Welcome to another edition of Tah Talk with Joel Foster. This week we look at M1s making the T20 Semi Finals for the first time in 10 years, Keira Terrey continuing her amazing form, and some fantastic results from our Junior Reps.
A big thank you to Scott MacNeill and the team at Gibson MacNeill Lawyers for their new partnership with this season. If you have any legal needs big or small, visit them at www.gibsonmacneill.com.au
Bird perched above them all
Ian Bird is one of the unsung heroes of our club.
His photography has been back-bone behind the rise of our media program over the last 15 years, and he continues to hit the spot today.
A former Green Shield player, Ian came on-board with the club back in 2010/11 via his brother Jackson, who recommended him as someone who could help with our photos.
Since then, he has become an institution at our club. Quiz him and he’ll be able to tell you the name of everyone he has shot across both the girls and the boys.
He also has an eye for cricket and is someone we can bounce plenty of questions off.
Birdy is a great friend of mine as well, and it’s a pleasure to have him around the club. I know everyone else feels the same.
He has a real passion for everything Manly Cricket, and when you combine this with his skillset, it makes him one of the most important people at our club over the last decade.
Junior Matildas shine
As our season got under way over the last few weeks, our Women’s squads were missing 2 important names. Willa Pearson and Annabelle Croll
Both have shown their skillset on the cricket field over the last few years, so it was a setback not having them there.
However, both were doing more important things…. Playing for their country.
Both Annabelle and Willa were part of the Junior Matildas (U17) squad who represented Australia in the Asian Cup Qualifiers in Singapore.
In-fact the entire team was outstanding, racking up a score of 22-0 against Northern Mariana Islands. They then backed it up with an 11-0 win against the hosts, with Willa scoring a goal.
It meant that they have qualified for the U/17 Asian Championships, to be held in China in April. This tournament is a pre-cursor to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2026.
Annabelle is a goalkeeper and Willa is a defender, and both impressed with their attitude and performance.
But it’s not a surprise. They have both shone brightly for the Waratahs both over the last few years and when coming through our pathway system.
It was great to see them both return to the pitch with the Waratahs on Sunday, with more big performances ahead for the summer.
Great season start
It’s been a whirlwind start to the season, but I am very pleased with how our M1s side is progressing.
We fought hard in the T20 series, nailing a Semi-Final spot which we had not done for some years.
Now we have gone 3 from 3 to start the Belvidere Cup season, and sit 2nd on the table, only split from 1st placed St George on percentages.
We have not been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and there is plenty of improvement left in the side.
But I have loved our fight, I have loved our fun, and I have loved our intensity. It’s always tough to get a combination of all 3, and again we have not been perfect, but we are moving in the right direction.
Our bowlers have been outstanding on some tough wickets, willing to grind and be patient, while our batters have played big innings when we have needed them.
Ahillen Beadle with 121* on Saturday to coast us home is a great example.
However, we know victory can breed complacency.
It’s something we are acutely aware of, and the entire squad is keen to use the start of the season as a positive springboard for the rest of the season.
