Anecdotes – Round 10 (1-Dayer)
The curse of the undefeated run
Going into Round 6 the B1 Red (Warren) boys had been undefeated since Round 2 in the 2023-24 season including winning the B2 Grand Final. Anyway, all this changed when Nick Duck let the Team know about this winning sequence with some of the boys wanting to know the record undefeated sequence.
At the time of this observation, one of the boys called out:
“The only problem with calling this out is that we all know what happens next so….if / when the boys go down all fingers will be pointing at Nick Duck who called out his achievement. “
Well, it happened in Round 6 when the winning sequence was broken. We now go into Round 10 and the boys have yet to get back into the winners list.
This brings to mind our amazing D2 side of 1983/84 that went through the season undefeated. In this season our two opening bowlers took a combined 133 wickets) and the top 2 batters scored a combined 1,108 runs! The boys were also talking up their chances of winning the Comp after being undefeated all season only to lose the Grand Final after a 100 run 10th wicket partnership by the opposition.
The lesson from this is that the longer a winning and losing sequence the closer a Team gets to breaking the cycle.
Postscript: The boys got back into the winners circle this Saturday with a win over ARL.
Photo: The B1 Red boys after winning the B2 Premiership in 2023/24. From left: Warren Schwartzel (C) , Jason Garrett, Zac Turner, Nick Duck (obsecured), Cameron Bish (obsecured), Rob Knapman, Adam van Saarllos (obsecured), Daniel Schwartzel, Ray Khamis (obsecured), Matthew Schwartzel, Matt Digby and Nathaniel Chidgey – Thornleigh Park – 17 March 2024.
Lightning strikes twice
There are very few Tied games in a season but spare a thought for the C4 Reds (Ross) who Tied their game against ARL. What makes this remarkable is that this is the Reds second Tie against the same Team in the same season with the same batter of strike. Here is the Match Report from the Reds Skipper (Ross S):
“In Round 1 WPH C4 Reds played ARL, a 1 day game at Campbell Park. The game …ARL 10/186, batting second WPH Reds 9/186 after 35. Match tied. Skipper’s first ever tie in 50 plus years of playing club cricket.
Round 10 vs ARL again, a 1 day game at Foxglove. The game …ARL 9/201, batting second WPH Reds 7/201 after 35. Match tied….
Same opposition, a second tie in the same season. Gotta be an unwanted Club record….
But that’s not all. On both occasions the same batter facing the last ball….Anand Sadasivam. In game 1, despite messages and vocalisation from the team he blocked out 3 balls in the 35th over thinking if we lost his wicket we lost the game as we were 9 down….the team won’t let him forget that….
So today, Round 10 guess who is batting. Anand again facing, scores tied. This time he is well aware of the situation. Last ball…single all that is needed, tries to play the ball past short cover into a gap, but fielder dives and takes a brilliant 1 handed catch …..match tied again….chances same batter involved in a tie against the same team in the same season unfathomable.”
Photo: Ross Smith (C4 Red Skipper) & Agniva Chakraborty (White) in C4 Grade – Sheep Station Trophy @ Campbell Park – 26 October 2024
Space Cadet
First up – our theme Music for this important Award – A Space Oddity
A rare nomination for our revered Space Cadet Award. This time it goes to an entire Team – the mighty A2 Blues (Ryan). The nomination follows:
“This is a Space Cadet Nomination dedicated towards the entire A2 Blue side and their collapses in the first half of the 24/25 Season
Below is the collapses that have occurred in our batting innings this season
7/15 vs Kenthurst CC
4/14 vs WPHCCC A2 Red
5/17 vs Berowra
3/1 vs Castle Hill CC on 2 separate occasions
7/7 vs Berowra
A historic and unprecedented seasons of collapses never before seen in the WPHCCC history.
As a member of the A2 squad a self-nomination is needed and all players and supporters of our great Club must be made aware of a record breaking season that is occurring in A2 Seniors Cricket.”
Farmer Wants a Wife
Over the years we have had some great stories about the distances that some folks have travelled to play for us. On the weekend we had another story to add to this rich history – this time for the mighty B1 Red (Warren). What makes this an even better story is that it is our own real life ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ story.
To cut a long story short, Matt Digby’s sister is a Teacher who teaches way out west near a place called Merriwagga – a small farming village on the Kidman Way, halfway between Goolgowi and Hillston. It lays claim to be the very heart of the famous Black Stump Country –653 kilometres from Cherrybrook and a 7 hour drive. Anyway, Diggers sister is a School Teacher out that way and met Farmer Grant McMaster and they are now engaged to be married.
Anyway, Grant comes down to the Big Smoke to see the in-laws and watch a bit of cricket. It turns out the boys were short so Grant takes the field and makes his West Penno debut.
With this great story we need a musical interlude by the Proclaimers – I Will Walk 500 Miles
Photo: Farmer Grant, Nicole Digby (mother in-law) and Matt Digby – Greenway Park 2024.
Young achievers
Three of our many young stars have dominated Junior Representative Teams this season. First up, Oliver Makin (A2 Red and son of James Makin, our Seniors Director) played in the Association Weblin Shield (U15s) Team this season and last weekend was part of a Premiership win. Oliver made a big contribution – a fast 20 runs, taking a big wicket and making a crucial runout.
Joining him in the same Team was Maher Nosina (U17). The Team Coach is also Connor Hindmarch – our Club Head Coach and also Association Head Coach.
Finally, add to this there are 8 players who are West Penno Juniors who are now playing School (GPS & Associated) / Premier Cricket. Back row, from left to right:
- Maher Shaun Nosina (1st)
- Jagbir Singh Malhi (2nd)
- Oliver Makin (4th)
- Ulrich Vosser (5th)
- Ed Byrom (6th)
Front row:
- Arjun Kodaganti (1st)
- Ansh Gupta (3rd)
- Leon Cooray (5th)
For our Female players, Trisha Yadav (daughter of Kapil Dev, our Girls Director) is also doing great things. Trisha plays Stage 2 for West Penno and has already been selected in the Australian U14 Indoor All-Stars Team. While only 14 she also plays Brewer Shield (U18) in for Northern District Premier Cricket and is both an opening batter and opening bowler!
Like the Weblin Shield, the Girls are excelling with Trisha’s Brewer side leading the 14 Team competition with 9 wins from 10 games.
This level of high achievement isn’t a fluke. It is due to our pathways structure that offers Skills Sessions, Academy and talented Team of Coaches.
Photo: U15 Weblin Shield Premiers 2024/25.
While on Rep stars
In 2011/12 our Association Moore Shield Rep Premiers (U14) had 5 players, all playing for West Penno Juniors and they played the Sydney Vs Country Final at the SCG.
In the Girls Reps, the 2016/17 U15 Margaret Peden Shield side set a record that will be hard to beat. The Rep side had 9 of our Girls in the squad of 12!
Further, the 2017/18 Peden Shield Team had 8 of the 14 players from WPHCCC. Worth noting that many of these Girls went on to play Premier 1st Grade cricket and Lauren Kua is in the WBBL Sixers side.
Photo: the HK&HDCA Peden Shield (U15) Girls Rep Team with the 8 WPHCCC girls noted in italics:
Back row (L to R): Ellen Hall, Amy Harkin, Danielle Chivers, Ruby Groth, Alannah Hungerford, Jess Meikle, Ragini Sen, Lily Hodge, Amy Hale
Front row L to R: Amelie Stuut, Sindy Sureshkumar, Lauren Kua, Penny Love, Esha Tiwana
Season’s best
As we go into the mid-season break it is interesting to look at the elite performers in our Seniors:
Top 5 batters
- Mohan Somasundaram (C2 Red) – 367 runs @ 52
- Waman Tamhankar (D1 Blue) – 343 runs @ 49
- Mridul Das (C4 Red) – 340 runs @ 68
- Cliff Greenhalgh (D1 Red) – 328 runs @ 36
- Vinoth Sambasivam (D2) – 315 runs @ 35
Top 5 bowlers
- Manraj Singh (D1 Red) – 21 wickets @ 12.7
- Kaushal Gandhi (C4 Blue) – 20 wickets @ 4.1
- Shomik Sengupta (B1 Blue) – 19 wickets @ 11.4
- Todd Hutchinson (A2 Red) – 18 wickets @ 20.8
- Pritam Dhamija (C4 White) – 18 wickets @ 11.1
Top 5 fielders
- Ian Digby (D1 Red) – 16 dismissals (10 catches + 6 stumpings)
- Cameron Bish (B1 Red) – 11 dismissals (10 catches + 1 stumping)
- Brent Larkham (A2 Red) – 11 dismissals (11 catches)
- Aden Hanich (C1) – 10 dismissals (10 catches)
- Raynaldo Howard (C4 Red) – 10 dismissals (9 catches + 1 stumping)
Top 5 high scores
- Luke Tabone (C4 Blue) – 126 runs
- Vinoth Sambasivam (D2) – 119 runs
- Kyle Townsend (A2 Blue) – 111 runs
- Nick Duck (B1 Red) – 109 runs
- Billy Gaunt (A1) – 103* runs
Top 5 wicket takers
- Matt Digby (B1 Red) – 3/16 (hat-trick)
- Kauschal Gandhi (C4 Blue) – 6/7
- Amith Ninan (D1 Blue) – 5/1
- Kauschal Gandhi (C4 Blue) – 5/12
- Shankar Ravi (C2 Blue) – 5/12
Congratulations to each of these high achievers and for the many players hot on their heels.
Photo: Kaushal Gandhi (C4 Blue) after taking 6 for 7 and this included our 53rd Club hat-trick at Greenway Park – 9 November 2024.