What a special weekend it was for the Tahs, with 9 wins from 9 starts, a clean sweep across all Men’s and Women’s grades, to move to the top of both respective Club Championship tables. The Men resumed Day 2 of fixtures against Randwick, while the Women faced off with Penrith, Sydney Uni, Bankstown and Blacktown respectively.
M1s resumed at 3/90 in pursuit of a further 108 runs at Manly Oval. Not out batters, Ned Hole (30) and Lachlan Coyte (81) continued their positive partnership from last week, combining for another 41 runs until Ned departed. This brought Ollie Davies (93) to the crease, he and Coytey taking the attack to the Randwick bowlers to lead the Tahs to first innings points just prior to lunch. What followed after the break was some phenomenal ball-striking from both as the Tahs sought to build a substantial lead. Boundaries galore in an belligerent display of batting, before both fell agonisingly short of hundreds looking to progress the game. Late cameos from Joel Davies and Tom Kaye pushing the Tahs to 8/327 when the declaration came with just over 40 overs remaining in the day. Despite wickets to Ryan Hadley and Josh Seward, the search for an outright win was ultimately in vein with the Tahs settling for an excellent first innings victory.
Andrew Jamieson’s M2s side returned to Coogee Oval with the task of defending 221, Randwick resuming 0/13. Important breakthroughs in the first session to Jamieson, Michael Counsell and Isaiah Vumbaca had the game evenly poised at 3/60, before the home side fought back to regain the ascendancy after lunch. At 3/108, Randwick were well in control, but the re-introduction of Counsell into the attack brought about two big wickets in quick succession, along with one to Roop Dhillon, and in the blink of an eye, the momentum had shifted, 6/119. The game was far from over though, as Randwick rebuilt to be 6/157, before Vumbaca struck the big blow knocking over one of the set batters with the last ball before tea. From there, the Tahs closed out the innings clinically, one to Jamieson and two more to Vumbaca seeing Randwick all out for 172, and victory for the Tahs.
After a topsy-turvy Day 1 and less than ideal final session last week, M3s resumed 5/58 at Grahams chasing Randwick’s 147. Sam Webber (45) and Fraser Noack (39) were left with the task of narrowing the deficit, and they did just that with great aplomb. The first half-hour was going to be crucial, and both navigated that session with composure, before continuing to rotate the strike mixed in with the odd boundary, to steadily build what was ultimately a match-winning partnership of 72. Noack departed for an excellent 39 at 6/122, followed by another wicket shortly after at 7/136, but Webber was standing tall and looked destined to guide the Tahs home until his gutsy 152 ball vigil of 45 came to an end just two runs shy of victory. A few nervous moments followed but Evan Dunnachie safely hit the winning runs to see the Tahs victorious by two wickets.
M4s resumed Day Two 4/70 chasing 125 for first innings points, and after both not out batters fell early in the morning, things were looking shaky at 6/77, but Brodie McDowell (30) and skipper Adam Parkinson (30) steadied the ship with a game-changing 45 run partnership, batting with great intent and efficiently narrowing the deficit. Parkinson in particular showing his intent hitting his third ball out of the ground to settle the nerves! The skipper fell with 4 runs needed, before McDowell saw us to first innings points and swift cameos from Ryan Bishop Perrett, James Waddington and Will Skinner gave us a 37 run lead. It was then the Will Skinner show as he ripped through the Randwick top order with 6/42 in a classy display of fast bowling, well supported by wickets to RBP and Kai Croft as the Tahs bowled the home side out incredibly within 19 second innings overs. Set 54 to win outright from 36 overs, a few nerves were present at 4/32, before Nick Rigg (17*) and McDowell (15*) safely led the Tahs to maximum points.
With first innings points already in the bank, M5s resumed with a 31 run lead and five wickets intact. Jack Melchiore (107*) and Oscar Lucius (20) extended the Tahs advantage with a positive start to the morning, the former passing 50 early on. While some wickets fell around him, Melchiore continued his superb form with another unbeaten hundred, taking the attack to Randwick’s bowlers later in his innings before the Tahs declared with a 129 run lead. Two early strikes to Chris Halloran kept outright hopes high, but Randwick fought back and with persistent drizzle dampening the ball, the challenge for outright was increasing. This was until a match turning four wicket spell from Luke Watts, supported by breakthroughs to Lukas Overhoff, Simon Waddington and Halloran, to see Randwick all out for 143, setting the Tahs 14 for outright from a maximum of two overs. The Tahs would only need one over though as Jack Melchiore hit the first ball over the square leg fence for six, before Jake Hutchings finished the job to secure maximum points for the Tahs.
W1s made the long trip out to Howell Oval to face Penrith, skipper Saskia Horley (31) winning the toss and electing to bat first, before combining with Shivani Mehta (37) to get the Tahs off to an excellent start with a 64 run opening partnership as both positively ticked the score over against the new ball. Georgia Adams (20) continued the momentum with Mehta, and at 1/107, the Tahs looked in complete control. But Penrith clawed their way back into the contest with economical middle overs as the Tahs middle order battled to keep the scoreboard moving. A crucial late cameo of 25* from Ebony Hoskin seeing the Tahs post 9/188 from 50 overs. It was then Hoskin herself who took charge early with three new-ball wickets, backed up by breakthroughs to Mia Phelps, Kristie Crawford and Chelsea McLerie, along with some excellent fielding. Hoskin returned to pick up her second five-wicket haul for the season, before Anisha Dissanayake closed out the innings with her first wicket for the Tahs, securing a bonus point 99 run win.
With the Green Shield GF at Manly Oval, W2s were shifted to Grahams to take on Sydney University, with the Tahs asked to field first. An early breakthrough to Hannah Moss kick started the bowling innings, but a few missed opportunities in the field proved costly as the visitors fought back to be in control at 1/54. An economical ten over spell of 1/12 from Lara Hughes brought about the important breakthrough, before the Tahs clawed back the momentum with excellent middle overs. 3/14 (10) from Elizabeth Cambridge, 2/15 (5.4) from Annabel Hutt, a further wicket to Moss, and two run outs, restricting Sydney University to all out 110 in the final over. The run chase was ultimately completed in classy fashion, as Elizabeth Cambridge (63*) continued her strong form with the bat with an unbeaten half-century, combining with Emily Horstead (23) for a 99 run opening partnership, before Cambridge hit the winning runs for a bonus point 9 wicket win.
The table-topping W3s were at Balgowlah Oval once again to face off with Bankstown in a T20. Sent into bat first after losing the toss, Sienna James (19) and Sophie Beukers (21) kicked off the Tahs innings positively with a 35 run partnership, both rotating the strike regularly and batting with strong intent. But it was Mia Waddington who was the standout with 30* from 25 balls including three boundaries, changing the momentum of the game with her attacking innings. Contributions from Emily Hatfield (13) and Jasmin Wilson (5*) leading the Tahs to 5/105 from 20 overs. Sophia Chick struck the opening breakthrough in the first over after the innings break, before the first of three run outs had the Tahs in the box seat. Wilson continued her wicket-taking form with the third, before wickets to James and Sophia Randall, along with two further run outs, kept the pressure on, Bankstown ultimately finishing their 20 overs 7/35, a bonus point win for the Tahs.
After an extended Christmas break due to the U15 Peden Shield, Brewers were back in action on Sunday with a trip west to Blacktown. Fielding first after losing the toss, the Tahs were off to a strong start with an early breakthrough to Lily Crabbe to go with a wicket and a run out from Kaya Punter, Blacktown 3/24. The home side consolidated briefly, but consistent pressure from the Tahs’ bowlers brought with it further wickets, one to Punter (and another run out) and two to Charlotte Croll. But it was Darcey Whiteley that led the way with 3/12 from 7.4 overs, picking up the final two wickets of the innings, with Bankstown all out for 62. An early wicket in reply turned out to be only a minor hiccup as C.Croll (33*) and Punter (24) rebuilt with a 55 run partnership to bring the Tahs close to victory, before the Croll siblings, Charlotte and Annabelle, finished off the run chase in the 24th over, the Tahs winning by eight wickets.
While it was an incredible weekend just gone, we must continue the momentum as the business end of the season closes in. This week sees the Men take on Sydney University, M1s away in a Saturday/Sunday fixture, while M2s-M5s are back to limited overs cricket. Meanwhile, all Women’s grades have one-day fixtures, W1s and Brewers home and away respectively against Parramatta, W2s away to Sydney, and W3s hosting North Sydney.
Go Manly!
