SG Moore Cup: Wrap, results, standout from rounds 1-3
From hat-tricks, to stunning knocks and super over thrillers, Newcastle’s best young cricketers put on a show during the opening rounds of the SG Moore Cup.
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There were nailbiting contests, devastating bowling performances and bullish batting displays as the SG Moore Cup kicked off for 2024.
All nine teams played two games each on Sunday as Newcastle’s best junior cricketers – along with some crack recruits from Sydney, the Central Coast and Hunter Valley – battled it out in the first three rounds of what is arguably the best under-16s cricket competition in regional NSW.
The day was highlighted by a thrilling game that was decided by a super over, while a string of batters and bowlers made a statement to open the tournament.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
CHARLESTOWN, HAMWICKS IN EPIC SUPER OVER CLASH
There were incredible scenes at Kahibah Oval as Charlestown and Hamilton-Wickham played out a thrilling clash that was decided in a super over.
After both teams finished level on 93 runs following their respective 20 overs, Hamwicks bowler Jack Hughes put on a brilliant display of clutch bowling to reduce Charlestown to just one run in its super over and ultimately lead his side to victory.
It was a stunning finish to a seesawing game that saw Charlestown, who had earlier scored 4-93, take three wickets in a dramatic 20th over – including a run out on the final ball – to remarkably restrict its rivals to 9-93.
Needing two to win from the final delivery, Hamwicks number 11 Cosette Thomas made contact with Tasman Davidson’s delivery and completed a run to level the scores, however the Charlestown fielders were sharp and caught Thomas short as she turned for a second to ensure that things finished level and subsequently went to a super over.
From here, Hamwicks bowler Jack Hughes came to the fore with a brilliant performance under pressure, bowling opener Aarham Shah with the first ball.
Charlestown’s Liam Bonham managed a single from the second ball, however Hughes struck again to dismiss Riley Sharples for a golden duck to end the Magpies’ super over after just three balls with just one run scored.
While the team only needed two runs to win, things didn’t go smoothly for Hamwicks, who didn’t score from the first two balls and had Archie Wicks bowled out for a duck with the third delivery of the over.
However Xavier Dean came in to hit two from the next ball to give his side a thrilling win.
Top performers for Charlestown included Shah (24) and Elliott Bullen (22), who pushed the Magpies to 4-93, while Riley Sharples (2-8), Michael Thomas (2-9), Shah (2-14) and Davidson (2-20) were all excellent with the ball.
For Hamwicks, the star of the game was undoubtedly Hughes, who took 1-10 from four in Charlestown’s first innings and then a brilliant 2-1 in the super over to win his team the match. Meanwhile batter Archie Wicks played a crucial role with the bat, scoring a brilliant 44 from 29 balls to drag his side to 9-93 from its 20 overs.
The thrilling super over clash capped off a good day of cricket for both sides.
Hamwicks sits at the top of the ladder after it recorded a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Newcastle City in its opening clash.
Kye Velich (2-10), Hughes (2-11) and Samuel Worland (2-20) struck with the ball to reduce the Sabres to 7-96 from its 20 overs, with Isaac Flanagan (27), Velich (22) and Hughes (19*) guiding the team home with 14 balls to spare and seven wickets in the shed.
Meanwhile Charlestown set the tone for its nailbiting day with a dramatic three-run, final-over victory over City to kick off the tournament.
Batting first, the team overcame four ducks to scrape to 9-87 from its 20 overs, largely thanks to a key knock of 30 from Riley Sharples, before the team dramatically bowled City out for 84 with just two balls remaining.
Elliott Bullen did plenty of damage, taking 3-13, while Tasman Davidson (2-6), Michael Thomas (2-12) and Sharples (2-22) were dangerous with the ball.
MEREWETHER, WESTS SET THE PACE
Both Merewether and Wests have emerged as early frontrunners after both sides chalked up two emphatic victories to sit equal top of the ladder with Hamwicks.
Remarkably, the teams have incredibly similar records as they both won by 10 wickets in their respective openers before recording 47- and 39-run victories respectively in their second games.
Coming in as defending champions, Merewether showed why it will once again be one of the teams to beat after wiping aside Belmont within six overs of its shortened clash at Cahill Oval.
Bowling first, the Lions did extremely well to restrict Belmont to just 3-54 from its 14 overs. Alby Grange, Harrison Najor and Hunter Croft were all very misery with the ball as the home side struggled to 1-27 from its opening 10 overs, with Belmont opener Zac Nicholls remarkably scoring just one run from 33 balls in a tough knock.
Merewether then put any doubts about the wicket to bed by blasting past the total in just 33 balls, with Drew Saxby finishing on 36 from 21 balls and Lachlan Cornwell 12 from 15 as the Lions chalked up a hefty 10-wicket win.
The dominance continued in the second game with a 47-run win over Stockton.
While not batting as freely as in the morning fixture, the Lions finished their 20 overs on 7-112, with Preston Jolliffe the best with 26 not out, followed by Najor (24), Croft (19) and Saxby (17).
Merewether once again did the business with the ball, bowling the Seagulls out for just 65. Fraser Croft was the pick of the bowlers with 3-14, while Major, Grange and Jolliffe all picked up a wicket each and were once again extremely economical.
It was a similar story over at Pasterfield Complex at Cameron Park where Wests had the run of things.
Taking on Cardiff-Boolaroo in round one, the Rosellas put in an excellent team bowling effort to restrict their opponent to 7-57 from 20 overs.
Charlie Lovegrove (2-1) and Cooper Davies (2-2) were almost unplayable, while Joe Vandenbergh (1-10 from four) and Koby Blight (0-6 from three) were also impressive.
Wests passed the target with ease inside eight overs, with Jacob Chaff (21*) and Samuel Gallagher (18*) helping their side to a 10-wicket win.
The Rosellas continued their good form in the second game against Waratah-Mayfield.
Batting first, Wests’ top order all made solid contributions as the team finished on 7-116, with Gallagher (30), Chaff (23), Riley Brown 22* and Lovegrove (22) all making strong contributions.
In response, the Tahs never looked like coming close to the score and were ultimately restricted to 6-77 from their 20 overs.
Quick Blight was excellent once again with the impressive figures of 2-4 from three overs, while Vandenbergh (2-13) also chimed in with a couple of wickets.
The victories ensure that both Merewether and Wests join Hamwicks as the only teams with 100 per cent records after the opening weekend.
IZAAN STUNS FOR WARATAH-MAYFIELD
Waratah-Mayfield young gun Izaan Mohammed has lit up the competition with by far the best batting display of the opening weekend after he blasted an incredible 81 not out from just 57 balls as the Tahs bounced back from a first-up defeat to hammer Cardiff-Boolaroo by 55 runs.
With his team batting first, the 15-year-old came out to the crease with his team struggling at 1-0 after a wicket fell in the opening over.
However Mohammed took control of the game with a stunning knock that saw him hit nine fours and one six. He was well supported by opener Sulaiman Moin Muhammad, who hit 39 from 50 balls as Waratah-Mayfield finished its 20 overs with a healthy score of 2-149.
In response, Cardiff-Boolaroo was never in the hunt, restricted to 8-94.
It was a good response from the Tahs, who had earlier struggled in a 39-run defeat at the hands of Wests.
IMPORTS, HAT-TRICK TURN BELMONT’S DAY
A brilliant bowling performance from a couple of guest players and a stunning hat-trick has helped Belmont bounce back from a tough start to the tournament to record a thumping eight-wicket victory over Stockton.
Bowling first, Belmont opener Rajveer Masrani – a recruit from Sydney club Schofields – tore through Stockton’s top order by taking three wickets in four balls to leave the Seagulls struggling at 3-11 in the fourth over.
He was well supported by fellow Sydney recruit Aarav Sharma, who took the highly impressive figures of 1-6 from four overs.
And while Stockton was struggling at 6-52, Belmont leg-spinner Ned Halligan rammed home his side’s advantage in the 14th over with a stunning hat-trick.
It all started when Halligan trapped Cooper Digney in front LBW, before he bowled Logan Green with the very next ball.
On a hat-trick, Belmont’s leggie came up with the goods when he knocked over Michael Dempsey’s stumps to complete a stunning hat-trick and help his side bowl Stockton out for just 65.
Fresh from ripping through the top order with the ball, Masrani then made no mistake with the bat, smashing 44 not out from 37 balls at the Whips cruised past the total with more than seven overs to spare and eight wickets in hand.
It was a welcome win for Belmont who was handed an early reality check in the form of a 10-wicket loss to Merewether in its opening game of the tournament.
Restricted to just 3-54 from a shortened 14 overs, Belmont never stood a chance of holding back the Lions, who raced past the target after just 33 balls and without losing a wicket.
Despite the loss, Masrani once again impressed, remarkably scoring 43 of his side’s 54 runs.
NEWCASTLE CITY, CARDIFF-BOOLAROO, STOCKTON PLAYING CATCH-UP
While there were plenty of wonderful performances on the opening weekend, Newcastle City, Cardiff-Boolaroo and Stockton will have plenty of work to do in their quest for quarterfinal positions after they all lost their first two games.
In what was arguably the surprise of the day, last year’s beaten grand finalists City went down to Charlestown and Hamwicks to sit equal at the bottom of the ladder.
Far from embarrassed during a tight day of cricket, the Sabres fell just three runs short in their opening games to Charlestown before losing by seven wickets to early leaders Hamwicks.
It was a more difficult story for Cardiff-Boolaroo and Stockton, who both suffered back-to-back heavy defeats.
Cardiff-Boolaroo kicked things off with a 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Wests before losing to Waratah-Mayfield by 39 runs, while Stockton went down by 47 runs in its opening clash with defending champions Merewether before being handed an eight-wicket hammering by Belmont.
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