Match Reports

Round 4 (Day 2)

A1 Grade

WPHC (Cam #25) 232 drew with St Ives-Wahroonga 1/18

Rain affected play with no result at Turramurra Oval.

A2 Grade

WPHC Blue (Birdcage) drew with Glenorie

The Storey Park game was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

WPHC Red (Todd) 3/101 lost to Kenthurst-Upper Hills 3/103

After much rain and speculation as to whether we would even be able to play, the WPHCCCCCC Red managed to get on at Kenthurst. Losing the toss (you need to start doing better Todd) we were sent in to bat on a green wicket in overcast conditions. Despite the groundskeeper filling in the pothole present last week, the umpire decided that the Playdo like substance he used was not enough to make play safe, so once again we were bowling from the one end.

After losing the early wicket of Aaron “Azza” Carlini, Jude Boyle (38) and Jamaican (21) steadied the ship, before disaster struck as the rain came down and the covers came on. By the time we got back we were now playing a 24 over match, not great considering we were 1-60 off 16, not knowing we should have been playing t20. Ollie “the messiah” Makin stepped to the pitch to replace his dad (in full compliance with the one Makin at the crease at all times rule) and on a seaming wicket, belted the Kenthurst bowlers, taking 18 off an over and ending up on 33 not. This helped us to 101 by the 23rd over before the rain came and ended our innings.

A special mention is owed to Lachy McBrien (not Edwards) who filled in for us today and was set to bat at 5. Lachy had his pads on for probably close to 3 hours and when he finally walked out to bat the rain came down and out innings came to an end. Sorry Lachy.

With the amount of movement we saw early on we were confident of defending our total. Ben “doesn’t seem to do nearly as much as his nickname suggests” Burrows and the messiah opened us up with superb opening spells with the ball swinging around corners and seaming at obtuse angles. Ollie picked up 1 and the runs were kept low.

Then Jack “MVP” Hutchinson came on. First ball of the spell he goes around the wicket to a left handed, single. Right handed on strike. Jack runs in to bowl over the wicket, as soon as he lets go of the ball a no ball is called. Painfully Kenthurst’s best bat skies the ball to the safe hands of Willy for a single.

On my way to sock Jack in the mouth for overstepping, the umpire explained that the no ball was for not telling him which side of the wicket he intended to bowl on. Now some of the team forgave Jack for this, especially considering that he did say that he was coming over the wicket. However as the bloke standing next to him when he did so, it was a bit quiet Jack. He now knows that when he intends to switch sides he should attempt to deafen the umpire.

We were in it for the rest of the innings, with a wicket going to Captain Todd and a runout keeping things close. But in the end the no ball cost us and Kenthurst crossed our total with an over to go.

Cricket really sucks sometimes, yet somehow we’ll be back and keen to flog Berowra next week.

A few special mentions for this week:

• Todd for losing the toss and dropping the only catch in warm ups
• Azza who will likely be fined half his salary this calendar year, as after every rain break he swore that the radar says that that would be it for the day, only for more to come 5 minutes later.
• Willy for getting toppled by the covers in a moment we all wish we could have on video

And Lachy Edwards, mid-week news indicates that since strength has returned in the left he no longer needs to do his hand exercises with it, and can now go back to handling to bat right.

B1 Grade

WPHC Blue (Shomik) 0/7 Vs Kissing Point 266

Match report not yet received

WPHC Red (Warren) 179 drew with St Ives 4/105

Match report Cricket is unlike any other sport insofar as how terrible it is. No other sport in the entire universe has such vague and ambiguous rulings around whether the weather is too bad to play or not. Ross Anderson as CEO of national cricket can you please look into this?

We started basically in the rain, came off when it was raining not that much heavier than when we started. Then we couldn’t get back in until the rain completely stopped and then we repeated this 4-5 times only to have the same result as if we never even played the stupid bloody game and did something productive with our Saturdays.

But I digress…

In the absence of last week’s match report I will provide a quick recap on our batting effort

Batting effort highlights

• Luke and Lance Tabone enjoyed a call up from C4s with Luke ‘bbq pit master’ Tabone scoring 40 odd on his a grade debut. This is only the 17^th time in club history someone has achieved this feat on their B grade debut (Source Ross Anderson)
• Club legend and Andrew Fiedler wannabe Allan ‘the burglar’ Raffel came out of retirement with the sole intention of trying to score his 4000^th Club run. He fell short with a well compiled 57 to leave him on 3,999 runs for the Club. He has been subsequently dropped for the rest of the season ⁃ Rob Knapman fell short of his first double digit score in 4 seasons after Nick ‘stupid effin idiot’ Duck asked how long it has been since Rob scored a double digit score
• We finished on 179 all out Given the weather conditions a result wasn’t looking very likely however our bowlers looked good and the team was filled with the belief that absolutely anything was possible after Matt told us his old man and Club legend Ian ‘11’ Digby scored some runs last week
• Wickets fell consistently and we had them 4/not many. Unfortunately rain then halted play and the St Ives boys battened down the hatches to deny us of a win. Unfortunately for us this is our second consecutive draw however there are strong signs that we will be there or thereabouts again this season as we are performing at a very good level despite having not had a full strength team yet this season.

The match ended in a draw.

Cricket sucks.

Why do we play.

OTHER NEWS:

• Adam ‘Wuhan Local’ Van Saarloos had one too many chicken of the cave curries on his recent trip to Wuhan contracting COVID 19. We wish Adam a speedy recovery
• Happy Diwali to all our Indian Club members

C1 Grade

WPHC (Indranil) 3/179 defeated Glenorie 177

The 2^nd day of our game had arrived and this week we were blessed with the greatest weather of all time… grey skies and rain.

As we got to the ground there was a constant drizzle which made our chances of starting on time quite slim, but Indranil’s hustle to get the cones and stumps out (in the rain) ensured that the game had not gone soft and we could start play at 1pm on the dot.

After last weeks end of day score of 0/55, Aden and Nic wanted to pick up where they had left off, and that they did.

Scoring started slowly in the first few overs with the odd boundary and single here and there, but after getting their eyes in the scoring rate increased and our team score started to creep closer to the Glenorie total. Aden hit plenty of boundaries with some great flicks which raced away on the Greenway wicket and Nic partnered with him hitting the 1s and 2s with the occasional boundary here and there.

This partnership brought our total to 0/145 at the drinks break, only 33 runs away from the victory.

After a quick drinks break, we looked to score the runs quickly so that we could leave and escape the rain. Unfortunately Aden held out and got out for a really well made 74 ending a 146 run partnership between himself and Nic. This brought Ben D to the middle after a long stint of watching the game with pads on. He wasted no time hitting a boundary off his 2^nd delivery and then decided to give the opposition some catching practice, hitting the ball to two different fielders. Somehow he left these two catch opportunities unscathed and continued to bat.

At this point only 19 more runs were needed and the rain decided now was the time to start getting heavier, which led to Nic’s wicket, getting bowled for a great 71 runs. Now alongside Ben, I (Vishnu) had also been padded up the whole innings, waiting around for 40 overs before getting to the middle. I took the long walk down the Greenway pavilion, ready to face my first delivery. I marked middle and was ready for the bowler to bowl…and then it was time for Will’s innings. After being told that the ball was skidding, Will decided to play 70% of the deliveries he faced on the backfoot, even moving across all three stumps and pulling one down to fine leg for 3 runs. Now with only 10 odd runs to score, Ben went on to score those runs quickly, ending on 25 not out, along with Will ending 5 not out to wrap up a 7 wicket win.

Overall, we ended up chasing down Glenorie’s total of 177, scoring 3/179 in 44 overs with good contributions with the bat and ball over the two weeks, wrapping up a great game from our side.

C2 Grade

WPHC Red (Aniket) 217 lost to Castle Hill RSL 4/218

It was a tough day on the field.

With several key players unavailable, we were operating at about 50% capacity, putting the rest of us under pressure. To make things more challenging, drizzling weather persisted throughout the game.

Despite these setbacks, we managed to put 11 players on the field and started off positively. Our opening bowlers did well with the new, dry ball, creating a few early chances, but unfortunately, we couldn’t convert them. As the game progressed, the wet conditions made it increasingly difficult to handle the ball, and Castle Hill’s batters capitalised on every loose delivery.

Harshil provided some relief, taking the first breakthrough in the 23^rd over and going on to claim two more key wickets before tea. However, with limited support from the weather, we ultimately lost in the 47^th over, managing to take only 4 wickets.

WPHC Blue (Hiresh) 5/160 defeated Hornsby Gold 159

In classic overcast conditions, the game kicked off slightly later than planned due to a light drizzle setting the stage for a day full of challenges. With 157 runs left to win and 9 wickets in hand, Renesh and Hiresh opened the innings with finesse, expertly removing the shine off the new ball, building a solid foundation despite the ominous weather.

As conditions continued to shift, Sparsh and Rishabh stepped in, navigating through an array of tricky situations — seam movement, unexpected spin, unpredictable bounce, and a skidding ball on a wet surface. It was a test of skill and concentration under “crazy” conditions, with even a drizzle reappearing to make things even more interesting. The two dug in, showing resilience before heading off for a much-needed tea break just as the rain began to intensify.

After a delayed restart forcing 10 less overs, Sparsh and Rudra took charge of the innings with a counter-attacking approach. The reduced overs pushed them to go after the win, and they responded with aggression and intent, playing smartly to build up the momentum. Their dynamic partnership breathed life into the innings, making up for lost time and pushing the team closer to the target, before Sparsh departed for an extremely well earned 70.

As the game neared its climax, Rudra and Ratul kept their nerves, finishing the chase in style despite the wet outfield and limited overs. Their composed performance under pressure ensured a thrilling victory in challenging conditions. All in all, a memorable day of cricket — with rain, resilience, and riveting plays shaping the game into a memorable win.

C3 Grade

WPHC (Mick) 265 defeated Sydney Lions 244

My Friends.

That was a win for the ages.

What a privilege and a pleasure to lead a bunch of young men that never give up.

Everything was against us.

Let’s still be noble going forward. Nick off, walk off.

Winners are grinners!

C4 Grade

WPHC Red (Ross S) 201 defeated WPHC White (Agniva) 146

Campbell Park week 2…..Reds needing another 15 runs and Whites needing 5 wickets.

With light drizzle falling an hour before the start of play, the ground was wet and it was always going to be tough work for the whites with a wet ball.

Play started on time with Henry and Paul at the crease, the Whites spinners Agni and Chintan determined to make things hard.

A couple of early singles and some luck before a sharp turning off break from Agni uprouted Henry’s Off-stump. A well-made 23. Reds 6/136. 11 runs needed. Light drizzle.

With the Drizzle becoming heavier and the ball becoming soapier, Paul was able put away a few boundaries …a couple of cut shots his signature.  He and Mridal able to seal first innings points for the Reds. With rain becoming heavier players left the field with the Reds up by 16.

When play resumed after a 20 min delay, the Reds, fully aware of the whites batting lineup and their ability to score quick runs, were determined to play out as many overs as possible and increase the lead, whilst the Whites strived for quick wickets. Agni and Chintan continued to bowl beautifully, a close stumping opportunity, a couple of chances going down. Luck with the Reds.

Then some smart play from the Whites , Paul wandering out of his crease at the batters end after blocking the ball to short mid-off, the fielder runs in bails taken off. Paul run out for a really important 26.

The next few overs, a few hefty blows from Mridal and cautious play by Alex kept the Reds score moving.  A Chintan delivery, Mridal caught brilliantly at Mid-Off for 20 . A few well struck boundaries from Muthindra (14) took the Reds to the 200 mark.

Drizzle increasing, enter the Whites best bowler from week 1, Pritam. Balls 1 and 3 two Yorker-length balls skidding through. An LBW and bowled saw the Reds all out for 201 and a lead of 55.

Solid bowling from the Whites with Pritham 5/40 (9) the standout.  Other wickets to Chintan 3/71(15) and Agni 1/31(16).

With the drizzle turning to light rain, and the weather forecast not looking favourable and any further result unlikely the captains agreed to finish play 45 mins before tea.

Another Sheep Station cup played in good spirit.

WPHC Blue (Rob) 89 lost to Glenorie 226

Match Report not yet received

D1 Grade

WPHC Red (Diggers) 79 lost on first innings WPHC Blue (Nirav) 4/238

Coming on the back of a first innings lead on Day 1, Nirav’s Blues came with a lot on intent on Day 2 but were met with the gloomy overcast drizzly weather at Northholm Grammar Oval.

Even before the start we had lost Sahil to a neck sprain (retd hurt at 32), but he still wanted to be in the middle of the action and volunteered to be the square leg umpire.

The day started with the Blue’s resuming at the score of 1/114, with Siby joining Ravi in the middle. After a couple of quite overs from Nandit and Dave, Siby started the acceleration with 2 back-to-back fours driving strongly to the long off boundary. Soon after he was trapped leg before by Nandit through an excellent yorker. In came the skipper Nirav and started playing some excellent shots, Ravi also upping the ante from the other end. Soon Blue’s crossed 150 and shortly thereafter losing Ravi (24) who was also trapped lbw by Dave.

As the drizzle started to become heavier, the players came off the field.

After a little over half hour stoppage, play resumed with Waman joining Nirav in the middle. Whilst Nandit and Dave continued to bowl a long spell, Waman and Nirav moved into a higher gear of aggression hitting boundaries to all corners of the park. Nirav got out to an ambitious shot getting bowled over by Nandit making a well-timed 28, bringing Dhiren to the crease. Waman continued to play some breath-taking shots taking the Blue’s score past 200 and scored a blistering half century for himself (staying unbeaten at 53). Both Nandit and Dave picked up 2 wickets a piece in the innings for the Red’s.

The drizzle which simmering in the background started to get heavier and the ball became hard to grip – at which point the umpires called the players off.

With no sign off the drizzle getting lighter, Blue’s finally declared their innings at 4/238; and shortly after that the two captains decided to call it a day and head off to the West Penno club.

A comfortable first innings win for the Blue’s and they would like to take their form into the upcoming one day games over the next couple of weeks.

D2 Grade

WPHC (Roger) 321 drew with St Ives Wahroonga 7/152

Sweet anticipation

The boys were raring to go after having put up 321 on day 1. The elusive first victory of the season seemed to be within arm’s reach. The team WhatsApp chatter had reached a crescendo by Friday night.

Accurate opening bowling

Our opening bowlers Bala and Tej kept bowling good balls consistently with excellent swing. This kept the opponent batters in check and not taking any chances. In the over 11, Bala broke the opening partnership, and continued on to pick another wicket in the over 13, both clean bowled. St Ives were 2 for 37.

Wickets at frequent intervals

When St Ives were 66, they lost their 3^rd wicket, again bowled! This time Daniel picked up this wicket with a cracker of a delivery. There was about 40 runs partnership as one of their stronger batsman started smashing the balls all over, but it had an end as he got out when their team score was 109, wicket was picked by Vinoth and an amazing catch at the deep mid-wicket by Daniel. We continued with the spin attack at both ends with Mahesh and Vinoth. Vinoth picked up a couple of more wickets with nice catches by Sandeep and Bala respectively while Shehan picked his debut wicket as well.

Rained & ruined

The whole day kept interrupted with the on and off rain unfortunately. We were able to bowl only 46 overs today, with the St Ives score being *152 for 7* at the end of the day 2. This is certainly a hard pill to swallow for the team, picking another 3 wickets would’ve been a matter of a few overs.

Day 2 Conclusion

Sadly, yet another close match for us, but there was an excellent performance from all departments. Day 2 had a great team effort in both bowling and fielding.

• Bowling Highlights : Vinoth – 3/29 Bala – 2/11 Shehan – 1/18 Daniel – 1/28
• Match score: WPHCCC 1st innings – 321/10 St Ives 1st innings – 152/7
• Result – Draw