AW Green Shield: Round one wrap from NSW’s premier U16 cricket tournament, 60+ photo gallery
Sydney turned on the heat for the opening round of the U16s Green Shield. A hat-trick rocked the east, while out west, scorching temperatures played havoc. Stars, results, 60+ gallery.
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Manly kicked off its AW Green Shield title defence in style during an opening round where Sydney’s sizzling temperatures tested everyone, including the revamped Cricket NSW heat policy.
As the mercury climbed, umpires in the western suburbs were forced to delay play at seven venues when the Heat Stress Risk Index (HSRI) rose above the cut-off threshold of 11.
Here’s how the round unfolded at all 10 venues.
HEAT OF A DIFFERENT KIND
Reigning premiers Manly applied a blowtorch of their own at Waverley, humbling Easts by 212 runs.
Fielding a totally new line-up from the side that hoisted the shield last season, new skipper Lachlan Coy led the way with 98 off 130 balls as the Manly top order dominated on the way to a formidable 7/274.
Faced by a daunting target and the ferocious new ball pairing of Thomas Walker and Dubbo’s Austin Hunt, the home side crumbled to 8/18 in the 9th over.
On the fringe of coach Kev Davies’ squad 12 months ago, Walker celebrated his elevation in style taking 5/7 off six overs, including a hat-trick when he bowled Jethro Sharman with the fourth delivery of the seventh over.
“Lachlan batted really well,” Walker said of his captain, who received solid support from Rohit Jayaram (40 off 68 balls) and Darcy Horstead (42 off 29).
“At 1/1 we were in a tough spot after the first over, but he steered the ship in what proved a real captain’s knock. He ended up playing all the shots and even smashed a window in the pavilion.”
Full of confidence after several strong performances for Warringah in the Shires competition, Walker was glowing after the final Easts wicket fell with the score on 62.
“I was in the squad last year, so it makes it easier to step up to a senior role,” said Walker. “Just knowing I deserve my spot, and I guess I cemented it today.
“It was nice to have a decent total on the board. The ball was swinging a bit, and Austin (3/14, five overs) was absolutely firing them in from the other end which made my job easier, I just tried to keep it straight.”
Straight indeed. Such that when it came to the hat-trick opportunity, the young quick’s Christmas came a week early.
“The plan was to target the stumps. I think it might have been a yorker, but everyone was pretty happy when it ripped out the middle stump.”
CONSISTENT STUDENTS
Everyone pitched in for Sydney University in their 33-run victory over UTS North Sydney.
Sent in at Tunks Park, Uni immediately showed their depth, posting 6/235 in an innings where eight of the top nine all reached double figures.
Illawarra’s Archie O’Hara top scored with 74 off 123 before Kobi Robinson (39 off 41) picked up the rate in the closing overs.
Kaviru Karunaratne (64 off 88) led the Bears’ reply, but when he fell at 8/169 in the 41st over the chase lost momentum before the final wicket fell on 202.
BIG SCALP
It was a similar story at David Phillips where UNSW kicked of their campaign with the big scalp of Mosman.
Set a challenging target of 193, the Bees defied the odds and the heat to secure a heart stopping one-wicket victory when Yug Chaudhari found the fence from the second ball of the final over.
Kobe Muir (47 off 85) top scored for UNSW. And the boy from Bathurst set the platform for some timely late order fireworks, as Jack Edwards rocketed the chase to within striking distance with four sixes in a blistering 41 off 21.
In a quality match, Manly recruit Aidan Boulton (58 off 110) and Oliver Freeman (53 off 93) both peeled off half centuries in the Whales’ 7/192.
SNEAKY PETES
Randwick Petersham opened their account with a four-wicket win in a heat reduced contest at Sutherland.
After keeping the hosts to 4/166 in 43 overs, Randy Petes overcame a slow start and closed out the four-wicket victory when they reached 173 in the 39th over.
Junaid Mansoor’s 55 was best in the chase, but the knock of the day belonged to Sutherland keeper Lucas Sheehy.
In a stand-alone innings, the skipper finished on the wrong side of the scoreboard despite his unbeaten 96 from 125 balls – miles ahead of Sam Jaques, the next best on 28 not out.
LETHAL SAINTS
In a blink-and-you-miss-it contest, St George left Bankstown with a win and a bonus point after getting the job done inside 35 overs.
Bankstown elected to bat, although Oska Astuy made sure it wasn’t for long. In a lethal opening spell, the Saints opener (4/20) rocked the top order before Ronan O’Neill (3/9) took the final wicket with the score on 84.
Delayed by the rising temperature, at one stage it looked like Bankstown might share the points. Thankfully for St George, they got back on and Kynan Eagles (34* off 25) navigated them to the victory target of 53 in seven overs.
RANGERS STRIKE AGAIN
They made the perfect start last year, and Northern District have done it again after getting the better of Gordon by six wickets at Mark Taylor Oval.
Lachlan Bartlett was the star of the round one victory. Alongside Finn Bailey (3/16) and Edward Byrom (3/23) the leggie (3/34, nine overs) took three wickets as Gordon were bowled out for 152.
Gordon skipper Vivaan Gandhi top scored with 63 off 90. But it was Bartlett’s day, and he returned at the top of the order to put the result beyond doubt with a knock of 65 off 88.
SCORCHED CRICKET
For the majority of the day it appeared all the games out west would finish without a winner.
At Raby, Fairfield-Liverpool's innings came to a halt within nine overs. When play resumed, the Lions closed on 4/76 off 16 overs.
In the end, Campbelltown Camden collected the points after mowing down a target of 84 in 12 overs – opener Abhinav Nayani doing most of the work with 43 off 40.
It was a similar story at Merrylands. Wests’ innings ended on 3/75 off 16, before Parramatta got home by five wickets with less than an over to spare.
At Joe McAleer Oval, both Blacktown and Sydney faced 20 overs. Sydney had first use of the wicket and reached 3/125 before the heat won out.
On paper, Blacktown’s reply of 8/137 appears enough. Not so, with DLS on their side, Sydney returned east with the competition points.
BUNSEN BURNER
Penrith hosted Hawkesbury, but only 17 overs were possible at Howell Oval as the mercury nudged 40 degrees.
Play was abandoned after the Hawks reached 3/45. In his limited time on the park, Penrith all-rounder Daniel Jarvis improved his credentials, taking 2/19 from four overs.
ROUND 2: THURSDAY, 19 DECEMBER
Eastern Suburbs v Penrith at Waverley Oval
Fairfield-Liverpool v Sutherland at Rosedale Oval
Gordon v Western Suburbs at Chatswood Oval
Hawkesbury v Northern District at Bensons Lane No.1
Manly Warringah v Campbelltown Camden at Manly Oval
Mosman v Parramatta at Allan Border Oval
Randwick Petersham v Blacktown at Coogee Oval
St George v UNSW at Harold Fraser Reserve
Sydney v UTS North Sydney at Drummoyne Oval
Sydney University v Bankstown at Sydney University Oval No.1
PHOTO GALLERY ROUND ONE
UNSW v Mosman
Easts v Manly
Campbelltown Camden v Fairfield-Liverpool