Head of Cricket<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cricket Wires<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The U15’s had a cracking weekend, with the 15A\u2019s <\/strong>having an unbelievable one-run win, all coming down to the last ball! Jack \u201cStone Cold\u201d Courtenay<\/strong> bowled a brilliant spell at the death to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. There is a must-read report below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 15Bs definitely qualify as a (GBXI-Great Blokes XI) with what happened in a recent game. With a couple of injuries to Shore, the 15B\u2019s had to borrow two players from the opposition team, good spirit of cricket. When the \u201cborrowed\u201d players were asked to go back to their actual team, they said, \u201cNo thanks, we would like to stay for the rest of the game with the Shore Boys\u201d. Another example of the GREAT Spirit of Cricket!<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Boarder Stirling Strachan<\/strong> (Second XI) hit one of the longest bombs (6) seen in many years at Northbridge, over the sightscreen and crashing into the car park at the southern End of A-Ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two boys had an unexpected, exciting experience when both were asked to field for the First XI on A ground. Quietly preparing for their respective afternoon games, Tom Gray <\/strong>(Fourth XI) and Harrison Koch<\/strong> (14A) both quickly took their crocs off and spikes on to cover for an injured First XI Player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Digby Hockey<\/strong> (Fifths) got a HATTRICK<\/strong> in his 3-11, and the BBQ Boys enjoyed lamb and thyme sausages on wholemeal with tomato or BBQ sauce as available condiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great catches in the Thirds with Brian Thorpe, Jeremy McKindley, Henry Pritchard and Zac Roberts <\/strong>all taking screamers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Mathur <\/strong>(Seconds) and Tom Capes <\/strong>(15A) both took a wicket in the first over, while Cam Newtown <\/strong>(Thirds) took 2 wickets in the first over of the game!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Comeback of the week goes to 14A\u2019s player Tommy Campbell,<\/strong> who scored a great 60*. After serious back injuries, he wasn\u2019t allowed to play in Term 4; he is back playing as a batter only and scored his maiden ever 50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All three U14<\/strong> teams had stunning victories on the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 15As had a thrilling win over SIC on Saturday afternoon. It was hard going after winning the toss and electing to bat, with runs hard to come by. A slow outfield and strong SIC pace attack challenged Shore, who finished 1\/38 at drinks. Josh Cawood<\/strong> did an excellent job as opener, batting until after drinks and scoring 27. Xavier Simmonds<\/strong> provided some much-needed scoring power, ending a long innings on 44. With not many other runs being scored, Shore finished 9\/106 after 32 overs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Defending a small total required some bowling and fielding brilliance, and this is exactly what the 15As delivered. Tom Capes<\/strong> set the standard in his first over, taking 1 wicket for no runs. He finished the day with figures of 3\/13. Billy Sorensen<\/strong> contributed with two wickets at a time when the SIC batsmen were starting to dig in and get the run-rate ticking over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The star of the day, however, was Jack Courtenay<\/strong>, who was required to bowl at the death of SIC\u2019s innings. The Coach \u2013 usually a brilliant mathematician \u2013 was feeling tense when he realised he had done his sums wrong and that SIC needed 17 runs, not 27 as he had calculated, off the last 24 balls, to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jack stepped up and took 2 wickets in his first two overs and was called on to bowl the last, with SIC needing 6 runs off 6 balls to win. Jack kept his cool and took a third wicket in the final over, increasing the pressure on the batsmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With one ball left, SIC needed 2 to win and 1 to draw\u2026 Jack\u2019s outswing led to a swing and a miss, and then a run out, which secured a huge win for the 15As. The juggernaut rolls on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shore won the toss and elected to bat at Northbridge on what appeared to be a favourable wicket for making early runs. SIC began their attack with threatening bowling and sharp fielding, effectively restricting Shore\u2019s scoring opportunities. Despite this, a promising partnership developed between Josh Evans<\/strong> and Gus Manchee<\/strong> before Evans was dismissed in the 12th over. Cooper Glanville<\/strong> then joined Manchee at the crease, and the pair attempted to consolidate the innings, though scoring easy runs remained challenging. As seen in the previous match, Shore\u2019s top order suffered a collapse, losing three quick wickets for minimal runs, shifting the momentum back in SIC\u2019s favour. However, Tom Glasson<\/strong> and Julian Harrison<\/strong>, as they have done in past encounters, navigated the team out of a precarious situation with a crucial 64-run partnership. Their efforts not only preserved wickets but also accelerated the run rate. Stirling Strachan<\/strong> showcased his powerful stroke play, significantly lifting the scoring rate and propelling Shore to a total of 195 after 50 overs\u2014an impressive recovery considering they were 4\/90 after 34 overs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second innings commenced in emphatic fashion, with James Mathur<\/strong> claiming a wicket on the third ball. Mathur and Harrison continued their sharp spells, reducing SIC to 4\/24 and placing Shore in a dominant position with the prospect of securing valuable bonus points. Debutant leg-spinner Henry Benecke<\/strong> was introduced into the attack alongside Strachan, both of whom maintained relentless pressure and claimed crucial wickets, leaving Riverview with little respite. Strachan\u2019s outstanding caught-and-bowled dismissal exemplified Shore\u2019s sharp bowling and fielding performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A special mention goes to Benecke, who marked his debut with an impressive and composed spell, claiming two wickets. SIC\u2019s resistance was short-lived, as they were dismissed for just 68 runs after 24 overs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shore now faces a crucial fixture this weekend against the competition front-runners, The King\u2019s School, at Northbridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Fifths played what might be their best game of the season on the weekend. Winning the toss and choosing to bat, they got off to a hot start. SIC dropped two catches in the first few overs, which they would regret when Will Penney<\/strong> and Tom O’Brien<\/strong> went on to put on a 100-run opening partnership. Tom (74*) and Will (21*) selflessly retired in the 10th over to give others a chance to bat, having set a solid platform of 10 an over. Ollie Gade<\/strong> (22) and Dan Ritchie<\/strong> (40*) kept the run rate up, seeing Shore post 183 runs off their 20 overs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shore backed up their great batting with some economical bowling. SIC could never really get the run rate going, and eventually, the wickets started falling. Digby Hockey<\/strong> took a hattrick on his way to figures of 3-11 off his two, and Will Penney backed up his batting performance with 2-2 off two. SIC was eventually dismissed for 95 off 18 overs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Fifths catching and fielding have improved a lot since the first game after the break. It has also been nice to see runs and wickets coming from different players each game, with everyone contributing in some way to each win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n15A Match Report<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Second XI Match Report<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fifth XI Match Report<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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