After a bye in Week One, Marist Royal were keen to play their season opener against Marist Sky. Under cool conditions, Royal won the toss and elected to bat. Angad and Chip got the team away to a great start, with each batter hitting a six. The next batting pair of Tom and Hunter continued in the same vein by playing some stylish shots with watchful running between wickets, helping Hunter reach the teams top score of 33 not out. Dimitri, Ned and Will kept consistently adding to the growing score with some cracking fours and sneaky singles. Jobe made his debut for Marist with an impressive 18 not out off only 14 balls. Unfortunately Harvey and Harry didn’t get a chance to bat, with most of the Royals retiring not out. We look forward to seeing them in action with the bat next week.

Buoyed by their excellent batting performance, the boys were eager to take to the field to defend their total. On the last ball of the first over Will got his first dismissal of the season by clean bowling one of the Sky openers, with Angad clean bowling the other opener in the next over. Hunter, Dimitri and Ned each chipped in with wickets against Sky’s tenacious batting. Angad took the last wicket of the day, finishing with our best figures of 3/13.

Overall an excellent team performance from the Royals - the batters kept the score ticking along throughout our innings without too many risky shots, followed by tight bowling, high energy and lots of encouragement in the field.

Under sunny skies, Royal won the toss and elected to bat. The Royals innings got away to a shaky start with our first wicket falling in the first over thanks to some fast and on target bowling. Dimitri and Angad got the team back on track, with Dimitri playing an explosive innings. He scored scoring 29 runs off only 16 balls including 4 fours and 1 six. Angad contributed another excellent innings, ending on 54 not out (6 fours, 2 sixes). Ned, Harry and Harvey all played important and risk-free innings to help the team set a target of 191 for Eastlakes to chase.

The Royals bowling was consistent, accurate and difficult to play. The Eastlakes wickets were shared across the team, with seven players taking a wicket. Harry was the bowler of the day, finishing with 2/8. Our fielding was once again solid, with the boys continuing to support and encourage each other throughout the game. Eastlakes providing lots of catching practice, with Chip taking two catches at slip.

A great team performance from the Marist Royal!

After a bye in Week One, Marist Royal were keen to play their season opener against Marist Sky. Under cool conditions, Royal won the toss and elected to bat. Angad and Chip got the team away to a great start, with each batter hitting a six. The next batting pair of Tom and Hunter continued in the same vein by playing some stylish shots with watchful running between wickets, helping Hunter reach the teams top score of 33 not out. Dimitri, Ned and Will kept consistently adding to the growing score with some cracking fours and sneaky singles. Jobe made his debut for Marist with an impressive 18 not out off only 14 balls. Unfortunately Harvey and Harry didn’t get a chance to bat, with most of the Royals retiring not out. We look forward to seeing them in action with the bat next week.

Buoyed by their excellent batting performance, the boys were eager to take to the field to defend their total. On the last ball of the first over Will got his first dismissal of the season by clean bowling one of the Sky openers, with Angad clean bowling the other opener in the next over. Hunter, Dimitri and Ned each chipped in with wickets against Sky’s tenacious batting. Angad took the last wicket of the day, finishing with our best figures of 3/13.

Overall an excellent team performance from the Royals - the batters kept the score ticking along throughout our innings without too many risky shots, followed by tight bowling, high energy and lots of encouragement in the field.

Batting: Aarav Gorle 24, Flynn Carolan 17 and Charlie Johnston 11*(not out).

Bowling: Rupert Reid 2/1, Flynn Carolan 1/1 and Bill Smedley 1/9.

It was a beautiful spring morning at Deakin Oval for Marists Sky’s first game of the 2025/26 cricket season.

Marist Sky won the toss and captain Clyde elected to bat first. Openers Rupert and Flynn got off to a great start on a very quick pitch with both finding the boundary on a couple of occasions. Rupert unfortunately was bowled in the third over which saw Bill join Flynn at the crease. Bill batted well before being caught in the field by a good catch from the opposition. Aaryan was next in and he and Flynn chipped away adding runs to the score before Flynn was bowled on his last ball. Aarav joined Aaryan and these two formed a good partnership adding more runs to the board, with Aarav hitting four 4’s, the most of the game. Another good catch by the opposition saw Aaryan dismissed with Cameron coming out the centre. Cameron and Aarav continued to add runs to the board before both were caught in the field one over apart. Our tailer enders Archie and Charlie did well to push the score above 100 with Marist Sky all out for 129 in the 21st over.

As the weather started to warm up, the boys headed out into the field. Rupert opened the bowling with good pace and found the first wicket on his fourth ball of the first over with a great caught and bowled. Rupert also picked up the next wicket which fell in the third over in the same fashion. All the boys bowled well, keeping the extras to a bare minimum and the fielding nice and tight. Captain Clyde was also a great wicket keeper. Fylnn also took a wicket with a beautiful fast paced ball clean bowling the batsman’s and Bill produced a runout off his own bowling. The last wicket fell in the 15th over the same way Sky’s fielding started – with a caught and bowled by Bill.

It was great to be back on the cricket pitch and we all played really well supporting and encouraging each other. If this game is anything to go by, Marist Sky is in for a great season of cricket.

Marist Sky won 8/129 to 5/50.

Bowling: Noah Doyle 2/3, Emmett Posener 2/8, Evander Jose 2/13.

Batting: Kalum Palmer 14*, Will Costigan 8*

Player of the Match: Will Costigan

A great team performance to start the season!

After a scorching start with the ball, Marist S2 Navy bowled their opponents out for just 50 in the 20th over. Special mention to Noah Doyle who broke a bail with an absolute jaffa!

Having spent the week focused on fielding, the team showed what they'd been working on - chasing down potential boundaries and taking some sharp catches.

With a slow outfield to contend with, the boys had to earn their runs - and did just that, reaching the target in the 12th over. Well done to Will Costigan and Cholan Tharmarajah who both managed to find the boundary in tough conditions.

A lovely morning out at the cricket - bring on the rest of the season!

The Marist Blue fell just short of defending their 136 run target with only 3 balls remaining in the match. Despite the result, this was a really positive first game for the season with many of the boys new to the Stage 2 format.

Samadhi P and Darcy C opened for the season and were firing from the first ball. Sam played out the innings with a solid 25 not out. Two big sixes saw Darcy top score with 26 before being caught. Other top scorers were Will S on 22.

In the field, the boys were outstanding. Despite being a new team, the constructive talk, backing up and all round support for each other highlighted how much potential this team has. Finley C finished his 5 overs with 2 wickets and restricting the opposition to just 10 runs. Other wicket takers were Patrick O and Mitchell H. Catches to Will S, Sam P and Darcy C rewarded some very tidy bowling.

Well done to Queanbeyan who played a very patient game. And well done to the boys for showing such a positive start to the year.

Key highlights

————————

Bowling :

• Wilson Moufarrige : 1-13
• Noah Johnston: 1-21

Fielding:

• Christian Rego catch
• Steve Loukadellis runout

Batting:

• Christian Rego : 23*
• Leo Meagher : 18*
• Steve Loukadellis first six of season

Match Details:

WCMCC batted very well to put out a formidable score . Marist bowlers kept a tight line with minimal extras.

fielding was the highlight along with great wicket keeping my Leo.

Casing a large total and loosing 3 batsman on a duck was never going to be easy. Christian Rego unbeaten 23* and Ernest 21* demonstrated their continued form from last game.

However good bowling from WMCC Sixers and our casual short selection let us down.

A sunny day on the first of November, Marist Stage 2 Div 2 Blue went up against ANU Iron, on Hackett oval 103. Marist won the toss and chose to bowl. It was a fantastic bowling performancefrom Marist Blue. Flynn Walters and Will Salter both bowled two maidens from two overs also getting a wicket each. Half way through the bowling Yash Karnati came on to bowl. He took 3 wickets in one over and it went bowled, dot ball, 1NB caught, dot ball, bowled, dot ball. In the batting innings Samadhi (Sam) Pathmaper was the highest scorer for Marist Blue with 20 of 24 balls. ANU Iron were a very accurate bowlers and they were a fun team to play against.

Thanks to the coach (Richard Bondietti) and to all the parents especially to Sam’s mum for all of the great food. By Ben Bondietti (game captain).

Bowling: Emmett Posener 1/7, Kemith Orawatte 1/12

Batting: William Costigan 41*, Lachlan Poole 18

Player of the match: Kemith Orawatte

Sent in to bat first on a damp wicket, Marist lost a few early wickets before Will Costigan and Isaac Swan steadied the ship with a composed partnership.

As the ground began to dry, Eddie’s came in to bat. An early breakthrough from Emmett Posener gave Marist some hope, but wickets proved hard to come by as the Eddie’s batters settled in. A strong batting display followed, featuring some well-timed big shots.

Two Marist fielders took painful blows to the ankles but showed great courage to play on. Despite some tidy spells from our spin bowlers, Eddie’s proved too strong on the day.

The match was played in great spirit, with plenty of good will and sportsmanship shown between both sides.

T20 #1 28/10

Bowling: Evander Jose 1/8, Divij Shah 2 run outs

Batting: Noah Doyle 32*, Lachlan Poole 27*

Player of the match: Noah Doyle

The first T20 of the season was hotly anticipated, and the boys rose to the occasion with a strong performance, claiming a reduced-overs win against Queanbeyan as fading light brought the match to an early close.

A lively outfield meant runs were on offer, and several Marist batters took full advantage - highlighted by a big six from Noah Doyle.

In the field, the team worked cohesively to create pressure, leading to two smart run outs for Divij Shah.

A great all-round team effort to kick off the T20 campaign!

Bowling: Lachlan Poole 2/22, Divij Shah 2/22

Batting: Will Costigan 48*, Evander Jose 23*, Isaac Swan 22*

Player of the match: Isaac Swan

After a foggy start in Googong, both the sun and the cricket came out in full force! Spectators were treated to a cracker of a match.

Marist won the toss and elected to bowl. A quick outfield helped Queanbeyan post some early runs, but the boys tightened up beautifully - sharp fielding and a fired-up bowling attack swung the momentum our way, with the eighth wicket falling in the 26th over.

Queanbeyan’s quicks celebrated early when Marist’s chase began, but an heroic near half century from wicketkeeper Will Costigan turned the tide. Supported brilliantly by Isaac Swan and Evander Jose, Marist chased down the total with just six balls to spare.

A huge team effort where belief never wavered. Well done, boys!

Key Performances

Bowling:

• Steve Loukadells – 3/10
• Noah Johnston – 2/9

Fielding:

• Arjun Pardeshi – Caught & Bowled
• Vivaan Khanna – Run Out

Batting:

• Christian Rego – 18
• Saurav Nair – 18
• Ernest Morrison – 15*

Match Summary:

Team ML – Kicking Off the Winning Ways with a Low-Scoring Grinder!

Marist Light (ML) began their Stage 2, Division 2, 2025 season in true fighting style — with a gritty, low-scoring thriller that tested every nerve and showcased real team spirit. Nothing beats the feeling of digging deep to get your side over the line!

Vikings won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a modest total of 93 for 8 in just over 23 overs. ML’s bowlers were relentless, with Steve Loukadells leading the charge with brilliant figures of 3 for 10, well supported by Noah Johnston’s tight spell and disciplined bowling from the rest of the attack.

Chasing under cloudy skies, ML started confidently thanks to solid top-order contributions from Christian Rego and Saurav Nair. However, some exceptional bowling from the Vikings triggered a dramatic middle-order collapse, setting up a tense finish.

The Nail-Biter!

With only 18 runs needed and the last pair at the crease, Ernest Morrison dug deep, crafting a match-winning 15 not out, while Vivaan Khanna provided calm support at the other end. Together, they guided ML to victory — with nearly half the overs still in hand!

Coach Rob later confessed his heart rate “reached the moon” during those final overs!

A fantastic display of character, discipline, and teamwork, highlighted by low extras, sharp wicket-keeping, and smart fielding. A great platform to build on — and plenty of momentum for the season ahead!

Photos only - report already sent

We arrived at Gowrie oval. There was a bit of dew on the oval. We hoped to win the toss but didn't.

Eddie's sent us in to bat first. Batting was alright. Yash filled in for us and was our stand out batsman's of the day. We played really well and scored really good points just not quite enough to secure the win this week. Special mention to Ben and Finley, both getting a maiden. Finley also delivered 2 wickets, was a great bowling performacne.

The Eddie's batsman were very good. We had a couple of the Eddie’s boys retire and then at the end Eddie just got us with a couple fours and bit of lazy fielding from us. Big shoutout to Saxon for filling in too, who retired 15 not out. Bring on next week.

Batting :

Steve Loukadellis: 42 ( 4 Sixers)

Noah Johnston 32

Bowling:

Leo Meagher 3 wkts

William Frost 2 wkts

Fielding

Wilson Moufarrige 2 catches

Summary

Game started with minute silence by both teams in memory of Ben Austin.

Complete dominant performance all stages of the game . Most batters retiring and then the bowlers coming back and wrapping the opposition at 23 runs which included 4 ducks.

Steve our leading scorer smacked 4 large Sixers. Fielding and catching were the highlights of the game

Bowling :

• Wilson Moufarrige : 1-13
• Noah Johnston: 1-21

Fielding:

• Christian Rego catch
• Steve Loukadellis runout

Batting:

• Christian Rego : 23*
• Leo Meagher : 18*
• Steve Loukadellis: First six

Match Details

A tough match where the opposition showed tremendous batting skills . Marist light bowled some tight lines with minimal extras .

Fielding was the highlight along with great wicket keeping my Leo behind the stumps

Marist Light lost 3 wickets for a duck making the run chase difficult. Following their form from last match Christian stood up to make 23 well fought runs along with Ernest 21.Steve Loukadellis brought about the first six of the season a clean crisp hit.

The start of the season saw Marist Midnight (Stage 2 Div 4) take on Radford College Hawks at Melba. Marist won the toss, and Xanda Heffernan had no hesitation in putting the opposition into bat.

There were many new faces in the team, but the boys played well with strong team spirit. They enjoyed early success, reducing the opposition to 3/46 after seven overs, but some solid batting from Radford saw them build strong partnerships to reach 6/188.

The bowling was consistent, with wickets shared among George (2), Ranbeer (1), Yash (1), James (1), and Senuk (1). Senuk was unlucky not to claim a second wicket after clean-bowling a batter, only for the dismissal to be overturned as he was just over the popping crease.

At the change of innings, the boys showed fantastic teamwork and never gave up while chasing a big total. Yash Reddy had an outstanding day, top-scoring with 58 not out, but Marist fell just short, finishing on 159 all out.

There was excellent leadership from Captain Xanda, who supported and encouraged all players throughout the match. Everyone contributed to the positive team atmosphere, constantly backing each other up and communicating well in the field.

It was a great start to the season, the team’s fielding awareness—particularly their backing up at the stumps—was excellent.

Overall, it was a wonderful example of sportsmanship, teamwork, and effort from this new group. The players displayed great enthusiasm and support for one another both on and off the field.

Bowling: Yash Reddy 3-12 off 3 overs

Batting: Xander Heffernan 10* (not out)

In just their second game together S2 Midnight had a tough match in cold conditions on Sunday morning. The odds weren't in our favour this week starting the game a player down, we lost another to illness 30 minutes into the match.

Bowling first they made an early breakthrough in the opening over, however struggled to capitalise from there. A few missed wicket taking opportunities, dropped catches, overthrows and misfields costing them. Yash Reddy Karnati was a stand out with 3 wickets and an excellent catch.

WCMCC posted a total of 119, a seemingly achievable target for Marist having posted a very respectable 143 the previous week. Our openers got off to a great start seeing out the new ball however a string of wickets, including 3 run-outs didn't help our boys. The team put up a great fight but were beaten by the better team on the day. Plenty to work on at training this week and already looking forward to the match at Bungendore in Round 3.

The start of the season saw Marist Midnight (Stage 2 Div 4) take on Radford College Hawks at Melba. Marist won the toss, and Xanda Heffernan had no hesitation in putting the opposition into bat.

There were many new faces in the team, but the boys played well with strong team spirit. They enjoyed early success, reducing the opposition to 3/46 after seven overs, but some solid batting from Radford saw them build strong partnerships to reach 6/188.

The bowling was consistent, with wickets shared among George (2), Ranbeer (1), Yash (1), James (1), and Senuk (1). Senuk was unlucky not to claim a second wicket after clean-bowling a batter, only for the dismissal to be overturned as he was just over the popping crease.

At the change of innings, the boys showed fantastic teamwork and never gave up while chasing a big total. Yash Reddy had an outstanding day, top-scoring with 70 not out from 39 balls, but Marist fell just short, finishing on 159 all out.

There was excellent leadership from Captain Xanda, who supported and encouraged all players throughout the match. Everyone contributed to the positive team atmosphere, constantly backing each other up and communicating well in the field.

It was a great start to the season, the team’s fielding awareness—particularly their backing up at the stumps—was excellent.

Overall, it was a wonderful example of sportsmanship, teamwork, and effort from this new group. The players displayed great enthusiasm and support for one another both on and off the field.

The boys bowled with great focus and consistency today, keeping a tight line and length against Bungendore. Milan shone in his first game, taking our only wicket — a fantastic start to his cricket journey!

Fielding was sharp and full of energy, with smart backing up and clear communication throughout. 💪

With the bat, the boys showed great intent and teamwork, finishing with 47 runs while chasing 110. There’s been noticeable improvement in their running between wickets and communication — no run outs today, which is excellent!

Our captain led superbly, motivating the team and keeping spirits high right to the end.

A big thank you to all the parents for your support and encouragement — it means a lot to the kids and helps grow their love for the game. 🏏👏

Batting: Lachlan Dean 37*; Matthew Cutting 16

Bowling: Lachie Lawrence 1/9; Flynn McDonald 1/18.

With Marist sent out into field, the Magpies got off to a solid start. Marist got their breakthrough in the 10th over and another in the 15th. 2 superb run outs in 3 balls stalled the Magpies momentum at the end of their innings.

Chasing a competitive total Marist looked to be building before a couple of quick run outs had Marist in trouble. The boys steadied before a blistering innings from Lachlan Dean propelled Marist to a winning position, with the Flynn McDonald hitting the winning run with 3 overs to spare.

Batting: Eddie Tunningley 17, Benji Fearn 15, Ari Richardson 11, Hamish Carling 9*
Bowling: Jack Tunningley 1/15
Notable players: Jack Tunningley and Benji Fearn for quick thinking in the field and a runout each.

Well, Sapphires, it was a day of grit, flashes of flair, and plenty of heart. The runs were hard-earned, but there were lots of encouraging moments along the way.
Max Frizza got a tricky start and fell for a duck — happens to the best of us. Benji Fearn kept things ticking with a tidy 15 before being caught and bowled. Ari Richardson had a bump to the helmet and took a short spell off, but came back strong, showing real grit with 11 off 23. Edward Tunningley added some oomph with 17 off 21, keeping the innings moving nicely.
The lower order chipped in smartly too. Joseph Walshe had a quick cameo of 8, Hamish Carling held firm with 9*, Henry Denny retired not out on 2, and Jack Tunningley stayed unbeaten on 3*. The team’s smart running between the wickets kept the scoreboard moving and put pressure on the fielders.
With the ball, the Sapphires worked hard. Joseph Walshe and Eddie Tunningley bowled with effort, while Jack Tunningley struck with a runout and backed it up immediately with a caught-and-bowled. Henry Denny bowled two tight overs for just eight runs. Ari Richardson’s tidy, disciplined spell showed he couldn’t be rattled. Hamish Carling went a little pricey, Max Frizza kept things tight, and Benji Fearn kept the batters on their toes in his short spell.
In the field, sharp thinking paid off with runouts from Jack Tunningley and Benji Fearn.
There were some brilliant moments, and though the win slipped away, the clouds couldn’t dim the Sapphires’ spirit. Well done, Sapphires — determined, resilient, and standing strong right to the end.

It was a warm and windy October evening at Deakin for the first game of the season. Despite missing a few key players, the team arrived buzzing with energy under the guidance of fill-in coach Dion, whose enthusiasm was infectious. Warm-ups were full of chat and spirit, setting the tone for what proved to be a great start to the season.

The opposition looked a touch nervous as Saxon steamed in for the opening over. He bowled with accuracy and control, setting the standard early. From the other end, Cooper Morgan capitalised beautifully, claiming the first wicket of the year with a searing delivery that clipped the top of middle stump — a perfect start! Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, keeping the run rate well in check. Saxon’s second spell was electric, taking two wickets in two balls to have the crowd holding their breath for a hat-trick, which narrowly missed down leg.

In reply, LJ and Ben opened the batting with intent, finding the boundary regularly and quickly putting the target within reach. Once the openers retired, Lachie and Jarv continued the momentum, playing positive cricket and striking confidently to finish the chase.

LJ earned Best on Ground honours for a strong all-round performance — sharp work with the gloves and a composed innings with the bat. A terrific all-round team effort to kick off the season with confidence and enthusiasm.

Playing at Marist, the T20 match began just as the Friday afternoon rain cleared. With both sides slightly short on players, Aqua’s captain Tom Ferrari won the toss and chose to bowl first. Edmund Dziedzic and Daniel Duffy opened the attack well, with Edmund taking an early wicket, bowling the opposition’s opener for a golden duck. Tom contributed with both bat and ball, also claiming a wicket, while Ryan Nammuni Dewage, Daniel Trinca, and Julian Baseby each added to the tally to close out the innings.

In the chase, Aqua’s batters built partnerships steadily. Ryan Nammuni Dewage and Julian Baseby provided a strategic and solid start, with Julian finding the boundary early. Tom Ferrari and Daniel Trinca followed with outstanding contributions, including several fours from both. In the final stages, Edmund Dziedzic and Josh Rolands saw the team past the target to secure the win for Aqua.

Marist Indigo Edge Out Aqua in Deakin Nail-Biter

Another week at Deakin and another victory for the ever-consistent Marist Indigo. With super-coach Simon Ball back at the helm for his first game of the season, the team looked sharp and well-drilled from the outset.

Saxon and Cooper opened strongly, with Saxon leading from the front — a composed innings of 20 runs across two sessions, remaining not out both times. Debutant Nihal impressed with a calm 5* in his first-ever match, while Jarvis brought fireworks early, smashing two boundaries before falling after four balls. Lachlan Medlin added a quick-fire 13 from 15 deliveries to lift Indigo to a competitive total of 87.

With ball in hand, Indigo struck early. Lachlan removed both Aqua openers for ducks — one caught and bowled, one clean bowled — setting the tone. Jarvis followed up with a wicket and two vital catches, while Nihal celebrated a wicket on debut. Lawrence showed grit, saving a certain boundary and completing his spell despite a hand injury.

Aqua staged a spirited comeback, taking the game to the very last ball, but Indigo held their nerve to clinch victory by just two runs — a thrilling finish and another well-earned win under Coach Ball’s return.

It was a warm and windy October evening at Deakin for the first game of the season. Despite missing a few key players, the team arrived buzzing with energy under the guidance of fill-in coach Dion, whose enthusiasm was infectious. Warm-ups were full of chat and spirit, setting the tone for what proved to be a great start to the season.

The opposition looked a touch nervous as Saxon steamed in for the opening over. He bowled with accuracy and control, setting the standard early. From the other end, Cooper Morgan capitalised beautifully, claiming the first wicket of the year with a searing delivery that clipped the top of middle stump — a perfect start! Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, keeping the run rate well in check. Saxon’s second spell was electric, taking two wickets in two balls to have the crowd holding their breath for a hat-trick, which narrowly missed down leg.

In reply, LJ and Ben opened the batting with intent, finding the boundary regularly and quickly putting the target within reach. Once the openers retired, Lachie and Jarv continued the momentum, playing positive cricket and striking confidently to finish the chase.

LJ earned Best on Ground honours for a strong all-round performance — sharp work with the gloves and a composed innings with the bat. A terrific all-round team effort to kick off the season with confidence and enthusiasm.

Batting: Lachlan Dean (28*); Matthew Cutting (20*)

Bowling: Xander Hardy (1/2); Maxton Bond (1/13)

Marist Slate had another tight finish to their game, this time coming up short by 3 round. The Tigers batted first and got off to a blistering start before Marist was able to slow the run rate through great fielding and some timely wickets. Marist put on a great run chase to be within striking distance in the last over but a tight last over from the Tigers had Marist come up just short.

Batting: Ash Dempsey 24*, Benji Fearn 20*, Eddie Tunningley 20*

Bowling: Hamish Carling 3/4, Eddie Tunningley 1/4, Max Frizza 1/8

Notable Players: Joe Walshe – 2 clever runouts. Henry Denny – Fantastic catch

Birthdays: Hamish Carling 😊

So the season is underway and the boys from Sapphire have notched up a win with an emphatic victory over TVJCC Magpies. The birthday boy, Hamish, had the honour of donning the captain’s bowtie for the inaugural match and, although he lost the toss, led the team with an inspiring performance (more on that later).

After being sent in to bat, Ash and Ari opened and quickly found their groove. In a blaze of five 4s, Ash hit his way to a team high of 24 before being dismissed. Ari batted out his 20 balls, which seemed to be the order of the day with Joe, Benji, and Eddie all doing the same. The four boys dismissed can hold their heads high, knowing they played good cricket but were just beaten by good balls. At the end of the 20 overs, the boys had accumulated an impressive 145 runs.

Riding high on the great batting effort, the team took to the field in good spirits as captain Hamish took the new ball. With the first ball of the season, Hamish had the batter playing uppishly and late, sending it towards gully where Henry was waiting to snare a fantastic catch. What a start! Things kept going from there as three balls later Hamish enticed a nick through to keeper Rory who snaffled it in his waiting gloves. The man in the bowtie was not finished, as in his very next over he snuck one through the gate to add another wicket to his collection. From there the Magpies never recovered. Eddie rattled the stumps in the fourth over, as did Max in the seventh. The rest of the boys kept their bowling tight, building pressure which eventually got too much for the team from Tuggeranong. A runout to Tomoki had Sapphire only two wickets off victory. Joe then pulled off some clever fielding and picked up two runouts in two balls to finish off the game.

A brilliant first outing by the boys. After only one training session and one game they have already gelled, all providing amazing support for each other. It feels like it’s going to be a great season!

On a beautiful afternoon at the newly upgraded oval in Garran, set beside the hospital, a strong team made up of Year 6 Marist players and some wonderful new Holy Trinity recruits kicked off the season with a magnificent display of teamwork that looked like the product of many years’ experience. Despite Weston Creek Green being a little late, waiting for some fill-in players, Marist generously offered to field first, setting a spirit of sportsmanship from the start. The bowling attack, led by Rami Moore, Lawrence Friesen, Ryan Nammuni Dewage, Josh Roland, and Daniel Trinca, was strong and precise, highlighting the team’s talent early on. Reliable wicketkeeping by Edmund Dziedzic and Tom Ferrari kept the opposition in check, with Lawrence notably claiming a golden duck from the opposition. When innings changed, Marist faced a fast Weston Creek bowling attack and unfortunately experienced their first taste of ducks. However, strong batting performances from Tom Ferrari, Daniel Trinca, captain Julian Baseby, and Fredrick Friesen kept the chase competitive. As the sun set and the lights went out, Marist fell just 15 runs short, signaling a promising start to the season despite the narrow loss. What an exciting start to the season!

Batting: Lachlan Dean 37*, Sam Bullock 16*

Bowling: Matthew Cutting 1/3, Flynn McDonald 1/8

There was also a catch by Lachlan Dean and a run out bu Zander Hardy.

In a close contest played in great spirit, Marist Slate were able to hang on for narrow victory. West's needed 10 runs in the last over but a timely wicket and a run out on the last ball had Marist win by 3 runs. There was a stand-out batting performance by Lachlan Dean (37*) and an even contribution from all bowlers with 5 individual wicket takers.