21/12/2025
** CricketWest Tournament 2025**
Perfect weather conditions welcomed the opening of the annual CricketWest competition at Leederville's Britannia Oval Ground this week. Several questions needed answers: Would the NSCCA ladies' team maintain their 100% winning record? Could the Colts overcome the heartache of the past few years and recover from their embarrassing losses? Would the Seniors be able to defend their title? And could the Masters recapture their former success at the WACA?
The first question seemed to be answered in the initial round of matches. It's important to note that Perth Swan was not the main opposition for the girls. Alicia Martin from Edgewater played remarkably, scoring 102 runs off just 53 balls before being run out with the score at 167 for 1 wicket. By the end of 20 overs, the team had amassed 184 runs for 3 wickets, effectively sealing the game. In response, Perth Swan could only manage 105 runs.
The second game was intriguing. I arrived one minute late after a 50-kilometer drive from Amberton, only to find that Alicia had already been dismissed. Supporters were in tears as she didn't even move after what appeared to be a controversial stumping decision. Regina Deleeuw then took charge, scoring an impressive 83 not out, contributing to a total of 151 runs for 3 wickets. This score should have been sufficient, but they faced a much stronger WASTCA team that had improved since last year. WASTCA's openers, Sue Pearce and Abigail Cox, displayed their skill with an opening partnership of 131 runs before Pearce was caught by Saranya Sugunaraj of Morley off a delivery from Deleeuw. Fortunately, the WASTCA attack had been contained, and the NSCCA ladies managed to secure a victory by just 7 runs.
Round 3 proved to be more challenging than expected. South Metro scored 136 runs for 5 wickets, which was a defendable total. Regina Deleeuw showcased her talent by taking 3 wickets for 21 runs in her 4 overs. Captain Charlotte Cooke and Alicia Martin got the team off to a strong start before the first wicket fell at 63 runs. Raquel Gowen then contributed significantly, pushing the score up to 124 before she was caught out. Following that, three wickets fell for just 8 runs, but the girls managed to cross the finish line, finishing with a score of 137 for 5 wickets, maintaining their 100% record. It was a fantastic effort, but it's worth noting that the other associations are getting closer. I can’t wait for next season to see if we can continue this success.
Sarah Evans should be congratulated for being the Team Manager, Coach, Chef d’Equipe, Selector and biggest supporter of the Ladies Team. Well done for another great season.
The Masters are a group of seasoned players who have truly experienced it all. I enjoy simply sitting back and watching these players showcase their skills. There’s nothing quite like witnessing Craig Warren casually step up to the plate, hit the ball very hard, and then get caught at long-on by a mis-hit shot that, in the past, would have sailed into the bushes a hundred yards away. “Laid-back” perfectly describes the NSCCA Masters. Whether it works out or not, they all had a wonderful time participating. It was enjoyable while it lasted, which seems to be the essence of the game. After the three games, some of the players asked how they did and if they performed well. Yes, you did well, but unfortunately, there are no winners’ medals this year. Did they win a game? Don’t know, it doesn’t really matter, they had fun doing their thing.
The Colts have been a bit short on winners' medals over the last few years. In 2015, Tanya Lang had a team that included Duncan and Luke Taylor, Callum and Kyle Wiggers, Jimmy Duyvestyn, Steve O’Day, Callum O’Conner, and Jason Noble. It was fantastic to watch those players dominate the competition. This year, we have returned to a similar standard. All their clubs, including Warwick-Greenwood, Ballajura-Landsdale, Wanneroo, Quinns Rocks, Yanchep and others, should be congratulated for supporting their young players and developing them to a representative standard so soon.
Oscar Wasley, Ben Carmignani, Lukas Culley, and Jack Fletcher will be the stars of the future, and I can almost guarantee that this group of young lads will win this competition in the coming years. Along with those mentioned, all the young players who participated in this competition were sensational.
In the first round, they crushed Perth Swan. Nick Mills of Quinns Rocks took 4 wickets for 6 runs off 3 overs, and Conner Wynne of Ballajura-Landsdale took 2 wickets for 2 runs off his 3 overs. Kyle Faulks had 2 wickets for 19 runs in Perth Swan's total score of only 46 runs. Oscar Wasley from Ballajura hit three fours and three sixes, scoring 33 runs off just 13 balls. The boys won in only 5.4 overs.
The big match was set for round 3, but first, they had to overcome WASTCA, who are the perennial favourites. WASTCA struggled, posting only 94 runs, with Will Hampson taking 3 wickets for 18 runs and Lukas Culley taking 3 wickets for 11 runs. This was not a weak WASTCA team. Our lads then scored 98 runs for 3 wickets in just 17 overs, with Lukas Culley achieving a magnificent 44 not out and Jack Fletcher scoring 25 runs off only 16 balls. They made it look easy, but the champions were still ahead.
This was the big one; I have umpired the Colts Grand Finals for the past three years and South Metro has won each time. Many of those players were still in the team today. NSCCA got off to a poor start, losing three wickets for only 18 runs. Jack Fletcher of Leederville came in and played brilliantly, scoring 58 not out, while Will Hampson from Warwick contributed 31 runs, bringing the score to a respectable 154 for 8. This was not a score that worried South Metro. However, Kyle Faulks took 3 wickets for 21 runs, and Will Hampson took 3 wickets for 15 runs in a total of only 96 runs. South Metro was in shock, and the NSCCA lads were ecstatic about their success.
The seniors had a strong start to the season. They played against a struggling Perth Swan team, where the ever-reliable Luke Nimmett took 3 wickets for 16 runs, helping to restrict the opposition to a score of 116 for 7. If the lads had lost to that score, it would have been time to head home. Fortunately, Stuart Legg from Kingsley-Woodvale ensured that wouldn’t happen, smashing 65 runs off only 29 balls. The NSCCA team successfully chased down the target, finishing with 117 for 3 in just 10 overs.
Next up was WASTCA, which presented a different challenge than the Perth Swan fixture. Sub-Turf posted an impressive total of 221 for 2 against our boys, with only Will Hampson managing to take wickets, finishing with figures of 2 for 31 off 3 overs. In response, our team scored a commendable 193 for 8, with Stuart Legg contributing 41 runs and the outstanding Brodie McGhie scoring 62 runs off just 47 balls. Unfortunately, we fell short of the target, but the team held their heads high after the performance.
Game 3 would not be easy, as we were up against a youthful SMCA team, which included many players from last year’s Colts team. South Metro managed to score 187 for 7, a solid total. The NSCCA team put in an excellent effort, finishing with 141 for 9. Mark Winton scored 38 runs, Mason Rollo contributed 28, and Luke Nimmett added 24. Unfortunately, we lost our last 5 wickets for around 20 runs, which was disappointing. However, this performance demonstrated that our association still has plenty to offer to the Perth Cricket Fraternity.
Congratulations also to Mark Tomsons, Steve Martin, Mark Broun and Mark Borrello for representing the NSCCUA to the highest standards. I was with you in heart.
Well done to all our teams, it was a privilege to be there as a supporter and spectator after about 12 years of standing in the middle.
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