DLS drama, young guns firing and a near miss of a historic milestone in this edition of The Opening Spell.
First Over
First ball – Manly Dominate with Bat and Ball
After being sent in to bat by Parramatta in women’s second grade, Manly Warringah set an imposing target of 236 runs, largely thanks to Elizabeth Cambridge’s 88 off 143, which included six boundaries. Stephanie Hughes supported well with a patient 31 runs from 55 balls. At the same time, captain Gabby Dunnage chipped in with a quickfire 19 runs off just 25 deliveries. In response, Parramatta struggled to build momentum against a disciplined Manly bowling attack and was ultimately bowled out for just 97 runs. Lara Hughes led the charge, claiming four wickets for 16 runs across her eight overs.
Second ball – Kirk’s Six-For Shines as Horan Seals the Chase
Audrey Kirk was destructive for Gordon in the women’s Brewer Shield with an impressive haul of six wickets, conceding just 35 runs from her 10 overs. After taking her maiden 5-wicket haul last weekend, Jorja Horan delivered with the bat, finishing unbeaten on 52* off 43 including eight fours and one six to see Gordon chase down Greater Hunter’s 111 in just 23 overs.
Third ball – Beadle Teeters on the Brink of 10,000 Runs
Manly’s Ahillen Beadle missed surpassing 10,000 first grade runs by just 10 runs, after falling for 32 against St George. Beadle currently sits on 9990 runs, after scoring the highest of his 15 centuries (190*) earlier this season. In positive news, he need only wait one week to reach the milestone unlike Fairfield-Liverpool's Anthony Clarke who reached 9999 runs in the last match of 2015-2016 and had to wait until the second ball he faced in the 2016-17 season before he notched up the big 10k.
Fourth ball – 4-9 Seals the Deal for Sutherland
Rhys Cattle led Sutherland’s charge with a superb bowling performance, taking 4-9 in the men’s Poidevin-Gray Shield against Sydney. His efforts were instrumental in securing a comfortable victory over Sydney, as Sutherland posted a total of 136 and bowled out their opponents for just 79.
Fifth ball – Mackenzie and Warner Tear Through Blacktown
Toby Mackenzie and Kaden Warner were instrumental with the ball for Randwick Petersham, over Blacktown Mounties, in men’s fourth grade. Batting first, Blacktown struggled to find their rhythm as they were bowled out for just 76 runs. Mackenzie claimed five wickets for 23 runs off his eight overs and Warner picked up four wickets for just 14 runs off his four overs. Randwick Petersham faced their challenges as they lost early wickets but managed to chase down the 77-run target and secure a 4-wicket win.
Sixth ball – Milestones Galore as Sydney Uni Scrape Through
In a tightly contested match at Old Kings Oval, Sydney University emerged victorious over Parramatta by just nine runs in men’s second grade. During his innings of 40, Sydney University’s Ryan McElduff passed 700 runs for the season. He’s only the second player for the club (after Dave Butchart in 2006-07) to score more than 700 runs in a second grade season. The milestones didn’t stop there, as Charles Litchfield (28) passed 4500 runs for the club across all grades and Jack Hill (8) passed 7000 runs for the club in all grades - becoming the eighth player to achieve this for Sydney Uni, after Nick Larkin, Greg Mail, Ed Cowan, Ian Moran, Liam Robertson, Adam Theobald and Ash Cowan.
Second Over
First ball – Milestone for Cummins, but Parramatta Reign Supreme
Parramatta showcased their strength, defeating Sydney University by eight wickets in men’s first grade. Sydney Uni’s batting faltered early, struggling against a disciplined bowling attack led by Isaac Earl and Ryan Gupta. Earl's performance saw him take four wickets for just 27 runs, while Gupta contributed with three wickets for 21 runs. During his innings, Sydney Uni’s Tim Cummins passed 7500 runs in all grades in Premier Cricket (4217 for Sydney University and 3284 for Penrith).
Second ball – Searle Shines
Manly Warringah notched up a tidy win over St George in men’s fifth grade, courtesy of an all-around performance from Adam Searle. With early wickets falling at regular intervals, Searle's 53 from 50 including four fours and three sixes provided much-needed stability for Manly as they posted 132. St George struggled to build partnerships during their chase and were ultimately bundled out for 112 with Searle picking up two wickets for 25 runs off his eight overs.
Third ball – Wells Impresses on Third-Grade Debut
Sydney University secured a 38-run victory at home against Parramatta in men’s third grade, making it a debut to remember for Lewis Wells. After being sent in to bat, Sydney Uni had a string of contributions from Harrison Allomes (58), Ben Trevor-Jones (36) and Dom Goddard (24) before Wells came out to make 22 on his third grade debut. Parramatta struggled to build partnerships as Wells showcased his skills with the ball, taking 4-38 off his 10 overs to see Parramatta bowled out for 178.
Fourth ball – Barnett and Chowdhary Deliver Career-Best Spells
Sydney Uni had plenty to be proud of in the women’s Brewer Shield, walking away with a 73-run win over the Southern Swans. Holly Barnett picked up a hat trick with her first three balls as Sienna Knight held a catch from the first ball, and the next two batters were bowled. Holly’s 3-10 were her best figures for the club, but she wasn’t the only one as Diksha Chowdhary also took 3-10 of her 5.4 overs to bring up her best figures.
Fifth Ball – Adlam’s Blitz Powers Mosman to Victory
Mosman’s Will Adlam lit up the men’s Poidevin-Gray Shield with an explosive 104* off just 37 balls, smashing 12 sixes and four fours in a 100-run win over Fairfield-Liverpool. Backed by Joshua Malone (4-27) and Kasey Barton (3-18), Mosman’s bowlers ensured Fairfield never got close to the target.
Sixth Ball - Jenkins Turns Tide as Bears Edge Sydney in DLS Nail-Biter
UTS North Sydney scraped a 3-run (DLS) win over Sydney in men’s first grade thanks to Mac Jenkins’ 4-39. Sydney were up on DLS before Jenkins took a wicket with the last ball before the rain stopped play, turning the dial in the Bears’ favour.