This marks the year's final edition of 'The Opening Spell', as NSW Premier Cricket pauses for the holiday break. NSW Premier Cricket returns on January 13 & 14, 2024.
Week 14 – ‘The Opening Spell’
First ball – No better way to bring in the new year!
St George’s first-grade team concludes the year with an impressive 9-0 record, while Sydney University's third-grade squad are also sitting on a perfect 9-0 season. Parramatta's fifth-grader side wrapped up 2024 with another win to take their season to 10-0.
Second ball – On a hat-trick!
- Sutherland first-grader, Andrew Ritchie, took career best figures of 6-23 against Blacktown at Glenn McGrath Oval on Saturday. Ritchie found himself on a hat-trick on three separate occasions after dismissing Blacktown’s opener, first-drop batter and third-drop batter on their first delivery.
- Western Suburbs first-grader, Muhammad Irfan, also snared six wickets on the weekend. Irfan finished with bowling figures of 6-28 against Bankstown, in a wicked spell that included dismissing Bankstown’s opening batter, first-drop batter and middle-order batter with their first ball faced.
Third ball – Well-earned holiday!
The following third-graders are heading into the holiday break on a high, after scoring match-winning centuries:
- Lucas Robertson (Eastern Suburbs) opened the batting and scored 117 (not out) in a successful run chase against Randwick Petersham.
- Sutherland’s Jared Ball notched 116 runs (138 deliveries) to guide his Sharks to an unsurpassable total against Blacktown.
- Zain Shamsi (Western Suburbs) reached triple figures (100) to propel his team to a win over Bankstown at Blick Oval on Saturday.
Fourth ball – Leaking runs…
Parramatta fifth-grader, Naveen Patil, claimed the wickets of Penrith’s opening four batters, as well as the concluding wicket in his sides’ 133-run victory on Saturday. Patil’s five wicket haul saw him concede just two runs… 5-2!
Fifth ball – Brar goes big, but Stags and Sydney share the spoils!
Gordon’s opening bat, Taj Brar, produced a mammoth 146 run innings in his sides’ run chase against Sydney at Chatswood Oval.
Needing two runs to win from the final delivery, Brar, on 145, was run out chasing a second, meaning the sides shook hands with the scores tied – both teams on 246.
Sixth ball – O’Donnell goes duck hunting!
Western Suburbs were able to dismiss Bankstown for 90 in their third-grade clash on Saturday, largely thanks to Will O’Donnell’s spectacular spell of 7-12.
O’Donnell claimed four batsmen’s wickets before they could trouble the scorers.
Second Over
First ball – There’s something about a lefty! [Sound up]
Sit back and enjoy the best sixes from two destructive first grade innings over the weekend.
St George’s Ed Pollock | 116 runs from 58 balls
Mosman’s Elijah Eales | 71 from 31 balls
Second ball – You bat, I’ll bowl, we’ll win!
That was the plan for two Manly Warringah fifth grade representatives, who combined to dismantle a Campbelltown Camden outfit at Raby Sports Complex on Saturday.
Reuben Kapoor notched a well-made 115 run innings to propel his Waratah’s to 9/295 from their 50 overs, before Raja Ganeshraj wrapped things up with the pill, taking 6-26 from his 10 overs to restrict the Ghosts to 144 all-out.
Third ball – Freeman fires back!
Over in second-grade, Ryan Freeman snared 5-11 for the Ghosts as they chased down Manly Warringah’s total with two wickets to spare.
Fourth ball – Milestone man Sams!
Anthony Sams graced the field for the 300th time in NSW Premier Cricket, as his Randy Petes took on Eastern Suburbs at Waverley Oval.
Sams joined Randwick Petersham in the 2010-11 season and has since achieved:
- Club Championship
- Belvidere Cup
- 2 x One-Day Cups
- 5 x T20 Premierships
Fifth ball – That's a 'Xmas as nan's' spell!
St George’s William Taylor took 5-9 as his side finished 121-run winners over Fairfield-Liverpool in their fourth-grade match at Fairfield Oval.
This is how the dismissals look on the scorecard:
Sixth ball – Dolphwash & Sharkwash!
- Eastern Suburbs have recorded consecutive clean sweep rounds, claiming the win in five out of five fixtures against Randwick Petersham over the weekend!
- Sutherland also remained undefeated across the five grades, triumphing over Blacktown.