Welcome to another edition of Tah Talk with Joel Foster. This week, Joel looks at our women’s growing momentum, some exciting junior performances, a special family debut and the challenge ahead for Men’s 1st Grade.
A big thank you once again to Scott MacNeill and the team at Gibson MacNeill Lawyers for their partnership with this season. If you have any legal needs, no matter the size, visit them at www.gibsonmacneill.com.au
We told you we believed
A few weeks ago, I spoke about the confidence everyone at the club had in Chelsea McLerie and her Women’s 1st Grade side.
We’re starting to see why.
The girls are now second on the ladder after beating previously undefeated Campbelltown, and there are encouraging signs throughout the team. Results like that give a group belief, particularly after the disappointment of last season.
Amy Hunter has been in amazing form. She has brought real quality to our batting, and the consistency of her contributions is helping give the side confidence. Having someone producing at that level makes a difference to everyone around her.
It has also been terrific to welcome Shivani Mehta back from the ACT for some guest appearances. Shivani knows the club and the girls, and having her experience and ability available is a real boost. Hopefully she is enjoying being back in Manly Warringah colours as much as we’re enjoying having her.
Arabella Handley showed her class on Saturday too. There is plenty of talent there, and seeing her contribute alongside the more experienced players is another positive for the program.
Then there is Chelsea herself, who is getting back towards her best.
As a captain, it helps enormously when you’re contributing through your own game. You can take confidence from that, and it gives your teammates a lift as well. It’s great to see Chelsea enjoying that reward while her side begins to find its rhythm.
There is a long season ahead, but beating an undefeated team and moving into second is a good indication of what this group can do.
Keep going, girls. There’s plenty to like.
Junior Tahs make their mark
There was plenty happening across our junior representative sides on Sunday, with the U11s producing something particularly special.
An unbroken 202-run opening partnership between Jack Willis and Josh Candy in the Colin Cooper competition was thge highlight of the weekend. It is an outstanding effort at any level, let alone from boys at the beginning of their representative cricket journeys.
It takes concentration, patience and a good understanding between two batters to build a partnership like that. To keep going together without losing a wicket makes it even more impressive.
Our Weblin Shield U15s also produced some excellent runs, continuing an exciting weekend for that age group. Justin Turner obviously rervelled in his Saturday experience with 95, as did the highly rated George Hansen with 36.
Ekam Dhillon, younger brother of first grade leg spinner Roop, showed his talent with 94* in the U15 Moore Shield, while Jensen du Plessis back Ekam up with 5 wickets with the ball.
We were able to take home 4 of 5 victories.
It’s always enjoyable following these results. The names become familiar, you watch players develop, and before long some of them are walking into a Premier Cricket dressing room.
We saw exactly that on Saturday.
Four debuts and four generations
Having 25 players unavailable would test any club. It might be the highest number we’ve ever had missing at once.
But one of the highlights of Saturday was that it was able to give some young players an opportunity to play NSW Premier Cricket, including four debutants from our U15 representative squad.
That says a lot about the work being done in our junior pathway and the willingness of our grade teams to welcome young players. Giving a youngster an opportunity is one thing. Helping them feel comfortable enough to contribute is just as important.
There was a particularly special story among those debuts, with Justin Turner becoming a fourth-generation Waratah.
Justin follows his great-grandfather Allan, his grandfather Ken and Ken’s brother Frank, and his dad Mark and Mark’s brother Graeme.
That is an extraordinary family connection to one club.
Think of the cricket, friendships and stories across those generations. For Justin to now have his own opportunity in Manly Warringah colours adds another chapter to something very special.
He gets to make his own way and build his own memories, with a fair bit of family history behind him.
Congratulations to all four boys on their debuts, and thank you to everyone who stepped in across the grades. On a weekend when our depth was stretched, seeing the next generation take its opportunity was a real positive.
Time to turn fight into a win
Two draws in a row have left us keen to come back with a big win against Fairfield this Saturday.
There has been fight in our batting, and that is encouraging. But we need to turn more of those starts into the substantial scores that put us in control of matches.
On Sunday, we had three half-centuries without anyone getting beyond 63.
Getting yourself established takes hard work. Once you’ve done that, you want to make the most of it. One batter going on to a hundred or beyond can change an innings and give everyone else something to build around.
That is the challenge for us.
With the ball, it has been tough going on some very flat pitches coming out of the rugby season. There hasn’t been much assistance, and wickets have been hard to earn.
But we still need to find a way to take more of them.
That means being disciplined for longer, building pressure together and staying alert for the opportunities that do come. We also need to keep thinking about how we can make batters uncomfortable when the surface isn’t doing it for us.
The effort is there. Now we need to turn that effort into a more complete performance.
Fairfield gives us another opportunity this Saturday, and we’re hungry to make it count.
Go Manly!
