U11 Reds vs St Ives Warne

19 February 2011

Hassell Park, St Ives

Another fine effort with the bat by James Mulder wasn't enough to help an under strength Gordon Reds to victory on Saturday.

Charlie Crawshaw was rewarded for his display of good sportsmanship and honesty

Captain Charlie Bibb won the toss and elected to bat in the early morning heat. The Reds were without Brae Mason and Angus Chitty for this game.

Openers Mulder and Bibb again got the Reds off to a flying start. The pair mixed aggressive hitting with quick singles and after 10 overs the run rate was at 5 an over.

With the openers retired, Tom Hampson continued to push the scoring along as did Charlie Crawshaw. Finn Mclay chipped in with a solid 9 not out.

But the innings suddenly stalled as the batsmen failed to score quickly and make the most of the good start. Tellingly, the Reds scored just 14 runs from their last 10 overs ' a statistic that would end up costing them the match.

Defending 104, the Reds struck early when Mclay took a very good catch from the bowling of Hampson.

It should have been the start of a march to victory but instead the Reds switched off in the field and started to bowl far too short and wide, which allowed the batsmen to get on top.

Further wayward bowling cost the Reds dearly with the exception of the aggressive efforts of Crawshaw ,who took 1 for 5 from his three overs, Mulder and the leg spin of Bibb. Hampson fielded very well with a direct hit run out.

Charlie Bibb wins the man of the match awards

The boys know they can play much better than this and they will be fired up to redeem themselves at next Saturday's match.

Bibb picked up Player of the Match for his efforts with bat and ball while Crawshaw displayed fine sportsmanship when he informed the umpire he had snicked a ball when originally given not out.

Next Saturday is the final game of the season with the Reds looking to end on a high with a win over the Roseville Rickys.

The final practice is on Friday at Artarmon where line and length bowling will be the order of the day!

Good luck on Saturday boys.

Steve Bibb

 The under strength Reds were in good spirits after the match

U11 Reds vs Lane Cove Marsh

12 February 2011

Pottery Green, Lane Cove

Opening bowler Tom Hampson took four wickets as he helped set up victory for the U11 Reds on Saturday. An impressive Hampson claimed a wicket in his first over before a run out saw Lane Cove Marsh reeling at 2 for 0 after two overs.

Mulder and Bibb perform with the willow

James Mulder was then thrown the ball and he also struck in his first over to have the home team in trouble at 3 for 12. But a determined Lane Cove team fought back and were on 47 when James Miller picked up his first wicket hitting the stumps with a perfectly pitched delivery.

Hampson came back into the attack and showed his teammates how to do it by bowling straight and at the stumps.  At one stage, Hampson was on a hat-trick but the third delivery was well kept out by the batsmen.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals but the Reds couldn't bowl out Lane Cove who finished on 9 for 80 after 30 overs. Hampson finished with the impressive figures of 4 for 6 from his four overs while Tim Perry picked up 2 for 5.

Of the other bowlers:

• Brae Mason also kept a very good line and length for the tidy figures of 0 for 2 from three overs
• Mulder finished with 1 for 7
• Angus Chitty 0 for 5 from three tight overs
• Ned Vandermark returned 0 for 4.

In the field, Miller took two very good catches and Crawshaw one catch.

Reds watch on as the boys perform with the bat

However, the Reds bowling was far too loose in general. The team gave away 37 unnecessary runs in wides and no balls and must work hard during the week to bring that number right down.

Set 81 to win, Mulder and Charlie Bibb opened the batting and their partnership set up the run chase. The pair ran beautifully between the wickets with Mulder clobbering the bowling and Bibb providing excellent support.

Mulder retired having whacked six 4s on his way to a quick-fire 28. Bibb and Chitty kept the runs ticking over before Bibb skied a ball and was very well caught. Chitty put his head down for a solid innings of seven (retired) as the rest of the batsmen set about easing the Reds over the line in the 18^th over.

Hampson picked up the Player of the Match for his four wickets. Miller was rewarded for his effort in the field with the Good Sportsmanship Award from the umpires. Well done boys on a good performance against a spirited Lane Cove side.

However, the bowling will need to improve next week when the Reds face St Ives Warne. Get out there and practice, practice, practice bowling straight at the stumps!

Good luck.

Steve Bibb

U11 Reds vs Lane Cove Katich

5 February 2011

Allan Small Field, East Killara

The U11 Reds ran into an inferno and a very good Lane Cove team on Saturday before the game was abandoned due to extreme heat.

Reds discuss tactics - in the shade!

With the mercury well into the mid 30s at 8.15am, the Reds won the toss and elected to bowl against top of the table Lane Cove Katich. The Reds were down a man and took to the field with 10 players.

At first it was slow going as the bowlers and fielders kept a lid on the batsmen. After 10 overs, there were 53 runs on the board. But then the soaring heat ' and some good batting ' took their toll. Catches were put down while misfields and no balls cost the Reds dearly. In the end, a lack of concentration in the field due to the heat exhaustion saw the Lane Cove side score 207.

For the Reds, Brae Mason was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 13 from his four overs while Tom Hampson chipped in with 1 for 13 from his three. There were two run outs from Charlie Bibb and Tim Perry.

Facing a large total, the Reds opened the batting with James Mulder and Sam Duckworth. Mulder got the team off to a flyer smashing a stunning 28 including five 4s and a 6. At the other end, a defiant Duckworth put on a superb display of technically correct batting with a perfectly straight bat.

Angus Chitty padded up ready to go!

After nine overs, the Reds were ahead of the run rate and on track to haul in the huge total.

When Mulder was forced to retire, Hampson came in and kept the runs ticking over on his way to a measured 12 before getting out.

Next in was Angus Chitty who stylishly went about his shots and produced a quality sweep on his way to 16 not out.

At 3 for 80 and with Chitty and Bibb at the crease, the Reds were only just behind the required run rate. However, the heat had become unbearable and the temperature had hit 38.4 degrees in the shade. The game was stopped.

We will never know if the Reds could have reeled in the total but the boys were well placed to go close.

Mulder picked up the Player of the Match and has now passed 200 runs for the season. Well done, James.

Practice is on again this Friday where fielding drills could be the order of the day.

Next Saturday the Reds take on Lane Cover Marsh at Pottery Green in Lane Cove.

Good luck boys and keep enjoying the game!

Steve Bibb

U11 Reds vs U11 Green

Round 12 - 29 January 2011

Darnley Oval, East Gordon

Reds Home in Tense Match

The U11 Reds turned in a fighting batting performance to claim a narrow last wicket victory over a fellow Gordon team on Saturday.

Reds relax in the shade

Leading run scorer James Mulder ' who rattled up 39 not out ' whacked a mighty six to win a tense game with just three balls left in the match. But it was an excellent all round batting performance that got the team home over a good Gordon Green side.

Earlier, captain Felix Walsh won the toss and sent the Greens into bat on the reliably poor Darnley Oval. Opening bowlers Brae Mason and Walsh shared the new ball with Walsh striking early to remove one of the Green openers. The dismissal brought the Greens top run scorer, Raymond Su, to the crease. Mulder and Ned Vandermark picked up two wickets each with Charlie Crawshaw and Angus Chitty claiming a wicket apiece with tight and accurate bowling. Some quick fielding saw Tim Perry and Harrison Layton run out two batsmen.

However, the Reds bowling overall showed signs of rust after the long school holiday break with far too many no balls and wides helping the Greens to a healthy total of 152 at the end of 30 overs. Su finished on 32 and Oliver Clarke on 25.

Chasing 153 to win, the Reds got off to an unfortunate start by losing opener Chitty to a run out. But that dismissal brought Mulder to the crease and the runs quickly started to flow. With the score on 22 after just three overs, Perry popped up a simple catch to short mid off and he was out. Mason was next in and he quickly set about the bowling with a splendid pull shot for four to open his account. Mulder raced to 25 not out and was forced to retire. But his absence sparked a mini batting collapse with the Reds losing 3 for 16.

The ship was steadied when Charlie Bibb and Sam Duckworth came together for a match defining partnership of 48 runs. The middle order hitters settled the nerves and then set about piling on the runs. Duckworth was eventually dismissed for a heart-stopping 15 while Bibb crunched two 4s on his way to an impressive 16.

Felix and James make a formidable pair

Two more wickets fell before Mulder returned to join Vandermark at the crease for the critical ' and very tense - last wicket stance. Vandermark showed true grit as held up one end before Mulder before produced his six to win the match.

It was a great batting effort by all the boys with notable contribitions from:

Mulder 39 not out.
Bibb 16.
Duckworth 15.
Mason 14.
Vandermark 6.

The match also sadly marked the last appearance by Walsh for the Reds who will now add his talent to the cricketing ranks at Knox. He will be missed ' as will his ever-helpful father, Phil, who is one of our scorers.

Finally, practice is on again this Friday but can all boys please get some extra bowling work in this week as the next game is against the very good Lane Cove Katich.

Steve Bibb

"BETWEEN THE WICKETS"

What happens on the field gets reported! 

U11 Reds vs St Ives Ponting

11 December 2010

Darnley Oval, East Gordon

The U11 Reds got their first taste of Twenty20 magic in an exciting and excellent victory on Saturday.

Player of the Match Tim Perry with his award

Match captain Finn Mclay won the toss and put St Ives Ponting into bat on a sunny day at a poor Darnley Oval. Tom Hampson opened the bowling and struck in his second over to have the St Ives team reeling at 1 for 3.

The batsmen then fought back until James Mulder was thrown the ball. He also struck in his second over hitting the pads and trapping a batsmen 'plumb' in front. Tight fielding restricted the scoring with Hampson picking up a second wicket to finish with the impressive figures of 2 for 9 from three overs. Mulder chipped in with 1 for 6 from three tight overs.

Chasing 116 to win from 20 overs, the Reds opened the batting with Hampson and the in-form Tim Perry. Hampson fell cheaply but Perry played very straight and with great power to retire 14 not out under the special laws for the day.

A couple of quick wickets fell when leading run scorer Mulder was bowled and Sam Duckworth run out. Angus Chitty played straight but was forced to retire having used up his five overs.

With the innings in danger of stalling, in came Brae Mason and Charlie Crawshaw. They quickly combined to clobber the bowling and turn the match around. Crawshaw was particularly savage whacking two 6s and two 4s on his way to 29. Mason was also on fire hitting three 4s in his innings of 18.

 

 The U11Reds celebrate in the shade after defeating St Ives Ponting 

Both players were forced to retire ' leaving the remaining batsmen to bring home the victory.

Charlie Bibb played superbly smashing two fours ' the second an elegant on-drive ' for his eight runs.  Mclay, 7 not out, and Harrison Layton saw home the Reds reaching 116 with three overs to spare.

It was a great team effort by the boys who richly deserved their victory. It was a reward for hard work off the field.

It's now time for a summer hiatus. The next game is 29 January where the Reds take on their colleagues, the Gordon Greens.

Charlie Bibb crunches a pull shot to the boundary

 Finally, I would like to thank all the parents for their help. Each week the mums and dads turn out to support the boys in greater numbers than the other teams. However, a special thanks goes to:

• Coach Andrew Chitty
• Kitman Steve Perry
• Umpires Craig Hampson, Scott Mason and Matt Vandermark
• Scorers John Mclay, Dean Duckworth and Phil Walsh
• Motivators Martin Mulder, Bruce Crawshaw and Will Layton

And I cannot forget the all important mums and siblings who make it all so much fun.

Steve Bibb

"BETWEEN THE WICKETS"

What happens on the field gets reported! 

"BETWEEN THE WICKETS"

What happens on the field gets reported! 

"BETWEEN THE WICKETS"

What happens on the field gets reported! 

U11 Reds v St Ives Warne  

U11 Reds fight to the end

Three wickets from U11 Red opening bowler Felix Walsh and a top score of 25 not out by James Mulder were the highlights of a nail biting game on Saturday.

Charlie Crawshaw proudly shows off his Good Sportsmanship Award

St Ives Warne batted first and it was slow going thanks to some very tight bowling from the Reds and an outfield in desperate need of a good mow.

After five overs, St Ives were 3 for 15 with Walsh dismissing both openers. It was a fine display of line and length bowling from Walsh who is back to the excellent form he showed last season. Angus Chitty ' whose bowling improves each game - claimed the other wicket to have the Reds well on top.

St Ives then fought back before some excellent team work saw Chitty, now standing in as wicketkeeper, complete a run out.

The runs then dried up as the U11 Red bowlers and fielders turned the screws and eventually Brae Mason took the fifth wicket - clean bowling a middle order batsman.

Walsh then returned to the attack picking up his third wicket to have St Ives at 6 for 98.

Tom Hampson, Brae Mason and Player of the Match, Felix Walsh, on the boundary during Saturday's run chase

The Reds conceded just three runs from their last four overs as Mason, Walsh, Tom Hampson and James Mulder bowled tightly and the fielders pounced on every ball.

Set 104 to win, the Reds started solidly with Mulder and Charlie Crawshaw opening the batting. Both played well but found it hard to get the ball to the boundary with the long grass preventing them getting full value from their aggressive shots. A number of loose balls were also missed down the leg side.

Crawshaw retired five not out which brought the left hander Chitty to the crease who began by playing very straight and looking good off the back foot as he eased runs past the close in fielders.

Mulder retired on 25 not out ' a score that takes him to the number two spot on the batting table. Charlie Bibb was next in and he and Chitty were tied down by some very good bowling and they also missed opportunities to put the loose ball away. Bibb was bowled trying to smash the ball to the boundary.

Next in was Hampson who immediately set about lifting the scoring with some quick running and two good blows. Unfortunately, he was bowled for four looking to keep the scorers busy. Mason was next in and he also took to the bowling and struck the only boundary of the entire match. His quick fire innings ended on six and the Reds were now in need of big hits and quick runs. Finn Mclay looked good and hit one sweet pull shot for two ' a shot that would have been four had the grass been a little shorter. When Mclay fell, Sam Duckworth came in but got a good delivery while trying to push for runs.

With plenty of wickets left, Ned Vandermark and Tim Perry took to the bowling trying to guide the Reds home. The pair needed 12 runs from the final two overs ' a run a ball. Unfortunately, they fell short of the target with the Reds finishing on 6 for 94 at the end of 30 overs.

Charlie Bibb, Tom Hampson, Player of the Match Felix Walsh, and Brae Mason all waiting to bat during Saturday's run chase

While all the boys tried very hard, the big lesson for the Reds' batsmen from this game is to make sure to punish the loose ball. Many short deliveries slipped by down the leg side begging to be hit for four.

The positive was the overall excellent attitude and enthusiasm on display by the Reds ' especially in the field. The boys put in a very special effort of which they should be proud. Felix Walsh was named Player of the Match.

The sportsmanship was again wonderful to see as the Reds continue to show every other team how to play cricket in the right spirit at all times. Charlie Crawshaw picked up the Good Sportsmanship Award.

Practice is on again this Friday as usual. Next game sees the Reds take on the Roseville Rickys at the Allan Small Oval at East Killara.

Good luck!

Steve Bibb