Match Reports

Competition – Round 13 (2-Dayer)

(Saturday 10^th February 2024)

A1 Grade

WPHC (Cameron) 182 drew with Berowra White 8/139

Resuming at 8/133 we continued the batting effort. Lichaa and Gandis went to work until Lichaa was dismissed for a wonderful 64, Meiks then in for a run a ball 11, all anchored by a wonderful 16* by Gandis taking us to 180 all out with 53 overs to take 10 wix for the win.

Lichaa and Tiz came out in tandem bowling very well, Tiz taking the first wicket and having another dropped off his bowling early.

Berowra then steadied as the runs were being held tight, Tiz then struck with 3 quick wix and it was game on. 

Gandis bowling well to his very own plan struck with 2 key wickets including the he big breakthrough.

Berowra tail were very stubborn led by lightning McQueen and managed to get to stumps 8 down.

3 points seeming like it will most likely be enough to get us through with the bye next week, with a semi against either Berowra on the cards.

A2 Grade

WPHC (Campbell) 4/128 drew with Castle Hill 205

Our day began with Captain Campbell ringing vice- captain Justin to let him know that he’d be touch and go for the 1pm start of play with unforeseen hiccups in his morning marathon routine.

Vice captain Justin responded by saying he’d had a flat battery and was at the mercy of the NRMA for his arrival time, but likely to miss the first hour.

A2s are lucky to be steered by such respected figureheads.

This is leadership.

Since your columnist missed the first hour, Dean Carlin was asked what had happened in the opening overs.

“We played cricket,” Dean grunted.

Thanks Dean.

Castle Hill resumed at 4/165 and made their way past 200 with all the urgency of a common sloth, batting almost until tea on day 2.

The chase always unlikely, but the slow Parklands outfield made it just about impossible.

Our openers once again fell short of a 50-run stand, Justin run out going for that 50^th  run.

Birdcage shared a significant portion of the blame for Justin’s run out and did not want to go back to the pavilion any time soon, so he continued to grind away.

Birdcage made 60*, without a single boundary. 

Neither a 4 or a 6, not even a 3. Birdcage ran all 60 of his runs. The Parklands outfield while soft and cushy, was inflicting deep pain. A crafty beast.

There were two boundaries hit ALL DAY. One by Castle Hill, the other by our own Kyle Townsend in his 26*.

The eruption from the spectators for this one boundary was spectacular, quickly followed by a great shame, as we remembered we’re supposed to hit them regularly.

With a pitch flatter than pre-Aristotle’s concept of Earth, an outfield lusher than Ray Khamis’ chest hair and bowling tighter than Billy Gaunt’s wallet, a draw was the only possible outcome.

We probably knew this about 90 minutes into Day 1.

So that’s 22 blokes who’ve wasted roughly 12 hours of their lives, no winners. No-one even close.

And we do this willingly.

B1 Grade

WPHC Blue (Todd) 187 lost to Glenorie 9/231 dec8/265

Welcome back to the club’s most factually incorrect match report as I regretfully have to inform all that our semi-final chances have taken a massive turn for the worst after yesterday’s result (unless you are a member of Shomik’s team, as this may well make you very happy indeed).

Unfortunately, our batters’ combined effort was not enough to chase down the 232 runs Glenorie set for us after declaring at stumps, all of our top six as well as Rick at eight reaching double figures and yet, no one was able to top birthday boy Willy’s 31.

A pretty disappointing day, really. However, there were a fair few highlights to keep us occupied.

You’ve got Shane Warne’s ball of the century against Mike Gatting in 1993, Mitchell Starc’s absolute corker to James Vince in 2017 and now, the 15-year-old Glenorie leg-spinner’s devilish wrong’un to Connor Hindmarch in 2024.

I’ll do my best, but you simply had to be there to see it. A good length ball pitching on off stump, Connor’s probing bat easily covering the expected turn of the ball to get us through to drinks. Instead, it turned out that the youngster had disguised a seemingly regular leg break as a vicious wrong’un, the ball turning the opposite direction and creeping through the tiniest gap between bat and pad before crashing into the top of leg stump.

That’s an absolutely terrible explanation completely devoid of analogies and metaphors they teach you in HSC English (Ben Burrows will be very disappointed in me) because it’s late and the match report writer is tired, but you get the idea. The stand-in skipper gone for 18, and we’re 2-37 at drinks. Not the stuff of great ballads.

Then came the other talking point of the day. Just as partnerships between Jude and Willy and then Jude and Sam began to get us back on track after tea, a top piece of fielding from Glenorie’s mid-wicket fielder caught the batters in the middle of the crease, Jude realising far too late to turn back to his crease and ending up about four metres short, unearthing a mighty bellow to the cricketing gods complaining about the cruelty of the situation. Here’s what he had to say about it:

“Typically reticulated giraffes have excellent eyesight, allowing them to spot movement up to a mile away (source Jude’s actuarial studies degree). However, today we see there are anomalies in every species. “Lachie Edwards” proceeded to give the team’s least favourite Jude “Drakes D” Boyle run out despite the majority of the team and opposition, in absolute disbelief claiming “he was out by a foot” (this statement was later retracted for legal purposes) and everyone else saying he was in by half a bat length. Throughout this great game we tend to learn a lot about our inner psyche and each other. Today we learnt that Lachie has the senses of Helen Keller and we question his loyalty to the team.”

 With writing prowess like that, it was suggested that the team’s match report writing duties should be handed over to him indefinitely, only for him to very rudely turn it down by claiming to “tutor” on Saturday nights. I hope he’s okay with being four metres out of his crease forever.

And yeah, that was about it. Back at the club, the mood was much cheerier amongst the team as several members engaged in heated games of chess, while the celebrations for Willy’s 34^th birthday hit full swing – his last before becoming a father. In fact, the only person who wasn’t truly jovial was Willy himself, his wife Alexa only inviting half of Bella Vista back to the Sporto.

Gotta up your game next time.

WPHC Red (Shomik) 164 Vs Berowra

Scores & Match Report not available.

B2 Grade

WPHC (Warren) 8/227 dec drew with Beecroft 5/75

Loyal readers, first and foremost my utmost apology for the tardiness of my match report.

I did not intend on writing one this week such is the dejection I felt after this week’s effort. Alas though I have come to my senses – the match report isn’t for me, it’s for you. So here we are.

After snatching a chance at victory from the jaws of defeat last week we decided we would bat on. For context we assumed Beecroft would actually show up to play a game of cricket.

Boy were we wrong.

After letting Daniel ‘Matthew’ Schwartzel bring up his 50** (65) and Nick Duck bring up his 30 odd (2) we decided to put them in for what we thought was a chase able total of 227 in 60 overs. From ball 1 it appeared Beecroft were content with a draw. What would follow is a day of cricket we have all sadly experienced. A day of cricket no one wishes to go through but has to every now and again. A game of cricket whereby every single ball you are digging deep into every single fibre of your being asking yourself why the hell you play this god forsaken sport. So much internal contemplation – today we were Sisyphus. Pushing that rock up that bloody hill just to watch it roll back down. Precisely 360 times.

A more boring game of cricket hasn’t been played since the HKDCAJACA abandoned timeless games back in 1897.

We interviewed club legend and local octogenarian Ross ‘Mr Burns’ Anderson back at the Sporto to ask about the last timeless game he played. ‘Yeah I actually miss those days aye. Now I only get to back for 6 hours and I have to get back home to Denise hassling me about the lawns and shit. The kids nowadays have no idea with their bloody T20 this and One Day that’ Source Ross Anderson).

Beecroft batted the whole day for a total of 75 runs. We took 5 wickets throughout the day and at times looked like breaking through but their captain did a good job of slowing down play and just being an absolute pest.

Highlights include

• Ray took a wicket
• Ryan ‘Michael Gunn’s brother’ Gunn got a bowl
• Bobby K gave us a glimpse into the future by making himself unavailable to play because he planned on having 3 beers at the pub the night before and would be too hungover to play.
• Trudy Chidgey wins celebrity guest of the week – unfortunately she picked the worst possible week to come spectate but we appreciate her coming and supporting nonetheless
• Happy birthday to Jo Van Saarloos – pretty good sort for her age (Source Ross Anderson)
• Despite being nearly 60 she is still far too young for Ross Anderson (143 years old)
• Opposition teams keeper batsmen nearly lost a finger in a freak accident which may have involved sticking his dirty finger in Ray’s face – didn’t anyone tell this guy you don’t stare directly into the sun or you’re going to go blind
• Happy Birthday to Chris ‘Willy’ Williamson
• Steve Quanborough has officially entered retirement and subsequently announced his comeback tour dates. Titled ‘I ain’t f**ken leaving you f**ken bitch’ in honour of his mate and playing partner Tarun Lath (Quan will never retire)
• Inflation is simply getting out of hand with the Sporto now charging a cool $10.10 for a Hahn Super Dry. Absolutely horrendous the state of things. I can handle families not being able to put food on the table, young people not being able to afford an education or avocado on toast. But I simply will not stand for a Australian Lager setting me back for than a $10 note. Simply outrageous.

Until next week folks

C1 Grade

WPHC (Indranil) 225 defeated Thornleigh 92

Key performers

• Aayush Kumar – 3/8 and taking 2 great catches, which the bowlers acknowledged as fielder’s wicket.
• Ben Waldron – 3/32 – a fearsome opening spell.

After a long rest from last week’s onslaught, WPH came back for another day of cricket.

The day started with Kapil and Olly continuing their innings. After a few boundaries from the two, Kapil chops on, making our team 8/185 . The next person to come to the crease was our Captain, Indranil. Unfortunately, he also chopped on. Our last bat, Ben Waldron, who ended up fighting for his wicket. With Ollie at the other end, the runs soon began to pile up, as Ollie was smashing all the bowlers all around the park. In the end, Ollie scored 39 as he was taken by the fielder at deep cow corner. We finished our innings 225 runs.

The openers of the other team were looking confident, that they could chase this total, but our bowlers were ready.

Our opening bowler, Ben Waldron instantly claimed 1, as the off stump was cartwheeling. With our whole team fired up, Ben Waldron claimed another, as this time the leg stump was out of the ground. With the opposing team 2/15, the team were confident that they had a chance to bring this home. The opponents had a small partnership, until Ben Waldron claimed his third after bowling a full toss. The batsman pulls it straight to our mid-wicket, Aayush Kumar. Soon after, the Thornleigh captain Harry Stuart fell to Inam, after picking out Ben Dunkerly at point.

Now Ben D came as a sub to get some sunshine after skiing last 6 weeks in Europe; He made it to the ground, less than 12 hours since landing in Sydney, shows his tremendous club commitment. Well done !!

However, it did not take long for them to lose more after our first and second change bowlers came on.

Our next bowlers that stepped up to the crease were Vishnu Raman and Aayush Kumar. During Vishnu’s spell, the opponents were able to claim a few more runs, until their number 5 batsman chopped on to Aayush Kumar. After a few fours from their number 6, he too fell to Ayush Kumar, as Ansh Pratheesh took an excellent catch at point. Their number 7 also didn’t last long, as he spooned it straight to our bowler, Aayush Kumar. When tea came, Thornliegh were 7/72 with Aayush and Ben both on 3 wickets.

After tea, WPH went back to clean up the tail quickly. Some players were even thinking whether an outright is possible. The players to do it were Kapil Tangri and Ansh Pratheesh. And it worked, as their number 9 batsman was caught out by Aayush Kumar, taking an absolute screamer, diving to his left on the cow corner boundary. With only two more to get, Ansh Pratheesh gets called on to bowl. After claiming he hasn’t bowled for two months, he gets their number 8 batsman clean bowled off his first delivery. With Thornliegh 9/86, winning and drawing chances soon diminished, as Ansh claimed the last one in his second over, as Kapil took a brilliant catch at cover.

In the end, Thornleigh were all out for 92, and WPH win the game after a brilliant performance from many players. Some honourable performances in the batting throughout this 2-day game were Vedant smashing 94, Akith hitting 24, Olly hitting 39 and Vishnu hitting 17. Some more exceptional performances were Ben, Inam, Aayush, Ansh and Kapil bowling very well. With Ben W at 3/32 after 8, Inam being 1/13 after 7, Aayush being 3/8 after 5, Ansh being 2/3 after 1.3 and Kapil being 1/14 after 4.

Overall, it was a very good win for the C1 side and with a BYE next round, guarantees their spot in the semi finals.

C2 Grade

WPHC Blue (Mat) 183 defeated Hornsby TBA

On day 2 of this classic match, we start off the day a bit late with the pitch being soaked with the rainwater and mud from the early morning and previous day.

Efforts were made to start on time, but play resumed about 40 minutes later. Our skipper Marty had opted to keep batting, with young blokes Fin and Vris picking up where they left off. It was a short stay for Fin, as he had hit 2 off the first ball, but departed for 26 the next over. Rob was next in, with him and Vris battling through. Vris then departed a couple overs later, being caught out for 9. In came Matt, who didn’t contribute to the runs, but was not out at the end. We finished on 183, with Rob being the last wicket to fall, being bowled for 7. We were fired up, ready to rip through Hornsby and get them back for the loss earlier in the season.

Opening the bowling in the second innings was Fin and Mick. They started off well, keeping Hornsby to a low total by the end of their spells. Mick picked up the first wicket, clean bowling one of the openers and sent him back to the sheds for a measly 5 runs. Then in the very next over, Fin cleaned up the other opener, who looked stunned as he stumbled back off the ground for a duck.

Hornsby were 2/8 off 7 overs at this stage.

But then, a big fight back occurred. The number 3 and 4 batsmen for Hornsby put on a 49 run partnership, which lasted 15 overs. In the 22^nd over, an awful mix-up between the 2 batsmen saw an easy run out, with Vris and Bronson combining for our 3^rd. Only 6 overs later, big Rob was fired up after being hit for 4, and charged in the next ball to see the back of Hornsby’s number 3, being caught at square leg with a great catch by Mick.

A short fight back by Hornsby was disrupted by one of the catches of the summer. With Sohan starting his 4th over, the ball is hit up in the air to cover. James, who bear in mind is not the tallest kid, leaps up into the air and latches on the ball. Hornsby are now 5 down, still requiring 80 more runs off 13 overs. Hopes were still high for Hornsby, with 14 runs being put on in the next 4 overs, with no wickets being lost. Then, in the 40^th over, the run out of the summer occurred. Vris, who collected the ball at mid off, pings the ball in and hits the stumps directly, catching Hornsby’s top scorer for the day short of his ground. This run out opened the floodgates.

Out came the Hornsby captain, undoubtedly the loudest and most chatty player for the Hornsby team. With tensions high, our previous skipper Mat runs in and traps him in front. He’s gone for just 1 run. Only 3 wickets were needed for victory, and 2 overs later, Mat gets his second, with a hack being swallowed by Sohan down at mid-on. There were 5 overs left in the day, and Hornsby were now just looking to draw the match.

Mick then takes the 9^th wicket, absolutely demolishing the stumps. Then came James, still on a high from his spectacular catch earlier in the day.

In his first over of the day, he lands the ball on a good length. The final Hornsby batsmen edges the ball, it hits Bronson (our keeper) on the leg, it pops up in the air for an easy catch for our skipper, Marty.

We won an absolute classic with 3 overs left. That felt good.

WPHC Red (Arun) 79  lost to St Ives Wahroonga 135

Day – 1

The team found themselves in a difficult position following consecutive losses in their previous two matches. Compounded by the absence of key players due to injuries, they arrived at the ground with minimal expectations beyond simply enjoying the game of cricket. Arun emphasised before the match that their focus was solely on playing and relishing the sport they all cherished, disregarding ladder standings or individual performance.

Despite facing the most formidable opponent in the league, the team’s demeanour on the field was markedly different. Every player exhibited a heightened level of determination and energy. Amitava and Vinod took charge of the bowling attack in the absence of regular opener Vikas, with Vinod particularly impressive, perplexing St. Ives’ opening batsmen with his impeccable bowling. Meanwhile, Amitava maintained a steady performance.

As fatigue set in for Vinod and Amitava, Arun rotated the bowlers seamlessly, introducing Saurabh, Brij, Aniket, and John Kurian, who bowled with such skill and precision that the opposition struggled to cope. St. Ives’ batsmen seemed to strategies around facing only Vinod and Amitava, unaware of the prowess of the other bowlers, who soon wreaked havoc, leading to a succession of wickets.

Despite missing key players Rishab, Vikas, and John Koleth, the team rallied with an extraordinary display of effort and determination on the field. Waman, a replacement player from the D1 (Agni) team, made a spectacular catch, showcasing the team’s depth. Rishab and John Koleth exhibited remarkable team spirit by attending despite their ailments, with Rishab even returning from the hospital that morning. John Koleth, sporting a broken finger, epitomised resilience and commitment as he refused to let his injury deter him from supporting the team.

Thanks to their collective partnership and unwavering commitment, West Penno successfully contained St. Ives, bowling them out for 126 runs with nine overs to spare. Saurabh and Vinod opened the batting innings, with Vinod unfortunately dismissed on the first ball. However, Chetan and Saurabh fearlessly faced the formidable St. Ives bowling attack, contributing to West Penno’s score of 18 runs on the first day.

Wickets – Vinod – 2, Saurabh – 1, Joh Kurian – 2, Brijesh – 2, Aniket – 2, Amitava – 1.

Day – 2

The team entered the game with confidence, knowing that scoring 118 runs would secure them the day.

Chetan and Saurabh made a promising start, but the St. Ives bowlers proved relentless. Despite their confidence, Saurabh fell victim to a superb catch while attempting an upper drive. The momentum shifted as both Rishab and Chetan departed in quick succession. Rishab’s dismissal sparked controversy as he believed he had struck the bat before his pad, but Umpire Arun’s decision stood as he didn’t hear any noise. West Penno’s stability wavered. Harri and Amitava then took charge, displaying remarkable patience in steering towards victory until Harri’s unfortunate dismissal. Subsequently, a flurry of batsmen came and went, often losing their wickets due to unnecessary shots. The team lamented the lack of value placed on wickets, especially from the lower-order batsmen, including captain Arun.

St. Ives ultimately bowled West Penno out for 79 runs, snatching victory from their grasp and likely eliminating them from the competition.

Post-match, the players were disheartened by their defeat in what should have been a straightforward win. Such is the unpredictable nature of cricket.

C3 Grade

WPHC Blue (Rob) 112 lost to Beecroft 176

Short report today!

We lost…..our semi final hopes now dashed…..as a group, we are good with that…..our team therapist tells us it is all okay and will get better.

The team is struggling to find time for a longer match report due to half the team seeing P!nk tonight and the other half finishing off their outfits for Taylor Swift next week.

A shout out to Will for taking on the captaincy this match. He had a chance to experience the lot.

WPHC Red (Fieds) 7/186 dec drew with Sydney Lions 7/141

After a gruelling effort with the bat last week on the back of Eric’s 66 in which runs were hard to come by ,it was our turn to bowl. However the game was still very much in the balance with The Lions set to chase down a target of 186, you’d think if they’d bat all day they’d get close… right???

As they’ve done all season, Pat (3-21) and Jack (1-21) restricted the opposition of early runs. Pat swinging it away from the leftie and into the right hander had both batsman in all sorts, after 11 overs the first breakthrough came about as Pat struck his man infront, 1-23.

With multiple dropped chances at the other end, after hustling the skipper the entire season Munish (0-3) was given the ball first change to replace Jack in which lack of pace had its full effect… Shaq (2-35) also entered the attack, as 50kms from one end and 110kms from the other left the Lions in all sorts. After teasing the outside edge Shaq got one to nip back in, knocking over all 3, a spot in the finals looking ever more likely.

However, the Lions did what they do best, putting the kids to work as the rest of the batsmen were ordered to execute their master plan, block it out.

Heading into tea, the Lions steadied, however an inspired change saw Jack re-enter the attack to knock over the Lions set batsman for a well-made 40. Call him a madman but with 1 over to go before drinks Andrew decided to throw the rock to 3^rd choice spinner Lachie Woolnough (1-13). With accurate line and length seeming to not trouble the Lions enough, Lachie decided to pull out his signature half-tracker first ball as the batsman managed to mimic many of Lachies dismissals this season as he cracked it straight to Eric at square leg, 2 wickets in 2 balls, the momentum with us heading into the break.

After tea the goal remained the same, knock these blokes over.

However the batsman entering the crease would come back to haunt another West Penno side. By haunting we don’t mean tormenting you whilst you try to sleep, he puts you to bed. On the back of a historic 28* off 244 against Mat Marsden’s side earlier this season, he decided to not outdo himself but rather continue his legacy. However, there were still batsmen at the other end to target. Jack continued to keep it tight at one end, not letting the batsmen at the other end free his arms. Pressure told as Pat ripped one in short, catching old mate napping, Shaq swallowing the pill, another needed wicket. Not too long after Pat caught the incoming batsman hook line and sinker, dropping short again, the man under the ball none other than Dinesh. I can represent most of my teammates in saying that when they looked over to deep square and saw him under the ball that we weren’t a confident bunch, however baring some sort of miracle Dinesh held on.

In a sticky situation, 6-118 the target of 187 looked unlikely.

Another wicket from Shaq had them shook as Naughty Nath stamped his authority in the field, 7-129. With plenty of time left in the day, 3 wickets was do-able. The Lions skipper entered fray, with clear intentions, similar to his counterpart. To say nothing memorable occurred in the last hour of play would be an understatement, you could find more life in a morgue than what was left out in the middle.

A few questionable bowling changes as the day play drew to a close saw Mickey West (0-4) have a trundle as he offered more temptation than leaving Michael Jackson in a room full of minors, dangling the ball on a platter for the batsman to bite at, however The Lions purred their way to a measly 141, ending the game in a draw.

C4 Grade

WPHC Blue (Hiresh) 9/213 dec lost to Beecroft Blue 5/271

In a dramatic turn of weather and cricketing fortunes, the clash between Beecroft Blue and WPH unfolded amidst doubts over the Sydney rain. Yet, as the players stepped onto Mimosa Oval, the clouds parted, and the sun beat down on the freshly mowed field, setting the stage for an intense battle. Beecroft Blue, tasked with chasing down 214 runs for victory, approached the challenge with determination.

Leading from the front was Beecroft’s Captain, a seasoned batsman who had previously notched a century against WPH Blue earlier in the season. Despite favourable bowling conditions, WPH struggled to break through early, containing the runs but failing to claim wickets.

The tension mounted over three gruelling hours as Beecroft’s opening pair steadily chipped away at the target. Finally, a breakthrough came for WPH as the opening batter was dismissed thanks to a stellar catch by Sachman. Energized by this success, WPH fought back, managing to claim four wickets throughout the day.

However, Beecroft’s middle-order resilience, marked by some notable cameos, dashed WPH’s hopes of securing victory. Despite the disappointment, there were silver linings for WPH, with Mukund delivering an impressive bowling spell of 2/18 from 13 overs and Sparsh contributing with 1/36 from 16 overs.

As the season nears its end, WPH remains determined to finish on a high note, setting their sights on redemption in the upcoming WPH derby.

Despite the setback, the team takes heart in their positive performances and looks ahead with renewed determination.

WPHC Red (Ross S) 103 & 8/79 lost to Kenthurst 150  & 5/181 dec

At 5/65 entering into Day we needed another 85 to take 1st innings points. Lads very confident.

Unfortunately we got off to a shaky start losing 2 wickets in the first 2 overs for 1 run….7/66, and trying to avoid a follow on.

A good partnership between Muthindra and Ram took us to the 100 mark, before we lost Ram for a team high score of 19, and then our last two wickets quickly to be all out for 103. Avoiding the follow on but a first innings deficit of 47.

Top score sundries 26. Another interesting stat, we lost 6 wickets out LBW by our official umpire.

With only an hours play gone, mutual agreement between teams was that we would continue. If there was any chance we could generate an outright that would most certainly help our semis cause.

Ram and Mridal started off really well keeping the batters quiet. In the 6^th over the batters decided it was time to hit out. Mridal bowling, First ball a massive 6, then second ball a great catch at deep point by Muthindra.KUH 1/23.

From that point onwards, the KUH batsmen treated the game as a one day game, flaying the ball around the park. A brilliant spell by Suf, a caught and bowled, followed by an LBW, and then breaking the stumps KUH 4/120…..some lusty hitting though, and two late wickets to Darren and Mridal, saw KUH declare at 6/181 .Giving us a target of 228 off 20 overs for a win.

Wickets to Suf 3/50 (7), Mridal 2/35(6) and Darren 1/21(2). Catches to Muthindra and Suf.

The lads were excited to treat the game as a T20….And bat positively, but in the team chat we agreed batsman to chase, but if we lost a couple of early wickets to shut shop. Some good bowling, but a few wickets to cross bat shots.

Basically our innings was dismal….losing 2 wickets in our 1^st over, 2 in our 5^th over, 1 in our 7^th  2 in our 9^th and 1 in our 11^th to collapse 8/37 off just 11 overs, with 5 ducks…and another 2 LBW’s……and still with 7 overs to bat. Mohan who had opened joined by Raymond Howard.

With a 9^th wicket stand of 42, the two batted brilliantly managing to avoid an outright defeat. Mohan 37no, and Raymond with a seasons best 19no including a huge 6 down the ground. Really well done guys.

So just our 3rd loss of the season and disappointingly we are now well outside the top 4. Whilst mathematically we can still make the semis, we would need a big win against the Blues next round and would then need other results to go our way.

We play the Blues in a derby at Campbell , last game of the season and looking forward to an enjoyable game.

D1 Grade

WPHC Blue (Agniva) 208 defeated WPHC Red (Diggers) 146

Back at the home of cricket Greenway for a thrilling finish to the Sheep Station finale for the season, the sky had opened up since the night before which did create a bit of a concern!

However some solid groundsmen duties performed by Harry & his dad and Quan from about 90mins before the scheduled start made the conditions almost near perfect for another great day of cricket.

Diggers and Harry started off cautiously trying to see of the new ball and the Blues had no luck whatsoever in the opening spell of the day from Mridul and Ravi. The first breakthrough came about when Pritam came into the attack and the Reds lost two wickets in consecutive delivers! While the hat-trick scare was safely averted, Pritam continued to reign supreme providing no room whatsoever! Rohan pushed the brakes from the other end and the runs were drying up!

After drinks, Chintan struck with his first and what was the start of another dream run with the ball, his second fifer of the season!

Harry continued to frustrate the bowlers, facing every possible challenge from the Blues and stood tall while wickets tumbled around him. Tim and Harry built a partnership for the ages, confusing the Blues on whether they were just seeing things out or whether they were going for the win! After Harry fell to another skiddy delivery from Pritam safely on to Sahil’s safe pair, we had a bit of a momentous situation!

Steve Quanborough walked out (probably for one last time in West Penno colours) and things did get a bit emotional at that point. I’m saying ‘probably’ because knowing Steve, it will be hard for him to stay away from the Club and cricket! You know a legend was playing his final innings when we had spectators in James & Ross for a D1 group stage game! Thanks to both!

Quan carried on for the next half an hour or so playing some solid glances down fine leg and the square till he went fishing for a wide one outside off from Chintan and onto Rohan for a well-made 24. From there it was all Chintan, picking up 4 out of the final 5! The Reds well short by 62 runs which takes the Blues one step closer to the Minor Premiership!

Great couple of weeks at Greenway and we now look forward to dust off our passports for travel up to the outskirts for the last game against Glenorie!

D2 Grade

WPHC (Roger) 164 lost to Castle Hill RSL 177

WPHCCC started the day needing another 168 to win against Castle Hill RSL will all wickets intact. We slipped to 39 for 3 but then a 4^th wicket partnership of took us passed the 100 mark and we were on track for the win. However, lost 4 wickets fairly quickly to put us 139 for 7.

Our 8^th wicket partnership steadied the ship until we had 162 on the board. but unfortunately we then lost our last 3 wickets for 2 runs leaving us all out for 164. 13 runs short of Castle Hills 177 from last week. Our top scorer was Malinda Dharmadasa with 40 followed by Chris Tanna with 23.

A good close game against a team who will play the semi-finals represents a very much improved performance.