The curtains have been drawn on a quite phenomenal season for the Tahs, after 6 months of action-packed cricket. M4s and M5s securing premierships across an exciting Grand Final weekend, while M1s and M3s fell short despite valiant team efforts.
Cricket Central was the venue for the Belvidere Cup Final across Saturday, Sunday & Monday, the Tahs taking on St George. Asked to bat first after losing the toss on a green wicket, Joel Foster (21) made a positive start, but a few quick wickets halted momentum. Skipper Jay Lenton (29) and Jack Edwards (24) went about consolidating the innings, however, St George kept the pressure on with consistent breakthroughs. Fighting contributions late from Joel Davies (30) and Josh Seward (21) pushing the Tahs’ total to 140. A wicket apiece early to Ryan Hadley and Edwards had hopes high, but the Saints fought back to be 2/64 at stumps. Tom Kaye struck first ball of Day 2 to dismiss the dangerous MacDonald, followed by Edwards with the big wicket of Patterson. Another two Hadley and a run out had the game on a knife’s edge at 7/120, but St George scraped to a first innings lead. Two more wickets to Kaye and one to Josh Seward, closing out their innings on 209, St George with a 69 run lead. With an aggressive approach to the Tahs’ second innings required to set a competitive total, it was the Ollie Davies show across the last session of Day 2 and into Day 3. Some of the more remarkable six-hitting in a blistering 65 ball 105, his third hundred this finals series. Unfortunately, it was a lone hand for the Tahs, bowled out for 183, setting St George 116 to win. Despite an early Edwards wicket, it wasn’t to be, as the Saints charged to the total inside 22 overs, to be crowned premiers. Nonetheless, a sensational season for Jay’s team, one to be incredibly proud of.
M3s made the trip to University Oval #1 to face hosts Sydney University in the 3rd Grade Grand Final. Tahs skipper Sam Hole won the toss and elected to bat, Josh Coyte (31) off to a flyer with early boundaries, before a mini-collapse had the Tahs 3/53 heading into lunch. Hole (26) and Zach Trewartha (51) rebuilt the innings with a 55 run partnership, the latter in particular anchoring the Tahs’ innings with a patient half-century. However, another quick flurry of wickets despite small contributions from Evan Dunnachie and Ellis Raymond, saw the score 9/169 and in need of a lower-order revival. Fraser Noack (39) held the lower-order together with a crucial innings, combining with Josh Lawson (9*) for a last-wicket partnership of 31 to propel the Tahs to 200 when the final wicket fell. Uni survived the final 7 overs of Day 1, 0/5 at stumps. The two Josh’s, Lawson and Coyte, broke through in the first hour of Day 2, Uni 2/29, however, despite an unwavering effort from the Tahs’ attack, the home side fought back to be well in control with a 108 run partnership as the wicket flattened right out. But the Tahs wouldn’t back down from the fight, Dunnachie breaking the game open with an incredible four-wicket spell, a glimmer of hope returning, Uni 6/168. Time and runs just weren’t on the Tahs’ side unfortunately, Sydney Uni grinding to 6/197 from 103 overs when time ran out, a draw seeing them take the premiership. Despite the heartbreak of the result, it was an incredibly gutsy, determined effort from the Tahs, and an excellent season for Sam and his group.
After earning the right to host the 4th Grade Grand Final, M4s had the privilege of playing at Manly Oval, against Northern District. Skipper Adam Parkinson won the toss (again) and elected to bat on what looked to be, and was, a beautiful batting wicket. A quite unbelievable beginning to the Tahs’ innings, Jayden Kennedy dispatching the first three balls of the GF to the boundary, 12* off 3 balls to start. From there, Kennedy (54) continued his momentum with a run-a-ball half century, combining with Lachlan Charles (55) for a 68 run opening partnership. Charles himself posted a quality half-century, putting on a further 81 runs with Josh Cooper (52), who too passed fifty in a patient knock. A few quick wickets slowed things down, but Brodie McDowell (30) continued his strong form, before George Cumming (37) and Ryan Bishop-Perrett (14) saw out the final session with a gritty partnership. Both dug in for 154 and 96 balls respectively late on Day 1 and into Day 2, to lead the Tahs to a first innings total of 277 from 115 overs. With 30 minutes left until lunch on Day 2, James Waddington and Will Skinner struck one crucial breakthrough each, to have ND’s 2/13 at the break. After the interval, the Tahs’ attack was simply relentless, Skinner dismissing ND’s young gun, before Bishop-Perrett broke the game wide open with three wickets in the blink of an eye, to go with another to Skinner, ND’s 7/23. The visitors lower-order would make the Tahs fight for the final few poles, but James Waddington wouldn’t be denied, picking up a further two wickets, before the golden arm of Jake Hutchings iced the game with his first ball, the premiership winning wicket, caught at long-on by Cumming. Three premierships on the trot for M4s, another remarkable season for skipper Parkinson and his troops, and celebrations well into the evening!
Simon Waddington and his M5s side also played host in the 5th Grade Grand Final, hosting Parramatta at Graham Reserve. The Tahs skipper won the toss and elected to bat first on a typically true Grahams wicket, Reiley Dunlop (50) and Jack Melchiore (37) making a steady start with great patience in a 64 run opening partnership. Reiley posting a composed half-century to anchor the top-order. A couple of quick wickets halted the Tahs’ momentum, but Keelan Mendel (33) battled away with a patient innings, before the game was evenly poised at 5/147. This was until a match-defining 132 run partnership between Myles Kapoor (127) and Kai Croft (49) across the back-half of Day 1 and into Day 2, which set up the game for the Tahs. Myles showing his immense potential with a classy hundred, his first for Manly, under the pressure of a Grand Final, while Kai provided great support. When both departed, the Tahs’ innings ended quickly, all out for 345 from 149 overs, Jordy Brewster with 16no. The task looked insurmountable for Parramatta with only 44 overs remaining, but they were willing to give it a crack. Julian Osbourne kick-starting the Tahs’ bowling effort with two wickets in two balls, Parramatta 2/26, before a mini-rebuild. From there, the run rate continued to climb to a highly improbable number on the back of tight bowling, Croft with the 3rd wicket, before run outs to Waddington and Luke Watts had the visitors 5/89. Some small partnerships were formed, however, the Tahs’ bowlers wouldn’t let up, the final wickets shared amongst Mendel, Waddington, Kapoor and Osbourne, as Parramatta finished 9/219 off 44 when overs ran out. The Tahs crowned 5th Grade premiers for the first time since 2017/18, a remarkable campaign for Waddington’s team.
So with that, the 2023/24 season comes to a close, and what a season it has been. Club championships for both the Men and Women, to go with premierships in M4s, M5s, W3s and Green Shield. Grand final appearances for M1s, M3s and Brewers, while all other grades, M2s, W1s, W2s and PGs reached the semi finals. There’s been an abundance of individual milestones and brilliant team performances since late September, and it has been a pleasure to provide a weekly snapshot of the Tahs’ efforts each weekend. Hopefully 2024/25 has more highlights in store for the Tahs, but for now, let’s celebrate the success of this season.
Until next time. Up the Tahs!
