Anecdotes – Semi-Finals (12th March 2022)

“Cometh the hour…cometh the man”

Every player who kicks on to bigger things in cricket can look back on a defining moment in their cricket career where it is obvious to everyone (themselves and others), that the player has ‘arrived’. That moment was achieved in the C2 Semi-Final when Connor Hindmarch, who was playing Juniors 4 years ago, had a previous top score of 59. The world changed in this match. Opening the batting, in the Semi-Final on a wet and slow Greenway Park, and with wickets falling around him, Connor finished Day 1 at 70* in a Team total of 7/155. Being the higher placed team a draw would be enough to make it through to the GF.

Come Day 2 and Connor finished with 107* – our 502nd century and just the 5th scored this season. To make this innings even more significant, he carried his bat and stood like a colossus over the game scoring 107 of the team total of 241. Needless to say the score was out of reach for the Opposition and we won through to the big dance next week.

To quote Steve Quanborough on TeamApp:

“Cometh the hour …cometh the man”

Photo: Connor after his 107* on Saturday

The Big Dance – our history

Congratulations to our Grand Finalists who have made it through a pandemic and floods to get vto this point. Competition winners this season will certainly have an asterisk next to their appearance to represent an exceptional achievement. Our 3 x Juniors (U16/17 Blue; U14 Blue & U13 Blue) play this Sunday (13/03) and Seniors next Saturday and Sunday.

Our record in GF’s is worth a quick look.

  • 263 – Grand Finals played:
    • 141 in Seniors
    • 122 in Juniors
  • Win/loss results:
    • 53% (Seniors)
    • 57% (Juniors

In Seniors, our most successful Grade is C2 with a 68% win result. Our least successful Seniors Grade is shared between B1 & B2 with a combined 14 wins from 43 matches – a 32% success rate.

Our most successful Captain is current day player James Makin (A1) who Captained an amazing 9 Grand Final sides (5 x A1; 1 x A2 and 3 x 1st Grade T20) and won an incredible 8 Premierships – an 89% success rate!

At the other end of the scale was the great Jim Fuggle (1969-70 to 2001-02) who also Captained 9 Grand Finals sides and won 3 Premierships (33%).

Semi-Finals – why bother

Our A2 Minor Premier side made it through to the Grand Final next weekend without a ball being bowled. What is interesting is that this is the 3rd time that Tom Hando, Sam Hando and Campbell Wallace have made it through to a GF without completing a Semi due to wet weather. The result in each GF – they won, so a good omen for next weekend.

Photo: B2 Minor Premiers & Premiers after winning the Premiership last season –Back row: Tom Hando (3rd left, back row); Sam Hando (far right) & Campbell Wallace (4th left, front row).

Back to back winners

Going back to back is rare. Of the 141 Senior Premierships we have played in only 7 x Captains have gone back to back:

  1. Tony Ford (A1) – 1989/90 & 1990/91
  2. James Makin (A1) – 2011/12 to 2014/15 (4 in succession)
  3. Matt Jobson (A2) – 2008/09 & 2009/10
  4. Jim Fuggle (B1) – 1993/94 & 1995/96
  5. Andrew Fiedler (C1) – 2015/16 & 2016/17
  6. Buzz Burrows (C3) – 2018/19 & 2019/20
  7. Roger Friend (D1) – 2002/03 & 2003/04

This season we have a chance to make this 9 x Captains with Ross Smith (D1 Blue) & Nirav Desai (D2) having the opportunity to add their names to this distinguished list. The last and only time this was achieved in D1 was in 2002-03 by Roger Friend. It has yet to be achieved in D2 Grade.

Photo: Ross Smith (left) at the coin toss for the D1 Grand Final last season (26th March 2021).

Where are they now?

First up, our theme song – the Steely Dan classic Reelin the Years

John Coulthard is a legendary figure who casts a long shadow over all aspects of our Club. Initially as a Junior Coach from the mid-1970s and then as a player between 1983/84 to 1993/94. He captained many B1 to C2 sides and scored 1,424 runs at 19.8 and took 97 wickets. He also Captained the C1 side to a Premiership in 1987/88.

John then had a break and ran the Junior Blasters (Kanga) between 2002 and 2011 and introduced cricket to over 1,000 children. John was made a Life Member in 2003 and recently moved to Maitland to live. We had the pleasure of attending his 90th birthday recently and as you can see from the photo hasn’t changed a bit.

Photo: John Coulthard celebrating his birthday 27 March 2022.

Inspirational Women’s Day recognition

During the week, Cricket NSW identified 6 inspirational Women and Girls in NSW to tell their story about cricket. West Penno had an amazing 2 of our women & girls identified as being in these inspirational female leader – Kirsty Newbury and 11 year old Abbie. What makes this even better is that we have so many other female ‘quiet achievers’ who are Team Managers, Coaches and sit on the Club Executive – Jane Bish and Suz Colburt. Add to this Danielle Chivers who is our Junior Blasters Head Coach and current winner of the Cricket Australia National Young Community Leader of the Year.

Read about the exceptional achievements of:

Kirsty – here

and;

Abbie – here

Photo: Kirsty with her daughters.

Six hitting record

A Couple of weeks ago we wrote a story about our D1 Blue boys who hammered 17 x 6’s in their massive score of 8/196 in 35 overs. While we don’t have records of the most number of 6’s in an innings but 17 is right up there. This week we make this wonderful achievement come to life with a photo of the boys so that this can be part of our Club history. So let’s celebrate this wonderful achievement by this amazing players:

  1. Jags Balakrishnan (7 x 6’s) including 4 in one over
  2. Happy Rana (4 x 6’s)
  3. Brahadesh (Ram) Ramamurthy (4 x 6’s)
  4. Chetan Chandrasekhar (1 x 6)
  5. Vikas Goel (1 x 6)

Photo: Left to right: Ram Ramamurthy 4 x 6’s in his innings of 45; Happy Rana 4 x 6s (36); Vikas Goel 1 x 6 (23); Chetan Chandrasekhar 1 x 6 (12) & Jags Balakrishnan 7 x 6s (46) including 4 in one over – Vs Kenthurst @ Fred Caterson 4 – 19 February 2022

 

What would your decision be?

Once a month we ask you to think about what your Decision would be as an Umpire. The answers will be provided next week. Here goes:

Question 1

You are the bowler’s end umpire and it’s a very hot and humid afternoon.

  1. a) The team batting is eight wickets down with only ten runs to win. A batter at the crease is suffering from leg cramps and wants to retire to let a fresh batter take their place. How shall this be recorded in the scorebook?

This shall be recorded as Retired – not out. The batter has retired due to an injury sustained during the match. Law 25.4

  1. b) The team batting has now lost their 9th wicket with only five runs to win. The previously retired batter begins to make their way to the crease accompanied by a runner. The fielding Captain strongly objects. Whose consent is required for the batter to resume their innings, and will the runner be allowed?

 Consent is not required in this circumstance and the batter may resume their innings. The umpires shall permit the use of a runner. Law 25.5 The batter had initially Retired – not out, due to injury and may resume their innings at the fall of a wicket or at the retirement of another batter without needing consent from either the opposing captain or umpires. The runner shall also be allowed for the injured striker. Cramps are considered an injury and, in the case of permitting a runner, required to have been sustained during the match and has affected their ability to run.

Question 2

The non-striker has removed their helmet which is then held for the next delivery. The ball is played by the striker and the batters run. They complete one run and cross on a second when the non-striker drops their bat as the throw comes in. To make their ground, the non-striker dives full stretch with helmet in hand. The moment the wicket is put down, the helmet, still being held, is the only part of the non-striker grounded behind the popping crease. There’s an appeal. What’s the decision of the bowler’s end umpire?

 The batter is Out, Run out. Law 38.1 A helmet is not considered part of the batter’s ‘person’ unless it is being worn (Appendix A.12), as such no part of the batter’s person was grounded behind the popping crease when the wicket was put down, despite them holding the helmet.

Question 3

During a limited-overs match, the scores are equal with one ball remaining. The striker plays a fair delivery into the outfield and the batters run. During the run, the striker runs straight down the middle of the pitch causing avoidable damage before completing the run. Having already been issued with a first and final warning during the innings, what action shall either umpire take? What is the result of the match?

 When the ball is dead, the umpire seeing the contravention, shall inform the other umpire of its occurrence. The umpire at the bowler’s end shall disallow the run from that delivery and award five Penalty runs to the fielding side. Inform the captain of the fielding side and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of the reason for this action. Law 41.14 The result of the match is a win to the fielding side by Penalty runs. Law 16.7

 

Photo: Buzz Burrows receiving the C3 Premiership Trophy from Barry McDonald & Peter Lee – 24 March 2019

 

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