B1 Grade by the numbers

So far we have given an insight into A1 and A2 Grades. This week we are doing B1 Grade and next week, C1 Grade as we don’t have a B2 this season.

During WW11 (1939-45) the Association did not run a Competition as so many of the Association players went off to fight in the Second War and there weren’t enough players left to play. In 1946/47 the war had ended and the Competition started again. It was also the first time that West Penno played in the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Cricket Association (HKCA) as it was then known. Before the War we played in the Parramatta Competition.

In 1946/47 we entered Teams in B1 and C1 Grades. Some interesting facts for B1 Grade, by the numbers:

• 24 x times Grand Finalists – the most of any Grade
• 8 x Premiership wins:
  • Our first Premiership was in 1954/55
  • After this win we Runners-up 6 times over the next 8 years (ouch)
• Best bowling performance by an individual is 8/4 by Don Lamb in 1962/63
• Highest individual score is 225 scored by Ken Smith in 1951/52. This is also the highest score in any Grade in our history
• Highest partnership – 300 runs (Jim Fuggle Jnr 163* & Len Ward 129* for the 2^nd wicket Vs Thornleigh @ Normo Oval in 1987/88
• The most capped B1 player in our history is Ross A with 160 innings and highest runs scored 2,972 runs
• 157,442 runs have been scored @ an average of 19.6 runs / wicket
• 148,976 runs have been scored against us @ 18.4 runs / wicket taken

Photo: B1 Grade 1994/95. Arguably, the greatest B1 sides our Club has ever had. The Team dominated the B1 Comp over the mid-late 1980s and 1990s.

Back row: Peter Harrison, James Makin, Richard Makin, Ross Anderson, Dale Armstrong, Andrew Venables, Freddie Zulfiqar & Raj Anand.

Front row: Richard Annetts, Jim Fuggle (C) and Zain Sherriff. The photo was taken at the Presentation Night at the Sea Chef Restaurant (Wahroonga) in May 1995.

Hey Jude

There are A1 debuts and there are A1 debuts….enter Jude Boyle. Last weekend, Jude was selected in A1 to fill a gap and didn’t he perform. Chasing 261 against Kissing Point @ Parklands Oval, Jude was batting at number 6. The Match Report takes the story from there:

“…HEY Jude came to the crease, I think. Yeah, he was batting 6. What a revelation. Clearly no one had told him he wasn’t a regular at this level, because he would then proceed to compile a fighting, courageous and generally faultless half century (55 not out), anchoring our innings and giving us a fighting chance of a win.

 ….so basically we had two wickets left and about 120 runs to win. Along with Andy Meikle (25) they put within touching distance. When Andy was dismissed and after a rain delay we had 15 balls to face with 9 wickets down to save the game in poor light and a wet wicket. Jude was there at the end to give us a fighting draw in difficult conditions and great pressure.”

So this was one of those ‘baptism’s of fire’ that showed that showed everyone that Jude had arrived.

What better Theme music for this achievement than the Beatles classic – Hey Jude

Photo: Dylan Bish (left) & Jude Boyle – after a tough days play – WPH Sports Club – 10 February 2024.

The kids have arrived

The C3 Match Report last week, written by 14 year-old Harry Whitehouse, had a great line “Adults of the WPHCCC you are welcome. The kids have arrived!”

The background story is that our C3 side, skippered by Mick Wilkin consists mainly of players aged between 14 and 16 with a couple of old hands to guide them.

The guys had a big win our Castle Hill on the weekend and the youngsters dominated, winning 3 wickets down. It got me thinking about the impact that our Juniors, either recent graduates of those filling in Seniors have had this season. How about this for starters:

• Harry Whitehouse (C3 & U15s) – has already scored a ton (his 3^rd in Juniors) and played in a 3^rd & 2^nd Grade T20 Semi Final;
• Nic Price (C1 & U17) – scored 100* in just his 2^nd game in Seniors
• Ranuk Dasanayake (C4 Blue & U17) scored 84* of a Team total of 9/203 in Round 2

Apart from these players, every Team has younger players who have come up through our Juniors recently and made significant contributions.

At the other end of the scale, let’s not forget about those many Juniors who graduated and made significant and ongoing both on and off the field over the years. There is no better example than James Makin, our Seniors Director and most distinguished on-field leader, who debuted in 1989/90 (35 years) after playing Juniors right through to the U16s.

Just on the high achieving longer term Junior graduates let’s not forget our women – Lisa Sthalekar (Australian Cricket Great) and current day recent graduate Lauren Kua who plays for the Sydney Sixers and Australian U19s.

Our musical interlude is by Miley Cyrus – The Climb

Photo: Ranuk Dasanayake (C4 Blue) playing in his debut Seniors game scored 84 not out of a Team total of 9/203- 12 February 2024.

Inside a Club & Association record

How about the D2 performance on the weekend. Playing against 3^rd placed St Ives-Wahroonga the boys put on a Club and Association 10^th wicket record partnership of 127.

A few things about this performance. Coming in at 9/194 over the next 17.4 overs the boys put on 127 to bring the total to 312:

• Malinda Dharmadasa scored 102* our 545^th century and the 3^rd in D2 this season
• Cory Brookhouse (30) scored his highest score in this innings
• The previous record was 102* set back in 2022/13 by St Ives Wahroonga

What makes this even more interesting is that so far this season there have been 6 tons scored with 3 of these in D2. Despite this, the Team has lost the 3 games played so far – all by narrow margins.

With 321 runs on the board for this match the tide may well have turned.

Photo: Cory Brookhouse (left) and Malinda Dharmadasa after their record partnership.

What it is all about

The Sheep Station Trophy games are names that way for a reason – the games are meant to played hard but with a good spirit. In the D1 Grade Sheep Station on the weekend the Reds (Diggers side) were batting and in the 2^nd over a ball was snicked low to Nirav at 2^nd slip. He dived forward and took the ball cleanly. But…without hesitating he immediately claimed the ball bounced so no catch.

While this surprised no one with Nirav involved it is a great example of how the game should be played – well done Nirav.

Photo: Nirav at the Mt Everest Base Camp – 20 November 2023.