Sunday morning saw a layer of dew on the Pearce Oval and having won the toss Saint Eddys sent Marist Cobalt into bat, hoping to keep the boundaries to a minimum.

Our boys did us proud, scoring 136 runs including 10 4's and 5 batsmen having strike rates in the mid to high double digits, continuing their recent form with the bat. Only 5 wickets were taken by the opposition, Joshua Moody again helping himself to plenty of runs.

When Cobalt took to the field the pressure was on St Edmunds Blue, and they rose to the challenge. Scoring at 5.46 runs an over, our bowling came to the fore with Hamish Henry taking 2 wickets and Thomas Gates getting another, with 2 runs outs, well done Tom!

Adding to the highlights, only 14 extras were given, ending the regular season with wind in the sails, bring on the finals!

Batting: Nathan Kerr 82, Sachin Liyanage 37

Bowling: Aarush Patel 2/11, Nathan Kerr 2/34.

On Monday the 10th of March the First 11 met Radford for the much anticipated Colts Grand Final at Chisholm Oval. With the Skipper leading in his final game, the toss went as usual and he had lost it and we were put into the field. With the ball we knew we were going to have our work cut out. Radford managed to get to a score of 4/272 off their 40 overs with the best of the bowlers being Lucas 2/40 from his 8 and Aarush 1/47 from his 8 overs. As we went to bat we still felt as if we were very much in the game with the high class batting line up that had fired all season long. However it was not our day with the bat as wickets fell steadily and we were bowled out for 115. Josh Nuss and Lucas Louis both top scored with 19 each.

Batting:  Nathan Kerr 73, Lucas Louis 24.

Bowling: Lucas Louis 4/13, Tommy Smith 2/24.

The First XI is through to their one-day grand final and will face Radford on the 10th of March!

In very cool, some would say freezing conditions, the First XI lost the toss and were sent into bat. Nathan Kerr and Riley Roberts opened and with Riley out for a duck, it was obvious to all that the pitch was unpredictable. Nathan faced 101 balls scoring 73 runs. The WCMCC bowlers read the pitch well and kept Marist's  run rate low and took wickets consistently. The captain Lucas Louis with 24 runs, Josh Nuss with 17 and Sachin W with 19 runs. Marist finished the innings 8-169.

The opening WCMCC partnership was indomitable, scoring a collective century in 19 overs, until finally a breakthrough wicket from Lucas in the 20th over. Lucas bowled a stunning captain's spell taking four wickets in quick succession, refusing to let the match be his last for Marist. Aarush, Nathan, Josh all added pressure with tight bowling and WCMCC was all out in the 38th sending Marist to the grand final!

Batting: Jared Wilson 52*, Viira Pieris 18*, Hamish Foley 18.

Bowling: Adam Clarke 3/21, Viira Pieris 3/22, Will Hyson 2/15.

Notable Performance: Preston Singer (wk) 4 catches

Summary: Cricketers of a certain age and experience will be familiar with the following scenario. I'm talking about the process of eliminating the inner voice that suggests THIS time putting the opposition in might be best. The heat will only get worse later, so bow ... BAT ... plenty of grass on the pitch, could jag a bit early, so bow ... BAT ... etc. Just come to your senses and BAT. Set a target and pile on the pressure. We'd barely won a toss all season, so probably a moot point anyway. Naturally Plugger won the toss and bowled. With a little trepidation we watched the early overs pass wicketless. Would the Eddies boys survive the early movement and prosper later as the pitch baked in the hot sun? In a word, no. Slow and perhaps over-cautious batting gave way to inevitable wickets, followed by more over-cautious batting. Moments of frustration from the batsmen generally precipitated their demise; VP and spinner Adam in particular profited and their patience and skill was rewarded with three wickets apiece. The bowling group as a whole excelled. It felt relentless as the dot balls and maiden overs mounted - three in a row from Finn the highlight. In the end, Eddies dug themselves into a hole and were dismissed for 94 from 30-odd overs, the final wicket a superbly judged catch by keeper Hey Presto! ... one of four he took for the innings in an expert display behind the stumps. The psychology of chasing low totals is well known. Get on with it, don't dither. Passing on such wisdom to Ham and Jared bordered on the absurd. They know no other way. After six or so overs we were already halfway there. We lost a wicket at about fifty but nothing changed with VP (the VeeP) at the crease. A run a ball partnership sealed the result with Jared bringing up yet another half-ton. His season to date has been outstanding. And speaking of seasons, a Merry Christmas to everyone at Marist Cricket Club from Andy, Justin, Richard and the 2nd XI boys.

Batting: H Foley 104*, N Brown 25.
Bowling: A Clarke 2/23.

TIGHT BOWLING RESTRICTS RADFORD

Radford began by losing three early wickets before an excellent 100 run partnership took hold. Logan, bowled tirelessly, maintaining tight lines and lengths, ultimately taking a well-deserved wicket in the latter stages of the innings. Ethan's pace and bounce put the top order on the back foot from the outset. Steady middle-over spells from Adam and Cal kept the Radford batsmen in check; both showed excellent control and variations. As the innings progressed, Marist's fielding effort unfortunately waned. Dropped catches and missed run outs allowing Radford to gain late innings momentum and set a target of 157 runs for Marist to chase.

FOLEY CENTURY POWERS MARIST TO VICTORY

The Marist run chase started on a more cautious footing, which perhaps led to the fall of the first wicket. Ham was joined by Noah and they began to build a solid partnership, highlighted by increasingly expansive stroke play. The total surpassed 100 runs just before the halfway break when, unexpectedly, two wickets fell in successive deliveries. The setback only proved momentary: Ham remained belligerent and was joined by the calm, measured VeeP. Together, they demonstrated remarkable composure, brushing off the challenge and running down the target with apparent ease. Ham's innings was a standout performance, culminating in a dominant century marked by explosive six-hitting. VeeP played a crucial supporting role, carefully managing the strike and ensuring Ham had the opportunity to guide Marist to victory.

Batting: H Foley 84*, E Tijo 50, N Brown 37*.

Bowling: W Hyson 2/23, E Golder 2/30, E Tijo 2/36.

TOP ORDER POWERS MARIST INTO GRAND FINAL

Tuggeranong won the toss and elected to bat. They had a slow but steady start, but the loss of key wickets in the middle overs disrupted their momentum. Useful late partnerships helped Tuggeranong maintain a reasonable run rate, and they were able to accelerate towards the end of the innings. Marist's bowlers remained focused, with Plugger returning from injury and bowling well. Ed and Goldy also took crucial wickets, and Tuggeranong finished with a competitive total.

Marist's innings got off to a flying start, with Ham and Ed dominating the bowling. Ed, in particular, played some superb shots all over the ground. Ham continued his composed approach after the opening partnership and he was joined by Browny with the score at 102. The pair wasted no time in chasing down the remaining runs, hitting a flurry of fours and sixes to secure Marist's spot in the Grand Final.

Batting: T Jexin 41*; C Fenwick 21.

Bowling: E Golder 3/20; V Peiris 2/2.

Batting: E Golder 79.

Bowling: C Fenwick 2/17; E Tijo 2/30.

MARIST NARROWLY DEFEATED IN GF AFTER GOLDER MASTER-CLASS

Despite a masterful innings from Ethan Golder, Marist was narrowly defeated in a tight Grand Final last Sunday. Marist won the toss but the top order struggled against a strong opening attack, and at 6/46 the outlook was bleak. Golder, however, had other plans. With crucial support from Callum Fenwick, the pair staged a remarkable recovery, taking the score from 8/76 to 9/138. Golder's counter-attacking innings was one of complete substance, forged in the most challenging circumstances. Captain Will Hyson and Fenwick then combined for an unbeaten 30-run stand, leaving Marist with a competitive total and a sense of renewed momentum. Both boys deservedly finished on 18 not out.

Marist then took to the field with great enthusiasm and despite a solid opening partnership, patiently stayed in the contest. A crucial breakthrough finally came at 50 runs, with Jimmy Bartlett taking a magnificent reflex catch off Hyson's bowling. From this point, the game tightened. Marist continued to take wickets, highlighted by a brilliant team run-out courtesy of Jared Wilson, Ed Tijo and Noah Brown. At 5/104, the boys arguably had the upper hand. However, a couple of missed chances and a slight lapse in energy allowed Daramalan to regain control and ultimately secure the win. The boys battled hard and should be proud of their efforts both on the day and for the season as a whole.

Batting: L.Allardyce 87*, E Golder 61, E Tijo 26, H Foley 21.
Bowling: J Fosberry 3/19, N Batch 2/16.

Marist Captain VP won the toss and opted to bat first. The opening partnership between Ham and Ed was crucial, as they put together a rapid 45-run partnership. Weston Creek fought back impressively however, taking five quick wickets to leave Marist in a precarious position at 5 for 70. This sudden collapse could have been a turning point in favour of Weston Creek.

GOLDER AND ALLARDYCE WREST BACK THE ADVANTAGE

Goldy and Luke played a pivotal role in rebuilding the innings. Their mix of solid defence and brutal stroke play allowed them to form one of the best partnerships of the season. Both batsmen scored at a run-a-ball pace, which helped Marist regain the advantage. Foz joined Luke late in the innings and contributed to an exhilarating finish. This late surge in runs ensured that Marist posted a substantial total of 6 for 236.

With a big total to defend, Marist's bowlers took to the field with high spirits. Cal managed to take a wicket with the first ball of the innings, which added to the excitement and put Weston Creek on the back foot right from the start.

DISCIPLINED BOWLING, TIGHT FIELDING KEY TO MARIST VICTORY

Marist's disciplined bowling effort, backed by tight fielding, kept the pressure on Weston Creek throughout their innings. Despite the Creek batters' efforts, they never truly threatened to reach their target. This week's fill-ins, Foz and Noah, both took multiple wickets, further contributing to Marist's excellent result. Their performance highlighted the club's depth and ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Batting: Tom Jexin 53.

Bowling: Tom Jexin 4/31, Harry David 2/22.

Batting: Hayden Gripske 25., Dom Honan 13.

Batting: Aarav Gorle 40, Darcy Coyle 20, Fred Friesen 16, Bill Smedley 15.

Bowling: Vivaan Khanna 3/12, Aarav Gorle 1/2, Darcy Coyle 1/12.

Batting: Charlie Johnston 30, Ned Snashall 29, Eddie Tunningley 22

Bowling: Ned Snashall 2/19, Jack Tunningley 1/10, Sam Bullock 1/11

Poor Grammer

This week CGS was unlucky to come up against a team in rare form. It was the last game of the regular season for Royal, and unlike me they done good with Grammar (Sorry folks, this is going to be a difficult read). Sam winned the toss and choosed to field first let CGS navigate the slow dewy field. The bowlings were tight from ball one, the entire innings’ we only gived up 4 runs in wides/no balls. We also returned to us usual wicket taking ways. The wickets was evenly share around the bowlers, and were as well runouts. Of 14 totalled wickets, halves were runouts. Even a balls being returneded to the wicket keeperer and bowler hitted the stumps. The poor umpires got exhausted, running to replaced bails. Ollie in particular has a great days in the field, he runned out and and catched great.

Ned open up the batting and camed out swinging and hitted three fourses and a six (dedicated to his Nan) in his 29. Anothers six to Finley and more fourses to Sam and Ollie and Harry all help built the great score before Eddie and Chaz commed out to again to finishes off the jobs. Three fourses to Eddie and two fourses and twos sixes to Chaz make sure of it victory.

On top of what was a great end to the regular season, our brothers in blue, Sky, had a fantastic win against the top placed Weston Creek and allowed us to leapfrog them into top of the table, thereby picking up the Minor Premiership! An amazing effort by all!

Well done if you made it to here and please accept my apologies for this week’s effort (This is just as difficult to write as it is to read). If you would like a refund on your weekly subscription, please click the link below and enter your credit card details.

Unsubscribe

Batting: Eddie Tunningley 20, Charlie Johnston 18

Bowling: Eddie Tunningley 2/11, Ollie Kumarasinhe 2/13, Ned Snashall 2/14

After such a long break a few cobwebs were to be expected in the first game back, but it didn't last long. After a few wides and only a couple of wickets in the first seven overs, the boys came to life in the back end, finishing with 13 wickets. Our trademark expertise in the field netted 4 runouts, the other highlights were cracking catches by Harry on the boundary and Ned's overhead effort off his own bowling.

The batting was also excellent, with each batter playing their role to perfection. Ned and Ollie laid a solid foundation at the top of the order, setting up for Charlie and Finley to pick up the run rate, Sam and Jack consolidated with excellent running and stroke play through the middle, and Harry and Eddie provided some fireworks at the end to finish strong.

A great allround effort and a great insight into what to expect for the last few games of the season. Well done!

Batting: Ned Snashall 28, Sam Bullock 26, Finley Charles 26

Bowling: Ned Snashall 1/4, Jack Tunningley 1/5, Eddie Tunningley 1/7

The pressure was on this week. Why? Because after garnering no critical acclaim for my ‘Election Edition’ (Willow Talk #2 for those playing at home), I had assumed that my write ups were destined to sit unread somewhere in the ether. But now, I find out that I have two readers! All it took was some saucy comments about beach volleyballers to pique the interest of… let’s call them Mr. and Mrs. Smith 😉.

Anyway, to the cricket. Like last week, we arrived to a wet ground after overnight rain. This week however, the opposition chose to bat first, which suited captain Ned’s plan to a tee. Although bowling with a ball like a cake of soap was difficult, the boys did a great job to keep the runs down in the first 10 overs. As we adjusted to the conditions, our fielding came to the fore in the second half of the innings. Multiple runout assists to Harry and Finley, and a beautiful direct hit from Sam got us back on top. By the end, only four wickets were attributed to bowlers, and the remaining five were runouts.

Buoyed by their efforts in the field, the boys came out with bats blazing. Even with a damp field they peppered the boundary and ran hard on the ones that pulled up short. It was outstanding batting from all batters, but it was Sam and Ned at the end that really elevated the score in probably the best show of batting skills this season. We compiled our highest score and only lost four wickets. Let’s hope we can continue this form as we enter the business end of the season.

Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Smith, no spicy write ups this week. I might have a word to the committee though, I’m thinking I can increase my readership with a rebrand… 50 shades of Blue.

Batting: Charlie Johnston 37, Eddie Tunningley 34

Bowling: Ned Snashall 2/17, Harry Van de Meeberg 1/5

This week Royal took on Tuggeranong, in the shadows of Holy Family Church at Gowrie.

Chazz donned the captain’s bow tie, in a tradition that stretches back to the 15th day of February in the year of our lord 2025 (… traditions have to start somewhere). With the choice of cathedrals or flats for the bat toss, Chazz, with a bit of divine inspiration, called cathedrals and chose to bowl first.

Signs were good when Harry picked up a wicket off the very first ball of the game, putting the Cobras on the back foot. But after being kept quiet for the first four overs, Tuggeranong got themselves back in the game and showed their strength, playing some glorious cricket shots. Far from the usual procession of wickets, the outs were a lot tougher to come by this week with only three falling the entire innings.

At the innings break as the boys shared some loaves and fishes (well watermelon and grapes), the mood was a little low. Chazz, never one to Passover an opportunity, gave a stirring sermon. “Have faith in yourselves boys. You cannot Altar the past. Let’s Resurrect this game and show them what we’re made of!”. (This may not be the speech verbatim, but you get the idea).

Ned and Ollie got the chase off to a solid start. Playing their shots and running well, they gave the rest of the team a ray of hope, maybe this was doable. Harry and Sam picked up from where the openers left off and kept us well and truly in the game, Sam finding the boundary multiple times. Cue Eddie’s triumphant entry. An attacking shot on his first ball gave an indication of what was to come, and he was soon peeling off boundaries for fun. Chazz was keen to join the party and the two were soon trading blows. Chazz then raised the bar when he launched a ball into the heavens and over the boundary for his first of two sixes. The sight was enough to convert one of the opposition as he was heard to exclaim ‘Jesus!’ as the ball sailed overhead.

After Eddie and Chazz had done their job, it was then up to Jack and Finley to hold their nerve and close out the innings. The parents were on the edge of their pews. A choir of cries came from the congregation on the sideline for every run scored. As they played out the last ball, victory was secured, Halleluja! and the boys walked off to an immaculate reception.

This game, more than any other has shown that we are a multi dimensional team. Where usually our bowling and fielding are the game winners, this time our savior was our batting.

The victory sees our Ascension into second place on the ladder and shows we are a real chance of lifting the chalice at the end of the season.

Bless you all for making it to the end of the writeup, don’t forget to like and subscribe.

Batting:

Fredrick Friedan 34

Aarav Gorle 24

Bill Smedley 17

Bowling:

Bill Smedley 4 wkts

Vivaan Khanna 2 wkts

Aarav Gorle 2 wkts

Flynn Walters 2 wkts

Summary:

Yet another dominating performance by team sky team winning by a margin of 164 runs. Batting first sky put amassed an astounding 202 runs at more than 10 rpo with everyone striking rating at more than 100 under wet field and challenging conditions.

 Bowling performance was gold standard with a total of 15 wickets taken 2 of which we caught behind by Darcy who has proved to be horned wick keeper over the season. Aarav and Vivaan brought their consistent bowling performance yet again.

 The player of the match was a tough call but Bill Smedley 17 runs and 4 wickets was among the best performance for the day where ramp shots and reverse sweeps were applied by Sky batters to good effect.

Batting: Finley Charles 26, Charlie Johnston 24, Ned Snashall 22

Bowling: Jack Tunningley 4/14, Ned Snashall 3/12, Sam Bullock 1/16

Lose Yourself- EmineMCCCC

Look... Royals had... one shot... one opportunity...

To seize everything they ever wanted... one moment...

Did they capture it? Or just let it slip?

Yo

Jacks palms are sweaty, Eddie’s arms are heavy

Harry’s dirtied his sweater already, mom's spaghetti

Ned’s nervous, but on scoring we’ve got Narelle Luchetti

Coach drops lineups, but they are all forgetting

what he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud

Sam opens his account and the shots all come out

Cobras are chokin, how? Parents are jokin now

Their luck’s just run out, time's up, over - BLAOW!

Ned’s back to reality, OHH! defies gravity

OHH! Here comes Jack, he smoked ‘em

He's so rad, but he won't

Give up easy nope, Finley won't have it

He knows, his own way to these ropes

It don't matter, Ollie’s dope

We knows that, but that stroke!

Eddie’s so pumped that he knows

when Haz goes back for the third run

that's when it's

back to the crease again, yo, the field shifts again

Chaz captures this moment and hit it straight past ‘em

You better - lose yourself with the Royal, the semi final

They owned it, they never let it go (go)

They only had one shot, and did not miss their chance to grow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime

You better - lose yourself with the Royal , now grand final

They own it, they’ll never let it go (go)

They only get one shot, and won’t miss their chance to show

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime

You better..

Batting: Charlie Johnston 13, Ned Snashall 12, Finley Charles 11

Bowling: Harry Van de Meeberg 4/11, Jack Tunningley 4/16, Ned Snashall 3/8

17 WICKETS!

As the toned and tanned guys n girls of the beach volleyball circuit limbered up in their barely-there uniforms on the grass next to Lyneham 211; the boys of Marist Royal knew they'd have to put on a show to keep the parents attention. And boy did they deliver!

It was slow going early on with the overnight rain slowing down the outfield. That, along with tight bowling from ANU, meant the runs were hard to come by. Ned, FInley, and Charlie all made it to double figures, but it was the running between the wickets of Charlie and Ollie at the end that really shifted the momentum our way.

Going out with the ball in hand, the boys turned on something special. The third ball brought the first wicket and from there it was a party! By the end of the 5th over, Harry, Ned, and Jack had combined to pick up 9 wickets! Although the pace of the wickets slowed from there, a further 8 wickets were taken and there was probably another 5 chances that were almost taken. Ned (Parmy) had a day to remember, getting amongst the runs and wickets as well as taking 4 catches, one of which was one of the most spectacular that has ever been seen. Running backwards at cover, he timed his leap to perfection and stuck up his left mitt to snare the ball that was surely going for 4 before tumbling backwards as the crowd lost their mind. I think it was at that point the volleyballers put down their coconut oil and came to watch the boys of Royal strut their stuff.

Batting: Charlie Johnston 32, Finley Charles 21, Ned Snashall 16, Eddie Tunningley 16

Bowling: Sam Bullock 2/12, Jack Tunningley 1/17, Ned Snashall 1/22

The flags were raised to indicate that Royal were in residence for their Grand Final clash against WCMCC. Lord Oliver of Karabar and Sir Jack Tunningley III, looked resplendent in their Captain’s regalia of red sequined bowties as they arrived for the toss. WCMCC drew first blood with the toss win and proclaimed they would bowl first. There was a gentlemanly handshake before the teams retreated to prepare for battle.

In the front line were the Duke of Success, Prince Harry and the Sultan of Swing Samuel who took their guard and prepared their willow for the onslaught. Harry and Sam showed great intent, playing majestic cricket shots and running hard at every opportunity to get us off to a great start. Sir Jack soon arrived at the crease to play a steady hand against some high quality artillery from WCMCC. He soon had reinforcement in the form of the Baron of Bash, Finley, who’s swashbuckling innings saw the opposition retreat to the boundary and for cover. Lord Oliver built on the momentum and combined with Prince Edward in a noble display of shot making, firing off two boundaries each to go along with their excellent running. Ned, the Knight of the round ball was fleet of foot and barely stopped, making the opposition work hard to stem the flow of runs as the innings was nearing its crescendo. Last into the battle was King Charles. As he strode to the crease he had an aura about him that everyone could feel. He proved to be a Buckinghandfull, launching three towering sixes over the fence to the delight of his peers and loyal subjects (including Headmaster Hutchison). He finished on a dominant 32, and at the end of the first half of the contest, Royal emerged with a competitive total of 145.

WCMCC’s warriors entered. Prince Harry and Knight Ned bowled well to combat their attacking style before Ned knocked over their castle on the last ball of his spell. Finley and Jack continued in a similar vein with Jack also sneaking one past the crown jewels of the batter to rattle the castle once again. King Charles and Prince Edward restricted the flow of runs and a momentum shift could be felt. Enter Sultan Sam, who had the Red King ball on a silk string as he threaded the needle to send the bails to Wales with his very first ball. The field work from the men was outstanding all game, and their safe hands and cool heads suffocated the opposition’s scoring. Meanwhile, both Ollie and Harry were impeccable behind the stumps. More tight bowling from Sam and Ollie kept the pressure on Weston Creek. With WCMCC needing some big hitting at the end, the men tightened the screws. Sam added another castle to his collection effectively sealing the result. Marist the victor by 14 runs!

I hereby crown Marist Royal as Stage 1 Division 1 Champions!

Batting: Bill Smedley 21, Mitchell Howard 17, Aarav Gorle 16

Bowling: Bill Smedley 2/23, Aarav Gorle 2/25

Batting:

Daniel Duffy 12 off 15; Henry Todd 16/18 and Hatry McEwa. 14 Off 17

Bowling:

Henry Todd 3/6, Harry McEwan 1/4 and Daniel Duffy 1/9

Notable fielding: Thomas Jenkins for two run outs and Charles McDonald with one run out

The boys were keen to get going- they lost the toss but were sent into bat. All the boys contributed to the batting total but lost a few wickets across the innings.

The boys fielding innings saw a good combined effort of fielding and bowling. Some things to work on for next week, but they took the win regardless! Keep up the great attitude boys.

Batting: Daniel Duffy 30 off 21, Charles McDonald 17 off 13 and Harry McEwan 14 off 13

Bowling: Thomas Jenkins 3/6

Daniel Duffy 1/13

special mention: Ben Van de Meeberg for his 2 run outs

On a wet ground following the Friday night storm, Marist Navy lost the toss and were sent into bat. All the boys made good shots and ran well between the wickets. they showcased great communication with the team making 19 runs from byes! Great shots by Charles, Harry and Daniel (who was on fire) helped establish a large total. The team only lost 6 wickets!

Marist Navy fielding innings started with a sensational first over with Tom taking 3 wickets! The boys all worked hard to prevent runs and took 8 wickets in total, with two awesome run outs facilitated by Ben.

It was a great game showcasing the immense improvent made by the boys over the season. Well done

Batting: Charles McDonald 18. Henry Todd 18, James Connor 16.

Bowling: Charles McDonald 2/8. Henry Todd 2/10, Daniel Duffy 2/14.

Batting: Henry Todd 15 off 14; Charles McDonald 11 off 14 and Ben Van de Meeberg 11 off 15

Bowling: Tom Jenkins 4/4; Ben 2/18

and Henry 2/21

special mention to Henry and Conor

who both took wickets via run outs.

Marist Navy won the toss and elected to bowl. They were firing in the field with tight bowling and good fielding. They took 13 wickets in total! An amazing effort. The Westies were having a great day with the bat. Navy made a great effort with chasing the runs, keeping the game tight. They couldn't quite get there with 6 runs still needed. Great game boys, and you will get them next time!

Batting: Conor Casey 36 off 17; Henry Todd 24 off 17; Ben Van de Meeberg 24 off 17; Daniel Duffy 22 off 18

Bowling: James Connor 3/3; Tyler wheeler 2/10; Daniel Duffy 2/11

special mentions: Henry 3 run outs, Tyler and Conor 1 run out each and a lovely catch from Charles.

Wests won the toss and sent Navy in to bat. After a shaky first 10 overs, where the batting score was 51 compared to the wickets taken (11) score of 44, the boys found their form - with four boys all making over 20 runs! The boys kept fighting putting on a total of 129, but lost 14 wickets in total (56 runs).

The boys were confident going into the fielding innings, but we're still nervous as one of their best bowlers is out injured. With some amazing bowling and fielding, the boys kept the pressure on Wests, nearly equalling the wicket haul of Wests with 13 wickets!

It was, as coach Liam declared, a win for the ages. It was the first time they had beat Wests Warriors (who had taken the precious two matches) and what a time to do it! Marist Navy are now finals bound. What a great game and good luck next week.

A windy afternoon in Yarralumla saw the first game of the New Year for the Strikers and a chance for the boys to show their fans how they've developed their skills over the summer break.

Eastlake won the toss and elected to bat, sending the boys into the field with Shay taking the new ball.

It was an energetic start from the team with plenty of good chat and encouragement in the field and some tight bowling keeping the runs to a minimum. This energy in the field saw Xander make a brilliant diving effort at square leg, just missing the catch off a great over from Doug, however Dougs bowling was rewarded two balls later when he clean bowled one of the Eastlake batsmen.
A tight tussle for the rest of the innings ensued, with Matthew (1 for 11), Xander (2 for 9) and Lewis (1 for 2) bowling particularly well with pace and accuracy. This was backed by the teams great fielding. It was clear all the boys had used the holidays to hone their individual cricketing skills without losing focus on supporting their teammates and the opposition with words of encouragement, perhaps the biggest and best trait of this Strikers team.
While Eastlake put together some good batting performances, the boys fielding effort was highlighted by one of their best for the match when Doug managed a great run out from backstop off Evans bowling. The highlights kept coming, with Lachie (1 for 4) taking a great caught and bowled chance, Lewis taking the teams first caught behind with a great catch behind the stumps off Matthew's bowling, while Evan took a brilliant catch at mid-on giving Austin a wicket in the last over.

Austin and Lewis opened the batting for the Strikers. It was a solid start with some good shots, particularly from Lewis (16 off 15) with two boundaries and a few that would've crossed the rope if the grass was shorter.

The tight game continued with some quality fast bowling by Eastlake and some real cricket shots from the boys. Special mentions go to Xander for his leg side batting, and Doug and Evan for their great partnership of good shots and great running between the wickets.
Lachie and Matthew were in next and kept the runs ticking over and the wickets at bay. Lachie found the boundary as did Matthew with a suberb straight drive for four, overcoming his calf injury from the first innings.
Shay rounded out a solid batting performance by the team with Lachie, and despite at couple of last minute wickets by Eastlake, Marist countered with some great shots, holding on for another win to start 2025.

Well done boys.

Marist Sixers scored a total of 160 runs in 20 overs. The key batters were:

• James Wright scoring 22 runs off 13 balls
• Yash Karnati scoring 20 runs off 13 balls
• Neil Kodwani scoring 19 runs off 13 balls.

The key bowlers were:

• Yash Reddy Karnati: 2 overs, 1 maiden, 1 run, 2 wickets
• Neil Kodwani: 2 overs, 1 maiden, 2 runs, 2 wickets

Overall: The Marist Sixers' bowlers performed impressively, contributing to their team's successful defense of the total score.

-

Batting: Jonathan Damiankis 12 (13); Pierce Stakelum 6 (13)

Bowling: William Blunt 3/7 (2)

It was a lovely evening for the last game of cricket for the season. It was a bittersweet feeling with the team excited to play but also knowing it was their final game. The Scorchers lost the toss and were sent into bat. The team started strong, but facing fast and accurate bowling made it hard for the Scorchers to get into a rhythm. Being able to only face 13 balls each, did not allow for batters to score many runs but the Scorchers took every opportunity they could to add to their total. Our top scorers were Jonathan, scoring 2, 4's with a total of 12, and Pierce always beautifully striking the ball, on 6.

After the innings break and enjoying a pizza tea, courtesy of Ollie's family, the boys headed onto the field ready to see out their last innings. The Renegades had some talented batsmen who could see the opportunities to gain runs for their side. They took advantage of some, not so accurate, bowling which saw their total run away from the Scorchers. The team needed to get wickets to help the total. Some on-target bowling from William 3/7 (2) saw the stumps go flying on 3 separate occasions in his two overs. However, these were the only wickets managed during the Scorchers innings. There were some very close calls with run outs, and catches but in the end, the WCMCC Renegades came away with the deserving win.

It has been an absolute pleasure to watch the Scorchers take on their first-ever season for MCCCC. With most of the boys never having played cricket before, their skills and confidence have grown with each game. They have gained lifelong skills of teamwork and leadership. Their comradery as a team has been enjoyable to see, especially as most of the boys did not know each other before their first game. The Scorchers coach, Sam Mudge, has put in endless hours of hard work and patience, coaching and umpiring the matches. The boys have been very grateful for the skills Sam has taught them throughout the season. The parents of the boys have been a great support each week, bringing them to training and the games. We have always been able to field a full team which shows dedication for the game. Thanks also goes to Liam Stakelum and Dimitri Damiankis who have helped with umpiring games for the team.

Well done, Scorchers for a great season. You may have only has one win but that never let your spirit down. Enjoy the off-season, keep up those skills, and see you ready and rearing to go for the 25/26 Summer!

The Scorchers won the toss and elected to bat. The team started so well with great running between the wickets. Everything was looking up for the boys. Unfortunately, only 7 overs were played before the rain started and play was abandoned. Well done to Aditya, making 6 runs on debut for the Scorchers and MCCCC. It has been hard for the team this season as many of their games and been washed out due to the weather. Let's hope the Scorchers can finish the season off with a high and some decent game time.

Early wickets by Doug, Lewis and Lachie set the scene for an entertaining afternoon of cricket. Eastlake were impressive in batting offering Marist some fielding highlights, two wickets bowled and run out, two balls in a row by Lachie!

Ahn’s speed in the outfield was impressive and his one arm push ups deserve special mention!

Following the mid innings break, wickets to Lewis and Lachie put a slight dampener on the Eastlake run tally.

Austin and Xander opened our batting and they faced some very solid bowling. Lewis and Evan’s partnership brought some exciting bombastic boundaries. Lachie delivered a memorable ramp shot and Ahn’s speedy runs were again a highlight!

Doug and Matthew kept the energy at the crease high until the end, with some big hits and some loud and clear calls to run!

Coach Nate gave the team ‘sneaky singles’ as the focus for beefing up the runs and the boys did a great job delivering them!

Great sportmanship by Marist Hurricanes, with WCMCC short a few players so Marists boys balanced team numbers allowing all players to enjoy a complete game. Joshua Roland was a standout playing for WCMCC top scoring with 27! Josh remained very committed in bowling strongly for WCMCC. Ashton Dempsey and Hamish Carling scored 17 and 16 respectively.

In bowling Ashton Dempsey, Hugo Greene and Max Bond all took 2 wickets each with tight fielding and continued improved team work was on great display keeping the WCMCC restricted to 115.

The Hurricanes deeply enjoyed the season and strong teamwork allowed them to relish many enjoyable wins. All parents thanks the coaches and players for a wonderful season!

The Sixers rounded out a flawless back end of the season on Friday night, extending their win streak to 9 against a tenacious St Edmunds College outfit.

The boys played high-tempo cricket in both innings to win by 21 runs, 131-110.

It was a fitting end to the season for the Sixers who have improved week on week to become one of the most formidable forces of the Stage 1 ungraded competition. The last time the Marist boys dropped a game was November 8 against Queanbeyan, with each player growing into their role within the team since then.

The ultimate grudge match against their arch rivals Eddies went to the wire with St Edmunds stretching the Sixers, taking 8 wickets and skipping out to a fine score of 110. But the sweet smell of victory has lingered around the Sixers for three months, and they were determined to close their season with a W.

Of the batsmen, Henry Caboche top scored on 14, carting the ball for two boundaries in his first over before running three in the second. He was well supported by Xander Woods, Kanoa Fatnowna, James Wright and James Rae, who all contributed to the total.

 As the youngest player on the team, Kanoa has been particularly impressive this season. Don’t be surprised to see his face under a 1st XI cap before too long.

While the batting has been consistently good, it’s their fielding which has set tongues wagging. Each game since Christmas has been highlighted with superb efforts in the field. On Friday it was gloveman Fletcher Powell leading the way from behind the stumps, but he wasn’t alone on his mission to save runs.

All-rounders Lachie Neal, Yash Reddy-Karnati and Neil Kodwani have been outstanding two way players all season, clamping batsmen to their crease and then proceeding to inflict pain on all who dare to bowl at them.

Above all, the boys have shown tremendous teamwork and positivity for their coaches and for each other. Each week the brotherhood of the Sixers has grown and they now count each other as great mates. That is what cricket is all about.

None of their success would be possible without the elite level coaching and management from the Neal-Wright combo. Well done and thank you to Matt, Paul, Emma and Christine on the season.

Batting: Evan Lawrence 14 (15), Lewis Fillbrook 13 (15)

Bowling: Xander Hardy 1/6, Lewis Fillbrook 1/7

Returning to Curtin Oval, scene of two previous washouts, third time proved a charm as the Marist Strikers were greeted with fine conditions for their twilight match against the Eastlake Magpies. Invited to bat, the Marist opening pair of Lachlan and Shay began positively against some lively bowling, using the pace of the ball to work the gaps, and capitalizing with proactive running between the wickets. When both openers had departed, the score had progressed to 32 without loss and, upon this solid foundation, Matthew and Evan pressed the team's advantage, trading boundaries against a beleaguered Eastlake attack. The introduction of spin stemmed the flow of runs somewhat, although Marist Strikers reached the half-way point of the innings with 60 runs on the board. Following Drinks, Evan struck a third boundary from his final delivery, and Lewis immediately continued the onslaught, dispatching his first ball beyond the boundary. Lewis and Xander combined well, Lewis's attacking approach yielding another boundary, and Xander taking singles to rotate the strike, and finding a boundary of his own. Xander's retirement brought Austin to the crease and the captain was off the mark immediately, combining with last man Ahn to consolidate his team's position. The pair were forced to defend resolutely against some accurate fast bowling, but, given some width, Ahn twice capitalized with a front-foot cover drive and authoritative call for a well-judged single. With contributions all the way down the team sheet, Marist Strikers had amassed 123 runs from their 20 overs, for the loss of three wickets.

Ahn and Austin kept things tight for the first two overs, and when Lewis followed up with a wicket maiden, the target seemed even further away for Eastlake. To their credit however, the visitors regrouped and applied some pressure of their own via some aggressive running between the wickets that saw them to 1-60 at Drinks. The tide turned once more with consecutive overs from Evan and Matthew conceding only one run between them. The mounting scoreboard pressure forced a change of approach from Eastlake and runs once again started to flow more freely. "Catches win matches" is an oft-quoted cricket maxim, and the 15th over provided a perfect illustration. A good length delivery from Ahn was timed beautifully and looked four from the moment it left the bat ... until it reached Matthew at mid-off who, moving low and to his left, took a stunning catch. From this pivotal moment, the Strikers were never headed, as Austin, Xander and Matthew each disturbed the timber to keep the target out of Eastlake's reach. Thus concluded a match played in competitive but friendly spirit, with entertainment aplenty for supporters of both sides. With their displays of cricketing prowess and sportsmanship, the Marist Strikers did their coach Dale and student coach Nate proud. Well done everyone!

Batting: Jonathan Damianakis 24 (15), Pierce Stakelum 9 (15), Ollie Nihill 7 (15)

Bowling: Jared Mudge 1/6 (3)

Notable Player: Pierce Stakelum and Ollie Nihill for heroic efforts with the bat.

Game Summary: The Scorchers found themselves a little rusty after the summer break, but it did not take them too long to find their groove. Being sent into field after losing the toss saw some great fielding, supportive encouragement, and strategising field placements between them. Unfortunately, the team conceded too many extras which did not help the total. However, there was a great run out by Pierce and three wickets to Jared, Jonathan, and James.

The Scorchers enjoyed a delicious match tea provided by James's family that fuelled them for the next innings ahead. With a cracking start, the Scorchers found themselves gaining runs and the scores closing in. With help from Jonathan and his mighty powerful bat, 24 runs were added to the total. Pierce continued that momentum, striking the ball beautifully towards the boundary. His 9 runs were essential for the team and motivated our tailenders, Ollie and Hugh to put on a mighty finish. Ollie added another 7 runs aided by Hugh with some great running between the wickets. In the end, the accurate bowling of the Magpies hurt the Scorchers, dragging the score out to an unreachable target. But it is great to be playing cricket again!

Batting: Niel Kodwani 20 Runs of 13 balls, Henry Caboche 17 Runs of 13 balls and a great sixer

Bowling: Yash Karnati 3 wickets in 3 overs

Notable Player – Niel Kodwani great batting, Excellent bowling by Yash Karnati, Outstanding batting by Henry Caboche along with an excellent sixer.

In an exciting contest at CGS ground, Marist Sixers emerged victorious against Canberra Grammar in a thrilling encounter. Batting first, CGS posted a competitive total of 106 runs. In response, Marist started strong but faced early setbacks as Yash Karnati ran through their top order with a brilliant spell, picking up 3 wickets for 9 runs. Marist Sixers bowlers put up a disciplined effort, keeping the opposition under pressure throughout the innings. Kanoa and team captain James made good contributions in picking a wicket.

Great stellar batting innings from Marist Sixers batsman Niel Kodwani, who smashed 20 runs off 13 balls, and Henry Caboche who smashed 17 Runs of 13 balls and a majestic swing, sending the ball soaring into the sky and leading to a great six. Great contributions towards the catches and runouts as well.

From start to finish, Marist Sixers displayed outstanding teamwork, proving that cricket is won by a collective effort. A well-deserved victory!

The Scorchers were sent into bowl first after losing the toss. The team was ready for a great match after not being able to play last week due to the weather. The Scorchers fielded extremely well, keeping the opposition to minimal runs throughout the innings. Wickets fell with Jared, William, and Ollie all contributing to the scorecard. We also saw some great catches and runouts from our wicket-keepers, Hugh and Jonathan.

The next innings saw the Scorchers head into bat. Knowing that Grammar's score was reachable we still needed to hold our wicket and work hard for the runs. The Scorchers batted extremely well. The whole team added to the total with some solid scores. Jonathan posting the highest score of 22 (15) with 3, 4's and a 6. The Scorchers have shown they have learnt to communicate with their partner out at the crease, calling for runs or no runs. Their running between the wickets has become quick which is helping their run rate each game.

Finally, the Scorchers had a chance to celebrate, with their first win of the season. They have waited so long, showing endless perseverance but this time could walk away with beaming smiles across their face. Well done, Scorchers. You certainly deserved this win!

Batting : William B: 11 (15) and Pierce S: 9 (15)

Bowling: William B: 3/19 (3) and Hugh K 2/13 (3)

The Scorchers lost the toss and were sent into bat. The team showed some great running between the wickets but were finding it hard at times, facing some quick and accurate bowling. A few amazing wickets against us had the scoreline quite close throughout the innings. The slow outfield was not on the Scorchers side. Some almost 4's unfortuately fell short of the boundary. Some great batting by William and Pierce helped the Scorchers total.

SEC Thunder started off really strong, taking every opportunity possible to score runs. Early wickets were taken by William and Hugh. Unfortunately, with some fielding mishaps by the Scorchers, SEC Thunder took advanatge of all extra runs they could score. More wickets fell, even a direct hit run out by Hugh could not help the Scorchers but overall, SEC Thunder were too strong.

-

Batting: Jamie Kimpton (21), Xander Heffernan (19)

Bowling: Max Dawn (2/8), Will Salter (2/10)

It was a lovely evening in Kambah for the final round of the season and the Renegades gave this last game everything with some stand-out performance across the board. The Scorchers won the toss and sent our Renegades in to bat. A little note regarding their stats the morning of the game about how close every player sat to achieving a notable milestone proved to be excellent motivation. Jamie needed 3 runs to reach 100 runs for the season…. not only did he get them, he top scored for the team with his highest score ever of 21 runs, smashing out 3 fours along the way. Xander was chasing 4 runs for his 100 which he did easily and was our next highest run scorer on 19. Joey was also on fire with the bat knocking out 15 which took his season run total to 102, and Will’s 16 got him over the line for his goal of 200 runs for the season! Absolutely amazing work boys!

With the change of innings came no sign of any change in intensity- the Renegades were ruthless! Max took 2 wickets and a run out, Will took 2 wickets and an impressive catch, and Levi and Aakesh took an excellent wicket each. Xander and Joey were unforgiving in the field with 3 run outs between them and George was everywhere in the field saving many runs with his tireless hard work. We missed Oscar and Ari in our final game and pizza celebration.

This was a fantastic team to be part of. Huge thank you to all the families who supported the team in so many ways. We were so lucky to always have people willing and able to help at trainings and games. Finally, a massive thank you to Pete and Rich for coaching the boys and guiding their development as young cricketers throughout the season. I think these grins say it all!

Batting: Ashton Dempsey (39), Joshua Roland (27), AJ (26)

Bowing: Ashton Dempsey (3/3), Hamish Carling (3/16), Thomas Ferrari (1/4)

Welcoming back Hugo & Thomas, the Hurricanes kicked off the second half of the season at CGS playing CGS South Thunder, on a very hot still evening.

Once again, the bowling and fielding performance was excellent with the team managing to restrict CGS South Thunder to 82 runs, with both Ashton and Hamish obtaining 3 wickets each

However, of particular mention was the team’s season best batting performance, with a season high 214 runs.

This was an outstanding batting performance by the team with the boys collectively hitting 29 boundaries. Of special mention were the two 6s from Ashton.

The Hurricanes achieved a season best performance and consequently many of the boys achieved personal bests.

Well done Hurricanes!

Marist Hurricanes continued their winning streak with a convincing win against the WCMCC Scorchers at Gowrie. Most notable was Western Creek's wonderful sportsmanship, as well as the Hurricanes’ team spirit and improvement.

The Hurricanes won the toss and elected to bat and faced some fast and accurate bowling from the Scorchers. Ajmer Singh steadied the innings with some solid batting, including a boundary. A partnership with excellent communication between Edmund Dziedzic and Tom Ferrari saw balls also make the boundary from both boys, while Josh Roland continued the trend with some amazing shots, hitting a further two boundaries with partner Max Bond.

The Hurricanes continued to demonstrate their much-improved skills in the field. This included some strong bowling from Josh Rolands, taking a wicket early. Further wickets were taken by Ajmer Singh, Hamish Carling, Max Bond, Nish Natu, Tom Ferrari, and a run-out by Edmund Dziedzic. Most notable was Nish Natu’s fielding, which provided reliability and helped the Hurricanes achieve victory. 

The Friday afternoon sun shone down on Deakin Oval 211, setting the perfect stage for an exciting game between the Marist Sixers and Grammar Thunder. With Marist taking the crease first, the match kicked off with high energy and anticipation. Thunder was light on players with Marist filling in Thunders vacancies allowing the game to proceed.

Xander got the scoreboard ticking early, spotting a gap in the field and capitalizing with a couple of powerful swings, securing crucial runs. Soon, Yash stepped up, determination in his eyes, and it wasn’t long before he sent a clean four to the boundary. His impressive performance was soon followed by Henry, who was eager to leave his own mark on the game.

Lauchlan joined Henry at the crease, forming a formidable duo. Their partnership saw multiple boundaries, with Henry even launching a stunning six, drawing cheers from the enthusiastic spectators. However, Thunder quickly responded, managing to catch Henry out on the full. Despite this, Marist delivered a strong first innings total, making it a steep challenge for the opposition.

After a quick break, the teams switched roles, and Marist took to the field. Jimmy Wright set the tone immediately, claiming a wicket in his opening spell. Henry, showcasing his versatility, followed up with some sharp right-arm deliveries, keeping the pressure firmly on Thunder. Marist’s fielding was disciplined and precise, leaving little room for their opponents to mount a comeback.

At the final tally, Marist secured a commanding victory with 127 runs to Thunder’s 60. Despite being short on players, Thunder put up a valiant fight. James Rae earned the Coach’s Award, Xander took home the Parent’s Award, and Player of the Day went to young Hugo, a clear crowd favourite. A fantastic game of cricket, filled with skill, great teamwork, and sportsmanship from all!

Bowling: Ranbeer Singh 1/6, Liam Davies 2/7, Maxwell Feeney 1/8, Navilan Ganesh 2/4, Lachie Lawrence 1/11, Kiaan Arora 2/6, Josh Katz 0/1, Chayan Mehta 1/9

Batting: Liam Davies 6, Lachie Lawrence 4, Maxwell Feeney 3, Chayan Mehta 0, Navilan Ganesh 2, Kiaan Arora 5,
Ranbeer Singh 3, Josh Katz 4

Marist Light won the toss and elected to bowl.The Vikings batted on a wet pitch which made a slow ball. However, with good running and swift changes of batsmen, good momentum was made on the run tally. There was good fielding from Marist Light with special mention to Josh for an excellent catch and Kiaan with 2 wickets in 1 over from 3 balls!

With Marist Light in bat with a drying pitch with bouncier deliveries, there was some excellent running and calling of extra runs despite facing some very effective deliveries from the Vikings' bowlers.

Both teams played well but the Vikings clinched a close won victory.

Batting: Liam (14), Lachie (12), Josh (11)
Bowling: Ranbeer (1/10), Liam (0/6), Lachie (0/6)

This week, Marist Light faced WCMCC at O’Connor Ovals. Marist won the toss and elected to bowl. The WCMCC batters were strong in their defense, only succumbing to one wicket off Ranbeer’s bowling. However, Marist Light bowled well and restricted WCMCC to a total of 89 runs, with three sharp run-outs - one by Josh and two by Ranbeer.

With an achievable target in sight, Marist Light had to contend with some very strong bowling and fielding, making every run a challenge. Despite losing wickets, Marist Light displayed impressive all-round batting, including six boundaries from Senuk, Kiaan, Josh, Lachie, and Liam. Unfortunately, in the end, they lost too many wickets, pushing the total runs needed just beyond their reach.

Overall, the boys played a valiant season, finishing with only four losses. It has been a pleasure to watch their skills improve week after week. A big thank you to the coaches, umpires, and manager for an awesome season, and to the parents for their support and dedication to the early starts!

Bowling: Senuk Jayasekara (3/4), Ranbeer Singh (2/8), Liam Davies (1/6)

Batting: Josh Katz (12), Lachie Lawrence (10), Maxwell Feeney (10)

This week the boys were out at Bungendore, winning the toss elected to bowl first. An almost first ball caught and bowled was unlukily put down, the Bunyips making a solid start with some impressive batting into the first few overs. Liam struck first in the 8th over and Senuk followed the lead for two wickets in the 10th. Some impressive bowling across the board in the second half saw Ranbeer pick up two and Lachie take a run out off Chayan's bowling.

Batting Chayan and Senuk opened for Marist setting a good base, Lachie displaying some impressive shots supported by Navilan. The middle order Max, Kiaan kept the run rate on target, Josh top scoring left Liam and Ranbeer to chase down the final runs. The Bunyips managed some late wickets pushing the total out with a thrilling final over requiring 1 run off the last ball with a fortunate wide on the last to seal the deal.

Playing at Lyneham ovals this week against Wests, Marist won the toss and elected to bowl first. Wests were contained early by some sharp bowling and fielding, Marist keeping them in check with multiple bowled wickets and two run outs for a loss of 6 wickets. Marist with the bat were very strong in the first ten overs only losing 2 wickets, Wests bounced back in the second half and managed to keep Marist from scoring consistently and losing 6 wickets. It came down to the last over with a lucky catch by Wests to sneak across the line by 3 runs. Marist played really well given they had quite a few of their regulars unavailable this week, notable performances by Ned and Kiaan with the bat (top scorers), Ranbeer with the gloves, Ned and Liam with the ball (2 wickets each). Big thanks for Ned filling in for us this week, happy to have you back anytime! Thank you again to our scorers and umpires this week, and we hope all the boys and families have a lovely break over Christmas and see you in the New Year.

Batting: Liam (14), Lachie (12), Josh (11)
Bowling: Ranbeer (1/10), Liam (0/6), Lachie (0/6)

This week, Marist Light faced WCMCC at O’Connor Ovals. Marist won the toss and elected to bowl. The WCMCC batters were strong in their defense, only succumbing to one wicket off Ranbeer’s bowling. However, Marist Light bowled well and restricted WCMCC to a total of 89 runs, with three sharp run-outs—one by Josh and two by Ranbeer.

With an achievable target in sight, Marist Light had to contend with some very strong bowling and fielding, making every run a challenge. Despite losing wickets, Marist Light displayed impressive all-round batting, including six boundaries from Senuk, Kiaan, Josh, Lachie, and Liam. Unfortunately, in the end, they lost too many wickets, pushing the total runs needed just beyond their reach.

Overall, the boys played a valiant season, finishing with only four losses. It has been a pleasure to watch their skills improve week after week. A big thank you to the coaches, umpires, and manager for an awesome season, and to the parents for their support and dedication to the early starts!

Bowling: Kiaan 2/0, Liam 2/2, Ranbeer 2/7, Senuk 2/13

Batting: Kiaan 13, Josh 12, Max 11, Ranbeer 9

This week the boys started the year with a strong win, bowling first Marist took 10 wickets in the field distributed across the majority of the team. Notable call outs to some great catching by Max and Senuk, caught and bowled to Josh and Max, run out by Lachie and an almost hat trick to Liam.

Batting the boys had a shaky first couple of overs but bounced back confidently with some impressive shots and running between wickets. They had quickly made up the runs and were able to defend off some strong bowling by Western Creek to take the win. Notable call outs to Kiaan with the bat top scoring with two very strong boundaries, Josh and Max for maintaining the momentum and turning over the strike, and Lachie for confidently seeing out the innings.

After being sent in to bat Uvi Weerasinghe gave Marist Royal a positive start to the innings smacking plenty of boundaries and rotating the strike with other batters to keep the run rate flowing. After a bit of a collapse in the middle order Harrison Wright and Riley Walters rebuilt nicely to put the team in the drivers seat for when Jack McMahon and Ollie Guile came out to bat. The innings finished with good hitting from Efrem Tijo and Jack Smedley to leave Norths with 148 to win. North Gungahlin came out flying with lots of early boundaries, punishing the loose deliveries from Marist's opening bowlers. A great captaincy move saw Jack McMahon and Riley Walters come on in partnership. Jack completed a double wicket maiden for his first over with Riley bowling very tightly at the other end. From there it was wickets galore for Jack McMahon as he combined with wicketkeeper Ollie Guile who took two stumpings and a catch to cap off Jack McMahon's brilliant all-round day with 5/10 off his four overs. The game was finished comfortably by Xavier Honan and William Loft with Jack Smedley and Darcy Snashall combining for a run-out to claim the last wicket and bowl Norths out for 62.

This Saturday Marist Royal took on Yerrabi Diamond at the Mint Oval. Marist lost the toss and had a bowl first with Lofty claiming 3 wickets in the first couple overs bowling in great partnership with Darc to give a shakey start to Yerrabi's morning. Riley and Haz combined to keep the wickets coming and cause huge problems for the Yerrabi boys. Uvi and Macca were next on to bowl and wickets just kept tumbling. A bit of a fightback caused a delay in getting the last couple wickets but Smeds and Efrem wrapped that up pretty quickly. Marist were very confident going in to bat with Haz and Macca starting quite well but then the first wicket fell. From there wickets were falling like dominoes and soon Marist Royal saw themselves 5/35 with 3 wickets in hand. However, resilience and bravery from Efrem and Macca saved the Marist Royal innings and the game for the boys. Macca retired playing a fighting knock and Efrem showcased his 360 batting skills with an unsuccessful ramp shot. Uvi went out and hit the winning runs which saw an Incredible fightback and courageous effort from the lads. Bowling was tight and encouragement was up again which was great to see.

This Saturday, Marist Royal took on Wests Falcons at Latham 104. Marist lost the toss and were sent in to bat first on a slow, wet outfield. Efrem Tijo and Jack McMahon got Marist Royal off to a solid start before a miscommunication saw Jack McMahon run out. Uvindu Weerasinghe was the next to fall which brought Ollie Guile to the crease. Ollie was off to a flyer smashing a four first ball and plenty of sixes early in his innings. Efrem Tijo retired after a great partnership with Ollie Guile but it was Jack Smedley's turn next. Smashing 3 fours early, Jack Smedley was off to another great start before falling in the next over. Next, out came Darcy Snashall who built on the total with Ollie Guile who then retired. Harrison Wright, Xavier Honan and William Loft were next in respectively. They all came out to the middle with intent to move the game forward and push the scoring along. Darcy Snashall retired so Efrem Tijo and Ollie Guile were back out there together. Efrem Tijo fell which brought Darcy Snashall back out for the last wicket with Ollie Guile. Ollie Guile quickly went to a second career fifty and a second of the season, celebrating in fine style. Marist were bowled out for 137 and Wests were off to a solid start before Harrison Wright took the first wicket to give Marist some momentum. After the first wicket Marist really accelerated with Jack McMahon on fire again and Efrem Tijo steaming in bowling heat from the other end. Wests put up a good fight but the spin wizardry from Jack McMahon and pace from Efrem Tijo was too much. This bowling was well backed up by Uvindu Weerasinghe and Xavier Honan who each contributed solidly. The Wests innings ended after a great direct hit run out from William Loft in close. A special mention to Riley Walters for coming out to the field at Latham to support the Marist Royal boys despite being injured himself.

Marist Royal have successfully beaten Weston Creek to finish top of the table and go through to finals. Marist Royal won the toss and had a bat first on a dewy Waniassa field. The batting started better than ever with Smeds smashing plenty of boundaries together with Darc to rotate the strike and keep the runs flowing, fast. Smeds went to fifty and it just kept getting better for Marist as Uvi and Macca batted brilliantly with Uvi passing fifty in a flourish of 4s and 6s and Macca retiring for a well-constructed 21. From there, Ollie and Efrem kept cashing in on the boundaries with Ollie not disappointing with some classic Saturday morning power-hitting. Big sixes saw Ollie go to fifty with the innings nicely finished off by Riley and Efrem. With Weston Creek needing 250 off 30 overs Marist Royal felt good going into bowl. However, Weston Creek started well with plenty of boundaries, taking Marist 57 balls to take the first wicket with thanks to some brilliant spin bowling from Uvi and Macca. From there, wickets kept tumbling as Marist brought themselves in good distance of victory, going into the break needing four wickets to win. A wicket keeper change saw Ollie in the outfield and Efrem wicket keeping. A great delivery from Darc saw Marist needing 3 to win with Macca wrapping up the tail nicely, finishing with 4 for the game.

A great win from the lads today, some classy batting from Ollie, Uvi and Jack (congrats on the 50s by the way fellas) and overall a comprehensive win to finish round 22 on a high. Bowling was great after the break and excellent chat in the field.