Partnership Strikes Gold 

Gordon's Aiden Casey bowls Ben Kennedy of Lindfield  

Blues on the Rise 

U9 Blues speedster Angus Dickey in full flight  

The U9 Blues powered ahead to a great start bowling first and at one stage it looked like Roseville would struggle to get 40 runs until the second last pairing put on 50. Call it passion or the last week of school the kids even broke into some verbal with Roseville and the umpiring. 

Roseville posted 4 for 98 and the chase was on. The Blues kept up the pace with some great batting and sensational running. They were on target until the 5th wicket fell and finished the inning at 5 for 121 - an agonising two runs short. 

The boys were disappointed but they have shown a huge improvement from their first game together and looking forward to resuming in the new year.

Red’s T20 Last Ball Miracle 

The game was very, very tough but I reckon we played superbly with a bit of aggression and a lot of determination. 

It started off with us losing the toss, which was a bit disappointing because it was good conditions for us to bat in but we ended up fielding first.

Ned Fryar is holding the trophy on the left, with his captain Nick Tressos on the far left 

After the first 10 overs our luck turned. We scored with a wicket from Mangesh Dashputre who also displayed a lot of solid fielding, kept wicket awesomely, bowled exceptionally well and got a very good a run out! 

Then Harrison Layton came along with a brilliant wicket – a run out! Oscar Stanton nearly took a catch but instead he got a sore shoulder! 

Oscar's fielding was amazing and bowling the same, he did very well in his batting. 

Tom Brayshaw displayed excellent fielding, bowled amazingly well and battered very brilliantly. Then Nick Tressos, the captain, got a wicket (bowled) to come up with the gold. 

Our target was 85 runs from 20 overs and we started batting with Billy Flick and Oliver Riddle. 

Billy had bowled well and now batted very well to give us a good start. Oliver looked like he was in the clear but then got run out, the first of seven run-outs for our team. 

Then we lost a few quick wickets due to the run-outs but we were running hard and trying to get the runs we needed. 

Henry Smith, 21 runs, and Nick Tressos, 7 retired not out, came to the crease and performed well with a brilliant partnership. 

It looked like the game had turned around with only 10 runs needed to win. But then Nick came off retired not out and Henry was run out - despite a great dive. Henry's fielding had been extremely good again and I reckon he might get the fielders award at the end of season. 

With only a few runs to win and wickets and overs running out, the crowd - including cousins and grandparents - were getting very excited. In the last over Ned Fryar, who had batted with great courage, and Harrison Layton were our last pair at the wicket. On the last ball, Ned nearly got out but it was a 'free hit', so he didn't. 

Ned then scored the golden run on the very last ball to win the match by one run! Everyone was so excited they did a lap of honour! 

Ned did a lot of good work for the team, especially the wicket he got with a run out. He fielded in close at our 'panther' position and saw a lot of the ball. He also batted well. 

Mathew Barrett bowled very well in the match, fielded quite well and batted well. 

Even though Marcus Possi wasn't there, I reckon he would have done well. Pranav Muralidhar was excellent in the field and he was brilliant at bowling while batting awesomely - his shoes let him down at a vital moment when running between the wickets. Jay Newman fielded super and bowled a very tight over at the end - just one run- to keep the target down. 

Ned Fryar was awarded Player of the Week because of his close in fielding, his run-out and his courage to bat at the end and get the winning run.

Nick Tressos - U11 Captain for the Day

Greens Set for Big 2012 

The Greens won the toss and opted to bat. There was a chance to set a total and defend it. Opening batter, Hugh Woods, did what was needed and top scored with 17 - including three 4s - before retiring. 

"Mr Consistency", Ollie Clarke, is all concentration facing another fiery delivery 

However, his batting partners couldn’t manage to start a runs flow to support him. Bradley Pascoe added five before he retired. Ollie Clarke put on six runs, including a four and some excellent calling and running, but was bowled just as he looked threatening. 

Bradley Pascoe looks impressive fielding in the deep 

Angus Levy, Kendell Austine and Raymond Su added a few each, but couldn’t go on with it. Later in the innings, Nick Moore started to put bat on ball very well and raced to 14 - including three 4s - before unfortunately being run out. 

Ace Bowler, Nick Moore, hurtles in to deliver another speed ball to a trembling batter 

Daniel Hall, after a good knock last week, started with a purpose and sent a six straight back over the bowler’s head. However, a few balls later he was caught on seven. Scot Martin contributed 6 before being run out. Liam and Max O’Loughlin added a few more runs before the end but our total of 98 after 20 overs looked precarious. 

In the field, we could only manage to remove four Blue batters before we were run down after just 15 overs. Ollie Clarke bowled very well and took two wickets. Max picked up another wicket and Angus took a good catch. 

It was not quite the Christmas present we wanted but again it was not all bad news. Hugh’s batting contribution was just reward for a very good season so far. Ollie and Nick were typically smart in how they batted and ran between the wickets. Daniel backed up his batting effort last week with a few more this week. Bradley and Kendell stayed in for their five overs, showing a bit of defiance against a solid bowling attack. 

We also thank Harry Clarke this week for filling in for our regular coach. The players and parents appreciated your efforts. 

We’re now looking forward to our Christmas break and we know what we’re asking Santa for this year … a brand new batting inspiration and a fiery new bowling attack … but we’ll be back in 2012 ready to go again! 

Brian Hall 

U12 Green – Manager

Gordon Green 7/98 (cc) def by Gordon Blue 4/102 OJ Clarke 2/11

Reds Win Last Ball T20 Thriller 

The unflappable Vandermark - needing one from the final delivery – held his nerve and smashed a pull shot for four to seal a great victory. 

Last ball hero Ned Vandermark receives the personal best reward from coach Andrew Chitty 

There were hugs and high fives from all players as the ball screamed over the boundary. Vandermark stood in his crease with his bat raised in triumph. Parents applauded. Management smiled and coach Andrew Chitty was rewarded for all his outstanding work with the team in 2011. 

Earlier, the Reds held the Lane Cove team to 86 runs from their 20 overs. It was a very good effort as the damp outfield turned the ball into a red piece of slippery soap. The Gordon bowlers did well just to grip the ball and to hit the deck with such efficiency. 

Good sportsmanship is the hallmark of the U12 Reds and Lachlan Irving was this week's winner 

Chasing 87 to win from their 20 overs, the early Red batsmen fell cheaply. Too many went chasing the big hit when a more measured shot was required. It might be a Twenty20 game boys but you still have to play cricket shots! 

The innings picked up with Tom Brown continuing his good form with the bat as he clipped numerous shots off his pads to the boundary. Brown retired 20 not out. 

A couple more wickets fell cheaply until Tim Perry sent a few loose deliveries to the boundary. 

The Reds celebrate after winning their T20 game on the last ball of the game 

When Perry was forced to retire it was up to Vandermark and Finn Mclay to get the Reds home in the dying overs. 

The pair got the team to within six runs of victory when Mclay was run out bringing Brae Mason back into bat to join Vandermark. 

Mason missed a couple of wide balls then picked up a single. Vandermark was now on strike. With two balls to go, Vandermark and Mason turned one run into two and the scores were now tied. The equation was simple – one ball, one run to win. 

As the bowler came in, everyone on the boundary held their breath and watched. Vandermark didn’t flinch. He stepped inside the line and cracked the ball to the boundary for four and a memorable victory. Insert pandemonium! 

Not surprisingly, Vandermark picked up the Personal Best award for his heroics with the bat and the field where he has developed into an expert long stop and a fine bowler. 

The Good Sportsmanship trophy went to the enthusiastic Lachlan Irving. 

The U12 Reds should be very proud of the way they’ve played so far this season. They set the example when it comes to walking in with the bowler and for good sportsmanship. It’s hard to imagine any team in the U12 competition matching the Reds in these departments. 

The Reds go into the Christmas break fourth in the table. 

Keep practicing during the holidays and see you late January for the second half of the season. 

Congratulations boys on a good year! 

Go the mighty Gordon Reds.

Green’s Great Effort 

The Greens warm up with catching practice before the game 

Great effort from all the boys and the man of the match was James Bahari who bowled his best for the season. 

Speedster Nico Dowling fires down a thunderbolt 

A well needed break will see the boys refreshed for the new year but there will be plenty of practice during the holidays amongst friends during a game of backyard cricket. 

Man of the match James Bahari lashes out with the bat 

Happy Christmas from the U9 Gordon Greens!

Greens shake hands at the end of the game 

Reds In Need of More Runs 

When I got to the wicket I did the toss and I won and I chose to bowl. 

Mangesh Dashputre (above right) is all concentration as he plays a straight bat shot 

Mangesh Dashputre was the “floater”. Pranav started to bowl and after a few deliveries he got two people out and every one cheered for him. 

Andrew Nash and Marcus Possi talk tactics 

The other team were very good and scored lots of runs. When I got in, I batted with Mangesh and we stayed in for a long time but eventually I got out and Mangesh was still in for longer. 

Throughout the whole game I was looking for who I should give the player of the week to with Matthew, who was the vice captain. 

At the end of the game Mathew and I had to decide who gets the trophy and we decided Mangesh for batting the longest. 

The game was fun but we lost and I hope Matthew has such a good time as being captain as I did. 

We were steady throughout the game but although we still got lots of runs they got more than us. 

So next week we need to improve in running. 

Captain: Oliver Riddle

Blue Bats Fall Just Short 

Opening the bowling was Oscar Burgess-Tate who came up with 0 for 3 from two overs. He opened the bowling with Harry Duczmal who was 0 for 10 from two overs. 

The Blues didn’t get a wicket for a while until Joseph Siokos (Joey) picked up a wicket that was caught behind by Matthew Garrett. 

Some of the standout bowlers were Joey with 2 for 31 from three overs and Jordan Hunt with 4 for 20 from four overs bowling his outstanding spin. 

Although the bowling was pretty good the fielding was not that good with North Sydney Gold making 184 runs. 

Then the Blues went in to bat. Kieran and Alistar Siokos were the openers. Kieran did a great job getting 33 runs off some hard bowlers but unfortunately Ali got out LBW for a golden duck. 

Then Oliver Cameron came into the attack only facing four balls and getting five runs including a four through slip and gully. He then unfortunately got out because he was bowled a good ball and hit it to point who took a magnificent catch diving to his right side. 

Then the amazing Dougie Oxenham came in to bat and got a glorious 41 runs not out. After him Joey came in and unfortunately got out for one. Then Andrew Earlam came into the attack and started smashing it. His innings of 36 included a six. Then the rest of the order collapsed as Sam Holmes went for a duck, Will Collins went for one, Harry got two and then got run out, Matt went for one and Jordan went for five. 

In the end Gordon were all out for 151 and did not do enough to win. 

Gordon lost by 33 runs. 

North Sydney Gold: 9/184 off 32 overs. Gordon Blue: 151 off 31.3 overs. 

Man of the match: Jordan Hunt 

Written by Oliver Cameron, 

Under 12 Gordon Blue team member.

Hard Working Greens Go Close 

Their higher order batters were strong and we never got among the wickets until a few at the top had retired and we then picked up five wickets, bowled, and took a couple of good catches. 

Star of the day, Daniel Hall, watches closely for the next delivery 

When we got a go at batting, a number of players “got a start” but only one managed to carry on at Gladesville Reserve. 

Nick Moore put on 21 runs (including four 4s) before he was caught. Then “Batman”, Raymond Su, came in at number four and added 16 runs (including three 4s) before succumbing to a rare LBW. 

Wicketkeeper, Hugh Woods, watches on, but the damage has already been done 

Surprise package and star of the day, Daniel Hall, stepped up next and went all the way to get a fine undefeated 32. This had been threatening for several weeks as Daniel has been staying in longer and building bigger totals week by week. 

Tim Stubbs-Race turns one down the leg side

“Mr Consistency”, Ollie Clarke, systematically crafted up another solid 17 (only one 4 but plenty of clever batting and running) before being caught. 

Angus Levy, and captain of the day, Max O’Loughlin, both grabbed a few runs each and were there at the end but we’d fallen short of the required total when our 32 overs had ended. 

Again, we came up short but it was a fair contest. Perhaps we could have to chanced our arm a bit more with the bat, rather than leaving a couple “on the bench” at the end. However, as always, there were bright spots. Scott Martin picked up a couple of good wickets and we saw a very fine knock from Daniel Hall. 

Bradley Pascoe hurls another thunderbolt at the wicket 

Our stand-in coach, Harry Clarke, is still getting to know the players but he has been working hard with them over the last couple of weeks and giving them good support and encouragement. 

It is also worth noting that a couple of times this season we’ve had some excellent input from GDCC first grade player, James Kennedy, which our players have thoroughly enjoyed and found very helpful. 

Ryde Hunters Hill Pirates 7/152(cc) defeated Gordon Green 6/131(cc) 

Brian Hall 

U12 Green – Manager

Reds Fightback in Final Over Thriller 

The Reds won the toss and elected to bat but four quick wickets fell in the first six overs and St Ives Warne were confident of more. 

At the 16 over mark, we were 5 for 75 with Luke Carah on 31 - his highest ever score in the past for seasons hitting some huge boundaries. Charlie Wallace came in and kept the runs flowing and retired at 35 not knowing at the time he would continue his innings. 

Some hard-hitting boundaries from Jack Bucknell, 15, ensured we were going to have a defendable score. 

Charlie came back at the end with Jake O’Donnell for a last wicket partnership of 60 plus runs to bring the Reds tally up to 190. Charlie ended with an impressive 57 not out and Jake 33 not out. 

Fairly confident that 190 was a very competitive score at Bales Park, St Ives Warne set about taking our bowlers apart against some below par bowling. At the 16 over mark, St Ives were 0 for 105. 

After some words of encouragement from the coach (well, let’s just say the lads got the message) the next 16 overs were a delight to watch. The boys all bowled 400 per cent better to have St Ives Warne going into the last over with no wickets in hand needing nine runs to win. The Reds needed just one wicket. 

Jules Diciano was selected to bowl the last over. He started with a wide and then a no ball. The next delivery was pitched up perfectly hitting middle peg to dismiss the last St Ives batsman. 

Special mention must go to Logan McManus who kept wicket beautifully for the last 16 overs to claim a stumping and not concede a bye! 

Well done to all the lads. We are outright third on the ladder, which is very exciting given the competition in this division. 

Darren O'Donnell - Coach