Week 11 – ‘The Opening Spell’

_{Cover image: Lucia Martin in action for St George-Sutherland // @photographybyjez}

First ball – Zero to hero!

St George-Sutherland Brewer Shield captain, Lucia Martin, was dismissed for a second-ball duck against Gordon at Killara Park. Her side would set a seemingly surmountable 85-run target for the Deers.

However, Martin did not accept defeat, rather producing an all-time captain’s spell, taking seven wickets to limit her opponents to 78 all-out. St George-Sutherland sit in third position on the competition ladder following their weekend win.

Second ball – Suns out, runs out!

The following McDonald’s women’s premier cricket first-graders found form with the willow on a sunny Sunday in Sydney:

• Jodie Hicks (Sydney CC) notched 98 runs from 116 balls, whilst young gun Emily Powell added 53 (from 75 balls), though their side would fall to a solid Manly Warringah outfit.
• On the topic of Manly Warringah, Lauren Kua (74 runs) and Shivani Mehta (53 runs) led the charge for the Tahs in their win over Sydney.
• Rhiannon Dick opened and scored 70 (from 96 balls) for St George-Sutherland in a top-of-the-table clash against Northern District. However, the Rangers would hang on to win by 12 runs.
• Samira Mitchell continued to score runs for Gordon, accumulating 52 (from 50 balls) against Penrith, but the defending premiers proved too strong, chasing the Deers’ target with a wicket to spare.

Third ball – That’s how it’s done!

Hawkesbury head coach, Greg Hunt, opened the batting in the club’s second-grade fixture against the Dolphins at Waverly Oval. Hunt contributed 107 runs from 135 deliveries, propelling his Hawks to a second-grade win away from home. I’ll take a lesson thanks.

Fourth ball – Compare the pair: Same match, same figures, different results!

Bankstown won the toss and opted to bowl in their third-grade clash against Blacktown at Kelso Park North.

Bankstown's Anthony Melnyk snared figures of 5-29 to limit Blacktown to 148 all-out.

Blacktown skipper Pratulya Kashyap would also take 5-29, though Kashyap’s team would bring an end to the Bulldog’s chase 22 runs shy of their target.

Fifth ball – Brewer Shield brilliance!

• Greater Hunter Coast Brewer Shield star, Caoimhe Bray, led the scoring for her side with 88 runs from 65 deliveries, before also taking her team’s best figures (3-3) whilst additionally holding on to four catches… three as wicket-keeper. My goodness!
• Sydney Brewer Shield talent, Olivia Pelly, notched 89 runs from 87 balls before claiming figures of 3-4 and holding on to a catch. Wow!

 Sixth ball – Worse ways to spend a Saturday in second-grade!

• Campbelltown Camden’s Adam Whatley scored 131 runs to push his squad over the line against Penrith on Saturday, and resultingly, one spot above the Panthers on the competition ladder.
• Sydney University’s Andrew Hazard bombed eight 6s and three 4s in a 51-run win against St George at Hurstville Oval. The Students would also leapfrog their opponents on the table.

 Second Over

First ball – Super signings!

• • Cameron Steel, a 28-year-old from English county club, Surrey, took 5-28 to see the Dolphins home to a 35-run first-grade win over Hawkesbury away from home.
  • Alex Ross, who was picked up by Randwick Petersham for the 23-24 season, scored 110 runs (off 169 balls) in a 101-run first-grade triumph over Parramatta at Coogee Oval.
  • Will Salzmann, who turned 20-years-old last week and joined Sydney University this season, scored 136 runs (from 201 balls) in a narrow loss to St George at University Oval over the weekend. It was Salzmann’s first, first-grade century.

Second ball – It’s no surprise they’re undefeated!

• Parramatta’s third-grade team have seven wins and zero losses in this season’s campaign! It probably shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise when your opening batter hits 20 boundaries in a single limited-overs innings. Gabriel Joseph, who comes in at the top of the order for Parramatta, struck 13 4s and seven 6s on his way to 150 runs in a 27-run win over Randwick Petersham.
  
  
• Manly Warringah’s fifth-grade side have also marched to 7-0 for the season after a 3-wicket victory against Fairfield-Liverpool. Julian Osbourne starred for the hosts, taking 7-34!

Third ball – Talent of tomorrow, on show today!

The Brewer Shield is a leading competition for emerging female cricketing talent in NSW. These are some of the players leading the way:

• Caoimhe Bray (88), Molly Dare (55), Jazlyn Dennis (50) & Zara Dennis (50) guided Greater Hunter Coast to a 370-run total in a win against Sydney University.
• Nadia Carvalho claimed figures of 5-53 for Sydney University against Greater Hunter Coast.
• Aditi Shidore (87) and Aimee Bishop (62) topped the scoring for Campbelltown Camden against Parramatta, though Two-Blues’ representative, Aarna Patel, ran up a 79-run innings to secure the win and the competition points.
• Northern District’s Makenzie Wheeler raced to 62 runs (from 48 balls) in a 5-wicket win against Bankstown.

Fourth ball – Gunisha grabs a 5fa!

Penrith Cricket Club celebrated a second-grade win against Sydney University at Marrickville Oval after Gunisha Garg grabbed incredible figures of 5-12 from eight overs!

Fifth ball – Safe hands Sams!

Randwick Petersham first-grade wicket-keeper, Anthony Sams, held on to six catches in his sides’ dominant win over Parramatta at Coogee Oval. Five of Sams’ six catches came off the bowling of fast bowler Connor O’Riordan. Sams also holds the Randwick Petersham club record for dismissals with 489.

Sixth ball – Stand out centurion!

UTS North Sydney’s Christopher Lloyd scored the only fifth-grade century of the weekend, thumping 101 crucial runs against Gordon, to secure a 10-run victory.