

Sixth ball – Seeing off the new ball!

UTS North Sydney’s third-grade opening pair of Emily Aitken (60*) and Anushka Dongre (50*) got the Bears off to a flying start against Bankstown. The pair put on a 100-run partnership in a 51-run win over Bankstown. Similarly, Neha Joshua and Vani Bhadana combined for a 106-run opening stand to lead the Parramatta Brewers to a 9-wicket win over Penrith.

Second Over

First ball – Match-winning innings! [Second-Grade Edition]

• Penrith’s Chris de Kretser raised the willow after scoring 113 (118 balls) in a 116-run victory over Hawkesbury.
• Jack Hardwicke-Owen reached triple-figures (104 runs) as his UNSW Bees overcame a Western Suburbs XI.
• Louis Bhabra carried his bat for a fantastic 102* run innings that helped his Gordon side defeat Easts Dolphins in a final over thriller.
• St George middle-order batter Jack Hartigan notched 101 runs (97 balls) in a successful run chase against Mosman. Special mention to Mosman’s Alexander Lee-Young, who also scored 101 runs (131 balls).
• Campbelltown Camden opener Andrew Salian (100 runs) reached his century in a winning run chase against Randwick Petersham.

Second ball –  Kavuri grabs seven to tame Lions!

Chasing 210 for victory, Fairfield-Liverpool opening batter Matthew Smith blasted 101 runs from 52 deliveries, before being dismissed by Bankstown’s CSP Praneel Kavuri. Kavuri would go on to finish the fixture with spectacular figures of 7-46, restricting the Lions to 173 all out.

Third ball – Captain fantastic!

St George-Sutherland Brewer Shield captain Lucia Martin put on an unbeaten innings of 69 runs from 61 balls, including six 4s and one 6, to lead her side to a round one win over defending premiers, Sydney.

Fourth ball – First of many!

Frankie Nicklin has hit the first half-century for the newly formed Sydney University women’s cricket program. Nicklin, who last year earned her NSW Breakers debut, struck 65 runs from just 33 deliveries against Manly Warringah. Nicklin’s efforts would not be enough as Manly emerged victorious by 42 runs.

_{Frankie Nicklin in Sydney University colours // Taylor Ling}

Fifth ball – Wickets up, average down!

• Randwick Petersham’s Jackson Dodd finished with figures of 6-17 in a 7-wicket win over Campbelltown Camden over the weekend. This performance puts Dodd in second place on the overall wickets tally for fourth-grade with 7 wickets, and even more impressively, brings his average to 4.29!
• Parramatta’s Aryan Kumar jumped to first place on the overall wickets tally for fifth-grade after collecting figures of 6-28 in a win over Sutherland. Kumar has 9 wickets in two games and holds an astounding average of 6.89.

_{Jackson Dodd celebrated a 6fa against the Ghosts // Pic supplied by Randwick Petersham}

Sixth ball – Emerging talents!

Just months after earning a NSW Breakers contract for 2023-24, and putting pen to paper with the Sydney Thunder for WBBL|09, Manly Warringah’s marquee signing Ebony Hoskin has experienced a stellar start to life as a Waratah. Hoskin grabbed figures of 3-4 from four overs in a win over Sydney University. Nayana Sony Thaikkoottathil achieved the same feat for Campbelltown Camden, taking 3-4 in a 53-run win over Blacktown in the Brewer Shield.

Extras – Lauren Cheatle, representing Campbelltown-Camden, snared a hat-trick in her side's 17-run win over Gordon. Cheatle finished with figures of 3-18 from four overs.