Category Archives: Match Reports

Week 1 – Saturday 16th September

SOCIAL GAME: MUDGEE WEEKEND HADLEY X vs ALLMEY X AT CRAIGMOOR WINERY, MUDGEE ON SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2023: REPORT BY SCOTT WELLS

With COVID done and dusted, it was decided to resurrect a traditional season starter with a weekend game at the lovely country town of Mudgee. Previous years would have seen CCNSW line up against a local Mudgee Portwiners’ side, but sadly that team no longer exists and the fixture had not occurred for the past 8 seasons. CCNSW last played at the vineyard at the start of the 2015-2016 season.

Currently owned by Robert Oatley Vineyards which purchased the winery in the 1960s, and formerly known as “Poet’s Corner”, the Craigmoor winery has a long history dating back to 1858; it is roughly 5mins drive north from the town centre. Picture a beautiful sandstone building with tasting room, cellar and museum and just outside an elevated viewing deck of the cricket field, to the left, vines about to commence growing and an outfield which has quirks such as a steep drop off to the local creek on one side and a windmill at cow corner – something not out of place in an English countryside. Previously, a CCNSW team used to make a weekend trip away to play on a Saturday,  then enjoy the Taste of Mudgee event that evening to taste and drink at  local fairs.

No local opposition meant an intra club game was required to resurrect this fine fixture. Those who expressed interest entered an online auction – similar to the IPL. Each player was given a value and each team a salary cap. Both Captains – Ian Allmey and Jim Hadley then went through the process of selecting teams – beamed via a ‘WhatsApp’ chat link. 

Initially 11 players were available for each team and both captains remained under their salary cap – with a trade window opened a week prior to accommodate any changes required. Both the “Allmey Allballers” and the “Hadley Hurricanes” had assembled some very strong sides consisting of current and former  veteran Australian and State players. Some late changes to the line ups were required to accommodate some who ended up with better offers or high enough transfer fees to be “let go”. We also had an official umpire for the game – Mr Jed (deadly) Wesley Smith. 

The newly created Mudgee Plate and bragging rights were on the line. Players filtered into the township from Friday into the early hours of Saturday morning for a 10:00am start. Being a brand new franchise game (and problems with the T20 trademark process) the rules of the game were established a week out. It has been dubbed the Mudgee 7’s. Original playing conditions were: – 

  • 42 overs per side
  • each team bats in pairs for 7 overs regardless of number of times out
  • each wicket reduces the total by 7 runs
  • hit the windmill and you get 7 bonus runs
  • each bowler can only bowl 7 overs

but with 3 late pull outs and one addition, this was modified to 40 overs and 8 overs per pair

Mudgee had turned on a great day for cricket, slight breeze, blue skies and a top of 28Cº. Once assembled, a “traditional” nip of the local Rum Port was enjoyed by all players and spectators. Ian Allmey won the toss and sent the Hurricanes in to bat. No player knew what to expect from this format e.g. what is a par score? Do you bat to minimise wickets or maximise runs? So Jim Hadley went on the attack and sent Brett James and Tommy Robertson in to bat. They faced up against Stuart Ridge and Paul Nash. Spectators and the batting team settled under the shade of a grand tree on benches elevated above the main ground, with the tasting room in the background. The anticipation was palpable.

To say Brett and Tommy teed off is an understatement – well Brett teed and Tommy swung hard. At the end of their 8 overs, Brett dealt in boundaries and finished on 70 and Tommy 18 with the first wicket combining for a 92 run partnership. Jim Hadley wanted to keep the foot on the throat and sent out Jamie Murtha and Scott Wells to continue the onslaught. The bowling of Dave Kent and Andy Bachelard tightened up, finding the right length which restricted the batting well but anything loose was still put away. The score reached 179 but the fall of 5 wickets saw it reduced to 137 after 8 overs. Dave Kent returning the very impressive figures of 4 for 23 off 4 overs (nett: 7 runs reduction for each wicket = negative 5 runs)

With the Allballers grabbing back some of the momentum, the Hurricanes continued with all out attack sending in the power hitting unit of Greg Brooks and Soren Hughes against the likes of David Kent, Andrew Bachelard, Dan Turner and David Craig. Brooksie finding his eye early, started slapping to his favourite part of the field, Soren backing up well with some powerful drives and saw the score (gross) get to 254 for the loss of 7 wickets.

The fourth pairing saw Mick McCormick and David Glen consolidate the total with watchful innings against the guile of David Craig. Good bowling saw the run rate pulled back with only one boundary in the partnership to get to 291. But as 10 wickets had been lost, a nett score of 221 with one pairing remaining. The last pair saw the skipper Jim Hadley and wily-o – John Davis – an Orange local. Jimmy dealt in boundaries and Johnny in singles to get Jim on strike – a great combination and perhaps a lesson for future parings in this format. The score at the end of 40 overs was 361 for the loss of 14 wickets – a nett total of 263 runs. A gettable total – run rate just over 6.5 required. Several ways to be chased with wickets the key.

Highlights of the first innings were Brett James 70, Greg Brooks 43 and Jim Hadley with 32 and bowling standout was Dave Kent with 6 for 70 (28) and Dan Turner 2 for 19(5)

Lunch which consisted of a selection of quartered sandwiches, pies and sausage rolls (prepared by the Mudgee Bakery) arrived at 1:00 which coincided with the change of innings. Several of the WAGS then embarked on a guided wine tour of Mudgee for the afternoon.

The Allballers sent out some guns first up in Dan Turner and Paul Nash in hope to get ahead early. Interestingly, Ian leaving himself down the order. The Hurricanes opened up with Soren Hughes and wily John Davis. An even battle ensued with good bowling, clever batting and some good hitting later in the partnership. The opening pair put on 82 for one wicket so it was game on. The Allballers then opted for experience with Ian Allmey and Stuart Ridge partnering up against the likes of Soren Hughes, Mick McCormick and Jamie Murtha. Some lovely cover drives from Stu coupled with some hitting (and missing) from Allmey the pair put on 53 for the loss of 2 wickets so a nett score of 114 which was probably a bit behind where they had hoped to be with the batting to come.

The following pair of David Craig and Dr Len Volkov batted solidly for a 48 run stand with the loss of 3 wickets against the likes of David Glen, Jim Hadley and Brett James who decided his shoulder wasn’t too bad. Mike Weaver and Ross Dalgleish had their work cut out to up the tempo to get back on track. Unfortunately not even Tom Robertson’s over (11 balls) was enough to stop the rot with Ross becoming stuck on strike and then half way down the wicket on a few occasions losing 7 wickets between them for 35 runs giving up -14 runs to the total.

This left the last pair with 132 to get in 8 overs. But the Allballers had two guys at the crease who could give that a nudge: – Dave Kent and Andy Bachelard. Both came out swinging with the ball flying to all parts. Some lovely straight hit sizes and one memorable back foot slap over cover for 6 from AB until Hadley decided he had seen enough, bought himself back on and  gathered a few well bowled stumpings. DK and AB got the score to 321 with a 100 run partnership but with the loss of 17 wickets in doing so, saw he final score reduced to 219.

A fantastic day was had by all and special thanks for Jed Wesley-Smith for umpiring and putting up with Tom. Gwen Hughes did a magnificent job scoring: 682 runs scored, 31 wickets lost, 24 ports nipped and a few beers had.

A post-match presentation of the Mudgee Plate was made to the winning skipper – Jim Hadley much to the regret of Ian and enjoyment of Tommy. All then retreated to their accommodation in preparation for the evening’s meal and drinks at the Lawson Park Hotel. We had approx. 30 people that evening and packed out half of the beer garden area. Great meals and great company ensured an evening to remember

We plan to back up this event next year and reignite it into a traditional pre-season event. Mudgee is a great place to get away to for the weekend with lots do to apart from cricket.

The Teams were: – 

Hadley X: – Brett James 70, Tom Robertson 18, James Murtha 23, Scott Wells (w) 19, Greg Brooks 43, Soren Hughes 12, Mick McCormick 18, David Glen 10, Jim Hadley (c) 32 and John Davis 10

Allmey X: – Dan Turner 36, Paul Nash 42, Ian Allmey (c) 24, Stuart Ridge 33, David Craig 26, Len Volkov 13, Mike Weaver (w) 26, Ross Dalgleish 6, David Kent 46 and Andrew Bachelard 47

The Result was: –

The ‘Hadley Hurricanes’: – 14-361 (nett 263) (40 Overs)

Defeated

The ‘Allmey Allballers’: – 17-321 (nett 219) (40 Overs)

By 40 runs (nett 44 runs)

THE CCNSW TOURING PARTY AT THE CRAIGMOOR WINERY GROUND, MUDGEE

Back row: Paul Nash, Ian Allmey (c), Jamie Murtha, Mick McCormick, Andrew Bachelard, Brett James Stuart Ridge, Greg Brooks, Soren Hughes, Mike Weaver, Len Volkov, Ross Dalgleish and Jed Wesley  Smith (umpire)
Front row: David Kent, David Glen, Jim Hadley (c), Tom Robertson, Scott Wells, John Davis, Dan Turner, David Craig 
N.B. : Hadley team in white shirts and Allmey team in blue shirts

LMS Winter 2023 – Grand Final

LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY SUNDAY  DIVISION 3  FINAL v ‘AVIN A SLAP AT ROBERTSON ROAD, MP5, MOORE PARK ON SUNDAY 13 AUGUST 2023: REPORT BY JAMIE MURTHA 

CCNSW LMS TEAM IN GRAND FINAL v ‘AVIN –A-SLAP’  (PRE-GAME)

The Team was: – James Bonkowski 51*, Mick McGrath (c) 23, Rhys Longbottom 40, Wade Butler (w) 38*, Avi  Bhandari 1, Jonathan Seifman 10, David Craig 0*, Ming Heng dnb

In a high-stakes showdown under overcast skies, cricket enthusiasts around Moore Park were treated to an exhilarating clash between CCNSW and ‘Avin A Slap. Our opposition had the wood over us in close encounters during the regular season, 0-2, The sun  assisted our batters early, but as the game progressed the rain clouds started looming for the two evenly balanced teams. The spectators were in for a treat as this match promised to be a spectacle of skill and determination!

CCNSW lost the toss and were sent in to bat first. James Bonkowski and Mick McGrath opened and looked solid, both were forced to respect some good bowling early as it took nearly 5 overs to find the first boundary, 

James scored an unbeaten 51* runs and anchored the innings, he also produced a very memorable lofted cover drive for six with some sweet timing, Rhys Longbottom (40) and Mick (23) both contributed to the scoreboard with some clean strikes; Rhys was dropped twice and made them pay, proceeding to smash five sixes to all parts! 

Avi Bhandari looked to play positively but got a good ball that hit the top of off, and Wade Butler (38) continued his fine form while launching balls deep into the other field, he was kept on strike by ‘Jono’ Seifman (10), our innings progressed steadily and after 20 overs we raised a sizeable total of 168 runs for 4, entirely defendable’

— Break — 

Pressure was on ‘Avin A Slap to chase down our challenging target, and our guys were ready after receiving a quality high ball catching practice session, led by Rich ‘Berry Boy’ Clark who was only too happy to bomb a few up. Rhys Longbottom led the bowling attack, and seemed to beat the batters outside edge every ball during a great opening four over spell, conceding just 23 runs without luck,  

Mick McGrath opened at the other had a two over bumper burst at the other end, unlucky not to take a wicket, one falling just short of a diving Avi at deep-square, and another really special effort from David Craig at long-off , covering several metres, dove full length and nearly took a screamer, both fielders saving boundaries too with great commitment . David bowled excellently, his leggies proving difficult to score off in the first three overs and getting an important breakthrough bowling the opening batter!  Some rain started to fall which made both fielding and batting more difficult, however no time was lost! 

Avi Bhandari bowled accurately despite the damp conditions, he ensured the required run-rate climbed and finally the other opener succumb to pressure, skying one for Mick McGrath  to take a great mid-field catch, all the more impressive because the ball’s seam had cut Micks hand and was bleeding significantly. Mick had to leave the field for medical attention, kindly provided by the opposition. Stitches do seem likely to be needed, however! Jamie Murtha didn’t hesitate to join in the field at fine leg despite nursing a broken thumb, even managing to return a rather limp left handed throw in towards keeper Wade!

Just as one of the batters started to get a hold of some boundaries Ming Heng entered the attack and  bowled an exceptional four over spell for just 19 runs, in gloomy conditions he had the ball swinging, hitting the stumps on one occasion and very nearly a couple more, Ming deserved a second wicket but an edge was unfortunately not picked up by the umpire, who had done a great job all game. Still very much either team’s game at this point!

Mick opted to finish the game with a wrapped hand before going to hospital, his two remaining overs kept momentum with us and was called on the field several times before the end! But it was Avi, Ming and Dave bowling dots at the death  who finished the job; not even an impressive 58 from Oscar Jamieson including a home-run could keep them in it. Through an excellent team performance against a good opposition in tough conditions, we beat the previously undefeated ‘Avin-A-Slap  by 6 runs to win the competition final.

The match showcased good spirit of cricket, sportsmanship and skill, credit to the team on the day as well as all 33 players who contributed to the team this winter season, this was a well deserved victory!

Thank you to all our report readers and wider CCNSW club-mates!  Particular thanks to Adrian Hawkes for his diligent administration behind the scenes!  And finally, well done to all of the 33 players this season! Jim Hadley, Wade Butler , Mick McGrath, Minh Heng, Jonathan Seifman, James Bonkowski, David Craig, Rhys Longbottom, Avinash Bhandari, Richard Clark, Nicholas Kochanowicz, Jamie Murtha, Joel Uddstrom, Scott Williams, Gerry O’Shea, Shahzeem Ajani, Declan Thomas, Shivam Agarval, Sanjeet Bhandari, Brendon Clarke, Toby Forbes, Sherville Hall,, Dan May, Charles Sharpe, Tom Sterrett, David Waldron, Phil Anderson, Liam Broughton, Yair Edinburg, Craig Fordham, Will Jacobs, Aaditya Mahata, Gurav Jain.

The Result was:- 

CCNSW: – 4-168 (20 overs) (J. Bonkowski 51*; R. Longbottom 40)

Defeated

‘Avin A Slap: – 4-162 (20 overs)

By 6 runs

The Bowling was: – R. Longbottom 4-0-23-0; M. McGrath 4-0-36-0, D. Craig 4-0-49-1. A. Bhandari 4-0-35-1, M. Heng 4-0-18-1

The Fielding was: Stumpings: – Nil Catches: – One to M. McGrath  Run outs: – One to R. Longbottom

Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to J. Bonkowski ; 2 points to M. Heng ; one point to M. McGrath.See:  https://www.lastmanstands.com/leagues/scorecard/live?fixtureid=389044

(POST-GAME WITH CUP and WINNERS MEDALS)
From left to right: Jonathan Seifman, Richard Clark (sub),   Jamie Murtha (12th Man), Wade Butler, David Craig, James Bonkowski, Mick McGrath  (c),  Avi Bhandari, Rhys Longbottom
Absent: Ming Heng

LMS Winter 2023 – Semi Final

LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY SUNDAY  DIVISION 3  SEMI-FINAL v THE CUSTARD ARMS AT UPPER KIPPAX, MOORE PARK ON SUNDAY 6 AUGUST 2023: REPORT BY JAMIE MURTHA 

In an exciting LMS T20 semi final CCNSW faced off against The Custard Arms at Moore Park 6. The match promised to be a thrilling encounter. Despite grey skies overhead and a bit of drizzle, captain Jim Hadley won the toss and decided to bat.

We put on a dominant batting performance, setting a formidable target of 227 runs from our 20 overs, with outstanding contributions from Daniel May (52* from 17 balls) and Wade Butler (51*from 15 balls). The game was already looking to favor us. The pair was brutal with their ball-striking and found the boundary often. James Bonkowski (22), Richard Clark (25* retired), Nicholas Kochanowicz (34*) and Rhys Longbottom  (35) also chipped in with valuable runs, ensuring a challenging total for our opponents to chase.

In response, The Custard Arms made a commendable effort, scoring 149 runs in their 20 overs. Our bowlers showcased disciplined performances, restricted The Custard Arms’ batting lineup. Nicholas Kochanowicz claimed one wicket with a perfect yorker. Rhys Longbottom bowled economically, going wicketless but conceding only 19 runs in his 4 overs. Richard Clark bowled 3 overs without taking a wicket but fielded brilliantly off his own bowling. Daniel May kept the runs in check with outstanding economy, the batters only managing 8 runs in his 3 overs. James Bonkowski contributed both with the bat and ball, taking one wicket thanks to Jim Hadley who took a brilliant catch on the square-leg boundary. Jim was as good as ever with the ball and had a big impact taking one wicket while only giving away a miserly 11 runs in his 3 overs.

In the fielding department, the team showed great athleticism and teamwork. Wade Butler executed a nice stumping and Jamie Murtha (who had not expected to play) fielded a few balls despite his broken thumb.

Overall, it was a memorable match, and our comprehensive victory by 78 runs has secured our place in Grand Final next Sunday!

 (Editor’s note: The Grand Final will be v  ‘Avin A Slap” (undefeated this season with 13 wins)  at 1.40pm on Sunday 13 August at Robertson Road, MP5.)

The Team was: – James Bonkowski 22, Richard Clark, 25, Daniel May 52*, Wade Butler (w) 51*, Nicholas Kochanowicz 34*, Rhys Longbottom, 35 Jim Hadley (c) 8*, James Murtha (dnb)

The Result was:- 

CCNSW: – 2-227 (20 overs) (D. May 52*; W. Butler 51*)

Defeated

The Custard Arms: – 3-149 (20 overs)

By 78 runs

The Bowling was: – N. Kochanowicz 4-0-36-1; R. Longbottom 4-0-19-0; R. Clark 3-0-39-0; D. May 3-0-8-0; J. Bonkowski 3-0-34-1; J. Hadley 3-0-11-1

The Fielding was:-

Stumpings: – One to W. Butler

Catches: – One to J. Hadley

Run outs: – Nil

Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to D. May ; 2 points to W. Butler ; one point to R. Longbottom

See:  https://www.lastmanstands.com/leagues/scorecard/1st-innings?fixtureid=389041

LMS EASTERN SYDNEY DIVI$ION 3 LEAGUE TABLE WINTER 2023 

TeamPWLDPtsNRRTSBPSBP20%BP
CCNSW12 930861.763  6  818
‘Avin A Slap121200851.434  4  3  6
Stumped!12 66070-0.216121210
The Custard Arms12 57068-0.183111116
The Fellowship of the Swing12 570570.154  7  812
High Street Cricket Club1239049-1.296  81112
Flat Track Bullies12 210031-1.840  5  410

 NB 6 points for a win + 3 categories of bonus points

First Four teams go through to Semi Finals

LMS Winter 2023 – Week 11 (Rescheduled)

LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY SUNDAY  DIVISION 3  ROUND 11 (REARRANGED BECAUSE OF RAIN) v ’AVIN A SLAP AT MP5, ROBERTSON ROAD, MOORE PARK ON SUNDAY 30 JULY 2023: REPORT BY JAMIE MURTHA 

CCNSW faced the undefeated ‘Avin a Slap’ in a closely fought contest in the last round of the season for first place in the League. After winning the toss, we decided to bat first and scored a total of 8-138 runs in 18.1 overs, led by Mick McGrath’s 42 runs. Other notable contributions came from Scott Williams (33) and Toby Forbes (34). A couple of poor umpiring decisions resulted in a flurry of wickets falling in the middle overs and severely reducing our run rate.

Chasing the target, ‘Avin a Slap’ showed determination and successfully reached the target with 4 wickets in hand and 8 balls remaining to defeat us for the second time this season. 

Ming Heng took 1 wicket for 25 runs in his 4 overs. Scott Williams produced two excellent seeds to bowl two of the opposition’s best batters. Mick McGrath, who performed well with the bat, could not claim any wickets but conceded only 27 runs in his 4 overs. Toby Forbes also chipped in with a wicket which slowed the scoring rate for a while.

Overall, it was a good contest that ended with ‘Avin a Slap’ emerging victorious against us for the second time this season. However due to bonus points awarded for the CCNSW team all wearing their official LMS shirts and bonuses for run rate and size of victories, we have somehow emerged at the top of the table, one point ahead of     ’ Avin A Slap and face off next Sunday at Upper Kippax at 9am   against the  4th place side, the  Custard Arms!

(Editor’s Note: and if we win the semi final, the Grand Final two weeks later on Sunday 20 August will likely be our third game of the season v ‘Avin a Slap!)

The Team was: – Mick McGrath (c) 42, Brandon Clarke 17, Scott Williams 33, Wade Butler 1, Richard Clark 7, Toby Forbes 34, Declan Thomas (w) 1, Ming Heng 0

The Result was:- 

CCNSW: – 8-138 (18.1 overs) (M. McGrath 42)

Lost to

‘Avin a Slap: – 4-143 (18.2 overs)

By 4 wickets

The Bowling was: – M. Heng 4-0-25-1; S. Williams 4-0-35-2; M. McGrath 4-0-27-0, T. Forbes 3.2-0-28-1; R. Clark 3-0-28-0

The Fielding was:-

Stumpings: – Nil

Catches: – One to M. Heng and one to S. Williams

Run outs: – Nil

Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to S. Williams; 2 points to M. McGrath; 1 point to T. Forbes

See:  https://www.lastmanstands.com/leagues/scorecard/1st-innings?fixtureid=389037

LMS Winter 2023 – Week 12

LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY SUNDAY  DIVISION 3  ROUND 12 v ’AVIN A SLAP AT MP5, ROBERTSON ROAD, MOORE PARK ON SUNDAY 23 JULY 2023: REPORT BYJAMIE MURTHA

In round 12 won the toss and batted; the openers Shivam Agarwal and Gaurav Runwall made a solid start. Gaurav was the standout batter with a few big sixes over cow corner. Joel Uddstrom and Sherville (‘Wes’) Hall also started well, continuing to build on the total, but were unfortunately bogged down by decent bowling and uneven bounce in the middle overs and end of the inning. After being 1-80 after 10 overs, we were only able to post 1-130 in 20 overs.

The opposition got off to the perfect start scoring 10% of their runs in the first over, but Jim Hadley immediately struck with a top spinner that smashed into off stump, it wasn’t long before he trapped another guy lbw in front for a golden duck.

The bowling was generally good  but we did not get the rub of the green in the field; the conditions were quite windy.. Jamie Murtha used the wind to his advantage and produced a fair amount of inswing which earned him a couple of wickets.

We bowled tightly enough at the end to take it down to the last two overs, but sadly with one batter in the sheds, the opposition was able to safely score the remaining runs and win the game.

We will aim to turn the tables in a rearranged Round 11 (originally rained off) next week!

The Team was: – Shivam Agarwal 10, Gaurav Runwall 50*. Sherville Hall 37*, Joel Uddstrom  (w )25*, Jim Hadley dnb, James Murtha (c) dnb, Mick McGrath dnb , Ming Heng dnb, Nicholas Kochanowicz dnb

The Result was:- 

CCNSW: – 1-128 (20 overs) (G. Runwall 50*)

Lost to

‘Avin a Slap: – 4-130 (18.3 overs) 

By 4 wickets

The Bowling was: – M.  McGrath 4-0-30-0; J. Murtha 4-0-20-2; J. Hadley 4-0-18-2; S. Hall 3.3-0-29-0; M Heng 3-0-33-0

The Fielding was:-

Stumpings: – Nil

Catches: – Nil

Run outs: – Nil

Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to Jim Hadley; 2 points to Gaurav Runwall; 1 point to Jamie Murtha 

See:  https://www.lastmanstands.com/leagues/scorecard/1st-innings?fixtureid=389016

LMS Winter 2023 – Week 11

LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY SUNDAY  DIVISION 3  ROUND 11 v ’AVIN A SLAP AT MP8, ROBERTSON ROAD, MOORE PARK ON SUNDAY 16 JULY 2023

Cancelled by rain; treated as a tie under the Rules. CCNSW currently in first place in the League and ‘Avin A Slap (undefeated) in second place six points behind. Both teams replay next week for the League Premiership prior to the Finals.

This game was rearranged for Sunday30 July

LMS Winter 2023 – Week 10

LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY SUNDAY  DIVISION 3  ROUND 10 v FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING AT MP8, ROBERTSON ROAD, MOORE PARK ON SUNDAY 9 JULY 2023: 

No report submitted.

The Team was: – Joel Uddstrom 3, Mick McGrath (c) 4, Avi Bhandari 18, James Bonkowski 24, Wade Butter (w) 58*, Liam Broughton 29, Ming Heng (c) 2, Sherville Hall 9.

The Result was: – 

CCNSW: – 7-153 (20 overs) (W. Butler 58*)

Defeated

The Fellowship of the Swing: – 6-128 (20 overs)

By 25 runs

The Bowling was: – S. Hall 4-0-19-1; M. Heng 4-0-27-1; A. Bhandari 4-0-26-2; M. McGrath 4-0-21-1; L. Broughton 2-0-15-1; J. Bonkowski 2-0-18-0

The Fielding was:-

Stumpings: – Nil

Catches: – Two to W. Butler; One to M. McGrath; One to J. Uddstrom

Run outs: – Nil

Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to Wade Butler; 2 points to Avi Bhandari; 1 point to Liam Broughton

See: https://www.lastmanstands.com/leagues/scorecard/2nd-innings?fixtureid=389032

LMS Winter 2023 – WEEK 9

LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY SUNDAY  DIVISION 3  ROUND 9 v FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING AT MP8, ROBERTSON ROAD, MOORE PARK ON SUNDAY 2 JULY 2023: REPORT BY JAMIE MURTHA

Round 9 didn’t start the way we wanted as we lost the toss and were sent into field. Early wickets from David Craig and Ming Heng put us right on top though. We generally bowled and fielded well and didn’t allow the opposition to get ahead of the game despite their rally in the middle overs to post a respectable 138.

Our chase started off on the back foot, losing Richard Clark early for 1. Scott Williams had flashes of brilliance with some well struck boundaries, but unfortunately one got through the gate on him. The top order struggled to fire this gave and a lot of work was left for the last three batters. David was well composed in his score of 48, he timed the innings perfectly and was unfortunate to fall just before his 50!

Jamie Murtha and Ming continued to accumulate runs and took the game down to the last over, Jamie hit two fours to win the game, securing first place on the competition ladder.

The Team was: – Richard Clark 1, Scott Williams 24, Wade Butler (w) 10, Jonathan Seifman 18, Nicholas Kochanowicz 0, David Craig 48, Jamie Murtha (c) 27* , Ming Heng 13*

The Result was: – 

CCNSW: – 6-142 (19.3 overs) (D. Craig 48, J. Murtha 27*)

Defeated

The Fellowship of the Swing: – 5-138 (20 overs)

By 2 wickets

The Bowling was: – D. Craig 4-0-35-1; M. Heng 4-0-28-2; J. Seifman 3-0-18-0; R. Clark 2-0-11-0; J. Murtha 4-0-23-1; N. Kochanowicz 2-0-12-0; S. Williams 1-0-10-0

The Fielding was:-

Stumpings: – One to W. Butler

Catches: – One to J. Seifman

Run outs: – One to M. Heng

Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to David Craig; 2 points to Ming Heng; 1 point to Jamie Murtha

See: https://www.lastmanstands.com/leagues/scorecard/1st-innings?fixtureid=389013

LMS Winter 2023 – Week 8

LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY SUNDAY DIVISION 3 ROUND 8 v THE CUSTARD ARMS AT MP5, ROBERTSON ROAD, MOORE PARK ON SUNDAY 25 JUNE 2023: REPORT BY JAMIE MURTHA

Round 8 was played under stunning blue skies, there was no dew, and it was very warm for 9am. The captains agreed on the outcome of the toss, we wanted to bat, and they wanted to bowl. 

Charles Sharpe and Mick McGrath opened and got us off to a very solid start, the boundaries were large, so the first boundary took a while to score, it wasn’t long before both batters started clearing the deep mid-wicket boundary for 6. Mick fell for 31 off just 25 and Charles retired quickly taking only 27 balls for his 51*.

Wade Butler on the other hand was clearly in a hurry, he retired with 53* off an astonishing 15 balls, Wade effortlessly dispatched full-tosses over deep mid-wicket and was gifted a few free hits in the process. Jamie Murtha kept the scoreboard ticking over at the other end with a handy cameo 37 of 23 balls before being adjudged caught behind.

At 5, Ming Heng was stumped for 5, a very close call. With less than two overs remaining Avi Bhandari kept the momentum going with 10* off 4 balls and Tom Sterrett 3* kept Avi on strike. Our total score after 20 overs was a hard to beat 3-198.

Tom and Phil Anderson shared the new ball. Tom was once again unlucky not to get a wicket, beating the bat multiple times. Phil on the other hand picked up one of the openers cheaply with a ripping ball through the gate, a great bowling performance on debut!

Avi and Mick came on in the middle overs and both had a significant impact, each of them took a wicket. Mick had a straightforward caught & bowled in his first over and then helped Avi by making a much more challenging catch on the long-on boundary look easy. Avi, our premier C&S quick bowler beat the bat a few times in his economical spell.

Ming and Jamie filled in the remaining overs, doing enough to make sure the opposition were never in the game. Tom, Mick, and Phil each then bowled the final three overs without any real damage, securing us a bonus point victory by 56 runs.

We’ve returned to the top spot on the table as we head into the back half of the season, a solid position to be in as we work our way towards defending last year’s title!

The Team was: – Charles Sharpe 51*, Mick McGrath 31, Wade Butler (w) 53*, Jamie Murtha (c) 37, Ming Heng 5, Avi Bhandari 10*, Tom Sterrett 3*, Phi Anderson dnb.

The Result was: – 

CCNSW: – 3-198 (20 overs) (W. Butler 53*, C. Sharpe 51*)

Defeated

The Custard Arms: – 3-142 (20 overs)

By 56 runs

The Bowling was: – P. Anderson 4-0-17-1; T. Sterrett 4-0-27-0; A. Bhandari 4-0-18-1; M. McGrath 4-0-33-1; M. Heng 2-0-31-0; J. Murtha 2-0-16-0;

The Fielding was:-

Stumpings: – Nil

Catches: – Two to M. McGrath

Run outs: – Nil

Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to Wade Butler; 2 points to Charles Sharpe; 1 point to Mick McGrath

See: https://www.lastmanstands.com/leagues/scorecard/1st-innings?fixtureid=389030

LMS Winter 2023 – Week 7

LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY SUNDAY  DIVISION 3  ROUND 7 v HIGH STREET CC AT MP8, ROBERTSON ROAD, MOORE PARK ON SUNDAY 18 JUNE 2023: REPORT BYJAMIE MURTHA

Playing the same team as the previous week, we lost the toss and they elected to bat. Unfortunately we started with only 6 on the field, both opening batters sauntered on the field in the 4th over.

Despite only having six players, opening bowler Gerry O’Shea bowled a rare maiden over! The batter played and missed each ball through to the keeper. Ming Heng bowled a good spell at the other end. It was a solid but wicketless start after 5 overs, but then Richard Clark struck with the first ball of his spell thanks to a sharp catch from Gerry O’Shea in the gully.

Jim Hadley kept the batters tied down with his leggies, backed up by good fielding from the boundary riders. Jamie Murtha picked up a lucky run out, a straight drive deflected off his fingers onto the stumps and caught the non-striker off guard. He followed that up with a wicket at deep square, Jim safely taking a bullet at chest height. Shivam Agarval on debut took a wicket after another super catch from Gerry, it was a particularly athletic piece of fielding, taken low and on the slide from deep cover. Thanks to tight bowling and good ground fielding, we were able to restrict them to 124 in the 20 overs.

In response, James Bonkowski opened his account with a big six over deep mid-wicket; he made a good start. Richard Clark was less fortunate, trying to play the same shot but nicked his through to the keeper for a golden duck! Scott Williams wasted no time, hitting his first ball cleanly over deep mid-wicket for 6 as well. It looked like it could be another big score from Scott, but he was unluckily caught by the wicket-keeper down the leg side. Ming Heng too was a bit unlucky to go for a first ball duck, a well struck ball taken just inside the rope at long off. Jim  Hadley faced the hat-trick ball, and showing total contempt for the bowler slogged it over deep mid-wicket for 6, but this wasn’t enough for Jim who proceeded to do the same again the very next ball!

The fielding was a highlight for the opposition who took another catch to remove Shivam Agarval cheaply. At this point we were reeling around 5-50 and in a bit of trouble. Jim and Jamie Murtha  steadied, rotating the strike and seeing off good balls for a few overs. With 5 overs to go we brought the runs required down to 27 runs. Jamie was bowled soon after, but the opposition was no match for Jim and Gerry who dealt in dots and boundaries for the remainder of the innings. Gerry scored back to back fours in the 19th over to secure our 6th win for the season.

We hope to field a strong side next week and make it 3 in a row after the top of the table clash.

The Team was: – James Bonkowski 16, Richard Clark 0, Scott Williams (w) 15, Shivam Agarval 6, Ming Heng 0, Jim Hadley 53*. James Murtha (c) 21, Gerard O’Shea 13*

The Result was:- 

High Street CC: – 4-124 (20 overs) 

Lost to

CCNSW: – 6-128 (19 overs) (J. Hadley 53*)

By 2 wickets

The Bowling was: – M. Heng 4-0-34-0; G. O’Shea 3-1-8-0; J. Hadley 3-0-21-0; R. Clark 3-0-16-1; J. Murtha 4-0-19-1;  S. Agarval 2-0-18-1, J. Bonkowski 1-0-2-0

The Fielding was:-

Stumpings: – Nil

Catches: – Two to G. O’Shea and one to J. Hadley

Run outs: – One to J. Murtha

Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to J. Hadley; 2 points to G. O’Shea; 1 point to J. Murtha

See: https://www.lastmanstands.com/leagues/scorecard/1st-innings?fixtureid=389000