On a cold, cloudy afternoon with no sunshine in sight, the Marist Scorchers showed something far more important than perfect cricket conditions, they showed what a tight, supportive group of friends they are. Their energy, teamwork, and encouragement for one another made the game feel warm despite the chilly day.

Chasing 111, the Scorchers approached the innings with a great sense of togetherness.

· Hayden Carolan led the way with a confident 11 off 13, and his teammates backed him in with plenty of cheers.

· Johan Midhun, Austin Gilmartin, and Otto Nevalainen each contributed 3 runs, supporting each other between overs and keeping spirits high.

· Pranav Karthik Nair, staying not out on 6, showed calm leadership and encouraged his batting partners throughout.

· Jimmy Underhill played his part with 2 runs, showing good focus at the crease.

· Reuben Paynter and Thomas Moody added steady late runs, helped along by constant positive talk from the whole team.

With 66 extras boosting the total, the Scorchers stayed close — but what mattered most was how they communicated, supported each other, and batted as mates.

Even in the cold, the Scorchers bowled with genuine enthusiasm, celebrating each other’s efforts.

· Pranav Karthik Nair led with 2 wickets, and every breakthrough was met with high fives and smiles.

· Reuben Paynter bowled an excellent spell (only 13 runs in 3 overs) and had lots of backing from his teammates in the field.

· Johan Midhun and Thomas Moody delivered steady overs, encouraged every ball by friends around them.

· No matter what happened — boundaries, wides, wickets — the Scorchers kept each other positive.

· And in the field, Otto Nevalainen  and Johnan Midhun were the team’s wicketkeepers, doing a strong job behind the stumps — staying focused, backing up bowlers, and keeping the energy high with their teammates throughout the innings.

The Scorchers finished on 101, just 10 runs short, but the result doesn’t tell the full story.  This supportive attitude is a huge part of what makes the team so special. What stood out most was:

· the encouragement between teammates,

· the way players supported each other’s successes,

· how mistakes were shrugged off quickly,

· and how everyone stayed upbeat together on a cold day.

This is a group that clearly enjoys playing together, trusts one another, and genuinely likes being a team.  And that kind of bond almost always leads to strong performances — and eventually, wins.

Another victory is just over the horizon for the Scorchers — but more importantly, at their young age, the guidance of Jared, Finn, and Coach Gilmartin has already made them winners in friendship, teamwork, and resilience every single week.