Competition Tables
Dertails as at the end of Round 3
- A1 (Cam #25) – 2nd (15 points)
- A2 (Todd) – 5th (8 points)
- B1:
- Prats(Blue) – =6th (8 points)
- Red (Warren) – 8th (3 points)
- B2 (Sparsh) – =1st (15 points)
- C1 (Aniket):
- Blue (Aniket) – =3rd (12 points)
- Red (Roger Francis) – =5th (10 points)
- C2 (Chintan) – =6th (8 points)
- C4 (Ravi) – 4th (12 points)
- D1 (Diggers) – 1st (18 points)
Seniors One-Day Competition
- WPHC Red (Pras) – not yet available
- WPHC Blue (Roger Friend) – as above
- WPHC Green (Rob) – as above
- WPHC White (Parin) – as above
Match Reports
A1 Grade
WPHC (Cam #25) 0/26 Vs CHRSL 226
This week was another test match, with us going up against new members of the comp in Castle Hill.
K won the toss and we were bowling first.
The day ended with Castle Hill all out for 226 and we are currently 0/26 chasing. Ollie was the pick of the bowlers taking 6/37 and Billy a quick fire 23 to get our batting started.
Usually I go on and on here but that’s all the match reporting I’ll do for the round because this week was bigger than cricket for our club as we lost one of our own in Michael Banner (“Volc”).
He will be sadly missed and our thoughts are with Michael’s family, friends and teammates of many years.
Volc was an Inaugural Hall of Fame member, Seniors Treasurer (2001-05), A-grade player number 284, a loyal club man for 30 seasons, scoring over 7000 runs in his career and someone who had been playing again in A2’s this season. A stalwart of West Penno, he was someone who represented the true spirit and everything good about this great club.
It’s been a tough couple of days as we continue to miss our grey haired, team-shirt wearing, good mate, Volc.
He was a simply beautiful human being and whilst Saturdays won’t be the same without him, we will continue to honour him every time we take the field this season.
It’s often easy for us to sometimes forget how precious life can be.
To all those who knew Michael and have been affected by the news, you are in our thoughts, so please take care of yourself, look out for each other and speak up if your are struggling because I can promise that you are not alone.
A2 Grade
WPHC (Todd) Vs Berowra 9/263
We would make the trip up the M1 to visit our rivals Berowra at Warrina St.
But cricket took a backseat to remember our mate Volc. Shoulder to shoulder with Berowra we took a minute silence to remember a WPHCCC club legend and true gentleman who many of us were not only lucky enough to take the field with, witness him bat (especially his trademark sweep shot) and win premierships together.
But more than that we were lucky to be able to call Volc a friend. Win, lose or draw Volc was always up for a chat, joke, a beer and a feed at the sports club; no matter what cricket was enjoyable with Volc. His presence in our team will never be able to be replaced, but his memory, love for the game and spirit will live on in our team for this season and many many more seasons to come. RIP Michael Banner.
It was the dream start for us after we were sent in to bowl, as Ray said “good toss to lose”, as both Riken and Jack struck in their first overs and we had Berowra 2 down.
After Riken and Jack worked tirelessly to tie Berowra down, the skipper brought himself on and got the breakthrough in his second over. Shomik operated from the other end from the other end and had the ball on a string, bowling 12 overs straight getting two very important wickets, including the breakthrough of their opener who had passed 50 to a brilliant catch from Zac Turner diving forward on a dipping ball at point. We’d go into tea with Berowra 5/111.
After tea we’d go back to Jack and Riken who bowled quick and vicious, drawing inside edges, outside edges and play and misses. But no luck and arsey edges we’d accumulate runs for Berowra, It didn’t get better with unconfident pokes and cross bat slogs finding gap after gap and open pasture…. Couldn’t be more frustrating.
Willy would come on get the break through before getting a 2nd to an unreal diving catch from Alec, what a sight to see him at full stretch. The artiness would continue and we’d decline the new rock to avoid the edges flyer even quicker through the gaps. Riken and Jack were brought back, Riken bending his back, bowling absolute heat, to absolutely no luck, he could’ve easily walked away with 3-4 wickets and it would’ve been deserved.
In the final over of the day Jack would strike with a wild hack finally being missed and cannon into the stumps. He’d strike again the next ball and be on a hat trick… it was then we decided to take the new rock.
The hat trick ball ever so narrowly missed leg peg and the day would finish with Berowra somehow making their way to 263… but on a fast paced Warrina St we have all the confidence in our batting attack to chase it down… let’s do this one for Volc boys next week.
B1 Grade
WPHC Blue (Prats) 1/6 Vs Mt Colah 187
A warm welcome and hello to all long term and new readers of the famed B1 match report, sit back relax and enjoy the tales of Our Saturday
We arrived at Dural for what felt like the 30th consecutive weekend and it hadn’t changed one bit*
*If you ignore the run-ups at either end being so so so much worse week after week
After a difficult & emotional week in WPHCCC land it was time to do what we do best as a club and that’s show effort & fight as a team and in tribute of a Club Legend in Volc
It was a tricky start with chances aplenty just not quite going to hand and a Mt Colah side with its sights set on punishing us on the scoreboard….. Thankfully that didn’t last long with the experience of Keats taking 2 quick wickets to break open the game
However, cricket is a long and sometimes arduous game and throughout the course of the next 2-3 hrs we struggled to make consistent breakthroughs and just after the 50 over make Mt Colah were strolling at 3-155
But if anything has become clear about the mighty Blues is we absolutely love talking wickets in batches and in quick fashion
A stump shattering wicket by Stevey Ahmed started the downfall and he chipped in with 4 more after the last drinks break to take 5 for the innings & bomber bliss tagged in with his 1 “Carrom” Ball to help the party
6-28 was the end summary as we knocked over Mt Colah for 187 and proved throughout the day our effort can be rewarded and the spirit & fight of WPHCCC is what makes us the greatest club in the land
With 6 overs to bat in the fading light we hoped for no wickets on the way to stumps… Unfortunately the fastest gun in the west known as Prats fired Ronnie Hanich much to the dismay of everybody on earth and the aliens on Mars
At stumps 1/6 is the toll with Denim Price at one end and resident nightwatchman Old Man Carlin surviving through till the close
All in all a good day of cricket was had after a tough week for the club and was played in the right spirit in tribute of one of the great blokes you’ll ever meet
Now before we go I’d like to dedicate a moment to pass on my condolences and thoughts to the family, friends and all the ex-teammates of Michael “Volc” Banner –
Volc was one of the greatest players in club history and an even better bloke which sums up the character of the man
He will be sorely missed by all those who got to share the field with him & missed by those who shared many a cold beer with him
We will all miss his love of team shirts of which there was so so many, his many bottles of saltwater because he loved cramping up at any moment & mostly we will miss Volc in his spiritual home at the sports club, no matter how the day went you could find Volc there finding a way to spin a positive about the days play.
See the YouTube highlights of the game: B1 Round 4 Day 1 Vs Mt Colah
Rest Easy Volc, you’ll be missed
Viva La Blue
Viva La WPHCCC Viva La Volc Forever!!!!
WPHC Red (Warren) 2/22 Vs Sydney Lions 222
Good morning all and welcome back to the B1 red match report.
We arrived to Annangrove Park on a hot October Saturday to be told by Warren “Tim Worthington” Schwartzel that he was keen to bowl – however it mattered little as Sydney Lions won the toss and swiftly sent us in to field anyway.
On a fast outfield with small boundaries not seen since we played at Thomas Thompson park in under 10s, it was set to be a tough day in the field.
Sydney Lions quickly punished some loose bowling and fielding to quickly race to 0-82 by drinks. Thoughts quickly started racing among the team about what better things we could spend our Saturdays doing, with several players reportedly asking if it was too late to deregister for the season to take up knitting.
All hope was not lost however, as Matt “H” Schwartzel, having risen from his couch after 3 losses to save us from our sins, broke the partnership with some quality seam bowling as we reduced the Lions to 2/142 at tea.
From there, some quality bowling from Jake “the snake” Condon and Amit “Jesse James” Singh helped peg the lions back with regular wickets to bowl them out for 222, with Amit particularly impressive as he bowled 18 consecutive overs in the hot Annangrove sun, with only having a team full of fielders with feet for hands stopping him from taking a bag of wickets. Amit finishing with 3-68 and Jake finishing with 4-29.
We had 12 overs to bat and lost Matt and Luke “John Daly” Tabone early to some quality bowling, however some quality batting late in the day from Lakshan “John Harrison” Perera and Sagnik “Billy the Kid” Datta took us through to 2/22 at stumps (we miss you Ritchie).
The game is still in the balance and the team is keen to go out next week and turn it into a win.
B2 Grade
WPHC (Sparsh) 4/49 Vs Glenorie 132
A Moment for Volc ❤️
Before getting into the cricket, we’d like to take a moment to remember Volc, whose passing this week has saddened everyone across the club.
It’s been a difficult and emotional season for the WPHCC family. As this week’s match reporter, I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to play alongside Volc and share some great memories with him. He was a much-loved member of our cricket community and will always be remembered and loved.
With everything that’s happened, it’s a good reminder that cricket is about more than just the game. It’s about the friendships we build and the people we meet along the way. Let’s continue to look out for one another, check in on our mates and support each other both on and off the field.
Our thoughts are with Volc’s family, friends and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. He’ll always be part of the WPHCCC family ❤️.
Now, Onto the Cricket! 🏏
It was a scorching Saturday afternoon at the Home of Cricket, Greenway Park, and WPHCCC B2 arrived ready for another entertaining day of cricket.
Things got off to a questionable start when our self-appointed captain, Renesh Krishnan, won the toss and decided to bowl first. Yes, you read that correctly. On a 30-degree day, he thought spending the afternoon baking in the sun was a fantastic idea. Absolute tactical masterclass.
Just kidding!
For some context, with Sparsh away this week, Manas was actually captaining the side, just not on the team sheet (God knows why). So technically, the blame for this questionable decision falls on Manas. But for the purposes of this match report, we’ll continue blaming Renesh.
Nevertheless, the boys took the field, with Ravi and Manav “MD Jr.” Dhargalkar opening the bowling. Glenorie’s openers came out swinging, scoring freely and making the most of the conditions. The scoreboard was ticking along nicely, and Renesh’s decision at the toss was looking worse by the minute.
But MD Jr. had other ideas. Showing great persistence, Manav managed to dismiss both openers, providing two crucial breakthroughs and giving the boys something to celebrate other than the drinks breaks.
Following Ravi’s opening spell, Manas “Marn” Dhargalkar entered the attack. Nicknamed after Marnus Labuschagne, not necessarily for his batting technique, but for his ability to appeal for absolutely everything.
Marn bowled a tidy little spell and even managed to find the outside edge of Glenorie’s No. 4 batter. Unfortunately, the ball went straight to slips, where the cordon seemingly decided that catching was optional. Another dropped catch off Marn’s bowling. Another addition to the ever-growing tally…. Rumour has it he’s now considering retirement from bowling for the remainder of the season. Fair enough, really.
Meanwhile, Mayank “The Jain Express” Jain was putting in an outstanding shift. Charging in ball after ball, Mayank bowled with excellent consistency, hitting his line and length and making life difficult for the batters. Unfortunately, the wickets weren’t coming, yet… Enter John “Indoor Cricket Guru” Kurian.
Fresh off some sensational indoor cricket form, JK decided it was time to remind everyone that his talents weren’t limited to indoor cricket. Bowling a brilliant spell, he had the Glenorie batters dancing to his tune. His variations and accuracy proved too much, and he picked up two quick wickets just before tea. Suddenly, Glenorie had gone from a comfortable 2/90 to 4/100.
The game was well and truly back in the balance.
After tea, something extraordinary happened.
Indoor Cricket Guru and The Jain Express decided they’d had enough of fielding in the heat and took matters into their own hands.
What followed was arguably some of the best partnership bowling this team has ever seen. JK continued causing absolute chaos, while the Jain Express finally arrived at its destination, right through Glenorie’s batting lineup. Stumps were flying, catches were being taken (Marn would like to know where this energy was earlier), and the appeals were coming thick and fast.
Both bowlers complemented each other brilliantly, maintaining relentless pressure and giving Glenorie absolutely no breathing room.
And the reward? Four wickets each for JK and Mayank! An outstanding effort from both, and thoroughly deserved after some fantastic bowling. Glenorie, who at one stage were cruising at 2/90, were eventually bundled out for just 132. Eight wickets for just 42 runs!
An incredible fightback from the boys, showing tremendous character, energy and teamwork in difficult conditions.
Even Renesh’s toss decision was starting to look like a masterstroke. Although we’re still fairly certain it was an accident.
The Chase… Classic WPHCCC
With just 133 required, spirits were high heading into our batting innings. Surely, after such a fantastic bowling performance, we’d make life easy for ourselves?
Of course not. This is WPHCCC B2 we’re talking about.
Glenorie apparently had Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood opening the bowling, both seemingly fresh off the plane from South Africa after the Test series, deciding to get some extra match practice against WPHCCC B2.
What followed was an exhibition of swing, seam and absolute misery for our top order. Akith, Corbs and Daegan all received some absolute peaches, with the ball moving around like it had a mind of its own. Honestly, not much the boys could’ve done, except perhaps lodge a formal complaint with Cricket Australia about international players turning up to park cricket. I know we’re playing at the Home of Cricket but boys rest up for the summer of cricket.
Before we knew it, the scoreboard read:
1/4.
Then 2/5.
Then 3/17.
Lovely stuff, boys. Nothing like turning a modest run chase into a survival documentary. Fortunately, Mukund “Thanga and His Gas Chamber of Secrets” Venkat Narayanan and Marn had other plans. The pair came together with WPHCCC in serious trouble and decided that, for once, entertaining cricket was completely overrated.
What followed was proper, sensible, old-fashioned Test match batting. Leave the good balls. Defend the straight ones. Punish anything loose. Repeat.
No unnecessary heroics. No wild slogs. Just two batters digging in and slowly rebuilding the innings. Thanga and Marn showed excellent patience and composure, frustrating Glenorie’s bowlers and gradually shifting the pressure back onto the opposition.
From 3/17, the boys fought their way to 3/49, with the partnership looking increasingly comfortable.
With stumps approaching, it appeared the pair would see out the day and return next week to continue the rebuild. But cricket, as always, had other ideas.
On the second-last ball of the day, Glenorie’s makeshift spinner somehow managed to get one to pop up towards leg slip, where Thanga was unfortunately caught.
And so, with one ball remaining, WPHCCC needed someone brave. Someone composed. Someone capable of handling the pressure.
Enter Renesh “Self-Appointed Captain” Krishnan. Having already subjected everyone to an afternoon in the scorching sun, Renesh finally had an opportunity to redeem himself.
Walking out as nightwatchman, with the weight of the entire dressing room on his shoulders, he faced the final delivery. And in what can only be described as the greatest defensive shot of his career, Renesh successfully blocked the ball. Not out. Job done. Captain’s knock. Historians will speak of this delivery for generations.
WPHCCC finished the day at 4/49, requiring another 84 runs for victory.
A special thank you to Ravi and Daegan for filling in this week. Really appreciate you both stepping up and helping the team out!
Notable Figures:
John Kurian 4/26 off 10 overs
Mayank 4/28 off 12 overs
Manav 2/34 off 11 overs
C1 Grade
WPHC Blue (Aniket) 7/289 Vs Hornsby (HTSC)
After missing out on Round 3 due to a forfeit, the WPHCCC Blue boys were eager to finally get back on the park and play some cricket.
As usual, Ani lost the toss, once again successfully avoiding the difficult job of actually deciding what to do! 😂
WPHCCC Blue were sent in to bat, and the focus quickly shifted to making the opportunity count.
After an early setback at 1/6, Saurabh and Mridul took control with an excellent 92-run partnership.
Saurabh played a positive knock of 63 from 90 balls, striking 6 fours and 2 sixes (despite complaining about how far the boundary is). His innings settled things after the early wicket and provided the platform for WPHCCC Blue to build a competitive total.
Mridul then produced the innings of the day a superb 112 from 160 balls, featuring 9 fours and 2 sixes. Mridul showed patience, concentration and plenty of quality, holding the innings together and taking WPHCCC Blue into a strong position.
After a few wickets through the middle and later stages, Mohit helped steady things again with an important 28 not out from 52 balls, including 2 fours.
Isaac Taylor provided the late acceleration, finishing with an excellent 32 not out from just 32 balls, including 5 fours, helping push WPHCCC Blue to 7/289 from 70 overs.
🌟 Batting highlights
Mridul – 112 off 160 | 9 fours, 2 sixes
Saurabh – 63 off 90 | 6 fours, 2 sixes
Isaac – 32 off 32* | 5 fours
Mohit – 28 off 52* | 2 fours
Saurabh & Mridul – 92-run
WPHC Red (Roger Francis) Vs Oakhill College 7/169
WPHCCC Red v Oakhill College 3rd XI, Day 1 at Glenhaven Reserve
WPHCCC Red took the field at Glenhaven Reserve with a full squad, a few fresh faces and plenty of energy. Hiresh won the toss, led from the front, and the side set about the Oakhill openers.
The breakthroughs came early. Sanjay struck first, with Jas pouching the catch behind the stumps.
Soon after, Atharva removed the other opener, again with Jas taking the catch, and Oakhill were 2/19 with the chatter in the field going up a few notches.
The bowling was a proper team effort.
Sanjay was the pick of the attack, finishing with 1/10 from 11 overs. Harsh and Vivek shared the new ball, Rahul VK (0/22 from 12) and Ratul K (0/28 from 10) kept things tight through the middle, and Meet Vyas picked up an LBW.
Atharva added a second wicket, bowling one through the gate to finish with 2/25 from 15.
Then there was our under-14, Zayn Qureshi, who bowled an absolutely brilliant spell of 0/9 from 5 overs. He was accurate, patient and completely unfazed by playing against grown men. Some of the older heads were quietly taking notes.
Not everything stuck in the field.
Quite a few catches went down, but most were genuinely tough chances, the kind you’d only expect to see on a highlights reel. We’ll call it “ambitious fielding”. Where it counted, the team delivered. Jas was busy behind the stumps all day, and run-outs from Sanjay and Hiresh showed that when the throw is right, the stumps don’t stand a chance.
Credit to Oakhill’s Aaleh, who dug in for a gritty 51 and held their middle order together until Hiresh ran him out. He was the exception, though. The rest of their line-up seemed to think it was a Test match from the 1980s.
Nobody was swinging the bat, and it was forward defence after forward defence, as if the whole team had been replaced by Pujaras. We respect the method, but the scoreboard barely moved. Oakhill finished the day at 7/169 after 70 overs.
Off the field, the real story of the day was a mix-up.
Early on, Vivek thought Aryan was bowling and called Sanjay “Aarya”.
That was all it took. By the afternoon everyone was calling everyone Aarya, and by stumps nobody remembered their own name.
C2 Grade
WPHC (Chintan) 91 lost on 1st innings to Hornsby 6/219
In solidarity, we stand.. We will miss you Volc 💐
We were sent to bat with familiar foes Hornsby on slightly hot and humid day at Bannockburn.
Limited availability of players across the two days meant captain Chintan had to shuffle some players from other teams, so we had our guest stars Amith and Waman fill in for us. Vikrant and Arun started watchfully and positively but the first wicket fell at 16 when Vikrant got bowled.
Vishnu joined Arun but partnership could not kick ok as Arun got bowled when he played across a straight one. Anubhav also got caught without troubling scorers and that brought Pritam and Vishnu together.
Both of them looked positive and kept scoreboard ticking for a brief partnership of 26 but both batsmen fell in quick succession. 49/3 became 49/6 and Pennos never really recovered from that collapse.
Some clean hitting from Praveg and some runs from lower order helped Pennos to 91 but it was not enough on a good wicket.
Hornsby started positively and attacked from get go. As opposed to Pennos’ innings Hornsby had stable and steady partnerships for almost every wicket and this deflated Pennos on the field.
The ultra-positive approach also meant Hornsby comfortably got the lead and ended the day at a strong position of 219/6, a lead of 128 runs.
🏏💪
C4 Grade
WPHC (Ravi) Vs Kissing Point
This is a Sunday game so the match report will be loaded by Monday morning.
This is a 4th Vs 3rd fixture and is being played at Auluba Oval from 1.00 pm.
D1 Grade
WPHC (Diggers) 2/38 Vs ARL 194
We arrived at Tom Richmond Oval (formerly known as Brooklyn Dairy) to compete against ARL.
Capt Diggers was keen to take the toss and surprisingly won his first coin toss in 23 years (or thereabouts) and quickly decided to bowl on a hot, humid afternoon in Brooklyn.
Nandit (2/19) bowled an initial spell without luck, but his pace and lines were immaculate. Jed (2/26) opened with Nandit, and together they set the tempo of the innings not giving ARL anything to play at.
Jed took the first couple of wickets and ARL were already looking shaky (plus they were scoring at less than 2 an over).
Disco (2/14) and Buzz (0/8 off 11) were the first change and continued to pressure ARL’s scoring opportunities.
At the break, ARL were 3/35 off 21 overs.
Disco resumed after the break, which saw the better Gerber, Grant ‘the Panther’ Gerber, take two memorable catches that Steve Smith would have been proud of (I think he needs to play sick every week), one off Disco and another off Shrey (2/23).
At Tea, ARL had slumped to 7/73. After the tea break, Capt Diggers brought on Adi (2/5), who bowled some absolute heat, and Nandit for his second spell, to mop up the tail.
Only ARL’s two opening batsman score double figures, with one of the openers carrying his bat for 43*, but should have been out very early in his innings.
ARL were bowled out for 104 off 56 overs with wickets shared amongst 5 bowlers (2 each), but with over an hour to play.
A great fielding display by all the team, with a special mention to Cliff, who dived at everything to stop the singles.
Cliff (1) and Tim opened the batting with 21 overs to face before close of play.
Cliff went early out LBW and Tim (6*) was joined by Adi (19) out on a great partnership to see out the day, but just before close Adi was caught, to bring Gus (2*) to partner Tim for the last over.
We finished the day in a strong position at 2/38 heading into Day 2 next week.
Senior Mixed One-Day Competition
WPHC Red (Pras) Vs Berowra (C4)
Scores and Match Report not received
WPHC Green (Rob) 9/146 tied with Berowra (D2) 7/146
Cricket, Glorious Cricket: Another Tie, Another Tale of Heartbreak
How good is cricket? Seriously, how good is it? And how good is a tied match? Pretty special, right? But what if it is a tied match that you really, really should have won comfortably? Well, that takes things to an entirely different level.
Add in a “Brazilian” pitch, 20 no-balls, a nail-biting final over and a second tie in just three matches, and you have all the ingredients for a cricketing afternoon that will leave the team wondering whether to celebrate, commiserate or simply pack up the gear and head home.
Welcome to the wonderful, bewildering and occasionally cruel world of cricket.
Rob Wins the Toss! Stop the Press!
There was cause for celebration before a ball had even been bowled. After what has presumably been a frustrating run of tosses going the wrong way, Rob finally managed to win one. Yes, you read that correctly. Rob won the toss!
It was a moment worth savouring, and he made the most of it by electing to bat first. With the toss finally going our way, the opportunity was there to put a decent total on the board and put Berowra under pressure.
The stage was set.
Indranil and Abhinav Lead the Way
With the bat, Indranil and Abhinav provided valuable contributions, scoring 38 and 35 respectively. In a total that ultimately proved competitive enough to take the match down to the final over, their efforts were important in giving the team something to defend.
Indranil’s 38 was a useful contribution, while Abhinav’s 35 ensured that the scoreboard continued to move. On a pitch that presumably had a few tricks up its sleeve, both innings helped establish a platform for the rest of the batting order.
There is always a temptation to look at a final score and wonder whether the team should have scored another 15 or 20 runs. There is also the temptation to blame the pitch, the weather, the opposition, or anything else within reach. But the reality is that 146 runs from 35 overs can provide a reasonable foundation, particularly when the bowling side is expected to apply pressure.
Unfortunately, the batting innings finished at 9/146 after the allotted 35 overs. It was not a huge total, but it was something to work with. The task was clear: bowl well, field sharply and make Berowra work for every run.
Little did we know just how much work they would have to do.
Twenty No-Balls and a Bowling Problem
If there was one major talking point to emerge from the match, it was our bowling. More specifically, the 20 no-balls.
Twenty.
No-balls.
In a one-day cricket match.
Was it an under 11s match?
It is difficult to win games when you give the opposition that many extra deliveries. Every no-ball is an unnecessary gift, and depending on the format and circumstances, it can bring additional runs and an extra delivery to face.
Twenty no-balls can turn a tight contest into a frustrating one. They can also be the difference between a comfortable win and a result that leaves everyone scratching their heads.
And yet, despite all of that, the team somehow found itself in a position to win.
Which makes the final result even harder to swallow.
Berowra Refuse to Go Away
The Berowra innings was tight from start to finish. With 146 runs to defend, every wicket mattered, every boundary changed the equation and every dot ball offered a little hope.
The pressure built gradually. Berowra kept coming, our bowlers kept trying, and the contest developed into the sort of match that reminds everyone why cricket can be so compelling. It was never quite comfortable, never entirely settled and never beyond doubt.
There were moments when the game appeared to be slipping away, followed by moments when it seemed we might just pull it back. The scoreboard continued to dictate the mood, and the closer the innings came to its conclusion, the more important every delivery became.
Despite the generosity of our bowling attack, Berowra had not managed to get home before the final over. They still needed 10 runs to win.
Ten runs. Six balls.
On paper, that is a manageable equation for a batting side. One boundary, a couple of twos and the job could be done. For the bowling side, however, it is an opportunity to produce something special.
One good over. Six disciplined deliveries. No freebies.
Easier said than done, of course.
The Final Over: Nine Runs, No Winner
With Berowra requiring 10 runs from the final over, the match was perfectly poised for a dramatic finish.
The field was set, the bowler prepared, and every player on the ground knew that the next six balls would determine the outcome. After 35 overs of cricket, it had come down to one final test of nerve.
Berowra pushed hard, searching for the runs that would take them over the line. Our team fought to hold them back, knowing that even a single dot ball could make a difference.
The equation remained tantalisingly close throughout the over. Every run mattered. Every delivery carried weight. And then, at the end of it all, Berowra had managed only nine runs.
They needed 10.
They scored nine.
The result? A tie.
Not a win. Not a loss. A tie.
There is something undeniably thrilling about a tied cricket match. Two teams, separated by absolutely nothing after hours of effort. It is the sort of result that makes spectators leap out of their seats and players stare at the scoreboard in disbelief.
But when you are the team that feels it should have won comfortably, the excitement comes with a generous helping of frustration.
Two Ties in Three Matches. Seriously?
A tied match is rare enough. Two ties in three matches is something else entirely.
At this point, the team might reasonably ask whether someone has upset the cricketing gods. Perhaps the “Brazilian” pitch has mystical powers. Perhaps the toss has finally gone Rob’s way only for the universe to restore balance through the most improbable results imaginable.
Or perhaps cricket is simply cricket.
The truth is that there are plenty of positives to take from this performance. Indranil and Abhinav made useful contributions with the bat. The team managed to take the contest deep into the final over. When Berowra needed 10 runs from six balls, the bowling side held its nerve sufficiently to prevent the opposition from winning.
Those are genuine positives.
Cricket, You Beautifully Frustrating Game
So, how good is cricket?
How good is a tied match?
And how good is a tied match you should have won comfortably?
Apparently, good enough to leave us coming back for more.
The result was another tie.
Two ties in three matches. You could not make it up.
Because cricket is a wonderful game.
But winning would be even better
WPHC Blue (Roger Friend) 7/220 defeated Berowra (C4) 155
The match began on a sombre and respectful note, with Roger Friend sharing a few words in honour of Michael Banner, followed by a minute’s silence observed by both teams.
WPHCC Blue won the toss and elected to bat, putting together an impressive 220/7 from their allotted 35 overs.
Malinda Dharmadasa (65) was the top scorer followed by contributions from Vinoth Sambasivam (46), Pawan Phanindra (37) and Shehan Fernando (29) as WPHCC Blue set Berowra a challenging target.
In reply, Berowra were bowled out for 155 in 31.5 overs, completing a convincing 65-run victory for WPHCC Blue.
The bowling highlight belonged to Thiru Pukazenthi, making his return to cricket after two years. He made an immediate impact by taking a wicket with his very first ball and went on to finish with outstanding figures of 4/15.
Roger Friend picked up 2 wickets, both caught in almost identical fashion by Tej Randhawa, with the 300-wicket milestone getting closer, while Pankaj Gawande continued his excellent form with another 2 wickets, including the crucial dismissal of Berowra’s captain and top scorer.
And in keeping with the old saying, “catches win matches”, Vinoth Sambasivam had an exceptional day in the field with three catches. His efforts included an outstanding slip catch, a superb one-handed grab at mid-on, and the important catch to dismiss Berowra’s captain and top scorer, which proved a key turning point in the match.
There was also an unusual afternoon in the field for Malinda Dharmadasa, who completed three catches but had only one officially count. One was ruled a bump catch after the bat made-contact with the ground during the stroke, while another came from a no-ball.
With four wins from their first five matches, WPHCC Blue have made a strong start to the competition.
🏏 A memorable day, a strong team performance, and a fitting victory following the tribute to Michael Banner.
WPHC White (Parin) 146 lost to Normanhurst 3/315
A warm sunny sky and clear conditions welcomed us to North Turramurra Recreational Area.
To take advantage of the lightning-quick outfield and big boundaries, Normanhurst won the toss and chose to bat first.
Lachlan M opened strong as usual for the Whites and removed the opening batter early on with a plumb LBW.
Despite our bowling starting strong and keeping things tight initially, the Normanhurst skipper had got his eye in quickly and took advantage of the quick outfield. Unfortunately, our bowling did not seem to compete with Normanhurst’s batting calibre, putting on a 149 run 2nd-wicket partnership, and was exacerbated by some below-par fielding across the board.
This partnership was eventually broken by Lachlan M clean bowling the Normanhurst no. 3. Shortly after, the Normanhurst skipper retired for a well-earned 108 not out. Normanhurst continued to pile on the runs, until Kiran breached the stumps for the final wicket of the innings. Normanhurst finished the innings and set a behemoth total of 315 to defend.
Lachlan M (10) and Samridh (34) walked out to bat and faced some aggressive heat from the Normanhurst opening bowlers.
Lachlan M and Samridh kept the scoreboard ticking, until Lachlan M was castled. Samridh and Ramil (39) then built a strong 2nd-wicket partnership, which was the mainstay of our innings. Ramil was soon dismissed, and Flynn (22) stepped up to the crease at no 4.
Unfortunately, despite’s Flynn’s strong efforts with the bat, he was unable to build a strong partnership, as Samridh’s dismissal triggered a batting collapse. Normanhurst eventually bowled us out for 146.
Despite us not performing to our best against strong opposition, there are definitely positives to take away from the game.
The more important matter was that we were all able to come together as a team and honour our mate Volc.