WEST RYDE ROVERS CRICKET CLUB
SECRETARY’S REPORT SEASON 2015/6
The 2015-6 season improved on our successful 2014/5 season and credit goes to our hard working
committee, the resolve of our coaches; the continued dedication and skills of our players; and the enthusiasm
and never ending support of the parents and friends!
In this my last report as Secretary, I would like to firstly acknowledge Craig and Rhodes, who sponsored our
Under 8 and Under 9s by providing Rovers shirts and caps to our new players. This new initiative was a great
success, with Rovers fielding a record five teams in the Under 8 and Under 9 competitions! Thank you
Andrew!
Our Treasurer, Chris Fairbairn, again performed his duties diligently, but he has decided to stand down from
the role after this season due to work, travel and family commitments. Many thanks Chris for all your hard
work. Chris was a well-deserved selection for the Alan Harrison Perpetual Trophy for Best Club Man for
season 2014/5.
Our webmaster, Philip Mundy has again done an outstanding job with our website, as well as resolving
mycricket issues as they were raised. Great work too from Mark Deayton for setting up the Rovers Facebook
page and I encourage all club members to book-mark these pages to stay up to date with what is happening
with our teams and the club in general. Note that the home page has plenty of room for sponsors!
Thanks to our Seniors and Juniors NDCA delegates (Andrew Calder and Ian Garrett) who attended every
NDCA meeting and ensured our requirements were tabled and discussed. Also my apologies to Apoorva
Savai as I failed to mention his efforts as our Junior Delegate for the 2014/5 season in my last report!
Well done to Ben O’Connell for stepping up as the Milo in2cricket co-ordinator for this season. Ben did a
great job with the young participants and hopefully has ensured us plenty of recruits for Under 8s next season.
Thank you to the Presentation Night committee for its hard work in organising venues, trophies, prizes, chips,
AGM sign in sheets and the seating plan (Sally, Irene) and to Mary for collating /editing the end of season
report which you can all find on our website! Sally and Jeremy also generously donated 4 bottles of wine as
Lucky Door prizes!
Credit also to West Ryde Trophies. Excellent trophies and well under budget. The donation of the glass
plaques to our Junior MVP and Best Batsman was also most appreciated. Thank you Ghada!
Thank you to those families who participated in our major fund raiser – the Cricket Australia raffle. We raised
$2700 this season which in turn means we finished the season with a slight profit . Funds raised go towards
keeping our registration fees down and improving our cricket kits and training aids so again, thanks to those
who supported the club.
In Season 2015/6, we had 18 teams (totalling over 210 players) wearing the Rovers colours : 2 Senior
Teams, 14 junior boys teams (2 more than the previous season) and 2 girls teams who participated in the
Sydney Sixers/Sydney Thunder girls competitions. We also continued to provide the In2cricket Milo program
(39 participants this year).
In the Junior Boys, 4 teams made the semi-finals ( Under 11 Blue, Under 12 White, Under 12 Blue and 2
teams won the Grand final (Under 11 Blue and Under 12 White). Special mention to the Under 12 White team
who have now won their competition three years in a row!
In the Girls comp, our Under 13 Div 1 girls team won the Grand Final of the Summer Competition, while the
Under 17 Div 1 girls team narrowly lost their Grand Final in the Summer Competition. The U13 girls also won
the Spring Competition which concluded in December 2015.
In the Seniors, 3rd grade won their grand final, while 5th grade made the semi-finals. Well done to both teams.
West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
The following Special Trophies were presented at Presentation Night on 1 Apr 2016:
Harrison Family Trophy for Best Junior Batsman:
Jonathon Aylward 290 runs ave 32.22
Gordon Family Trophy for Most Valuable Player (Juniors):
Samuel Schembri-Green. 281 runs ave 40.14; 13 wickets ave 6.62; 12 catches and 2 run outs!
O’Connell Family Trophy for Best Bowler (Juniors):
Joshua Craddock (Under 15/16) 16 wickets, bowling ave 7.19
Hat tricks
Andrew Kocsis Under 13s hat trick 24 Oct 2015
Centuries
Isaac Alexander 5th grade 113 runs 26 Sep 2015
Other Seniors Awards:
Best Batsman 3rd Grade: Damian Ireland 366 runs ave 28.2
Best Bowler 3rd Grade Isaac Boesel 21 wickets ave 10.9
Best Fieldsman 3rd Grade: Rory Fitz-Gerald
Best Batsman 5th Grade Isaac Alexander 455 runs ave 32.5
Best Bowler 5th Grade: Madhu Doraiswamy 33 wickets ave 10.64
Best Fieldsman 5th Grade: Sanjay Wadhwani
Five Year Service Awards were presented to:
Caleb Bennett
Joshua Craddock
Daniel James
Yasiru Jayasooriya
Adarsh Jeggannagari
Ryan Oong
Anthony Vander Straaten
Good Luck to Phil Mundy in his new role as Club Secretary - I am sure he will do extremely well and receive
lots of support from the parent group . I look forward to seeing Rovers Cricket continue to grow and attain
more successes next season!
Tim French
Secretary West Ryde Rovers CC
4 Apr 2016
Enclosure: Team Reports Under 8 to Under 15/16
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 8 WHITE
The under 8 white team had a great season this year and they showed great improvement winning a lot of
games towards the end of the season. One of the highlights was when one of the opponent teams lost around
14 wickets and scored 6 runs in total against 88 odd runs scored by the boys.
All the boys gelled really well and cheered each other up during games. They seemed to enjoy their training
sessions too.
We’d like to thank all the parents for their support and help during training sessions as well as the games.
We’d like to wish the team all the very best for their next season.
Nirav Desai (Coach) and Chandan Grover (Team Manager and Asst. coach)
Team Summary:
Hussain, Taha
- Good batsman and left arm bowler. He should turn into a good pace bowler.
Desai, Ishaan
- Ishaan improved a lot over the season especially his bowling and fielding. He took some
good catches. He has a good and natural bowling action.
Grover, Neil
- Neil loves the game and is a very good all round player. He is a very good fielder and his
strength is bowling. He’ll turn into a good left arm bowler. He’s a natural.
Kennedy, Jack
- Jack is a very good learner and is quite disciplined. He’s a good all round player.
Hussain, Mustafa – Mustafa showed some improvements through the course of the season. He’s always
smiling and ready to learn.
Roshan, Xavier
- Xavier is energetic on the field and is a good batsman.
Strydom, Jacques – Jacques is the team’s pocket rocket. He loves the game and showed a lot of
improvement. He played some really good shots.
Bhalla, Shaurya
season
- Shaurya is a keen learner and follows instructions. His bowling improved a lot over the
Howse, Henry
- Henry is a very well behaved dude and a good learner. He’s a good bowler and also took
a hat trick for the team in one of the games.
Cagnoni, Luke – Lucas added a lot of value to the team as an all-round player and hit the ball really well. He
loves bowling leg spin and wants to be the next Warnie.
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 8 BLUE
What a fun season it has been for the mighty West Ryde Rovers Under 8- Blue team! The first season of
organised cricket for most of our boys has been a raging success. Each week, the boys put in a good training
effort at Meadowbank Park on a Friday afternoon, despite no doubt being tired after a long school week. Our
Saturday games were always a fun affair, especially at our beautiful tree-lined home ground at Darvall Park.
We couldn’t have hoped for a nicer group of boys than the Under-8 Blue group of season 2015/16.
Henry Dippenaar provided our top order with crisp and powerful hitting. Henry regularly reached or cleared
the boundaries when batting. When bowling, Henry displayed a classical side-on action that when combined
with pace and subtle outswing was a constant threat to the opposition batsmen. Henry was also impressive in
the field, regularly shutting down one side of the pitch with his speedy ground fielding.
Indy Murray provided great balance to our team. Able to bowl either legspin with impressive turn, or genuine
pace, Indy would often confound batsmen by switching from one to the other mid-over. Indy is also a reliable
batsman with compact technique, and an outstanding fieldsman with a rocket arm. Indy took several
outstanding catches and made a couple of similarly impressive run outs.
Dhillon Mahant grew to be the spearhead of our pace attack as the season progressed. Dhillon’s bowling
was known for its accuracy, and he led our team in bowled dismissals and in bowling maiden overs. Had there
been an LBW law in the under-8s Dhillon would have taken even more wickets. Dhillon’s batting and fielding
were always strong, and as the season progressed his stroke play became more expansive, adding
boundaries to his tally each game along with the wickets.
Nitish Gulgulia joined us in round 2 and supplemented our batting and bowling stocks nicely. Nitish had a
knack of finding the stumps with the ball, and of finding the ball with the bat. Unfortunately Nitish was
unavailable in the post-holiday part of the season, and his skills were missed.
The other true all-rounder of our team was Hugo Schindler. Skilled with bat and ball, Hugo’s talents were too
appealing, and he was promoted to the under 10 team. Well done Hugo! Hugo continued to join us for training
and his involvement was appreciated.
Scott Hargash was the surprise packet of the Under 8 Blue team. New to cricket, Scott made remarkable
progress in all facets of the game as the season progressed. Scott, you must have been practising your
bowling over the holiday because you returned so much faster and accurate! Scott’s batting improved also,
with Scott taking the long handle to several bowling attacks at the back end of the season.
Kai Schindler was our ever enthusiastic pocket dynamo. Stepping out of his older brother’s shadow in the
second half of the season, Kai never lacked energy or passion. Whether it was ripping his legspin deliveries,
trying a ramp shot or switch hit, or stealing a cheeky single Kai always gave 100%.
Ashwin Mahant wins our “punching above his weight” award. Ashy stepped up to play in the Under-8 team to
fill the void of Hugo and Nitish. Ashy developed a solid-as-a-rock defensive technique that few bowlers could
penetrate. His bowling came along in leaps and bounds. With a natural off-spinning style Ashy graduated to a
straight arm technique with increasing pace and accuracy.
Last but not least were Eliot Winter and Emmet Winter.
Eliot started the season very timid, but made gradual improvements in all areas. Eliot showed increasing
ability to get bat on ball with each game, and his enthusiasm in the field increased likewise. Eliot came to
realise the value of pushing a ball into the on or off side and scampering a quick single.
Emmet wasn’t far behind his older brother, and had his moments when throwing himself around in the field,
and with his increasingly powerful tee shots with the bat. Emmet impressed with his bravery, twice being
struck by the ball in the head during the season, but refusing to leave the field. And Eliot and Emmet, I’ll never
forget your Star Wars-inspired mid-pitch “lightsabre” battles between overs!
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
While the increasing skills of our boys were satisfying, nothing was more satisfying than the spirit in which
they played the game. While striving to be their best, our boys did not lose sight that it was about having fun.
They supported each other, respected their opposition and enjoyed the game win or lose.
Finally, a massive thanks to the parent group of the West Ryde Under 8 Blue team that made this all possible.
Special thanks to the coaching group in Subhash Mahant and Jan Dippenaar, and to Seema Mishra for
managing the team. Thanks to Subhash and Chris for also scoring each week. Also, massive thanks to Tim
French for supporting all of us newbies through our first season of junior cricket.
I sincerely hope all our boys have enjoyed the season enough to come back again next year!
Charles Winter
West Ryde Rovers Under 8 Blue coach 2015/16
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 9 WHITE
Heads up high Rovers. Heads up high. I’ve gotta see your eyes, guys. Take pride in your effort — in the whole
tournament, the whole season. It’s been an incredible journey.
“We fought, We didn’t quit. That’s us! Boys, that’s us!
“The only reason why I’ll probably end up shedding a tear is that this is the last time I’m going to be coaching some
of you guys. But I’m going to be back.
“You’re going to take what you have learnt for the rest of your lives, what you provided for the team of West Ryde
Rovers. You had the every oval jumping, right? You had the whole state jumping. You had Rovers jumping. You
had your parents jumping. OK? We are proud of your efforts.
“You want to know why? They are like fighters. They are sportsmen. They are guys who don’t quit. They are guys
who play the game the right way. If everyone would played cricket like the West Ryde Rovers, this would be the
greatest game.
“The lessons you guys have learned along the journey, you’re never going to forget. We’re going to have some
more fun. We have many more years of fun ahead. When you are walking around you might just hear those guys
are awesome.
“Everybody has said it: You guys are awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Absolutely awesome.
“It’s OK to be sad, because we’re not going to play cricket together any more. But we’re going to be friends forever.
Friends forever. Our junior cricket season has ended on the most positive note that could ever be. OK? Ever be.
“There’s one team that’s going to walk out of here as champions. We got down to the nitty-gritty. We’re one of the
best teams in the competition. Think about that for a second. In the world! Right?
“So, we need to go see our parents, because they’re so proud of you. Show them your trophy and give them a hug
Then we’re going to go home with your trophies and be proud.
You guys are awesome You’ve given me the most precious moments in my coaching career, I’m getting to be an
old man. I need memories like this, I need kids like this. You’re all my boys. You’re the boys of summer.
“So, for the last time, we’re going to yell West Ryde Rovers: One, two three – West Ryde Rovers.
“OK. Good job. Let’s go. Time to get your trophies
Garv Batavia
Oscar Bateman
Keith Blowes
Ansh Marken
Angus Martian
Max O'Donoghue
Thomas Rennie
Alexander Rowe
Eamon Murphy
Ronan Murphy
Wayne Blowes, retiring coach
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 9 BLUE
For most of the boys, it was the first go at real cricket
They picked it up quickly and took a few wickets
Dan the man is a demon with the bat
I’m sure we’ll see him in the T20 bash
Joel B is our thinker of the team
His running between wickets is getting pretty mean
Ritesh loves the game and is a star in the field
His return of the ball is quite unreal
Tom is a super star all-rounder
His highest score with the bat will simply astound ya.
Henry will talk stats & plays all day
His love of the game is brilliant, eh?
Chris K achieved our first 6’s of the season
His batting prowess is unbeaten
Joel M is the team pocket rocket
Aims at the stumps and off he knocks ‘em.
Chris M can bowl a pretty mean ball
Yorker at middle stump and watch it fall.
Jack is our self-proclaimed “Captain Risky”
He puts his body on the line and gets the ball in quickly
A team of boys who know each other so well
A fantastic season that’s turned out really swell
Their coach and manager are so proud of their achievements
We’d like to thank the boys and their families for their commitment
We are the mighty U9 Blue West Ryde Rovers
Tell the others to move on over!
Coach – Peter Stark
Manager – Melinda Wright
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 9 RED
What a wonderful season of cricket! We had classic catches, brilliant bowling displays and awesome batting.
Under the guidance of our coach, Vipin Walia, the boys were able to develop their skills throughout the
season. Most importantly they had loads of fun and made new friends.
Alexander Bennett
AJ had a fantastic season with both bat and ball. He is a skillful batsman who scores big once he gets his eye
in. AJ also developed into a particularly good pace bowler capable of taking a swag of wickets in a match.
Aadit Grover
A brilliant all-rounder. Aadit bowled with great accuracy and pace every game and showed great technique
with the bat. His ability to throw down the stumps from the field made many an opposition batsman think twice
about taking a run.
Marcus Schembri-Green
Remember the name, he might be wearing a baggy green one day. Marcus is a brilliant all-round cricketer.
His bowling this season was a highlight. Marcus took bag full of wickets this season with his quick and
accurate deliveries. He batted with skill and was always ready to take a quick single.
Bodie Tough
Bodie’s batting this season was a highlight. Every time Bodie went out to bat we were guaranteed of runs.
Bodie is a terrific influence on his batting partners, he knows when to stay and when to take a run. Bodie also
developed into an accurate bowler capable of taking wickets. Great season Bodie!
Rowan Hayden Usher
A brilliant all-rounder. Rowan is a natural batsman, he has fantastic timing and was able to find the boundary
consistently all season. His fielding was also exceptional, his ability to throw with power and accuracy from
deep in the field resulted in a number of run-outs this season.
Isaac Vinton
What a cricketer, Isaac has it all. Isaac displayed great technique and skill with bat all season, scoring big
nearly every innings. He was equally as brilliant with his bowling, taking wickets every game. Isaac loves
cricket and perhaps his greatest quality is his enthusiasm for the game. His infectious attitude made both
training and the games more enjoyable for all of the boys.
Dhruv Walia
Dhruv is another name to remember. He led the team to many a victory this season posting some big scores
with the bat. Dhruv was perhaps the most powerful hitter in the competition. Dhruv is blessed with both power
and timing enabling him to clear boundary with his big hitting. This is a rare talent for such a young batsman.
Dhruv also developed into a particularly good bowler capable of taking wickets every time he bowls.
Jacob Watson
An excellent all-round cricketer. Jacob will make a fine captain in future years. He kept the boys focused in the
field ensuring they were always ready for a run-out. Jacob demonstrated great skill with the bat all season. He
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
has excellent timing and regularly found the boundary, he is exceptional when hitting the ball on the leg side.
Jake’s bowling was consistently accurate and difficult for the opposing batsmen to score off. Great season
Jake!
Vipin Walia
Coach
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 10 WHITE
Congratulations to all the boys in the team on a great effort throughout the season. The
spirit in which they played the game was a pleasure to watch. Having only 3 players that
had played before this season seemed a challenge at the start, but they all picked up the
basics of the game very quickly and improved constantly throughout the season. We only
managed 4 wins for the season but 4 of the other games were lost by less than 10 runs, so
we were right in the contest on many occasion and can only build on these performances
and get better next year.
I would like to say a big thank you to James for his assistance coaching this year, as well as
to Bill and Derryn for scoring. The team also participated in the Glenn McGrath Foundation
Pink Stumps Day and raised $250 for the charity.
Luke Barber - Luke improved on his bowling and batting throughout the season, hitting
some great shots in the last few games.
Zachery Billington- Zach was good at batting, ran well between the wickets and bowled
consistently. Always positive in the field.
Joshua Budweg- Josh bowled consistantly straight and improved his batting over the
season.
Liam Cleland- Liam batted well hitting the ball all around the ground. Bowled very straight
and fast all season and was difficult to score runs off.
Mitchell Evans - Mitch played some great shots and ran between wickets well. Improved
his bowling as the season went on.
Taotao Fang- Taotao improved on his batting throughout the season, and ran really well
between the wickets.
Harrison Lancett- Harrison worked hard on improving his bowling. Had some big hits and
improved on his batting.
Luke McLauchlan - Luke batted well and was unlucky not to score a lot more runs. Bowled
fast and took some of the best catches of the year.
Matthew Sharpe- Matt played well all season, getting amongst the runs while bowling well.
Great wicket keeping and always positive.
Joel Williamson - Joel improved greatly over the season, he listened to advice and his
bowling really improved. He scored some valuable runs and was always happy in the field.
Eric Wu - Eric really started to get the hang of batting. Hitting some great shots and running
well between the wickets.
Jason Zhang- Jason did really well this season in his batting and bowling, hitting some
great shots and bowling fast and straight.
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
Pink Stumps Day !
West Ryde Rovers U10 White
Back (L to R): Jason Zhang, Joshua Budweg, Joel Williamson, Luke Barber, Harrison Lancett
Front (L to R):Taotao Fang, Luke McLauchlan, Matthew Sharpe, Mitchell Evans, Eric Wu, Zachery Billington,
Liam Cleland
Coach/Manager Richard Evans - Assistant Coach James Cleland
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 10 BLUE
West Ryde Rovers Cricket U10 Blue 2015/16
Our first season of ‘real’ cricket! What a season we had. Our secret was to divide
and conquer during training and warm up sessions and didn’t it all pay off! The U10
Blue’s started the season cautiously, with all of us either coming from the U9’s or
have never played club cricket before. The boys had passion, the want to learn and
were keen to have fun.
Watching each player develop was enjoyable. The boys went from strength to
strength. Knowing when to get their bodies behind the ball whilst batting or smash a
weaker ball, throwing that accurate ball to the keeper, backing up in the field and as
non-striker, learning fielding positions, appealing and finally getting their celebration
dances down right!!
Congratulations to the three boys who received our special awards this year - Jay,
Rubein and Kieran.
Three of our team mates will need to leave us next season as they move up, while
the rest of us look forward to another season together in the U10’s.
Thank you to all the parents who encouraged, trained and feed the boys all season.
A special thanks to Mark, Richard and Marta.
GO the U10 BLUES!
Kerrie O’Brien
Coach
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 11 WHITE
The U11 White team had an excellent season. The boys improved in all facets of their game and the
extent of their improvement was on show in the last game of the season when we beat the best team
in the comp.
Through the season, the boys became more disciplined in their batting and became less sloggers and
more batsmen who get themselves settled and take careful shots until they feel really comfortable.
Overall we ended up scoring 999 runs, more than anyone else in the competition. In our final game
we scored 184 on a slow field and against one of the best bowling attacks in the comp. Isaac, Max,
and Brendan all roared past 30. Our bowling also improved considerably. The boys worked hard on
their technique and bowled increasingly tidy overs. Harrison took a bunch of key wickets and Ben
and James were always a threat to take a wicket. Marco’s accuracy improved dramatically while
Garv worked to nail down his spin. Most of the boys tried their hand at wicket keeping, and Aaryan,
Rakshit, and Nick did a particularly good job. Perhaps the most noticeable improvement of all came
in fielding when in the last game we took all the routine catches and added a few spectacular ones al
well. Matthew made a key catch in the first over of our final game that set the tone for the rest of the
innings.
All up the boys should be very proud of their efforts this season. They worked hard, improved
dramatically, and played in the spirit of cricket.
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 11 BLUE
What a great season for the boys culminating with a Premiership win. The U11 competition was the first
year that the boys truly competed with semi finals and the grand final determining the winner. The
gradual improvement in key skills during the season put us in an excellent position to beat all competition
and win what was a thrilling grand final.
As a coach I am really proud of all of the boys and how they have approached both training and
preparation for the games. Throughout the season it has been a team effort with everybody contributing
with both bat and ball. The boys get along really well and this has helped mould a competitive team. A
special thanks to all of the parents who have supported both the boys and myself.
Ben – A classic batsman and a skilful bowler. Ben perfected some quality leg spin bowling towards the
end of the season. Never wanted to take strike but I’ll forgive him for that.
Samanth – A beautiful batsman and bowler with great technique. His batting reminded me of Usman
Kawaja, very elegant. Can swing and cut the ball and bowl quite fast.
Jonah – An excellent all-round cricketer and natural athlete. Our best fielder and a solid contributor with
both bat and ball. Jonah also perfected spin during the year which was very hard to pick.
Raunil – What a great cricketer. Batting really improved during the year and was key to us in winning our
semi final. Planted a fabulous 6 during the semi final that really discouraged our opponents. Opened our
bowling and has the ability to move the ball.
Tobey – Solid bower and batter who came up with key wickets in the final. Tobey finished with most
wickets taken and really worked on his accuracy during the year. A powerful batsman.
Keiran – It has been great to watch Keiran’s development. Keiran is a powerful batsman who really
improved his technique during the year. Keiran has the makings of a natural all rounder.
Ryan – Ryan delivered a couple of great knocks during the year. He has an excellent technique and
used this to open throughout the year. As a wicket keeper, he demonstrated real improvement and this
helped the team greatly in minimising byes. He also took a couple of blinders.
Brodie – A very gifted cricketer with great natural ability. Brodie worked very hard on his bowling and is a
powerful striker of the ball. Brodie was a great team player and is very popular amongst his team mates.
Jacob – A real improver during the season. I regard Jacob as being a future all rounder. His bowling
really improved during the season and he was a rock in defence as a batsman. He had a crucial
partnership with Zane in the grand final.
Max – What a great season as a bowler. Max ascended to the position of opening bowler and
consistently bowled a well controlled line and length. Max was a very dedicated trainer during the season
and this contributed to his success.
Zane – Zane is a naturally quick bowler and when fired up he can really let them go. A great team man
and very popular with everyone. A new dog for next season surely!
Alvin – A very improved cricketer who unfortunately had his season cut short by injury. Alvin kept wicket
during the season but I really enjoyed watching his bowling develop. A great boy and a pleasure to have
around.
Asif – Asif was new to the team and displayed great enthusiasm for both batting and bowling. With more
time with the team further improvement is assured.
Overall a great season and it was my pleasure to coach the boys. You should all be very proud!
Andrew Haynes - Coach
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 12 BLUE
2015/16 W AS A SUCCESSFUL AND FUN SEASON FOR THE U12 BLUE TEAM. THERE W AS GREAT
IMPROVEMENT IN ABILITY FROM ALL MEMBERS OF THE TEAM. OUR RESULTS INCLUDED SOME
EXCELLENT INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES W ITH BAT AND BALL, BUT ALSO AN OVERALL IMPROVED
LEVEL OF PLAY FROM THE TEAM AS A W HOLE.
W E W ELCOMED TW O NEW PLAYERS TO THEIR FIRST SEASON OF COMPETITIVE CRICKET AND THEY
BOTH SHOW ED GREAT COMMITMENT TO LEARNING ABOUT THE GAME AND HOW TO PLAY IT.
THE OTHER 11 RETURNING BOYS FORMED THE SAME BACKBONE AS W E'D HAD IN THE PREVIOUS
SEASON AND BUILT ON THEIR STRENGTHS.
W E MADE THE SEMI-FINALS FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING, HAVING IMPROVED OUR RANKING
FROM 4TH TO 3RD THIS SEASON OUT OF 7 TEAMS.
W E HAD TIMES OF INCONSISTENCY AND OCCASIONAL DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCES, ESPECIALLY
W ITH THE BAT, BUT GENERALLY MANAGED TO PLAY W ITH ENOUGH ENTHUSIASM AND SKILL TO
CREATE SOME EXCITING MATCHES AND SOME GREAT W INS.
THANKS TO IAN FOR HIS TIRELESS COMMITMENT TO COACHING THE TEAM. HIS FAIR AND PATIENT
APPROACH TO THE TASK MADE IT A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL THE PLAYERS ONCE AGAIN.
THANKS ALSO TO STUART FOR HIS HELP W ITH SCORING EACH W EEK.
THIS IS A TEAM OF GREAT BOYS W ITH LOVELY FAMILIES W HO SUPPORT THEM. THAT MAKES THE
SEASON MORE FUN FOR EVERYONE!
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 12 WHITE
"The Under 12s Whites had another successful season, winning their 3rd Premiership in a row. Once
again all the boys showed great sportsmanship throughout the season. Our goal as coaches is to make
sure that each boy improves from last season, and I think we reached our goal . Some of the
highlights were, Izak scoring runs and taking wickets, Sam scoring 50 or more in 3 games, and the
team as a whole supporting each other. The majority of the team has now been together for 4 years,
and I hope we can stay together for as long as we can. I’d like to thank all parents for brining the boys
to training and games throughout the season, also a special mention to our scorer Arvind, who does a
great job week in week out. Next season will no doubt be our hardest as we will now play teams from
other Districts and St Pats Strathfield, but with our continual improvement I have no doubt we can be
competitive. On a final note I’d like to thank Tim French for his support over the last few years, Tim
keeps an eye on all teams from 8s to seniors, and no requests were ever a problem."
Batting: Samuel Schembri-Green
Bowling: Arinath Gobinath
All Rounder: Finn Barker-Tomkins
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 13
A season of many challenges for our U/13 Cricketers - with our biggest success coming early in the season when we
finally found enough players to field a team.
With a group of boys carrying on from last years u/12's and another group joining from the Pirates, it was with a sense of
relief that we were able to gather the boys together at the start of the season for our first training session at Darvall Park
back in September.
As we embarked on the season proper, we found out quickly that we were in a tough competition and by seasons end our
record of nil wins from 10 starts confirmed that. To the boys credit, they were never disheartened by the lack of success
and continued to try hard, work together and look to improve throughout the season. Whilst competition points were not a
measure of our success, two games during the season come to mind in which the spirit of the boys shone through. The
first was our best bowling effort in which we restricted St Pat's Black to a gettable 144 only for rain to intervene the second
week and prevent the chase. The second was a great batting performance against a hostile attack from St Pat's Gold (the
eventual competition winners) in which the boys had to fend off 20 aggressive overs to save an outright defeat - 8/32
doesn't look great in the stats book but the determination and effort shown to hold out that day showed great spirit from
the boys.
The most important piece for me as a coach was that in an age group when some of the on field behaviour can start to
become questionable, the boys from WRR showed great respect for their opponents, the umpires and the spirit of cricket
and should be applauded for that.
Thanks to Lew Waller for his great help managing the team during the year, Matt Hemmons, Simon Harris and Hau Bai for
helping with scoring and umpiring during the year, Daz Antaw who was always available to lend a hand at games and at
training, and our Captain Bradley Caruso for leading the team during a tough season.
Pat Ainsworth (Retiring Coach)
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 14
I would like to thank all the parents who helped out, Peter, our manager who ensured that everyone knew
what was happening each week and ensured that there was someone ready to score each week, and Mark
and Buhdi who put their hands up each week to help out umpiring. This is a great help as it allows the coach
to concentrate on helping the team, which you can’t do while out in the middle. Thank you also to all the
parents who help out with scoring and those who helped out at training.
This year we made the big step from the West to the East division. It was a big challenge for the boys after
having quite an easy run last year. We were challenged in almost every game and made sure that we did
enough to gain a place in the semi-finals. Our final game of the year proved to be a tough one but I felt that
the boys bowled and fielded better than they had throughout the year. Unfortunately our batting was unable to
provide the resistance that we needed to put the Bulls under pressure but even the opposition said that with
one or two wickets in the middle session on Saturday might have, at least, put Epping under pressure in the
field on Sunday.
Caleb – Was our most improved batsman across the season and provided a great start to our innings at the
top of the order. He was also a one of our back up keepers after Mitch injured himself, ensuring that we kept
the extras to a minimum.
Fraser – Our other rock at the top of the innings. Fraser and Caleb gave us a great opening pair especially
towards the end of the season. His offies were always a chance of taking a wicket and he was always working
hard to set fields to restrict the opposition.
Yasiru – He found his attacking flair this year and was our regular number 3 who came in and scored fluently
after our opening partnerships. After a long time trying to convert Yasiru to a spinner he has finally taken our
advice and confused a few batsmen in the semi with his left arm chinamen.
Jon – The star of the team who we missed for large part of the games in the new year due to his Grade cricket
commitments. He terrified the opposing batsmen with shear pace and hit the bowlers to all part of the ground.
Ryan – Ryan was our most consistent bowler this year keeping the opposition tied down with impressive line
and length. He was also a much improved batsman against bowlers who were a step up from last year.
Oscar – Oscar was our most improved player this year. He started his first season of cricket having to work
hard to avoid wides and no balls but by the finals he was a regular wicket taker with his loopy, tricky spinners.
Will – Had a disjointed season after breaking his arm early in the season but always put in an effort, bowling
consistently and, although down on confidence, tried hard to make a contribution while batting.
Mitchell – What a big loss Mitch was after he broke his collar bone just after the break. He is our chief
motivator and number one keeper. He made a big difference when he made it back for the semi final, it was
just a pity he wasn’t ready to put the keeping gloves on.
Geordie – After joining the team about half way through the season, Geordie found his place as a consistent
bowler and improved his batting across the season.
Naren – Although not the force he was last year, Naren was again one of our top bowlers, scaring opposition
batsmen with a combination of a slingy action and raw pace. He was our X factor that always looked like he
could rip through the opposition.
Nitish – Another new comer to our team, Nitish was always super keen with both the bat and ball. He saw a
big improvement with the ball and with more time in the middle will see his batting improve rapidly.
Eric – Eric bowled well throughout the season, and showed his skill in the final clean bowling 3 rep players
helping us to put Epping under pressure. Although he doesn’t have much faith in his batting he did a great job
in the semi ensuring that we kept Epping in the field as long as possible.
Ian Garrett
Coach
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
UNDER 15/16 LILLEE
A fantastic group of boys came together for, most of them, 1 last year of Junior cricket. It was always
going to be a tough year because a lot of the boys weren't too sure they wanted play and with after school
commitments it made training impossible and without training it really showed with the results this year.
Nevertheless the year started off strongly, we had some good wins but unfortunately lost a few tight
matches. For each match we lost it only came down to 4-8 over period where the other team took the lead
and we couldn't get it back and stop their progress.
I truly believe we were a team capable of winning the competition.
At different times in the year each player achieved career best results, whether it was Sam scoring 60
runs, Josh C 5 for 8, David 3 for 9 or Nick hitting 50, they can take something away from this year. Every
player was also given different challenges and without exception the all rose to successfully meet that
challenge, for Will it was to change his batting style, Emilio to bowl spin and Hari to hold down the middle
overs whether batting or bowling. Josh W joined the team this year and provide great all round support,
Jordi worked hard on his batting and fielding and it was great to see it pay off, Anthony had some
wonderful batting performances and Adarsh was a selfless captain who gave everyone a chance to shine.
Daniel was also a part of the team but due to injury didn't play much, which is unfortunate for him as he
provided some great entertainment.
As I said to the players after the last game, the biggest compliment I could pay them is that I'd gladly play
seniors cricket with them next year and beyond.
Thanks also to my support staff of Jeff and Michael for umpiring, Sean for feedback on my coaching
strategy and Tanya for her continuous effort in scoring each match.
Paul Azize
Coach
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
GIRLS UNDER 13 DIV 1
A new cricket season saw a new age structure for girls cricket, and our new U13s team had only 3 girls from
the 2014/15 U15s comp, and 7 new recruits, who blended together brilliantly. We won the spring competition
(undefeated in a first past the post competition), and then we won the summer competition, edging out
Parramatta, in the Grand Final (who’d beaten us in the round robin). Despite the occasional lapse in
concentration at training (!), the girls worked as a very good team, helping each other out, and there was
always someone ready to step up when the occasion demanded it. I was especially pleased by the way
intelligent decisions were made in the field, and some challenging batting targets were sensibly and calmly
chased down (the Grand final was an excellent example of that), in part because of outstanding running
between the wickets.
Rosyln and Zoe (old heads with two summers of cricket behind them) co-captained the team, and that brought
out the best in them, both batting, bowling and fielding exceptionally throughout the season – leading by
example. Our other “veteran”, Bridget, also bowled with her usual accuracy, and economy. In fact, these three
only conceded 2.6, 2.3 and 2.4 runs per over for the entire season, which in a t20 competition, was a large
part of our success. Of the new recruits, Sarah took to cricket instantly, slinging down genuinely quickish away
swingers, and leading our batting averages (not surprisingly, with an average of 128!), Abby became our go-to
keeper, and batted intelligently (and straight!), Caitlin quickly developed her own very effective ways of
bowling and batting, and got important wickets and crucial runs, and Emma, arrived late, but rapidly made up
for that, throwing herself around with enthusiasm and skill in the field, and bowling some tight spells (and
getting regular wickets). Alice and Amelia rate a special mention as the “babies” of the team, much younger
than the other girls (in our team, or in any of the others), but learning from them throughout the season, to end
up both being able to bowl and bat effectively (Amelia’s square drive was legendary, and Alice’s Courtney
Walsh bowling action surprised and dismissed opponents). We also had Seraiah for the spring comp, who
batted powerfully and bowled menacingly. She was missed in the Summer comp, but like good teams do, the
girls succeeded despite her loss.
Darren Burke
Coach
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West Ryde Rovers 2015-6 Season Report
GIRLS UNDER 17 DIV 1
This season saw the girls competition change from U15s & 17s to U13s & U17s so five U13s joined two U17s
from last year to form the mighty WRR U17s. The season was split in to two separate competitions, with the
girls competing in the Thunder girls’ league before Christmas. The winner was determined as the first placed
in the competition, even though the teams didn’t play each other an equitable number of times. We finished a
very credible second, behind the undefeated Castle Hill Thunder.
The post-Christmas season saw us join the Sixers Girls league, this time with a semi final and grand final
format. Once again we finished second behind the undefeated Thunder. The girls won the semi final quite
comfortably, defeating Castle Hill Lightning. For the grand final, the matches against the Thunder tend to be a
low scoring affair and the final was no exception. The Rovers decided to bat first and reached 63 off only 18
overs, due to the Thunder’s slow over rate. The Thunder passed our score in the 15 th over.
The improvement in the girls was noticeable as the season went on. The number of sundries decreased
noticeably, and by a remarkable 74% between their best and worst efforts, the best being in the grand final.
The girls also concentrated and focussed more at the end of the season which showed in their results. Jess
and Sophie were formidable opening bowlers, miserly with runs, & contributed well with the bat; Poi turned to
her spinners this year, also kept things tight & scored crucial runs in the middle order. Rosemary could be
hard to get away with her slinging action & also has a remarkable arm from the deep, Rujuta bowled with a bit
of pace when she wasn’t having a stint keeping, Zoe’s season was a revelation; tight bowling & ability to get
wickets at crucial time, along with Skye who bowls a difficult length and got the odd crucial wicket & her
batting improved and Siobhan who changed from a long run up last year to stand & deliver this year, & had a
fantastic opening batting partnership with Holly, with great running between the wickets. Holly would do a
great job keeping for 10 overs, bowl & open. With injuries and other commitments, we were short a player for
many weeks. Super substitute Maeve Gregory, who turned 10 between competitions, was on the field in 10 of
the 15 matches, saving many runs for the girls.
A big thank you to our manager Cathy Vaughan, Jim for helping with coaching when I was unavailable &
JulieAnne and Len for scoring. Congratulations on a great season girls, they all got on so well & enjoyed
themselves immensely (sometimes too much in the field!)
Sue Gregory
Coach
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