NSW Premier Cricket: BBL gun chasing special milestone in Sydney first grade
Record run-chases, monster centuries, young debutants and major milestones. Here are the seven things we learned in the latest round of the NSW Premier Cricket season.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The cricket season is now in full swing with a full roster of matches in all formats taking place across Sydney this weekend.
Find out the seven things we learned in the second round of the NSW Premier Cricket first grade competition.
ST GEORGE WONDER DUO
Bankstown opener Daniel Solway, who recently didn’t have his NSW contract renewed, carried his bat for an unbeaten 109 to help his team post a defendable 216 runs across the 50 overs.
Enter St George’s Blake Nikitaras, 21, and Blake Macdonald, 23, who together enjoyed a matchwinning 215 run second wicket partnership with scores of 105 and 109 respectively.
St George won the match by nine wickets and are unbeaten across two rounds in the first grade competition.
HOW GORDON COMPLETED RECORD CHASE
The match of the round was a final over nailbiter between Gordon and UTS North Sydney with the boutique Bon Andrews Oval the scene for a whopping 729 runs scored over 99.3 overs of cricket.
North Sydney’s Justin Avendano set the tempo with 11 sixes in his 171 (122 balls), the seventh highest limited overs individual score in NSW Premier Cricket first grade history.
With a mammoth 365 run target set for Gordon, opening bat Taj Brar and first-drop Dylan Hunter went to work with each posting centuries but lost their wickets before the job was completed.
A swift 21 runs by Jack Ritchie saw Gordon grasp victory with just three balls spare.
Gordon coach Elliot Richtor described the feat as “unbelievable”.
“We completed the chase on the basis we were one down after about 35 overs,” he said. “So we had wickets in hand and were able to push right to the end. I think we were scoring 10 runs an over for the last 20 overs.”
Richtor said the team wasn’t pleased with their bowling performance but had the belief if they executed their plans, targeted the right bowlers and got batsmen set at the crease the impossible was possible.
“They did it to us, why can’t we do it to them,” he said.
LALOR JOINS 400 WICKET CLUB
After the best part of two decades, Penrith fast bowler and BBL star Josh Lalor has celebrated his 400th first grade scalp in NSW Premier Cricket.
The opening quick was made to work for the milestone before Ghosts opening bat Adam Whatley sent a ball in the air to be caught by Penrith captain Cameron Weir.
Lalor will leave this week to join the BBL bubble and play grade cricket in Victoria to prepare.
BLACKTOWN’S WINLESS STREAK EXTENDED (JUST)
The long-suffering Blacktown Mounties had victory in their hands before late heroics by Alex Glendenning at Joe McAleer Reserve.
A respectable 253 was posted by Blacktown after being sent in by Sydney Cricket Club and a string of late wickets off the bowling of quicks Hunar Verma and Asfar Riaz had the match in the balance.
With Sydney’s opening bowler at the crease, Glendenning sent the second last ball of the match bouncing to the ropes to win the first grade clash.
Blacktown president Steve Foster said, despite the club not winning a match last season, the taste of victory was closer than ever before.
“It was a topsy-turvy game,” he said. “Justin Mosca’s century for Sydney ultimately proved to be the difference.”
MOSMAN MENTOR’S UNBEATEN START
It has been a formidable start to the summer for Mosman head coach Peter Forrest who has not lost yet lost his wicket during the opening two matches, posting scores of 84* (v Randwick Petersham) and 87* (v Parramatta).
The 171 runs to the 35-year-old former Australian one-day international has played a key role in the Whales chalking up two early wins.
Mosman president Bernie Smith said Forrest’s form was no surprise considering his class and he appeared to be more relaxed at the crease in light of the batting depth around him.
“He is enjoying himself and he is hitting the balls that are there to be hit,” he said.
Smith said the head coach had provided invaluable experience to the club and has helped cricketers prepare for matches and improved the club’s development structures.
BIVIANO MASTERCLASS
Sharks opening bat Jarryd Biviano spent the entire 50 overs at the crease for a monster 172 at almost a run-a-ball.
The 27-year-old left-handed bat finessed the ball to all corners of Owen Earle Oval and carried the team to a 285 run total.
Regular wickets falling for Hawkesbury, with Andrew Ritchie and Justin Green claiming three scalps a piece, saw the home side out of batsmen with nine overs remaining and 115 runs short.
Sutherland coach Steve Green said it was a “beautiful” innings by Biviano and a reward for his application to his craft during the off-season.
“He just needs to keep it going,” he said.
JUNIOR DUO DEBUT FOR MANLY
Manly juniors Josh Seward and Joel Davies stepped into the first grade arena for the Waratahs for the first time on Saturday.
Seward, a promising fast bowler and St Augustine’s College school captain, was presented his cap by his parents following an address by David Gainsford.
Davies, a promising top-order batsman and younger brother of BBL star Ollie Davies, received his club cap from club coach Roy Vumbaca.
SO CLOSE! BBL GUN’S BID FOR PIECE OF NSW PREMIER CRICKET HISTORY
by Amanda Lulham
Penrith’s Josh Lalor has just this weekend to notch up a special milestone in NSW Premier Cricket or he’ll be waiting to the end of the Big Bash for another shot at it.
The 36-year-old from Mt Druit, who has been playing with Penrith Cricket for almost two decades, is just a wicket away from membership in the “400 club”.
“It would mean a lot actually,” said Lalor, who plays BBL with the Melbourne Renegades and is expecting to leave his Sydney home to enter their cricket bubble late next week.
“It is something I would be proud of. When you start playing you don’t even know if you are good enough.
“I took a lot of wickets in my first six years, about 200, but in the last seven or eight years there haven’t been that many because of other commitments.
“It’s something I will be very proud of. I’ve got two shots at it this weekend and if I don’t get it wasn’t meant to be and I’ll have to wait till the end of the BBL.”
Lalor took a wicket in Penrith’s loss to Fairfield Liverpool in round one last Saturday to move within a wicket of the milestone.
“I think I’ll be the third. Our president Paul Goldsmith has 452 and another good mate, Ryan Smith has 401,’’ he said.
“There mat be a gentleman at the club who did it in the past as well.”
Lalor said his start in first grade was less than memorable and still remembers the day in detail.
“I’ve been playing 16 years the first grade and I still remember my debut with a great friend at Northern District,’' he said.
“I was terrible. He was a better and got to bowl before I did and I was the bowler. I think I’ve got 1-35 off seven or eight overs.”
Lalor and his Penrith teammates will take on Campbelltown on Saturday and Bankstown on Sunday in the Kingsgrove Cup.
NSW PREMIER CRICKET ROUND TWO PREVIEW
Manly will be looking for redemption, Fairfield a repeat of a stunning batting performance from one of their stars and Mosman a big win to keep them atop the first grade leaders board in round two of NSW Premier Cricket.
Second in the Belvidere Cup chase last season, Manly this week travel to Coogee Oval to take on Randwick Petersham after their first-up loss to Northern District.
PREMIER CRICKET:Rd 1 Players of the Week, results wrap
PREMIER CRICKET: List: 50 players to watch
Bankstown will host St George, the Blacktown Mounties play Sydney, Fairfield Liverpool meet Sydney University, Hawkesbury take on Sutherland, Parramatta play Mosman, Penrith tackle Campbelltown Camden, UNSW play Northern District, UTS North Sydney host Gordon and Western Suburbs take on Eastern Suburbs.
Mosman sits on top of the competition ladder after round one followed by Northern District, UNSW, Eastern Suburbs, Hawkesbury, Fairfield Liverpool, UTS North Sydney, Sydney, St George and Gordon after opening round wins.
NSW PREMIER CRICKET STANDOUTS AHEAD OF ROUND TWO
Going into round two of Sydney first grade, Luke Ohrynowsky sits on top of the scoring board after his stunning 109 runs for Fairfield in round one against Penrith.
Jack James, from UTS North Sydney, sits in second place after a stirring 101 against Western Suburbs.
The pair were the only two players to notch up centuries in the opening round but Yuvraj Sharma from Fairfield Liverpool came close with 94 runs.
Mosman’s Peter Forrest is fourth on the list after scoring 84 and Sydney’s Matthew Rodgers fifth after his 79.
UTS North Sydney’s Robert Aitken heads the bowling ladder with his 5-42 in the opening round.
Northern Districts Scott Rodgie is second after his 4-18 effort and Uni of NSW’s Krishna Padmanabhan is third with his 4-20.
Next on the list is Ryan Felsch with his 4-37, Pushpinder Jassal with his 4-41, Dylan Hunter with his 4-51, Matthew Moran with his 3-19, Ryan O’Beirne with 3-19, Marcus Atallah with 3-24 and Nicholas Stapleton, Ryan McElduff, Luke Courtney and Arjun Nair, who all took 3-29.
Read more from AMANDA LULHAM HERE
‘It’s scary’: Speed race has SailGP guns on edge
SailGP gun Kyle Langford has given an insight into the wet, wild and high risk speed chase that could see 100km/h broken on Sydney Harbour – and the fear and pain involved.
Australian swimmers and SailGP team’s unique exchange
Two of Australia’s leading sports teams - SailGPs Flying Roos and the Dolphins - are collaborating in a hunt for “little gems” to deliver lucrative triumphs on the water and Olympic medals in it.