Page 43 - West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Cricket Club

Not to labour the point, but before every game our girls were out on the field playing their version of French Cricket meets Murder Ball. After the game, the kids and the parents would often stay behind to discuss the game, kick the football or just have a chat. Whether we won or lost, the attitude and spirit of our girls was by far the best in the competition. Parents, be proud of your kids, they were a true delight to coach and I hope they go on to play social cricket for many years to come.
Cassidy McArthur – started the year as a new player and quickly gained confidence. She finished the year as a fearsome opening bowler and took a bunch of wickets. A new addition to the team, Cass fitted in perfectly and was so confident in her place in the team that she started referring to herself in the third person. Cass will forever be known in the team as “The Cass”.
Aliya Colburt – a real powerhouse, the opposite to Scott Muller (one for Wikipedia), can bat, can bowl and can field. Took one of the best catches I have seen this year. A real cricket brain, good attitude and definite captaincy material. Aliya found a couple of new ways to be dismissed, like the day she was caught off the back of the bat – Aliya is a much better batter than she gives herself credit for.
Elyssa Oliveri – often came away from the game with less wickets than she deserved, but that was
because her bowling was too good for the opposition. Could have won the bowling award under different circumstances. The improvement in her batting was a highlight this year. Enjoyed her exposure to captaincy and thought quite deeply about all aspects of the game.
Trinity Newbury – after a solid start to the year, her batting suffered due to some disruptions from injury and school commitments, however Trinity did well to take out the batting award. Her bowling was always solid and her fielding and catching were always super dependable. Another very good captain and leader in the team.
Halle Newbury – moved up from the U13 a year earlier than she needed to. Her growth in batting self- confidence was great. Halle took out the bowling award and by the end of the season had developed into quite a quick bowler. Took an immediate shine to the captaincy opportunity when she realised it allowed her to tell people what to do.
Grace Keane – played one of the games of the season against Gordon this year where she nearly single- handedly won the game for us with a wonderful batting display while others around her fell. Grace refuses to bowl, but she makes up for it by being a great keeper and saving us plenty of runs. Has two speeds as a batter, slow and fast, will benefit if she develops a third speed somewhere in the middle.
Tanvi Singh – another new addition to our team this year, Tanvi always had a smile on her face and a wonderful attitude. She is quietly competitive and a great asset to the team dynamic. Her bowling came along as did her batting. Doesn’t mind having a laugh at her own expense (which is the greatest quality of all) and we joked that Tanvi is yet to receive her ‘running between wickets’ licence. Taught the girls an important lesson, as the non-striker you can refuse the call to run!
Divyanshi Nirmal – Divy was just a delight to coach. She was at every session and willing to listen and
to learn. This reflected in Divy becoming a real ‘go to’ bowler for me when I needed to control the game. Her batting was much improved, and I hope she continues with the game to develop into a fine all-round player.
Jana Roy – Jana was a key part of our squad. Adept in both batting and bowling, she contributed in all the games that she played. While she had a quiet determination, I genuinely enjoyed seeing a real competitive streak within her. Jana was a vital part of our team’s performance and culture and a delight to coach.
Matilda Wilson – what a fantastic growth ‘Tilly’ had during the season. New to this team, we struggled to get her to bat or to bowl in her first game. By the end of the season her bowling was quick and accurate. Tilly played some key innings as a batter which got us over the line a few times. She really fitted in with the team and by the end of the season was not lacking any confidence.
Devja Withanage – sadly we didn’t get to see as much of Devja as we would have liked. Scheduling conflicts and difficulty in getting to some of the games meant that she missed more than she played. However, Devja was instrumental in helping us achieve our first draw and I credit her in that game for the turnaround in the team’s fortunes and the development of our winning culture.
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