Neck and neck

There is a quiet ‘competition’ that has been running since 1990/91. Two of our all-time Club Greats are in a race, that neither probably even knew about, to reach 6,000 runs first – the 4^th & 5^th highest run scorers in our 90 year history.

Get a load of how close Eric Junkkari (B1 Blue) & James Makin (A1) are in their quest to reach this milestone.

So after 29 years there is just 8 runs separating these great players after more than 330 innings each.

Reelin in the years

First up, our theme music for this section – here

This week we look at Rick Turner (B1 Red Skipper) & Nick Duck (C2 Red). The photo goes back to an U16 game at Warrina Street Oval on 8 December 2012.

Nick was one of our outstanding All-Rounders right through the Juniors. He is now playing B1 Reds and is the top run scorer. He is on track to break his 1,000 career runs with 993 runs.

Rick Turner needs no introduction – our Seniors Director, B1 Red Skipper and long-term Junior Coach. Since starting in Seniors in 2011/12 he has scored just on 2,800 runs @ 30 putting him up there with our best long-term player averages. In 2012/13 he also scored 798 runs for C2 & C3 in a father & son team – the 8^th highest season run aggregate in a season.

Perhaps the biggest legacy that Rick has left, so far, is the momentum around Father & Son teams. We have had these for many years but Rick was the first to bring this to a new level with just about all his Junior U16s graduating to Seniors and showing how much fun this can be. Nick played  a key part as being one of the Leaders in this U16 Group.

McGrath Foundation recognition

During the week we received a Glenn McGrath signed cricket ball acknowledging our support for Pink Stumps day over many years.

We are now one of the highest contributing Community Sporting Clubs to the McGrath Foundation across Australia. In 2019, we were invited to play in a exhibition game at Victoria Barracks as a curtain raiser to a function attended by the NSW Governor – here

We started our involvement in raising funds for the McGrath Foundation 2010/11 and have now raised $42,450 for this great cause. This season we are running another initiative at the Juniors Presentation and will kick this even higher.

Space Cadet

West Penno is the Club that just keeps giving when it comes to Space Cadet stories and this week didn’t disappoint. We have a good one from Rahul Tripathi filling in for C2 Blue from Knappers B1 Blue side.

First up, our theme music for this significant achievement – here

The C2 Blues & Reds were playing their Sheep Station Cup game and Rahul was becoming a bit agitated before the game was due to start. Rahul was concerned that there were 19 players from West Penno at the game and no Opposition side:

“I can’t believe the other Team isn’t here yet”

There were a few more queries about the non-arrival of the other Team.

Anyway, the boys play a 1-day game next week and when 2-Teams arrive again wearing the same kit the penny might drop.

Team player

A great story from Stu Fiedler (Skipper C2 Red):

“Adam van Saarloos hasn’t bowled a ball all season.

 I made a deal with him that if he shaved his beard into a handle bar moustache look, that he will open the bowling this week. (He hasn’t shaved his beard in 4 years).

 He rocked up with this amazing flavour savour and we ended up not playing due to bad weather.”

Season re-start

Saturday marked the recommencement of all cricket played under the West Penno banner and we are now in the business end of the season with just 5 weeks left before Semis and then Finals.

It is easy for all of us to turn-up to games and not give a 2^nd thought to the scale of cricket that our Club offers to our playing community. During the week we ticked over 763 unique registrations. Our WPHC ‘family’ now has people playing in:

• Women’s Social cricket (Wednesday nights)
• Blowfly Cricket (Friday twilight)
• Girls-only Master Blasters (Friday twilight)
• Junior Blasters (Saturday morning)
• Junior Girls (Saturday afternoons)
• Juniors Mixed (Saturday mornings)
• Seniors (Saturday afternoon)

No other Club in Sydney offers this range of cricket. The good thing is that everyone gets a game, no one plays short and all abilities are covered.