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Newsletter No 2 - Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Croydon Ranges Cricket Club

JUNIORS 2011-12

NEWSLETTER - #2

Another one of those weeks were rain impacted both days. Hopefully sunny days are ahead.

If anyone is wanting clothing please see me after training.

Bill Stafford

Junior Coordinator

0400 442 050

billstafford1@bigpond.com

This Weeks Matches

Please note all games are one dayers.

U/16-1s and U/14-1s will commence at 8.00am.

U/16-3s and U/12 Sat will commence at 8.15am

U/12 Fri will commence at 5.15pm (no change)

Non Comps will commence at 5.30pm (no change)

Please ensure players are at grounds at least 20 minutes prior to start time.

Team	Opposition	Venue
U/16-1	Wonga Park	Silcock North
U/16-3	Kilsyth	Alan Smith Oval, via Liverpool Road, Kilsyth Melways 51H8
U/14-1	Wonga Park	Wonga Park Res No 1, Melways 24G11
U/12 Fri	Lilydale	Silcock South
U/12 Sat	Sth Warrandyte Hawks	Silcock South
Non Comp Green	St Andrews	JW Mason Res No 2, Via Selkirk Ave, Wantirna, Melways 63J3
Non Comp Red	Montrose Yellow	Silcock North
Non Comp Blue	Montrose	Montrose Res, via Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, Melways 52D8

Match Results for Round 2

Detail match results are recorded on MyCricket. Go to the following link: http://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/RoundResults.aspx?entityid=32

Team	Croydon Ranges	Opposition
U/16-1	Did not bat –washout 2^nd day	Croydon North 10/139
U/16-3	1st Innings -9 /32 2^nd innings – 6/43	Boronia 2/155
U/14-1	5/113	Norwood 3/138
U/12 Fri	4/59	St Andrews 6/32
U/12 Sat	Wash out both days	Templeton

Contacts for coaches and team managers are listed below.

Team	Coach	Mobile	Team Manager	Mobile
U/16-1	Ivan Lyons	0439 631 993	Tony Jeffs	0418 123 694
U/16-3	Lachlan Jolley	0430 116 595	Paul Jolley	0408 499 649
U/14-1	Tony Sali	0409 976 118	Alan Miller	9725 1160
U/12 Fri	Mitch Tarr & Ryan Trowsdale	0425 705 592	Rolf Glenk	0417 235 739
U/12-Sat	Bill Stafford	0400 442 050	Kerryn & John Low	0413 740 747 or 9723 5006
Non Comp (3 teams)	Alan Mills	0439 396 000

Match Reports

U16-1

U14-1

Croydon Ranges Vs Norwood.

Day one was a washout with only 5 overs bowled by us.

Day 2 was a one dayer. We lost the toss and were asked to bowl. Our openers got us off to a good start and had Norwood 2 down for not many. The batsmen then got on top. We bowled and fielded well restricting them to 3/138 off the allocated overs. Pick of the bowlers were Dan 2/12 and Isaac 1/12.

It was our turn to bat and all of the boys got a start. Jake was on top of the bowling and was well supported by Isaac and Mick. Dan came out swinging to try and lift the run rate. We unfortunately fell short and made 5/113 off our overs. Our top scorers were Jake 33, Isaac 21, Mick 17 & Dan 15

U/12 Sat

Day 1        Rain, rain go away! Yet again, fine during the week, rain Friday night and Saturday, just not fair! The pitch was playable, the outfield damp, we were going to get some cricket in no matter what.

We batted first with Josh C. and Daniel opening. It was hard going, the ball was quickly soaking up the water, the ball was skidding off the pitch and just into the 7th over, down came the rain. A lot of rain at that. It stopped, it started, it stopped, it started. In the end, after waiting the required time, the DECISION was made, that no young boy likes to hear - "play is called off for today, due to a washout". Oh dear, we'll be back next week to play a one dayer. That's okay, we''ll just start all over again. The only problem was that all those cricket whites had to be soaked and washed and gear dried, all for 7 overs of cricket. Now that's not fair!!!!

Day 2         What did I say last week about the Rain??? Who's been doing a rain dance??? Honestly, the joke is wearing thin now. Yet again, Friday night and Saturday, full on rain and this time TORRENTIAL. 25mm overnight, not funny now.

Well, the pitch was in no condition to be played on. The northern end of the South pitch was completely under water and massive puddles all over the ground, it resembled a wetlands, with the odd Ibis swooping in and even tadpoles, frogs and yabbies setting up home for the Spring. The DECISION was made early, we were all back home by 8.30am. Sad, so sad!!! It appears that we may well have the reverse for this Saturday, with a prediction of full sun and 30oC. Couldn't be more of a contrast really, but I don't think anyone will mind. A good full game of cricket is what we all want.

Non Comp U/10

Non-Comp (Red)

Rd.2 was against South Warrandyte at Silcock.

With the Addicott’s away, we were down to seven but Jayden Lavorgna, a friend of Xavier, came along to help out and hopefully he may play a few more games as the season progresses.

South Warrandyte arrived with 15 players and three of those boys kindly agreed to play for Ranges to even numbers out.

Will was the Captain this week and we were asked to bat first.

All of the boys contributed a few runs and at the end of 22 overs the total was 41.

The bowling was a step up from the previous game, with Kynan taking 2 wickets in one over. Josh Lovell also took two wickets and did very well during his turn as wicketkeeper. Xavier, Jayden, Caaydon and Will also got a wicket each and Will nearly pulled off what would have been an excellent catch.

In a very even game, South Warrandyte reached 45 from 25 overs, with the boys playing their first game under lights.

Rd.3 was against Warrandyte at Silcock

This week the De Navi boys were away and, with Alan’s group having a bye, Mitchell Clarkson, Jada Gunstone and Nicholas Bell joined the group for the game.

Ranges batted first and the game started under threatening skies. Caaydon, who was the Captain for the match, opened with Will and runs were hard to come by in the first four overs. Kynan and Jackson had only faced one over when the heavens opened and the prospect of continuing rain, thunder and lightning saw an early end to the match

Non Comp Green

Round 2

Humid, overcast and very dark were the conditions we were greeted with upon arrival at Silcock Reserve, for our Round 2 encounter with Templeton.

Harrison was our Captain this week. We lost the toss and were sent in to bowl. The boys were very happy with that decision and raced onto the field with excitemnet and quickly got into position for the start of the match.
Harrison opened the bowling and the batsmen had few answers. In his 3rd over, something special almost happened. The 2nd ball hit middle stump, bowled. The 3rd ball his middle stump, bowled. The crowd were now focussed on the 4th ball, edge of your seat stuff. Again, a very fast ball, but it was defended well and just like the fish that got away, it wasn't meant to be, but ooh so close. He finished with 2/2 off 3 with one maiden. James once again bowled with enthusiasm and made it near impossible for the batsmen to make any runs. It can't be much longer before another wicket comes his way, 0/2 off 3 with one maiden. Zac's spell again showed how tricky he is to face. Well pitched balls, defence being the only option for Templeton. 1/4 off 2 and 1 maiden, fabulous! Nathan has clearly been putting in at training and he is reaping the rewards. 1/2 off 2. He is really enjoying his cricket, smiling all the way, well done. Patrick came in next for his first ever overs. He was very excited and ended up with 0/0 off 2. A great start to your cricketing career Patrick. Keep up the good work at training.

Callan, another new recruit came in firing on all cylinders, online and fast too, really difficult for Templeton. In his first outing, he got a beautiful wicket, bowled, truly deserved. He finished with 1/1 off 2 and one maiden - Sensational! Marcus once again showed what he is made of - ooh so fast, online and super challenging. He finished with 1/1 off 2 and one maiden, truly superb and very reliable. This will prove to be a great asset when progressing to the U12's. Ben, Mr Speedster, was once again so quick. All of his balls were magnificent, fast and unplayable by the batsmen, 0/1 off 2 and 1 maiden. Keep up the excellent work Ben. Brayden, who wicket kept for half of the innings and once again did a magnificent job, let few balls past. He had one over, 0/1, well done. Jarrod's 0/1 off 2 and one maiden showed that once again, his speed, accuracy and determination, ensured that the batsmen were in awe of his bowling. A top spell!

Whilst it is non-competitive, the boys bowled so well and prevented Templeton from making many runs. The fielding again was great, but because few runs were made the boys really had to concentrate, because the ball rarely came into the field. One that did though was a ball that came towards Zac. He ran hard at the ball, bent down, grabbed the ball with two hands, shuffled forward and directed the ball to the stumps and it resulted in a sensational run out - you Star!

After the bbq at the break, the lights were switched on, we were really hitting the bigtime now, Croydon's MCG, wow!!! James (7) and Zac (2), were the first pair in and what an opening pair they were. Both had their eye in and had great timing with so many shots, just a delight to watch. Excellent running too. Zac was unlucky not to get a boundary, it just stopped short. Harrison (7) and Nathan (11) batted very well and confidently touched gloves as they passed each other at the change of overs. The running was again fantastic, really working hard. A highlight was Nathan's incredible 6 - a massive shot, high and well over the boundary. The roar of the crowd woke up those that thought they'd have a little nap in the half dark. Brayden and Patrick kept great concentration in the fading light and were unfortunate to face many balls that were unplayable, in fact, most balls were classified as wides/ no balls. They kept at it regardless, well done. Marcus (4) and Callan (2) also had to face unplayable balls. Marcus almost got a boundary however, with a nice backward square leg shot, hit firmly and with conviction. Callan proved he's a natural, hitting the few playable balls so well. He called like a professional and waited/ran at the right time. Great stuff. The last pair Ben (3) and Jarrod (11), including a 4, both had excellent timing. It was so dark at this stage and very cold, but they persisted. All of Ben's shots were perfectly timed as were Jarrod's, with top running between wickets. Watch out U12's next season.

Round 3

Once again the weather was going to play a big factor in the match. Very dark, threatening skies greeted us at Silcock for a match against Wantirna South. We tried to remain positive......

Marcus was our Captain for today and again we were bowling first. We only managed to get into the 4th over and down came the rain and when I say rain, I mean RAIN!!!!! People , cricket bags, chairs, rugs, tables, food cats, dogs and even a pet gold fish, rushed and swam for cover. Everyone was just so wet and all the gear and cricket whites too, rrgghh, more washing!

Sad, very sad! Surely this Friday will be dry, however looking at the forecast all week, with rain, it may be dry on Friday but the ground may resemble the wetlands that many of the boys experienced at Healsville Sanctuary on a recent excursion, surely not.

Newsletter No 1 - Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Croydon Ranges Cricket Club

JUNIORS 2011-12

NEWSLETTER - #1

Welcome to another season. Whilst the Saturday morning teams got 2 days of cricket the U/12 Friday got washed out on day 1 and played a one day game on day 2.

Teams

This season we have entered 5 sides plus 3 non competitive U/10 teams. This is an additional 2 teams from last year. In most teams we only just have sufficient players so if there are any players unavailable or injuries the team will most likely be short of players. If you know of any juniors looking for a game they would be most welcome.

Contacts for coaches and team managers are listed below.

Team	Coach	Mobile	Team Manager	Mobile
U/16-1	Ivan Lyons	0439 631 993	Tony Jeffs	0418 123 694
U/16-3	Lachlan Jolley	0408 499 649	Paul Jolley	0408 499 649
U/14-1	Tony Sali	0409 976 118	Alan Miller	9725 1160
U/12 Fri	Mitch Tarr & Ryan Trowsdale	0425 705 592	Rolf Glenk	0417 235 739
U/12-Sat	Bill Stafford	0400 442 050	Kerryn & John Low	0413 740 747 or 9723 5006
Non Comp 3 teams)	Alan Mills	0439 396 000

Communication

Our main form of communication will be via email. If you have not received an email from us in the last few days can you please advise your email address to billstafford1@bigpond.com so you can be added to the distribution list.

Any communication will also be put on our web site www.croydonranges.com.au

We plan to issue a regular newsletter, this will be distributed by email and on our website. We are looking for editor for this newsletter, so if you are interested please let me know. All the match reports and other articles are completed by team managers or myself.

Clothing

We do have clothing available for sale such as additional playing shirts, shorts, wide brimmed hats, green baseball caps and sponsors shirts. The green caps are a new item and sell for $10.

Canteen

The canteen will again be operating this year, out of the hole in the wall at the north end of the building (opposite end to the car park). Usual stuff will be sold, pies, hot dogs, chips, lollies, coffee etc

Trivia Night

Trivia night is on this Saturday night. I know this is short notice but if you are interested in going the details are:

When: Sat Night 22nd October starting at 7.30pm

Where: Dog Club rooms, Silcock Reserve

Costs - $10 per head.

Tables: 8 or 10. BYO nibbles, drinks at bar price

No booking required just turn up on the night. If you are not part of a table we can organise one for you.

Milo in2Cricket

Our Milo program starts this Saturday at Croydon Primary School starting at 9.30am to 11.00.

This Saturday will also be Registration day - the cost is $60 per child, which can be paid by cash, cheque of credit card. EFTPOS facilities are available.

Each participant will receive a structured 12 week program conducted by trained volunteer coordinators. They will also receive a starter pack which includes:


A multi purpose Backpack
A lightweight cricket bag
A soft rubber cricket ball
A SPF 30+ T-Shirt
A Sunsmart Bucket Hat
Milo Giveaways and more

If you have any brothers, sisters or friends, Milo is great way to introduce 5 to 8 years old to the game of cricket through fun, action –packed programs and activities.

If you have any questions please contact Alan Mills on 04 3939 6000.

In closing l hope everyone has a most enjoyable and successful season.

Bill Stafford

Junior Coordinator

0400 442 050

Billstafford1@bigpond.com

This Weeks Matches

Team	Opposition	Venue
U/16-1	Croydon North	Hughes Park, Maroondah Highway , Croydon Melways 37C7
U/16-3	Boronia	Chandler Park, Chandler Road, Boronia. Melways 65B9
U/14-1	Norwood	Silcock Reserve North Oval
U/12 Fri	St Andrews	JW Mason Reserve, Via Selkirk Avenue, 2^nd ground Melways 63 J3
U/12 Sat	Templeton	Silcock Reserve South Oval
Non Comp Green	Templeton	Silcock Reserve South Oval
Non Comp Red	South Warrandyte	Silcock Reserve North Oval
Non Comp Blue	Croydon North	Barngeong Reserve via Bambra Road, Croydon Melways 37 E10

Match Results for Round 1

Detail match results are recorded on MyCricket. Go to the following link: http://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/RoundResults.aspx?entityid=32

Team	Croydon Ranges	Opposition
U/16-1	3/258 and 3/28	South Croydon 10/197
U/16-3	5/54 (only had 6 players on day 1) and 3/61	Bayswater Park 5/251
U/14-1	97	Ringwood 128
U/12 Fri	4/89	South Croydon 5/53
U/12 Sat	7/116	North Ringwood 3/87

Match Reports

U16-1

The 16-1 side has started the season well with a convincing win over South Croydon in a match played in good spirit and sportsmanship by both sides. Mark Page (101 NO) and Michael Hendley ( 58) opened and batted magnificently. They were ably supported by Elliott Hole (30) and Darcy Carrigan (24 NO). In the bowling stakes Michael Hendley blitzed with 4/30 of 9, with some fine bowling by Jordon Thomas 2/4 of 5, Austin McInerney 1/9 of 6 and Elliott Hole 1/21 of 6. Keep up the good work boys.

Congratulations to Mark on making a century.

U14-1

Day 1.

We ventured to Proclamation Park to play Ringwood. Our co captains Daniel and Jake lost the toss and were sent into bat.

Nick opened with Tom N and got us off to a solid start. Tom W was next in and batted the best we have seen him do so far. We then lost steady wickets all the way through and were bowled out for 97 off 46 overs. Nick batted a treat and made a well compiled 28. The boys were made to bowl the remaining 4 overs and Ringwood were 0 for 10.

Day 2.

The boys were pumped for bowling and got off to a great start when Daniel trapped one of the openers LBW. Isaac then chipped in with a couple more quick wickets (bowled) and we were on top. The boys bowled and fielded really well and were unlucky not to take the points, Ringwood made 128. Tom W 3/3, Isaac 2/7 and Daniel 2/24 were the best performed but all of the boys did well with the ball.

Well done guys and better luck next game.

U/12 Sat

Croydon Ranges 7/116 defeated Nth. Ringwood 3/87
Day 1 A big warm welcome to Joshua Paul, James Butler, Joshua Winter, Bailee Clayton and Kunal Kris to the team and Harrison Low stepping up from U10 Non-Comp.
After many training sessions, the day had arrived. Humid, overcast, dew on the ground and no rain!!! The outfield looked pretty slow and whilst it's nice to get a score on the board, bowling was the preferred option today. We lost the toss and were sent in to bowl. After a warm up, pep talk and final tactics discussed, the boys ran onto the field full of excitement and enthusiasm. Joshua P. took the keeping gloves for the first session and Matt L. And James B. opened the bowling. Matt was bowling full length deliveries and with the fourth ball of the day, bowled the opening batsman for a duck. What a start, the boys were ecstatic! Matt continued in this fashion for his spell of 4 overs, getting another wicket, bowled in his third over. At the completion of his bowling after tea, his figures were 2/3 off 7 with 5 maidens. James Butler new to the Ranges this season, opened the bowling with Matt and what an inclusion to the team. From the first ball, James sent them down fast and accurately, conceding very few runs, it was a delight to watch. He finished with 0/13 off 4, with the prospect of even better to come. Well done James. Josh C. preferred spin and was just as tight and really provided the batsmen with a challenge, finishing with 0/9 of 7 with 2 maidens, not conceding an extra at all, sensational! In this time, Joshua P. was keeping like an absolute star, he let nothing past and with Matt's pace and swing, James' pace and Josh's spin, he did an awesome job, just magnificent. Well done Joshua.

Jackson bowled superbly, with fast, full length, beautifully pitched deliveries. One ball was narrowly missed as a catch. He finished with 0/12 off 6 and one maiden. Well done Jacko, you star! A wicket is sure to come your way soon. Kunal showed us what he is made of, having an impact immediately upon taking the ball. He bowled out the batsman with his first ball, the crowd cheered, the boys ran from everywhere to congratulate him. Fantastic, great work Kunal. He finished his spell of spin bowling with 1/16 off 4. Then it was Daniel B's turn to show that he clearly has been rolling the arm over in the off season. His first over was a maiden, with the 3rd ball narrowly missing the bat, it would have been caught behind. In his 3rd over, a top run in the outfield by Harrison, who threw it to the stumps, narrowly missing a run out. It would have been a fitting end to an absolutely superb 3 overs. 0/3 off 3 and one maiden. Joshua W., stepping up to the U12's this season had been waiting for his turn to bowl and was full of excitement and enthusiasm. He bowled 3 overs, 0/18. A great start and with practice and guidance, will prove to be a tricky bowler to face. Well done on your first effort Joshua. Harrison didn't disappoint either, showing he also had been practising during the footy season - full pitched, accurate, fast bowling, gave him figures of 0/6 off 5 and a maiden too. Great start Hazza. At tea we were 3/51.

After tea, Daniel took over the keeping duties and showed that his skill set isn't restricted to the bowling only. A magnificent performance, letting nothing past him, saving many runs - top stuff. Joshua P. had his bowling spell and showed that he is also multi talented, 0/6 off 6 with 2 maidens, very quick, full pitched and so difficult to play, awesome. At the end of the days play, it was 3/87. Whilst the bowling and wicket keeping were magnificent, the fielding was sensational. Everyone was walking in, backing up, running hard in the outfield to the ball and throwing strongly back to the wickets with accuracy. Fantastic to watch and working well as a team. However, with 50 extras, there is room for improvement, but of course it is only round one and there is a long season ahead, plenty of time to tweak around the edges.

Day 2 Warm, full sun greeted us, how lovely it was. Shade was difficult to find for the spectators, but the boys were keen to get a little bit of batting in while waiting their turn to shine.

Daniel and Josh C. opened the batting and faced a barrage of pretty quick, beautiful length balls from Nth. Ringwood. They were both up to the task and patiently defended the many good balls, concentrating all the while and seized the few opportunities to hit the bad balls. The score was ticking over at almost a run a ball, with almost all runs from singles, Josh managed a great boundary (in a very slow outfield) and a 2. Unfortunately after all of the great work in support, Daniel faced a difficult ball and was bowled for 4. A top effort Daniel, showing great promise. Next in was Joshua P. and again, he showed that he has excellent skills in all area of the game. He had great touch and an excellent sense of those balls to go for and those to leave. He was a fabulous support to Josh C. and they held together a fantastic partnership in the mid 40's. He was most unlucky to be caught by an absolutely magnificent one handed catch which would rival anything in test cricket. He gallantly left the pitch on 13, so well deserved. Matt L. was next in, mixing things up a bit, with some defending, hitting over the top, quick running between the wickets, some kamikaze efforts that probably weren't necessary in hindsight and three 4's, a 2 and lots of singles, ably assisted by Josh C. and the remainder of the team until he retired on 30 not out, a few overs before the end of the innings. Top job Matt. Josh.C remained at the crease till well after tea, facing so many great balls. He was well and truly up for it and made a magnificent 23 before being caught and bowled. He was most unlucky not to retire today, but there is always next time. Along the way, the rest of the boys had their turn at the crease, and had to maintain concentration, because by then a lot of wides and no balls were being bowled and there weren't as many balls that could be hit. Congratulations must go to all of these boys because they had to wait until after tea for their turn. Jacko faced only a few balls but ran fast with his partner to keep the score ticking over. He faced a great ball that bowled him, but honestly, you can see that very soon he is going to make a lot of runs, he has a very good technique, go Jacko! James also batted well and made 2 runs before he was also bowled by a top ball. James excellent technique was on display for all to see, such fabulous timing. It won't be long before he also makes a bag of runs. Bailee Clayton who played on the second day, was as keen as anything and had been practising hard in the nets. He also faced some amazing balls. He did very well to defend some of them, but like the others, faced a very good ball and was out early. Joshua W. was next in, also very keen. He had his new pads on very early and was so happy to be walking out for his first hit in competitive cricket. He faced a number of balls and hit some of them too. Whilst he didn't make a run, he didn't lose his wicket, so he was not out and he was a very good support to Matt towards the end of his innings. Kunal was next to arrive at the crease, extra excited due to his earlier wicket. Again, some great balls were bowled and he was unlucky to be caught and bowled early. Next time I'm sure it will be a different story. Harrison was the last batsman to arrive at the crease. The first and only ball he faced was a pull shot and he made one run, also not out. Yahoo, the crowd went wild. No fear! There was only one ball remaining in the over and subsequently the match. Unfortunately Bradley didn't get to bat, but will bat higher up the order next round. Thanks Bradley for being so patient. The final score, 7/116. What a magnificent effort all round boys.

The boys, parents and of course Bill were so happy. For a first round, against very good opposition, the boys maintained concentration throughout, bowled and batted a treat and backed this up with some excellent work in the field. Congratulations all round. Every boy really put in and deserved the final result. The team work and appreciation of each other’s efforts was something great to see.

The extras were the only thing to improve on and I'm sure with hard work at training under the watchful eye of Bill, this will be possible.

Train hard, enjoy the week and see you on Saturday at home, Silcock Reserve, when we verse Templeton. Go Ranges!!!!

Non Comp U/10

Non-Comp (Red)

At this stage, this group comprises: Flynn Addicott, Jackson Addicott, Kynan Yates, Will Spencer, Xavier Spencer-Welch, Cayden Cameron, Joseph De Navi, Christopher De Navi and Josh Lovell.

Rd.1 was against North Ringwood at their ground and Joseph was the Captain for the game.

With a couple of exceptions, most were playing their first game of cricket. Everyone had at least two overs and there were some encouraging signs with the bowling.

The fielding was enthusiastic but wickets were a little hard to come by. North Ringwood batted well and good running between the wickets saw them total 70 from 20 overs. In the Ranges innings, all the boys got a few runs each but we had quite a few run-outs in our endeavors to get to the other end and the 18 overs faced yielded 44 runs. It was a good start by the boys and as most are in 7 to 8 age bracket it will be a development season where we hope they develop a love to play cricket.

Non Comp Green

A magnificent 25oC, blue skies and no breeze to speak of - yes, the cricket season is with us again. Hooray!!!! Welcome everyone to the 2011/2012 season.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but did the boys have an 'off ' season? Did they have a football season in between? Other than the fact that the boys have all grown somewhat, they started where they left off, in a blaze of glory.
What an opening performance for Round 1. The team has two new recruits, Callan Murphy and Patrick Perry, both unable to play in this match, but we look very much forward to their debut next Friday night. The remaining eight boys, all having played together last season, put in a performance that was just a delight to watch.

Cricket is a team sport and a TEAM, is what these boys are, in every sense of the word. This has been an evolution of massive proportions over the last few years. In the field they were tight, keen and full of concentration for every ball. They all wanted some of the action, and ACTION is what they got.

Ben Gibson was the Captain this week and he won the toss and elected to bowl. Ben took the new ball and what a sensation he was. What pace, what accuracy. He was quick and lively, even backing up his own balls. He didn't let anything slip past him. When he had finished his 3 overs, he was 2/17 off 3. He also had a stint as the wicket keeper and of course, let nothing through. An awesome display all round. The remaining 7 boys took a leaf out of Ben's book. Each and every one of them had their moment to shine. Marcus was very accurate, bowling perfect length deliveries, conceding only 6 runs. His work in the field was superb, so many great throws from the outfield into the stumps, ensuring many runouts. His accuracy is something to behold, well done. A solid stint as the keeper, finished off a top effort. James also had a magnificent spell of bowling, 1/10 off 3 overs. All full length, hitting the right spot and very quick, making it very challenging for the batsmen. Fantastic James. Zac also hit a purple patch, taking an unbelievable 1/3 off 5. Every ball could almost have taken off the bails, honestly, how they didn't, one will never know. His persistence and concentration paid off because he got his wicket, bowled, middle stump in his last over. The crowd erupted, a beautiful ball. Zac's fielding was also top quality, backing up his mates, watching the ball closely, walking in and superb throws to the bowler/stumps, restricting the run rate. What an asset for U12 competitive cricket. Harrison's, 2/11 off 3, signified that he had also come of age. Fast, full length, accurate bowling, making it very difficult for the batsmen. One wicket was a full toss, the other a beautiful ball, caught magnificently by Marcus, great effort by the dynamic duo. Nathan's 3/7 off 2 was simply stunning. His bowling was truly incredible, fast, full and just so difficult for the batsmen to deal with. The smile on his face was priceless and even rivalled Luna Parks entrance. Words fail me. Jarrod came to the crease and was also involved right from the start, 1/5 off 2. His bowling was very fast and virtually unplayable. His field work, as was the case last season was an absolute highlight. He threw with such accuracy and speed, ensuring a couple of runouts and stumpings, much to the delight of the crowd that was now building. They'd come to watch a match and what a match it was turning out to be. The sideline conversations were mere shadows of themselves, no debriefing of the week that had been, no recipe swapping and certainly no idle chatter, oh no, the spectators were now transfixed. Brayden began the match as our wicket keeper and what a job he did. He virtually let nothing past him, watching every ball closely. One, he jumped so high, extended the arm (as if on a trampoline), the crowd rose to its feet, the ball just touched the glove and continued through the air - oooh, so close. A mighty fine effort. Brayden was also in the bowling action too, 1/6 off 2, with some really lovely balls bowled, well done.

As if the bowling wasn't exciting enough, the batting was to come. Everyone got involved, as can be seen with the following: B.Hunt 8 with 1 four, J.Thompson 6, B.Gibson 11 with 2 fours, J.Barr 6, Z.Newlands an outstanding 19 with an equally impressive 4 fours, H.Low 7, with one four and M. Kane 4. As is often the case with all U10's, everyone is learning and sometimes the balls may not reach the end of the pitch or be on the pitch at all. It goes both ways of course, this is just the beginning of perhaps many a great cricketing career. The boys did extremely well to each make some runs. They made the most of every opportunity and can be very proud of their efforts. This was especially evident in the way they played, in the true spirit of the game of cricket. They were supportive of each other’s efforts and were genuinely excited for each other. Congratulations.

Now that the excitement of the first round is behind us, I feel the excitement once again building for Round Two, when the boys play Templeton at home. Let's wish for pleasant weather again and may Silcock Reserve be in as magnificent condition as it has been at training. Go Ranges.