After a festive Christmas break, the Tahs resumed their season across the weekend, with the Men starting the new year brilliantly with a Saturday clean sweep, while the Women had mixed results with one win, one loss, and one draw. Sunday unfortunately saw PGs season come to an end in a close contest with Randwick.
M1s continued their momentum into the new year with a hard fought victory over Bankstown. Sent into bat, things were looking dicey at 4/37, before Matt Brewster (28) and Ned Hole (21) rebuilt with solid starts. When both departed in quick succession, it was Lachie Coyte (69) and Bertie Foreman (57) that stood up with a match-defining 118 run partnership to swing the momentum, both batting with composure to lead the Tahs to a defendable 8/223. Bankstown began positively in the chase to be 0/70 after 13, before a brilliant direct hit run out, plus a wicket soon after, to Foreman, turned the game. Partnerships formed, but the Tahs kept fighting, Joel Foster with the big wicket of Solway, a massive run out to Ned Hole, and key wickets at the death to Foreman, Joel Davies, Ryan Hadley and Josh Seward. The Tahs restricting Bankstown to 9/210, to record a gutsy 13 run win.
M2s bounced back in a big way from last round’s defeat, with a dominant bonus point win at home. Winning the toss and electing to bowl, skipper Andrew Jamieson alongside Michael Counsell (6/22) led the way with a number of key wickets early to have Bankstown in strife at 6/46. A brief fightback from the visitors was halted by a Jacob O’Sullivan wicket, before Bankstown’s tail made the Tahs work for the final few wickets, until Counsell returned to the attack dismissing the set bat for 70 and collecting the last two poles to finish with an exceptional 6/22 from 10 overs. Jacob O’Sullivan and Andrew Boulton attacked the run chase early but both fell in quick succession at 2/32, before the composure of Jordan Daly (35*) and power of Brynn Mendel (69*) brought about an unbeaten 116 run partnership to see the Tahs home by 8 wickets in the 28th over.
Sam Hole’s M3s side continued their fine form with another great team win away from home. Sent into bat, the Tahs were in early trouble at 2/10, but Lachlan Charles (22), Cam Merchant (54) and Brodie McDowell (20) consolidated with important positive partnerships, Merchant in particular anchoring the Tahs’ innings. At 5/126 after 37, work still needed to be done to post a strong total, and it was entertaining cameos from Ellis Raymond (38) and Fraser Noack (28*), alongside the experience of Sam Webber (32*) that led the Tahs to 6/215. Wickets to Josh Coyte, Noack and Lachie Trewartha relatively early in the defence had Bankstown 3/40, but the home side fought back, until the set batter was run out by Charles to turn the game back in the Tahs’ favour. From there, it was the spin twins L.Trewartha and S.Hole that bowled superbly in tandem to maintain the ascendancy, the former finishing with 4/15 from 10 overs as the Tahs recorded a bonus point 105 run win.
Atmosphere Park aka Graham Reserve hosted M4s once again as the Tahs moved into outright first on the ladder with a thrilling win. Bowling first after winning the toss, Will Skinner and Evan Dunnachie struck early to have Bankstown 2/22, before the visitors clawed their way back with consistent partnerships. Wickets throughout the middle-late overs to Adam Parkinson, George Cumming and Dunnachie helping restrict Bankstown to 5/193 from 50 overs. The run chase began superbly with some brutal hitting from Jayden Kennedy (22 off 15) before regular wickets through the middle halted the Tahs’ momentum despite numerous positive starts of 10-20. Josh Cooper held strong with 29, but it was left to skipper Parkinson (48* off 28) and the great Oscar Lucius (29*) to combine for a match-winning partnership with over a run a ball required for the last 10 overs, the former finding the boundary with power while the latter rotated the strike with great calmness under pressure. The Tahs victorious by three wickets with five balls to spare.
M5s completed a thumping bonus point victory with a clinical display over Bankstown. Asked to bowl first, Jordy Brewster (4/23) was on fire with the new ball picking up the first four wickets of the innings, three of which were almost action replays of one another, caught behind by Reuben Kapoor. It was then over to the spin of Raja Ganeshraj and cagey medium pace of Liam Dinan through the middle overs as both picked up two wickets apiece to continue the Tahs’ momentum. The returning Ryan Bishop-Perrett then finished things off with the final two wickets, Bankstown bowled out for 92. Jack Melchiore (32*) and Reiley Dunlop (14) began the run chase cautiously, before two quick wickets fell, but this didn’t stop Melchiore and Jake Hutchings (31*) from taking the attack to the home side, some brutal boundary hitting seeing the Tahs win by eight wickets in the 16th over.
PGs season came to a devastating end in Sunday’s home QF against Randwick-Petersham. Bowling first, the Tahs began brightly with early breakthroughs to skipper Josh Seward and Evan Dunnachie. Randwick fought back, capitalising on some inconsistent bowling, before Roop Dhillon picked up the big wicket of Egan at 3/119. Some aggressive middle-lower order batting from the visitors, anchored by a classy 97 from their opener, saw them build on their momentum despite further wickets at the death to Bertie Foreman, Seward and Dunnachie, as Randwick posted 9/266. It was a shaky start to the chase at 2/22, but Foreman (34) and Akshay Joseph (59) steadied the ship until a slight rain delay was followed by a few quick wickets, 5/84. Kai Croft (26) and Joseph fought hard with a 52 run partnership, but at 7/152, the game looked out of reach. Enter Evan Dunnachie, who kept the Tahs in the game with some of the more phenomenal ball-striking when the required rate was well above 8 an over, in a 72 run stand with Josh Cooper. Evan posting 71 off 56 balls, but unfortunately, it was agonisingly in vain as both departed before the Tahs ultimately fell 35 runs short despite a brave chase.
Fortress Balgowlah Oval hosted W3s as the Tahs were victorious over Parramatta in a top-of-the-table clash. Winning the toss and batting, Sienna James (15) and Daisy Addison (30*) kicked off the Tahs innings positively with an excellent partnership, Daisy in particular continuing her good form and anchoring the innings. Emily Hatfield (17) continued the charge with a composed innings, before contributions down the order saw the Tahs post 5/94 from 20 overs. It was then one of the more complete team bowling performances of the season, as skipper Sallie Molyenux (3/14) and Sophia Chick led the way with four top order wickets between them to have Parramatta in strife early. A run out from Hatfield, followed by a wicket apiece to Addison and Jasmin Wilson helped maintain control, before Lily Crabbe bowled superbly with 2/0 from 2 overs to close out the game, Parramatta restricted to 9/50 from 20 overs, the Tahs winning by 44 runs.
W2s made the trip west to Merrylands Oval, and despite beating the rain, weren’t able to come away with the chocolates against Parramatta. Sent into bat first, starts from Elizabeth Cambridge and Isabella Zovi (18) were halted by consistent bowling and fielding from the home side, before Emily Horstead (21) battled away looking to lead the Tahs to a defendable total. Late contributions from skipper Renee Hough and Steph Hughes pushing the total to 6/94 from 20 overs. Parramatta responded strongly early in the run chase, before the opening breakthrough to Annabel Hutt. Another solid partnership built to have the home side on top, until Cambridge picked up the big wicket of the set batter, followed shortly after by two wickets to Mia Nel and a run out to give the Tahs some hope at 5/70. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, Parramatta passing the total midway through the 18th over to be victorious.
Attention turns to next weekend where the Men return to red-ball cricket with Day 1 of two-day matches against Randwick-Petersham, M1s, M3s and M5s at home, while M2s and M4s are on the road. W1s and W2s are back to one-day cricket, home against Sydney University and away to St George-Sutherland respectively. Meanwhile, W3s host Sydney University in a T20.
See you all next week.
