Seniors update

This season KPCC entered what is believed to be (certainly in the last twenty years or so) a record eight teams in seniors, fielding sides in all grades from A grade on. The biggest acknowldgement therefore is to the extraordinary work behind the scenes each week performed yet again this season by our seniors selector/co-ordinator, Greg ‘Apples’ Appleby. Greg not only puts together our teams, he fills gaps when players suddenly become unavailable, he recruits willing juniors and he aims to make sure teams are as competitive as possible. It’s an enormous volunteer job and the club couldn’t operate without him.


KPCC has a range of players in seniors of varying ages and abilities, from grandparents to teenagers. It caters for all and actively promotes inclusivity. This season we have continued the tradition of giving young juniors who are ready an opportunity to play seniors cricket when numbers are short, with on-field mentoring a big part of that experience. And the juniors have responded in style, often making vital contributions to the matches they are involved in.


An example was four of our U13 side helping out D2 in a one day Sunday game last weekend. Not only did the boys bowl, field and bat superbly, they stayed enthusiastic and supportive throughout a tough time in the field against big-hitting adult opponents and batted intelligently and with skill. We’re not sure if anyone has run four in a match at Auluba before, but regular player Maxim and U13 Sanjay managed that feat with a ball hit along the ground to deep midwicket. Thanks also to the boys’ parents for the intrusion deep into their Sunday evening (and scoring so well!). It was much appreciated.


We have also absorbed many of our ‘senior’ juniors into various sides and the players are developing quickly.

A1

Starting with our A grade, strong all round performances from Matthew Wylie and Riley Backhouse and great bowling from Zach Aubourg and Samuel Brown have helped contribute to the team currently sitting one win outside 4th spot on the table. Club icon Nick Haz Hasler top scored with 50 in a big win and Ethan Schreuder (U15) added his own 50 a game earlier, batting with his dad Don. Billy Jameson also hit 50 in round 7.

In round 6 a draw was salvaged after an unlikely win was on the cards, thanks to Billy (76) and Don (66). The team are missing stalwart all-rounder, Tim Love, out with a stress fracture to his shin.

A2

In A2 they are fighting hard in a very close competition. Cooper Wright has been batting and bowling particularly well, along with Alex Ward. Joel Pagano (U14) made a red hot start in Round 2 scoring 24 and taking 4/8 off 5 in a low scoring win vs WPHC Red. In that same game, Harry Brown (U15) took the catch of the year with a full stretch dive on the edge of the boundary. A2 regulars, Oscar Haslam (U15) and Rob 'Bobbie' Hunt (U15), have fitted into the team well with valuable contributions. Oscar has been outstanding with the new ball; his best moment was taking 2/14 off 9 (included 5 straight maidens) to help our A2s to their second win of the season. Bobbie has been a valuable top order bat and has bowled some handy offies to take 5 wickets thus far.

B2

B2 are sitting a win outside the top four, with Anil Nair leading the batting averages, ably supported by Des Chan and Himanshu Sahore (59* in his most recent outing), amongst others. Alok Jain and Nitesh Rindani are proving formidable in the bowling. This side are relative newcomers to Kisso and are a welcome and talented group of players. Keep those match reports coming, Des!

C2 Blue

A young team with most players moving up from C4/D1, the camaraderie has been strong and team culture irrespective of the result has been talked very highly by oppositions. Former junior Rohan Sivanathan scored his first ever fifty against Beecroft for C2 Blue, while speedster Cameron McLaggan took his first seniors 5 for against Beecroft and Simon Aubourg 5/20 against Berowra. The match wins will come soon; special mention to Sam 'Bunnings' Harding who recorded the club's fastest century this season, scoring 100* off 67 balls.

Simon Aubourg 5 for, C2 Blue

C2 Red

C2 Red are doing spectacularly well in second spot. The derby on 6 December ended up in favour of C2 Red after an opening partnership that couldn’t be broken. Henry May (U17) has been monstering the batting with some excellent efforts, including scoring a century (107) along with Wil Asensio (U17, 122*) in October, which was longtime club performer Josh Klingberg’s first time as captain.

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C4

C4 are yet to truly show their undoubted ability, with a star lineup of quality batters and bowlers. C4 Steve Best (141*) and Steven Millar (85*) combined for a 224 run partnership for the sixth wicket in round 5, which is a new Association record for C4 and at least the second (possibly third) Association record set by the club at our home ground, Auluba.

Postman Pat French is proving the quality allrounder that D2s benefited from last season. James Ellis (3/13 off 7) and Thomas Whitaker (2/10 off 6) were the pick of the bowlers in a very tight game in round 7, with a number of batters getting starts. Thomas is not afraid to keep good adult batsmen on their toes in the nets with some expert lifters.

The Oslingtons (Graham and Paul) are establishing a solid opening partnership in the batting. One of the highlights thus far has been the mature batting of young pair Vity Gangeyan (U16) and Archie Haydock (U16) in a last wicket partnership in one match, to hold on for a draw., while Jasper Small hit a stylish 47 in round 6.

Thomas ‘Rocky’ Roch hit his first runs for the club (including a huge 6) in, fittingly, round 6.

Steve Millar and Steve Best Association batting record 224

D1

D1 has had an up and down season so far, with Rory Elliott scoring an unbeaten 75 and Luke Keen 57 against WHPCCC to help the team win a game by one run on the Duckworth Lewis method. Their most recent game ended with the opposition 9 down and only just limping over the line. Other games have had very tight finishes as well, highlighting the team’s competitiveness in a one day competition which the Association in its wisdom deemed necessary to introduce in seniors. The club welcomed back one of its former stalwarts, Tim Gastineau Hills, who has had the pleasure of playing cricket for the club with his son Hamish (U13) this season. This has continued a long tradition of father/son combinations in the club, and of course, in the case of the Aubourgs, every permutation of mother/son/father/daughter over recent seasons.

D2

D2 has lost some of its more experienced players to higher grades and injury this season, but has gained an emerging talent fast inswing bowler in Kevin Peng and is also delighted to have two former juniors, Maxim Skarschewski (U15) and Edward Carr (U15), performing strongly in their first full season of seniors (Edward bowling superbly in round 6 with the new ball, but sadly is now out with injury). The D2 grade is quite lopsided, with some very strong teams better suited to higher grades, but despite that Maxim took 4 wickets against one of those sides in round 5 with some delightful quick spin bowling. The Oslington brothers have reprised guest appearances with 50s each for us in recent matches. Angus Manny is maturing nicely into an elegant regularly-scoring upper order batsman.


Other strong contributions have come from juniors, including two knocks of 27 and 28 in round 6 by U14 Henry Lloyd. In round 7, as mentioned above, U13s Sanjay Kemper (40), Riley McInney, Hamish Gastineau Hills and Jasper Weidner were the enthusiastic glue in a competitive one day game against a big hitting adult opposition, while club stalwart Jarrod “Battery” Wellman was the pick of the bowlers with 3/29.


Other notable mentions include one of the women in the side (who prefers anonymity) batting chancelessly for nearly 40 overs to save a draw in the same round 5 match (where the opposition had set an absurd 488 for victory with fewer than 60 overs remaining) and a fielding debut by her mother in round three! Dave Liney (not so much a wall as a house) has also helped us secure draws and avoid an outright. We always welcome cameos from parents and friends. Special mention must be made of spin bowler Nathaniel Quan, who once again was selected to represent NSW’s Intellectual Disability team in the National Cricket Inclusion Championships, to be played in Perth in January. Good luck Nathaniel!