Page 45 - West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Cricket Club Yearbook 2016-17

At the end of the regular season the team had finished in fourth position, meaning they would face a tough challenge in the Semi-final against a strong Hornsby team who had dominated this age group in previous years. The team had never beaten Hornsby, and appeared to be a daunting task. With the other Semi-final being abandoned, the winner would take on the classy Pennant Hills team filled with many representative players.
In the semi-final against Hornsby our bowlers were dominant early, dismantling Hornsby’s dangerous
top order. With the continuation of accurate bowling and quality fielding, the regular taking of wickets continued and the Whites had Hornsby bowled out for only 111 runs. After a steady start to our run chase and rain clouds looming, our top order batsmen picked up the pace after the tea break. During only the 38th over and at 3/112, the job was done and the winning runs had been struck. Hornsby had finally been toppled.
The first innings of the Final saw Pennant Hills deciding to bat first after winning the toss. Our bowlers and fielding in the first innings was impressive, a carryover of the good cricket they had played previously in the Semi-final against Hornsby. Although not taking many early wickets, the team persisted and eventually the wickets began to flow. In the 50th over, the Whites had Pennant Hills bowled out for a gettable 131. Unfortunately, it would not be our day. With some early wickets and inability to put pressure on the Pennant Hills bowlers, we had faced our 55 overs and fallen short by 23 runs. Some might be disappointed by this result, but the team was not and were proud of their achievement in reaching the final, and beating Hornsby along the way.
A key feature in the development of the team was the introduction of spin into its bowling attack. At the start of the season the team did not possess a spinner, by the end of the season it had two good quality spinners. Many teams in the competition struggled with our spinners. They were effective in slowing down the run rate and creating wickets.
Another area of improvement throughout the year was our increased ability to remain focused and positive throughout the game, especially in the field. Many players within the team developed the awareness and belief that the next ball could get them a wicket. Being the case, this heightened their alertness in the field and led to an improvement in their fielding and support and encouragement for each other.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the White team is the way in which they carry themselves, both on and off the field. At training, they display a good sense of comradery and enthusiasm, and when taking the field, they always exhibited good sportsmanship and respect towards their opposition. This attribute of the team is the most satisfying and a credit to themselves and their families.
Congratulations U/13 Whites on a successful 2016/17 season.
Matt Kohlhagen – Under 13 White Coach U13 Red Team
The season got off to a terrific start with the team showing that when things aren’t going well, and they focussed on the job at hand, they could adjust and dig in for the long haul. This became a common theme for the season with the boys showing terrific resilience to bounce back from difficult situations. Every member of the team improved over the course of the season with all making valuable contributions at some point and finding a way to support the team effort regardless of individual misfortunes. Harry led the team well, making excellent decisions in the field whilst still consulting with the rest of the boys on the best way forward. Stefan took out the bowling award but everyone chipped in along the way, particularly Tom’s spin and Harry’s and James’ pace which were difficult for other teams to deal with. Finn was Mr Reliable with the bat making some big scores and never giving up his wicket cheaply. Batting was an area that the team as a whole needed to improve, and over the course of the season all worked hard to occupy the crease and accumulate runs. Many thanks to James for coaching the team and supporting the boys’ development as players and team members. Also thanks to a great group of parents who were always on hand to umpire and score. Looking forward to another terrific season in 2017/18.
Scott Baker – Under 13 Red Manager
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