Clutch Coaching

27/04/2026

Term 2 hard ball cricket starts again soon!

Our Clutch Academy Juniors start up again in 3 weeks. Click the link below for more information on our 6 week winter programme running through May and June.

Registrations close soon and spaces are limited.

For more information:
https://www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/juniorprogrammes

17/04/2026

Very sad news for the cricket community.

Stu was a big driver of junior cricket in Hamilton and was a big supporter of Clutch Coaching's cricket programmes. You probably saw him come along to open up the nets and have a chat before one of our holiday programmes, or swing by in the evening to ensure everything at the facility was going well during our academy trainings.

Passionate about increasing local cricket opportunities - particularly in the junior and development space - whether you knew it or not, Stu was often behind the scenes helping to get a new cricket initiative over the line.

Greg and the rest of the Clutch Coaching team will forever be grateful for the value Stu brought to cricket in Hamilton, and his cheerful and ever optimistic presence will be missed.

Rest in peace my friend.

Kia ora e te whanau,

Hamilton Star University Cricket Club is very sad to announce the sudden passing earlier this week of our President, Dr Stuart Pilling.

Stuart had a long involvement with the club, dating back more than 30 years, including as a Premier player during his playing career.

He was a life member of Hamilton Star University Cricket Club.

Stu had been a constant presence on the club board for at least 20 of those years. In 2017 his service to the club was acknowledged and celebrated with a University of Waikato sports blazer.

Much of his contribution was strategic advice on management of the club’s affairs and growth. He was particularly focussed on development of women’s and junior cricket as ways to involve more people with our club and our great sport.

More recently Stuart had held key roles as treasurer and president, closely managing the club’s finances and affairs.

He was known for his intellect, attention to detail and willingness to challenge stakeholders around their decisions and management of the game locally.

We will share more details on a service for Stuart as they come to hand.

The Board is supporting Stuart's family as needed, and also filling the significant gap he has left in our club and the management of its ongoing affairs.

Kua whetūrangitia koe, Stu.

("You have become a star.")

01/04/2026

Calling Hamilton Cricket Players for a cricket holiday programme on Friday the 10th of April!

Want one more opportunity to play cricket and get in the nets before winter sports begin? Join our April end of season holiday programme this school holidays.

Rain or shine we'll be going ahead, so register now:
https://www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/holidayprogrammes

12/02/2026

💯Alert!

A special moment for one of our long time Clutch Academy members.
Congrats Dhruv Narang on scoring 174 off 104 deliveries.

On Sunday we put out a Clutch Academy side to play against Suburbs New Lynn Cricket Club. Batting first, but in trouble early, Dhruv walked to the crease with his side in trouble at 3/19. With support from Yosh*tha Arachchilage (47 from 37) and Aston Millin (36 from 27), Dhruv Narang (174 from 104) steered the Clutch Academy to a mammoth total of 372.

In reply, A***n Dsouza (3/27) and Aston Millin (3/42) restricted the visiting side to 158 all out.

A big thanks to Suburbs New Lynn Cricket Club for travelling to Hamilton for this fixture. We plan on returning the favour later this season to give you a chance to level the scores.

01/02/2026

Attention Hamilton Cricketers!

Clutch Academy Juniors start up again in 1 week!
Registrations close soon and spaces are limited.

For more information:
https://www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/juniorprogrammes

31/01/2026

Attention Hamilton Cricketers!

Clutch Academy Seniors start up again in 1 week!
Registrations close soon and spaces are limited.

For more information:
https://www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/seniorprogrammes

30/01/2026

Clutch Academy Year 10 - Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp Summary

This week we'll recap each of the five Clutch Academy sides who attended the Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp earlier this month. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find out how your child can join a Clutch Academy side in January 2027.

Clutch Academy Year 10 Highlights:
- Rising to the challenge of entering a team full of year 9's in the year 10 grade.
- Param scoring 100 (pictured below) in a game winning knock.
- All players having moments they can be proud of while competing at this high level of cricket.

Below are some images from the week, as well as the scorecard summaries from each match.

Game 1: Clutch Academy 9/186 lost by 3 wickets vs EBCB Allstars
Xavier Levings 48* (52)
Param Mistry 48 (53)
Aston Millin 2/24 (6)
Seth Holten 2/27 (6)

Game 2: Clutch Academy 6/307 won by 181 runs vs Havelock North & Napier Tech

Param Mistry 131 (125)
Dhruv Narang 46 (50)
Arnav Brar 3/13 (6.5)
Seth Holten 3/17 (8)

Game 3: Clutch Academy 10/87 lost by 8 wickets vs Scoring Willows

A***n Dsouza 21 (51)
Arnav Brar 10 (20)
Arnav Brar 1/12 (2)
Dhruv Narang 1/32 (2)

Game 4: Clutch Academy 9/121 lost by 14 runs vs Multicultural CC

Xavier Levings 27 (22)
Arnav Brar 25 (34)
Dhruv Narang 2/11 (3)
A***n Dsouza 1/10 (3)

Game 5: Clutch Academy 4/140 lost by 3 wickets vs Macs Cricket

Finn Wilson 35 (52)
Percy Carver 30 (24)
Arnav Brar 2/18 (3)
Percy Carver 2/28 (3)

Well done to all members of this side on a successful campaign!

For new cricketers wanting to begin their Clutch Academy journey, sign ups are now open for the Term 1 Academy senior training programme (Year 9 - year 10.)

To register, or for more information visit: https://www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/seniorprogrammes

2027 Clutch Academy Riverbend sides will be finalised by July 1st 2026, and priority will be given to those who train weekly in the academy programme.

29/01/2026

Clutch Academy Year 9 - Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp Summary

This week we'll recap each of the five Clutch Academy sides who attended the Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp earlier this month. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find out how your child can join a Clutch Academy side in January 2027.

Clutch Academy Year 9 Highlights:
- Jed scoring 100 (pictured below) in a game winning knock
- Learning lots from our defeats, and following each loss up with a good team victory
- Winning a low scoring final game (defending just 95 runs), showing belief and fight when

Below are some images from the week, as well as the scorecard summaries from each match.

Game 1: Clutch Academy 10/142 lost by 4 wickets vs Wellington College

Tamogna Degapudi 31 (78)
Alex Corin 29 (54)
Shane Murdoch 2/19 (6)
Jack Patten 2/20 (4)

Game 2: Clutch Academy 7/229 won by 76 runs vs Rodney Raiders

Jed Sanders-Edwards 103 (113)
Shane Murdoch 52 (133)
Blake Mackenzie 2/19 (5)
Cooper Wright 2/27 (7)

Game 3: Clutch Academy 4/85 won by 6 wickets vs Cornwall

A***n Dsouza 47 (35)
Tamogna Degapudi 18 (36)
Blake Mackenzie 3/6 (3)
Cooper Wright 2/11 (3)

Game 4: Clutch Academy 8/134 lost by 6 wickets vs Waitakare

Blake Mackenzie 50 (55)
Cooper Wright 41 (35)
Alex Corin 1/12 (3)
Jed Sanders-Edwards 1/18 (3)

Game 5: Clutch Academy 10/95 won by 22 runs vs Taradale

Braxton Popplewell 32 (51)
Blake Mackenzie 19 (41)
Jed Sanders-Edwards 3/7 (4)
Jack Patten 2/4 (2)

Well done to all members of this side on a successful campaign!

For new cricketers wanting to begin their Clutch Academy journey, sign ups are now open for the Term 1 Academy senior training programme (Year 9 - year 10.)

To register, or for more information visit: https://www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/seniorprogrammes

2027 Clutch Academy Riverbend sides will be finalised by July 1st 2026, and priority will be given to those who train weekly in the academy programme.

28/01/2026

Clutch Academy Year 8 - Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp Summary

This week we'll recap each of the five Clutch Academy sides who attended the Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp earlier this month. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find out how your child can join a Clutch Academy side in January 2027.

Clutch Academy Year 8 Highlights:
- All team members thriving in different moments across a variety of formats
- Winning our 50 over match at the beautiful Clifton Cricket Ground (pictured below) where 3 of our batters scored 50 in our mammoth total of 292.
- A team visit to McLean Park to watch Northern Districts beat Central Districts in the Super Smash game

Below are some images from the week, as well as the scorecard summaries from each match.

Game 1: Clutch Academy 6/133 won by 4 wickets vs Horowhenua-Kapiti
Rupert Manion 43 (37)
Agampreet Chhina 33 (58)
William Manion 2/11 (4)
Rupert Manion 2/12 (4)

Game 2: Clutch Academy 10/78 lost by 3 wickets vs Taradale
Te Manawanui Poananga-Hancox 11 (10)
William Manion 10 (27)
Jacob Carleton 4/13 (4)
Te Manawanui Poananga-Hancox 3/11 (4)

Game 3: Clutch Academy 8/142 won by 2 wickets vs Eastern Suburbs Wellington
Jacob Carleton 30* (40)
Remy Kell 26 (38)
William Manion 2/7 (4)
Bharat Nishant 1/5 (3)

Game 4: Clutch Academy 9/292 won by 85 runs vs Upper Hutt
Rupert Manion 56 (55)
Jacob Carleton 55 (119)
Jacob Carleton 3/16 (3.2)
Cullen Harker 2/17 (4)

Game 5: Clutch Academy 10/191 won by 10 runs vs Wairarapa
Te Manawanui Poananga-Hancox 55* (47)
Rupert Manion 15 (18)
Te Manawanui Poananga-Hancox 2/15 (4)
Rupert Manion 1/16 (4)

Well done to all members of this side on a successful campaign!
For new cricketers wanting to begin their Clutch Academy journey, sign ups are now open for the Term 1 Academy training junior programme (Year 5 - year 8.)

To register, or for more information visit: https://www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/juniorprogrammes

2027 Clutch Academy Riverbend sides will be finalised by July 1st 2026, and priority will be given to those who train weekly in the academy programme.

27/01/2026

Clutch Academy Year 7 - Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp Summary

This week we'll recap each of the five Clutch Academy sides who attended the Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp earlier this month. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find out how your child can join a Clutch Academy side in January 2027.

Clutch Academy Year 7 Highlights:
- Winning a last ball thriller after needing 5 runs off 2 balls against OJCC
- 3x occasions a batter reached the 50 run milestone
- Creating a positive and inclusive team culture where cricket thrived

Below are some images from the week, as well as the scorecard summaries from each match.

Game 1: Clutch Academy 3/135 won by 7 wickets vs Central Hawkes Bay
Rupert Manion 51 (28)
Fletcher Reid 33 (50)
William Barbour 2/6 (3)
William Manion 2/14 (3)

Game 2: Clutch Academy 8/128 won by 2 wickets vs OJCC
Lucas Elliot 27 (51)
William Manion 20 (24)
Omansh Malik 2/11 (3)
William Manion 1/2 (2)

Game 3: Clutch Academy 10/129 lost by 28 runs vs Auckland University CC
Rupert Manion 37 (28)
Amuldeep Singh 18* (20)
Omansh Malik 2/12 (3)
Lucas Elliot 2/19 (3)

Game 4: Clutch Academy 10/122 lost by 86 runs vs North City
Rupert Manion 22* (7)
Amuldeep Singh 20 (48)
Marshall Renshaw 3/18 (3)
William Barbour 2/25 (4)

Game 5: Clutch Academy 7/174 won by 3 wickets vs Upper Hutt
Rupert Manion 50 (40)
Omansh Malik 50 (67)
Amuldeep Singh 1/9 (3)
William Barbour 1/13 (3)

Game 6: Clutch Academy 5/158 won by 5 wickets vs Wellington Collegians
Thomas Dudin 27 (30)
Lucas Elliot 25 (42)
Fletcher Reid 1/9 (3)
Lucas Elliot 1/16 (3)

Well done to all members of this side on a successful campaign!

For new cricketers wanting to begin their Clutch Academy journey, sign ups are now open for the Term 1 Academy training junior programme (Year 5 - year 8.)

To register, or for more information visit: https://www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/juniorprogrammes

2027 Clutch Academy Riverbend sides will be finalised by July 1st 2026, and priority will be given to those who train weekly in the academy programme.

27/01/2026

Cricket in 2026 is less than 2 weeks away!

Registrations are now open for our Clutch Academy Group Training Sessions.

Based in Hamilton, we have a cricket programme suitable for cricketers of all skill levels. If your child is passionate and keen to learn, we can work with them!

For our Year 5 - Year 8 junior cricketers, we offer a programme based around skill acquisition and implementation in game scenarios. For more information and to register for the session of your choice:
www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/juniorprogrammes

For our Year 9 - Year 10 cricketers, we dive deeper into the technical side of the game as well as what it takes to apply these skills in a game setting at the next level. For more information and to register for the session of your choice:
www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/seniorprogrammes

Training sessions begin from the second week of term 1 (9th of February onwards).
Session priorities are given based on a first come first serve basis. All net trainings are based at various local indoor facilities in Hamilton.

Clutch Coaching upcoming programmes - sign up today

26/01/2026

Clutch Academy Year 6 - Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp Summary

This week we'll recap each of the five Clutch Academy sides who attended the Hawkes Bay Cricket Camp earlier this month. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find out how your child can join a Clutch Academy side in January 2027.

Clutch Academy Year 6 Highlights:
- Key contributions from all players in the team across the 6 matches
- A last ball thriller in the 4th match ending in a tie
- Neil Wagner and Ross Taylor (pictured below with team) lending their time and support by umpiring together in one of the matches

Below are some images from the week, as well as the scorecard summaries from each match.

Game 1: Clutch Academy 5/167 won by 78 runs vs Horowhenua-Kapiti

Lucas Elliot 32* (44)
Armaan Grewal 30* (39)
Joshua Galvin 2/3 (2)
Thomas Mellow 1/1 (1.1)

Game 2: Clutch Academy 8/188 won by 61 runs vs Wellington Collegians Gold

Kaito Hollinshead 34* (16)
Omansh Malik 32* (20)
Armaan Grewal 1/4 (3)
Kotoku Poananga-Hancox 1/4 (2)

Game 3: Clutch Academy 5/176 lost by 5 wickets vs Grafton United Lions

Jonty Taylor 33 (63)
Ariv Kandati 30* (35)
Omansh Malik 3/10 (3.3)
Kotoku Poananga-Hancox 0/4 (2)

Game 4: Clutch Academy 10/137 tied vs North City Thunder

Kaito Hollinshead 36* (32)
Lucas Bockett 19 (30)
Omansh Malik 2/10 (4)
Kaito Hollinshead 1/4 (2)

Game 5: Clutch Academy 8/141 won by 80 runs vs Napier Old Boys Marist

Omansh Malik 34 (37)
Lucas Bockett 22* (31)
Lucas Elliot 3/5 (3)
Thomas Mellow 3/6 (3)

Game 6: Clutch Academy 7/209 won by 58 runs vs Sri Lankan Sports Club Knights

Lucas Elliot 33 (43)
Lucas Bockett 30* (28)
Joshua Galvin 2/9 (2)
Armaan Grewal 1/4 (2)

Well done to all members of this side on a successful campaign!

For new cricketers wanting to begin their Clutch Academy journey, sign ups are now open for the Term 1 Academy training junior programme (Year 5 - year 8).

To register, or for more information visit: https://www.clutchcoaching.co.nz/juniorprogrammes

2027 Clutch Academy Riverbend sides will be finalised by July 1st 2026, and priority will be given to those who train weekly in the academy programme.