Little League Summer Sports Report Round 3

What a fantastic round of sport we have had at our school! Our boys have once again made us proud, with standout performances from our 4A cricket team, water polo team, and 5/6 D basketball team. 

The 4A cricket team put on a dominant display, with an impressive batting performance and a strong showing in the field. Their hard work and dedication paid off in a well-deserved victory. 

Meanwhile, the water polo team showcased their exceptional teamwork and tactical awareness in a thrilling win over the Scots team. They worked together seamlessly to secure a strong victory, leaving us all excited for what they will achieve in future games. 

And finally, the 5/6 D basketball team demonstrated outstanding camaraderie and sportsmanship throughout their game. They played as a team and showed excellent communication, making us all proud to support them. 

Congratulations to all of our boys for their achievements this round, and for representing our school with such skill and dedication.  

Yours in Sport,

Mr James Roughan 

Basketball

Basketball Year 5/6 As – Cranbrook 24 defeated by Grammar Edgecliff 35

The As had a tough time this weekend playing against a well-drilled Sydney Grammar side. When put under pressure by talented offensive players, Cranbrook struggled to play effective defense. Oliver H played hard all game, shooting the ball with confidence when he was presented with the chance. Cranbrook hung in there all game, making a run in the second half to bring the scores close. However, Grammar proved too good this time and left Dangar with the win. 

Basketball Year 5/6 Bs – Cranbrook 20 defeated Grammar Edgecliff 16

The Bs earned themselves a hard-fought win this Saturday against Sydney Grammar. Both teams showed they were able to take care of the ball and generate decent looks out of their offense throughout this game. Harry R had a good all-around game, defending tenaciously, moving the ball, and scoring. This well-rounded performance typified the selfless approach of all the Bs players in this match. Cranbrook’s ability to work together cohesively allowed them to hang on for a well-deserved win this week. 

Basketball Year 5/6 Cs – Cranbrook 47 defeated Grammar Edgecliff 15

The Cranbrook 5/6 Cs beat Sydney Grammar with an outstanding 47-15 win. Loic B had a breakout game with 20 of the 47 Cranbrook points, shooting with remarkable efficiency and an impressive awareness of spacing on the court. Eamon R contributed 12 points himself, never losing energy and persistently driving to the basket. Meanwhile, Raph G had 10 strong points generated inside the paint. The trio combined for 42 points! On the defensive end, Leonardo B, Heath C G, and Sebastian D contributed to the momentum by staying on their man and always keeping their arms up. Well done to all the boys on a fantastic win. 

Basketball Year 5/6 Ds – Cranbrook 28 defeated Grammar Edgecliff 10

The Cranbrook 5/6 Ds beat Sydney Grammar 28-10. As usual, Michael I shot the ball with pinpoint accuracy, putting up 8 points! Costa V had a rockstar game himself, with 6 points generated by his smart and reactive playing style. Rhidian S and Kaspar B further demonstrated the importance of getting back on defense after every offensive shot. It was a pleasure to see the 5/6 Ds’ selflessness and camaraderie as they utilized the speed created by passing the ball rather than dribbling the ball up the court. Well done, boys. 

Basketball Year 5/6 Es – Cranbrook 28 defeated Grammar Edgecliff 17

The Es asserted dominance immediately, controlling a vast majority of rebounds that led to easy baskets. All the boys bought in defensively, thus allowing the Es to create more scoring opportunities. Although they didn’t capitalise on a lot of easy baskets, the boys should be commended for their outstanding effort. Special mention to Sebastian for a great overall game.

Basketball Year 5/6 Fs – Cranbrook 7 defeated by Grammar Edgecliff 40

The Grammar Prep school was a much larger squad, causing rebounding and defensive issues that persisted throughout the game. Grammar was able to pull ahead early and keep it going until the end of the game. Despite the loss, special mention must go to Samuel S for his scoring and defence.

Basketball Year 5/6 Gs – Cranbrook 18 defeated Grammar Edgecliff 15

Year 5/6G’s had a big win over Grammar Edgecliff with Carter M and Ryan M making crucial buckets in the second half to keep the lead and win 18-15. 

Basketball Year 5/6 Hs – Cranbrook defeated by Grammar Edgecliff

Year 5/6Hs showed a lot of toughness in an unlucky loss to Grammar Edgecliff. Everybody worked extremely hard getting transition lay ups. While Kyran D defence initially stopped Grammar, stamina in the second half lacked as only having 2 subs was the downfall.

Basketball Year 3/4 As ­­­­­- Cranbrook 26 defeated Newington 9

The As had a fantastic game, displaying unmatched teamwork on the court against Newington. Almost every player contributed to the scoreboard by the end of the game. Additionally, the boys demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and respectful behaviour while dominating the Newington team, consistently passing, and scoring while having a strong defensive presence on the other end of the court. The final score was 26-9, an impeccable representation of their efforts as a team and the enjoyment they had on the court with each other. 

Basketball Year 3/4 Bs – Cranbrook 10 defeated by Newington 18

The boys brought energy from the beginning of the game, scoring 4 quick points in the opening minutes. However, Newington came back strong, led by their offensive weapon “Number 29.” Cranbrook fought hard on the defensive end to counteract this scoring effort led by our very own defensive powerhouses, Wolf T and Xavier L. Paired with this strong defensive presence came our offense, led by Aarav S and Henry W. However, despite the team working brilliantly together and passing the ball first before looking to score themselves, the defensive presence and strong scoring capabilities of the resilient Newington side proved to be overwhelming. Our Cranbrook side fought hard but, in the end, took a tough 18-10 loss. 

Basketball Year 3/4 Cs  – Cranbrook 2 defeated by Trinity 16

Cranbrook was slow to warm up in the fixture, falling behind 16-2 after the opening 5 minutes. As a result, the boys were playing catch-up from that point on against a very skilled Trinity outfit. Ziggy S maintained excellent commitment to the game throughout, diving on loose balls and wrestling for possession. Charlie B showed toughness with his defense and resilience, returning to the court after taking a hard foul. Overall, the boys can be proud of their effort and look forward to a different result next week. 

Basketball Year 3/4 Ds – Cranbrook 12 defeated Newington 7

The Cranbrook Ds won a tight game against Newington, 12-7. In a scrappy game that saw Oliver S and others injured, the boys were able to persevere and hold onto an important victory. Ollie S  cut through the defense with blistering pace and controlled dribbling, allowing him to get to his spots and find his teammates. Aiden P and Charlie H also recorded a basket each and were critical players in closing out the game. This was a gritty win overall for the Ds who showed amazing effort to get over the line.

 Basketball Year 3/4 White 1 – Cranbrook 18 defeated Newington 2

White 1 put on an absolute defensive clinic against their opponent, holding them to a single basket for the entire game. Raph W was a rebounding beast, converting many offensive rebounds into baskets. On the defensive end, Blake S and Nath S were constantly troubling the opposition ball handlers. The team shared the ball skillfully and ensured their offense didn’t stagnate, scoring multiple transition baskets in a beautiful exhibition of fast-break basketball. Moreover, Liam C communicated throughout the game and showed great sportsmanship, which must be commended. 

Basketball Year 3/4 White 2 – Cranbrook 34 defeated Newington 4

White 2 were the first game of the day at Dangar, but the boys were well and truly awake from the opening jump, racing out to a significant lead within the first ten minutes. James A was playing lockdown defence and facilitating for his teammates with ball in hand. Heiji C and Albert L showed off their scoring prowess, while Alfie LB scored his first-ever basket for Cranbrook and then went on to score six more for a total of 14 points. Alex P also put on a clinical offensive performance. As a coach, it was entertaining to watch White 2 play, and it seemed as though everyone was enjoying their basketball and working together as a team. They will surely continue to improve in the future. 

Basketball Year 3/4 Blue 1 – Cranbrook 21 defeated Newington 4

Cranbrook 3/4 Blue 1 had a dominant victory against Newington on the weekend winning 21-4. Despite the close halftime score of 4-2 the boys out scored their opposition 17-2 in the second half. The team was led by Thomas who hit his first ever in game 3 pointer off the back of scoring 6 straight points. Tom Scales also had a great performance scoring a couple of baskets and snagging multiple rebounds. Sammy was strong as usual and was able to find the right passes to his teammates throughout the game. 

Basketball Year 3/4 Blue 2 – Cranbrook 38 defeated Newington 12

From the opening tip, the progressing skill set of Blue 2 was apparent for all to see. Marcus C scored his first-ever in-game basket, and everyone was delighted. Harrison H was a non-stop threat, dropping 16 points in a stellar performance. Charlie W used his length to full effect, bothering numerous Newington shot attempts, and making a series of layups on the offensive end. The entire team performed at a high level and should be proud of their win as they played a good brand of team basketball and shared the ball well. 

Cricket

Year 6A Cricket – Cranbrook 113 defeated Tudor House 96

Cranbrook only needed 13 overs to cruise to victory, with the top 3 (Arthur D, Emmanuel H and Emile G) all retiring with 12, 23 and 30 respectively from their 20 balls faced. 

George A and Alistair T also contributed 15 and 14 respectively. 

Year 6B Cricket

Year 5A Cricket – Cranbrook 101 defeated Newington 86

Batting first in the thick dew at Steyne Park, Cranbrook put together a great total of 101, headlined by dominant, footwork focussed batting of Jack H and Xavier M. With ball in hand, Otto Y, Hughie W & Alistair M were highly effectual, with Alistair’s off spin proving hard for the Newington boys to negotiate.  

A well fought victory, restricting the Newington boys to 20 short, the Cranbrook boys will take pride in a win that should pave the way for the remainder of the season. 

Year 5B Cricket

Internal

Year 4A Cricket – Cranbrook 194 defeated Trinity 50

The mighty Cranbrook side came up against Trinity Grammar at Steyn Park on a hot Saturday morning. Cranbrook won the toss and batted first, scoring an impressive 0/194 off 16 overs. Will W and Jimmy C were seeing the ball like beach balls. The reply with the ball was just as clinical, with Trinity getting 14/50. Wickets were shared all-round but special mention goes to Joseph R for his relentless line and length. Well done!

Year 4Red Cricket –Cranbrook 19 defeated by Scots 78

Year 4Blue Cricket – Cranbrook 75 defeated Scots

Year 3A Master Blasters – Cranbrook 106 defeated by Knox 156

The Cranbrook boys were excited to continue their winning momentum from the previous week against Barker. However, they lost the toss and had to bat first. Harry N and Lachie E provided a good start, scoring 20 runs off their 3 overs without losing any wicket. The 3A’s finished the innings with a total of 66 runs but lost 6 wickets. The boys had a dream start with Harry P taking 3 wickets in the first over. However, their effort fell short as Knox’s strong batting proved to be too much for them, despite taking 8 wickets. 

Year 3B Master Blasters – Cranbrook 91 defeated by Knox 125

Cranbrook had a fierce game against Knox Grammar. Even though they lost, there were many positive aspects of the game. The boys had practiced their bowling all week, resulting in fewer wides and more dot balls. Their fielding also improved as the game progressed, with Captain Nathan S providing excellent leadership in positioning his fielders. William S was a standout in the field, making a sharp full-stretch dive. Sam hit a stunning straight six back over the bowler’s head, which deserves a special mention. However, this week they plan to focus on their batting and improve their consistency in hitting more boundaries. 

Year 3C Master Blasters – Cranbrook 157 defeated Grammar S I 142

The 3Cs were sent into bat by Sydney Grammar on a rather wet grass wicket in Woollahra. However, this did not frighten the boys whatsoever; all were keen to take on the challenge ahead. Harry Mu and Henry S were the opening pair, and both boys fought hard to see out the new ball while also putting the bad balls to the fence, losing only one wicket for 40 runs. Imanol P and Otto H made sure to build upon the great start. The boys rotated the strike well and showcased stunning defence, ending up with 30 runs with no wickets. Angus A and Evan H were faced with some challenging bowling but stayed strong, only losing two wickets for their well-fought 22 runs. Beckett “The Finisher” C was joined at the crease with opening star Henry S. The two certainly finished off a strong batting display by the Cranbrook boys, finishing with 30 runs with the loss of one wicket. At the break, Cranbrook finished with 122 runs with the loss of only four wickets, a great effort to say the least. However, the job wasn’t finished as the boys now had to defend their score. Sydney Grammar came out firing, with their first pair scoring 30 runs for one wicket. The Brookies continued to fight, taking two wickets in the second pair, but did let the opposition score a tidy 38 runs. The third pair for Grammar were feeling the pressure from the tight bowling and nifty fielding from the boys. A quick shoutout to Otto H who simply appeared to be everywhere on the field at once, saving runs and getting run-outs. The third pair finished with 29 runs and a loss of two wickets. The fourth pair for Grammar had a lot to do with only three overs left. But the Cranbrook boys did not let them get comfortable, taking another two wickets and keeping them to only 20 runs. When taking into account wickets, the boys ended up victorious as their 4/157 trumped Grammar’s 7/142. Well done to the team, but we will be working hard this week to improve our bowling accuracy and fielding enthusiasm. 

Multi-Sports

The Multi-sports squad are a pleasure to coach! The boys continue to work hard in all aspects of the program. Willie J and Alexander F both excelled at catching and throwing practice. All boys are improving in technique and fitness! 

Tennis

Tennis As Cranbrook  28 defeated by Kings 40

Cranbrook Juniors tennis A team played against the strong The King’s for the second time this term. Outstanding performance this time in our doubles games, special mention to Alexander T and Riley T as well as Jayden B and Niko D, reaching a 3-4 final score. Great rallies in singles matches, with the win of Shai L 3-2 in a fantastic and intense match. We lost 28-40, which is a huge improvement against one of the strongest teams in IPSHA.

Tennis Cs

An entertaining and closely contested fixture was played out on the home courts at Dangar on Saturday. The boys were ready from the outset, jostling for space and position on the show courts 1 and 2. Excellence awards go to our net players for their volleying, but attention and focus should remain on the serves. There were too many unforced errors in this department. However, the boys should be delighted with their application in the hard-fought fixture. St Pats were a great team to play against, displaying a competitive yet fair nature throughout. 

Water Polo

Cranbrook 9 defeated Scots 6

Cranbrook played a tough Water Polo match against Scots Lions last Saturday 25th February at home. Two quick goals to Cranbrook helped the team start positively. Cranbrook swam hard throughout the game and applied some of the new skills they had learnt at training during the week. Sol G continued to defend bravely in goals as Cranbrook worked together to support one another in defence. Solid attacking play helped secure more goals even as Scots Lions continued to challenge them. Cranbrook successfully managed to hold onto the lead eventually winning 9-6 in a very impressive display. Well done to the entire team for their determination and teamwork.