At least we tried

A shame about the wet weekend that brought the season for our Teams finishing outside the top 2 to an end. This wasn’t through lack of effort.

A1 Grade were especially unlucky. All week, the squad came together to look after the pitch and the ground as best as they could. Covers on and off during the day, Phil Wurth camping overnight – we all did our bit to give us every chance to get on. But would it be enough?

Preeds and Bailey arrived first on Saturday at 7 am and immediately declared a national emergency, they needed all hands on deck to help prepare the pitch, which was battered and bruised after the wild Friday night Sydney storm.

James Makin was the first to respond, he brought with him a leaf blower to begin the job at hand on drying the pitch. The outfield also needed work though, Ashane drawing on his experience in collecting water for his African village but moving countless buckets of surface water off the ground. The super sopper was in full swing too, lead by Buckets Scoular and JP.

We got on but after a choreographed effort by their opening bowler falling and clutching his leg on the dangerous wicket that our bowlers had no issue with the Umpires called the game.

Watch this space

Throughout the Juniors, there are young stars who are doing big things. Naden Cooray (pictured) from the U13 Reds is one of these stars in the making. This season he won the NSW District Cricket Association (DCA) Batting Award for the Cawsey Shield scoring 365 runs @ 52.14. This means that Nathan was the most outstanding batsman for his age in representative games across all teams.

This is a special achievement made even more special as he also won the DCA Batting Award for the U12s last season with 260 runs @ 65.0 – SCG 12 March 2019

And then there were 4

After having 7 Teams make the Semi’s rain had the final say in a couple of games with our Teams in the Top 2 now play in the GF next week. Well done to the following Team that now have their shot at creating Club history:

• A2 (Simon) – last won 2014/15
• B1 Red (Gunny) – last won 2016/17
• C2 Blue (Andrew Fiedler) – last won 2012/13
• C3 (Buzz) – last won 2013/14

How about Simon Smyth especially, after recovering from his 20^th hamstring injury this season who will be Captaining his 6^th Premiership side and 2^nd in A2. So far he has won 4 and lost 1 – good odds going into the big one. Fortunately, Simon’s Premiership winning ability is a mirror opposite of his performance as a Tosser (coin that is).

Gunny (B1) Captains his first Premiership Team and a chance to add to his resume as our youngest Captain to ever win a Seniors Premiership.

Then there is Fieds (C2) Captaining his 5^th Premiership side with a 3:1 winning record.

Finally there is Buzz (C3) who will add to his record as our most capped John Hayne Cup Captain to win his 1^st Seniors Premiership for West Penno.

U12 & U13s – a first

A bit of history on Sunday when our U13 Red and Purple sides play against each other in the Grand Final. This Competition has 15 Teams in a tight Competition so it is also competitive. The Red’s finished 1^st and Purple side 3^rd and are playing each other in the Grand Final. Having 2 Teams from the one Club is not unique but it is rare.

What makes this unique is that last season, in a Competition with 20 Teams, the same 2 teams played each other in the U12 Grand Final after finishing 3^rd (Red) and 4^th (Purple) with the Purple side winning.