Blake Macdonald in action for the Saints // Picture from St George District Cricket Club Facebook
First ball – Back with a BANG!
- St George’s Blake Macdonald struck 182 runs from just 128 deliveries against a host UNSW bowling attack at David Phillips South. Macdonald registered 14 sixes to reach his 10th and highest first-grade ton, and propel the Saints to 10-0 for the season.
- Gordon 1’s skipper, Tym Crawford, made it FOUR centuries in his last FIVE innings with 164 runs (121 balls) against Sydney University at Chatswood Oval. Crawford, who has 892 runs at an average of 59.46, leads the top division of Men’s NSW Premier Cricket in runs-scored throughout the 23-24 campaign.
Second ball – We’ll call it a 5fa!
Bankstown Sports’ Cynthia Coghlan could theoretically lay claim to a five-wicket haul in her sides second-grade victory over Gordon.
Coghlan clinched bowling figures of 4-9 – one bowled, one lbw, two caught – before achieving an unassisted run-out to take her wickets tally for the match to five…
Third ball – Sykes and out!
UTS North Sydney second-grader Ollie Sykes dispatched 138 runs (98 balls) in a winning chase against Easts at Waverley Oval.
Fans in the stands of the Dolphins’ home ground were put on high alert as Sykes sent 10 separate shots into the bleachers before his eventual departure.
Fourth ball – Scoring runs for fun!
Kylie Hocknell, from Sydney Cricket Club’s third-grade side, retired not-out on 30 (21 balls) in a nine-wicket win over Bankstown Sports. Hocknell sits at the top of the third-grade runs chart for season 23-24 with 305 runs.
Following closely behind is Claire Jones, who retired on 31 not out on Saturday, against Hocknell’s Sydney. Jones has 292 runs for the campaign and sits in second place.
Fifth ball – Player of the match is…?
Eastern Suburbs fourth-grade coaches would have had a difficult time awarding ‘Player of the Match’ after the sides 113-run triumph over the Bears.
On the one hand, Matthew Sidhu notched a brilliant century composed of 106 runs including 12 fours.
On the other hand, Mark Morley blasted 95 runs including 8 fours and 7 sixes. Morley would also claim figures of 3-34 with ball in hand.
Who’s your pick?
Sixth ball – Now that’s an opening spell!
Manly’s Michael Counsell ripped through a Bankstown second-grade XI to take figures of 6-22 at Manly Oval on Saturday.
The big quick claimed his maiden five-wicket haul for the season using pace and bounce, as evidenced below:
Second Over
First ball – Unyielding fielding!
Northern District’s women’s second-grade side held opponents, Campbelltown Camden, to a 38-run team total at Raby Sports Complex on Sunday.
Emma-Jayne Howe was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4-8, followed by Eliza Thompson 2-3, Sharon Dass 2-5 and Emily Humphreys 1-5!
The Rangers claimed a 78-run win and sit in second place on the ladder.
Second ball – Seeing them well!
Penrith men’s second-grade captain, Michael Collins, hit a blistering 110 runs (not out) from just 77 deliveries against Sydney, in an innings that included 9 fours and 5 sixes. You would assume Collins was seeing them well based off his strike rate of 142.85.
Northern District’s Daniel Anderson also achieved a century in his sides second-grade clash with Mosman, making 104 runs from 116 deliveries. As none of Anderson’s teammates were able to cross the 25-run mark, you would assume that he too was seeing them well.
Third ball – Raise the ball!
- Vansh Bhatia, from Sydney Cricket Club’s third-grade squad, claimed figures of 5-25 against Penrith at Birchgrove Oval on Saturday. Sydney would defend their score of 168, restricting Penrith to 89 all out.
- Matthew Jones took 5-32 with ball in hand to guide his Gordon fifth-grade team to a 50-run win over Sydney University at Beauchamp Oval. With this victory, Gordon leapfrog the Students and position themselves in fifth.
Fourth ball – Finals fever!
Northern District’s Poidevin-Gray side have eliminated last season’s finalists, Parramatta, in the first round of the U21 competition’s 23-24 finals series.
Josh Baker dismissed five Two Blues batters, finishing with Player of the Match figures of 5-27 from 10 overs.
The Rangers take on Campbelltown Camden in their conference final on January 28, for a spot in the big dance.
Fifth ball – Premier cricketers!
- Penrith and Sydney got matching centuries (102) from Nick Adams (Penrith) and Nathan Doyle (Sydney) in their clash at Drummoyne Oval. The hosts would walk away with the points thanks to a 46-run ninth-wicket contribution from Thomas Mullen and Ellis Sherriff.
- Baxter Holt drove his Dolphins to a crucial victory over UTS, striking an unbeaten 104* (109 balls), including 13 fours and a six!
- Parramatta took 37.1 overs to overhaul Western Suburbs’ 9/226 thanks to an Andrew Calvert century – 107* from 90 balls including 7 sixes and 3 fours. It was Calvert’s second century of the season and follows on his 91 in the last round.
- Randwick Petersham’s Jason Ralston took 5-28, his second five-wicket haul of the season, to restrict Sutherland to 164 all out, 63 runs shy of their target.
- Northern District were able to defend their 178-run total, after Jack Cincotta blew the Mosman batting line-up out the water. Cincotta snared 5-19 to prevent any Whales batters from passing the 20-run mark.
Sixth ball – Waratahs eye Club Championship retention!
Manly Warringah went five-from-five in round 11 of the men’s premier cricket competition!
The Waratahs sit just a few points behind Parramatta on the Club Championship table, with the two clubs expected to meet in round 14.
View the ladder HERE