05/04/2026
🏏 Freemans Reach Cricket Club – Season Wrap 🏏
What a season it’s been for our great club — one of those years where the whites are a bit dirtier, the trophy cabinet a bit fuller and as a result, fresh premiership caps are on their way. The stories from some of the seniors just keep getting better every time they’re told after play at Northo pub.
From the youngest juniors finding the middle of the bat (occasionally!) to the seniors producing match-winning heroics, this season had a bit of everything — including a fair share of sunburn, questionable umpiring decisions, and the odd “I definitely middled that” moment.
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🌱 The Future is Bright – Junior Grades
Starting with the Under 10s, and it’s safe to say the foundations are being laid beautifully. Under the guidance of Matt Hibbert, this group is developing strongly — learning the game the right way, building skills, and most importantly, enjoying their cricket. Plenty of enthusiasm, plenty of improvement, which is what we love to see from this age group.
The Under 11s, coached by Steve Clements, had a terrific season, finishing 2nd on the ladder. This is a side that’s clearly building something special and will be exciting to watch as they step up into Stage 2 next season. A special mention goes to the five girls in the side, who have been nothing short of outstanding — competing strongly, contributing consistently, and proving that talent knows no boundaries, but more importantly keeping Will, Arnham, Hunter and Jack in their place!
Moving up, the Under 13s had a season to be proud of. Coaches Chris Gee and Heath Britton did a fantastic job guiding the team to a 3rd place finish and their first semi-final appearance. The team played some excellent cricket along the way and showed great resilience — the kind of season that builds both confidence and character.
And then there’s the Under 16s — undefeated premiers! 🏆
Under the coaching of club life member Michael O’Hare, the side capped off a brilliant season, not losing a game and culminating in a grand final victory, sending out 3 of their players in style. Jack Woodbury, Oli O’Hare and Charli O’Hare all played their final junior matches in that win — not a bad way to finish their junior careers at all. A huge achievement and a moment they won’t forget anytime soon. Looking forward to watching this team go about defending the title next season. A title that our club has won 3 out of the last 4 seasons.
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💪 Senior Grades – Big Performances on the Big Stage
The 1st Grade side lead by Sh***er Travers delivered when it mattered most, claiming the premiership off the back of some seriously impressive finals performances.
Brett Jones stood tall with the bat, producing a couple of standout innings when the pressure was at its highest, including a devastating 171 on day 1 of the semi final against Pitt Town. BJ was well supported with the bat by Ethan Anderson and Mitch Tully. But perhaps the headline act belongs to Liam Tully, who decided that one 6-wicket haul in a final wasn’t enough — so he took six in the semi-final AND six again in the grand final. That’s not just form — that’s dominance from an outstanding cricketer.
In 2nd Grade, it was another premiership to celebrate, and what a season it was for skipper Matt Hibbert and his players.
Young leg spinning gun Blake Floyd, at just 16 years old, had a breakout year, finishing with an incredible 40 wickets for the season. Not to be outdone, Luke O’Hare contributed with 33 wickets and two centuries, proving himself as one of the competition’s genuine all-round threats.
A special mention again here to Jack Woodbury and Oli O’Hare, who achieved something pretty rare — winning both the Under 16s premiership AND the 2nd Grade premiership in the same season. Safe to say this doesn't happen very often.
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🔥 Grit and Determination – 3rd & 4th Grade
The 3rd Grade side captain by Cal Picking had a strong campaign, finishing 3rd on the ladder before falling just short in the semi-final. One of the standout performers was another veteran, David Camarsh, who had an outstanding all-round season. Highlights included a classy 90 late in the season and a 6-wicket haul in the semi-final — the kind of performances that nearly drag a side over the line single-handedly.
And finally, 4th Grade — a season of dominance, heartbreak, and plenty of positives.
After securing the minor premiership and a strong semi final win, they went into the grand final full of confidence, only to fall just short in a brave 4th innings chase by 22 runs. Cricket can be a cruel game.
However, the season belonged in many ways to veteran captain Steve Clements, who turned back the clock with a phenomenal all-round performance — 39 wickets and over 700 runs for the season. That’s not just leading from the front — that’s dragging the team with you.
He was well supported by emerging talents, with Jackson Rigg taking 34 wickets and another budding young leg-spinner, Liam Simpson chiming in with 21 wickets, showing the depth and promise within the squad.
🏁 Final Thoughts
All in all, it’s been a season to remember for Freemans Reach — 3 premierships, player development, standout performances, and a club culture that continues to thrive. The support at all finals from the 16s through to the seniors finals from players, officials and supporters was unbelievable.
Whether it was the Under 10s learning which end of the bat to hold, or the 1st and 2nd Grade and under 16s sides lifting their respective trophies, every team contributed to what has been a hugely successful year.
A special thank you to our committee members, coaches, captains and our curator, Steve Clements for the hard work that leads to the above.
Now comes the off-season — time to rest, recover, and start telling slightly exaggerated stories about just how good that innings or spell really was.
Bring on next season. 💚🏏
