03/03/2024
Unfortunately, our season ended yesterday, but this was a great year for the club.
We saw new players develop into key members of the team, such as Kashif Khan with his brute strength when batting. We witnessed Byron Auld's ability to hit the stumps on command, not just with the ball but also in the field. He made a name for himself, and players now know not to run on his arm.
PBs were broken when Dom Lambie scored a brilliant 53 runs in an attempt to save the match and proved, once again, why he has the safest pair of hands on the team. Trevour Jtrevour (Jash) shook the competition when he took his new best figures of 3/2 with his unorthodox style of spin. He wasn't afraid to take on good bowling with the bat in hand, often dancing down the wicket early in his innings.
We found a new opening bowler in Asrar Mohammed, who continues to improve tremendously each year. His good mate Kashif Ahmed had a knack for taking key wickets when needed and finishing off the opposition's innings quickly.
The lethal Lee duo dominated again this year on all fronts. Harrison Lee found a new batting position at the top of the order and rarely failed to see out the opposition's opening bowlers. Whenever we were in trouble in the field, you could always rely on Harro to take a wicket and break a partnership. As for the older one of the two, Peter Lee can still whack a ball! But it wasn't his personal achievements that helped our team the most this year; it was his cunning tactics and ability to outsmart opponents. Although not the captain on paper, he will always be a leader, coaching players at different levels of cricketing experience.
Jai Wassens is another example of how we've improved since the start of the season. Towards the back end of the competition, Wasso was gifted with opportunities to show us what he could do with the ball, taking that opportunity head-on. His ability to bowl tight overs and not leak runs allowed others to take wickets, showing us what bowling in partnerships is all about.
The Garzoli brothers have a bright future in this team. Hudson Garzoli, when asked to help out the team this year, was ready for the challenge. He was there to help the team where he could, and he sure did that! Kye Garzoli bowled brilliantly again this year, picking up wickets for fun. His talent for taking clusters of wickets when needed is truly special.
Unfortunately, next season, the boys in the red, white, and blue will be missing someone. David Marchant, who started his cricket journey with our club years ago, will be sorely missed. A key member of the team's success, his departure is hard to see. We wish you the best of luck, David. You'll be forever etched into this club's history as one of the greatest we ever produced!
The club as a whole did some truly remarkable things this year. We participated in and won the preseason T20 tournament. We helped spread awareness of Breast Cancer by making a video for the Jane McGrath foundation and then played in the Pink Day match against Macksville Bulls.
Although we finished short of where we did last year, I'd say this has still been a great year for the club. We overcame adversity and embraced the challenges set for us by other teams. I am very proud of this club and everything our players achieved this year individually and as a whole. We will be back next year stronger than ever! We want that shield back!
Dylan Mann,
Club Captain
