The season in a photo

The weather experts talk about La Nina weather patterns. For cricketers it just means lots of rain and not much cricket. Thought it would be worth sharing the latter part of the season with a view of the BOM during the week and the reason why all the semi-finals were washed out.

Photo: the BOM radar showing a snapshot of the rain bomb that hit Sydney – 5^th March 2022

Reelin’ in the years

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

Semi Finals appearances

This season, 8 of our 12 Senior Teams have made it through to the Semi Finals – a fantastic performance but not a record. In 2016/17, 8 of our 10 Teams made it through to the Semi’s. We ended up having 4 Grand Finalists with 2 Premiers.

The record (Club & Association) was in 2020/21 when 9 of our 13 Teams made it through. It could so easily have been 10 Teams with C1, captained by Joseph Cooray, missing out by just 0.014 of a quotient point). Included in this was 5 Minor Premiers. We won 4 Premierships.

In Junior’s, the best performance in our history was in the U15 Competition in 2011/12 where all 4 x WPHC Teams in a 13 Team competition finished in the top 4.

Photo: The C3 Red and C3 Blue Teams in the Sheep Station Trophy @ Greenway Park – 15 January 2022.

Sheep Station Semi

The Sheep Station Trophy started on 16 December 2017 in the A2 game between Rick Turner’s Blue & Simon Smyth’s Red sides. Since then there has been 17 x Sheep Station games. This weekend takes it to the next level when our D1 Blue (Ross S) & D1 Red (Diggers) sides play each other for the right to play in the Grand Final.

With Day 1 was washed out we now move to next Saturday when the Blues only need to draw to make it through to the big dance.

For the Juniors, we don’t celebrate the Sheep Station Trophy as there are so many Teams they backup against each other regularly. In the story immediately above we did have a Sheep Station Grand Final after all 4 x Semi Final sides were WPHC sides – a first for the Club & Association. The Coach of our Red side was none other tha Rick Turner – our Seniors Director and B1 Captain.

Photo: The U15 all-WPHC Grand Final (White Vs Red) on 11^th March 2012. Current players still / recently playing are: Alex Chidgey (1^st left); Alex Turner (4^th left); Nick Duck (9^th left); Adam van Sarloos (10^th left); John Anderson (12^th left and next to trophy); Calvin Breytenbach (4^th right); Cameron McBrien (2^nd left & kneeling); Nathaniel Chidgey 3^rd left & kneeling); Michael Gunn (2^nd right & kneeling).

Space Cadet

First – our theme music: Rocket Man

The most unlikely of circumstances with just 1 game being played across the Association and a Semi-Final. First-up, congratulations to Andrew Morris (A2 Captain) who showed what a great Club person he is by coming along to support C2 boys after his semi was abandoned.

The Space Cadet moment came when Andrew arrived at Greenway Park and rather than walking around the boundary, took a short-cut to the pavilion across the ground while the game was in progress. To quote one of our eye witnesses:

“…there was a ‘Space Cadet’ moment from A2 skipper Andrew Morris who turned up and had to be shouted at by all onlookers to ‘get off the field’ as he walked across the playing area during play.”

Greatest Semi Finals

3 x games in Senior’s history come to mind. In the 2009/10, B2 Semi Final (Vs St Ives @ Headen Park) and captained by James McBrien, we were rolled for 112 and St Ives got 181. We declared our 2^nd innings at 7/200 and dismissed St Ives for 103 – so an outright win after losing on the 1^st innings.

Our greatest Semi Final win though was the 2011/12 A1 match against Kenthurst @ Parklands Oval. At the end of Day 1 Kenthurst got 183 runs. In reply we were 6/54. Day 2 and we had to bat on a rain affected wicket. In one of the greatest partnerships in our history James Makin (35* and 5th left) and Ranga Ediriwickrama (109* & 4th right) batted just about all day and put on a 7^th wicket partnership of 124 with Ranga getting out just 5 runs short of the total. The boys ended up getting across the line to win through to the GF. This Team then went on to win the Premiership that started the 1^st of our record breaking 4 consecutive Premierships.

Another great Semi Final win was the 1991/92 A1 match against Nth Turramurra. After we were dismissed for just 127, Nth Turramurra was cruising at 3/93 on a hard and dry Berowra Oval track. Enter Todd Wills (5/13) & Greg Stoneham (2/22) in a combined 24 overs and we rolled them for 100 runs – winning by just 23 runs and taking 7/7!

Photo: the brilliant A1 team of 2011-12 that won the amazing Semi Final and went on to win the Premiership – the 1st of 4 in succession

Girl’s leadership and personal development

This season, Kirsty Newbury from our Club developed and delivered a fantastic Leadership program for our Stage 3 Girls (U17s). This is so highly rated that CNSW is doing a special segment on Kirsty celebrating International Women’s day on 8 March.

Last week, Kirsty ran another fantastic initiative – a Nutrition Workshop Katrina’s Family Nutrition discussing food combinations for sport/ study performance, as well as the benefits of macronutrients for supporting sleep and immune function. Next season we will involve the older Stage 2 girls and the broader application for any of the 12-17 mixed teams.

This is yet another example that shows why people play for West Penno with initiatives that are not available at any other cricket club.

Photo: the Nutrition Workshop hald during the week for our Stage 3 Girls.

What it takes to go back to back

Our D2 side are reigning Premiers for a reason. Apart from being a talented group of players they also work hard and there is no surprise the boys finished equal 1^st this season. During winter, they  were out training and as soon as the lockdown laws were eased they were out training again. Fast forward to last week with rain, rain and more rain and they were at it again – this time Indoor training. If they can make it through the Semis they will be a big chance of going back to back and being the first WPHC D2 side to achieve this result.

Photo: The D2 boys at the Hills Indoor Centre – 26 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?
2. 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?

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?

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?

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