Anecdotes – Semi Finals (Day 2)
What a great season
In our Juniors there is a ‘Golden Rule’ that games are all about ‘Participation Over Results’ and is one that our Juniors Director (Buzz Burrows) has a passionate commitment to. For this reason we do not grade Teams and every player in every Team gets a fair go. With this background it is amazing to see the Grand Finalists in each of the Age Divisions that play competitive Grand Finals.
The Draw for this Sunday’s (10th March) Grand Finals matches says it all:
- U12 Purple (1st) Vs WPHC Gold (3rd)
- U13 Red (1st)
- U14 Purple (1st)
- U15 Red (1st)
- U17 (1st)
In the U12’s we also had 3 Teams in the top 4 and 6 Teams in the top 8 in a Comp of 17 Teams. Only 6 points separated the 4th placed Team to the 8th placed Team.
Add to this our wonderful Girls who play their Semi’s this weekend:
- Stage 1 (Morning) – 4th
- Stage 1 (Afternoon) – 3rd
- Stage 2 (McGrath – 1st
- Stage 3 (King) – 3rd
The Girls are playing in the strong NSJCA Comp and this is the best year-end performance we have had in our history for the Girls.
Photo: Premiership trophies
Grand Final appearances
Next weekend, Andrew Fiedler (C3 Red) plays in his 16th Grand Final and his 7th as Captain.
In the 15 GF’s so far Andrew has won 11 and lost 4 (73% win ratio). As a Captain he has played in 6 GF’s so far for 5 wins (83% win ratio) – amazing.
Once he takes the field this will make Andrew the 2nd most capped Grand Final player in our history. The most GF appearances is held by James Makin with 20 for 11 wins and 9 losses.
Photo: Andrew (2nd left) with Nathan Fathers, Dinesh De Silva & Eric Junkkari playing for C3 Red at Caddies Creek 5th November 2023.
More on Grand Finals
As we go into the Grand Finals this Sunday (Juniors) & next Saturday / Sunday (Seniors) it is worth looking at our high-level performance about how our Teams have performed over the years. Here goes:
Seniors
- We have played in 174 Grand Finals in all Grades. We have won 95 and lost 79 for a win percentage of 55%
- Our most successful Grade is C1 Grade with 21 wins for 13 wins (62% win percentage)
- Our least successful Grade is B1 Grade with 8 wins from 24 starts (33% win percentage)
Juniors (Mixed)
- We have played in 129 Grand Finals for 71 wins (55% win percentage)
- Our most successful Age Division is the U12s with 14 wins from 25 starts (56% win percentage)
- Our least successful Age is the U13s with 12 wins from 26 starts (46% win percentage)
Girls records a not as lengthy as the Competition structure until recent times alternated between no Finals, first past the post or variations by grade.
Brothers in Arms
First up – our theme music for this story, the Dire Straits classic – Brothers in Arms
Continuing the Grand Final theme how good is it to see the Kohlhagen family so well represented in the Juniors Grand Finals. This weekend we have both Kristian (U15 Red) & Lukas (U17) who are playing in their Age Grand Finals on Sunday.
In the past we have had various combinations of family members playing in Grand Finals – brothers in different Grades, twins, brothers and sisters playing but this is a great achievement that we should celebrate. Spare a thought though for the parents (Matt and Ingrid) who need to see both games – a nice challenge to manage.
Photo: Kristian (U15 Red) & Lukas Kohlhagen (U17) who are both playing in their Age Grand Finals on Sunday 10th March 2024
Spirit of Cricket
The Official umpire from the U17 Semi Final sent through this great note earlier in this week:
”….a Berowra batsman was given out caught off an obvious high full toss.
Unfortunately, I was at square leg and I lost the ball after it left the bowlers hand. Upon again checking with the bowlers end umpire, it appeared that he had made a mistake and I asked WPHC as a team whether they wished to recall the batsman and they said, to a man that they would withdraw the appeal and re-instate the batsman. Spirit of cricket is still alive in some teams.
Well done West Pennant Hills.”
As further background, the game was tight. Berowra scored 90. In reply, we finished with 6/92 after being 6/81 so well done to our boys who showed that good guys can still finish first. They also won a lot more than just a game.
Photo: the U17s at Montview Oval – 25 November 2023
A caring opposition
While on the Spirit of Cricket, the opposition in one of our Senior Grades last weekend was so concerned with the slightly damp turf wicket after a brief shower that while we were bowling, one of the batters tried to convince the umpire that he was concerned about the welfare of our bowlers slipping on the wicket and that the game should be suspended until it dried out.
Ofcourse this concern was all about player welfare and had nothing at all to do with this Team finishing higher on the Competition table. Fortunately, in the remaining 65 overs none of the bowlers even came close to slipping.
It brought back memories of a Grand Final in 2021/22 against the same team when a turf Grand Final was abandoned with us chasing only 100 runs to win with 10 wickets in hand, after an opposition bowler managed a spectacular choreographed fall in the first delivery stride after a delayed start resulted in the game being abandoned and a win awarded to the higher placed team.
Interesting.
What would your Decision be?
Question 1(a):
Whilst attempting to field the ball in his follow-through, the bowler slips over and is struck in the face by the ball. There is a possibility the bowler may have sustained a potentially serious injury. What action, if any, is taken by the umpires?
Question 1(b):
The bowler after an initial assessment is required to leave the field for further treatment. He is absent for 21 minutes before returning to the field of play. During his absence, a drinks interval lasted four minutes. The fielding captain asks the umpire what time the injured player can resume bowling. What is the umpire’s response?
Photo: Rob Hanich receiving 4th Grade T20 Trophy from Umpires Simon Moore & James Fernandez @ Les Shore 1 – 30th October 2022
What would your decision be – the Answer
Question 1(a)
Whilst attempting to field the ball in his follow-through, the bowler slips over and is struck in the face by the ball. There is a possibility the bowler may have sustained a potentially serious injury. What action, if any, is taken by the umpires?
Either umpire shall call and signal Dead ball if they believe the player has suffered a possibly serious injury. (Law 20.4.2.2) Tom Smith’s – To be called dead by umpire (pg. 184) If either umpire thinks that an injury might possibly be serious, he/she must call and signal Dead ball straightaway. Umpires are not usually in a position to know for sure whether someone has sustained a serious injury or not. It is for this reason that this Law provides for a call and signal of Dead ball in the event of a “possibly” serious injury.
Question 1 (b):
The bowler after an initial assessment is required to leave the field for further treatment. He is absent for 21 minutes before returning to the field of play. During his absence, a drinks interval lasted four minutes. The fielding captain asks the umpire what time the injured player can resume bowling. What is the umpire’s response?
The umpires shall inform the captain of the fielding side that the injured player may resuming bowling upon his return the field of play. No penalty time has been imposed because the player had suffered an external blow.
(Law 24.3) Tom Smith’s – Exception to Penalty Time (pg. 228) There are exceptions when Penalty time does not need to be served. If the injury is because of an ‘external’ blow, and suffered during the match, Penalty time is not incurred.