SCHOOL SPORT VICTORIA - SANDHURST DIVISION

Year 8 Boys Cricket

PRELIMINARY ROUNDS

Game 1: CMCB vs Eaglehawk Secondary College

With plenty of training sessions under their belt, the CMCB Year 8 boys were keen to get into this year’s cricket championships. Although the first scheduled match was unfortunately postponed due to heavy rains, dampening the start of the series, the boys finally stepped onto the field with determination, excitement and belief when the rescheduled date came around.

In Game 1, when the boys lost the toss and were sent into bat, they turned this into a fantastic result when Jed Mannix and Hamish Baker came to the crease and began the day with some power hitting, exactly what was needed in the shorter form of the game. Cale Polson and Jensen Sawyer joined the party to smash a team total of 8 sixes and 21 fours, with the boys amassing an impressive innings total of 3/171.

The bowling and fielding were equally dominant, with CMCB restricting Eaglehawk to just 57 runs with an even spread of wicket-takers and a handy direct hit run-out from Tom Marasco. It is also noted that Cale Polson’s leadership was on full display, giving everyone a fair opportunity in the field and calling back a couple of batsmen over some questionable calls.

Batting 3/171

• Jed Mannix – 51* retired no
• Jensen Sawyer – 47*
• Cale Polson – 27
• Hamish Baker - 22

Bowling 9/57

• Miller Fletcher 2/1
• Isaac Manley 2/5
• Nate Thompson 1/0
• Nash Campbell 1/3

Game 2: CMCB vs Victory Christian College

The next opponent was Victory, who defeated Crusoe College in their first match. Batting first again, the innings involved some aggressive hitting with Baker scoring his first ever 50, and on his birthday! Jed Mannix and Cale Polson added to the run-fest as both took a liking to the bowling from Victory and the boys went on to set a sizeable total, finishing 1/203.

Setting a theme for the innings, the bowling stint started remarkably with a wicket on the very first ball. The tight bowling and impressive line and length bowling kept Victory on the back foot as they could only manage 64 runs. It was an impressive win by the boys, which gave them confidence going into the finals round that was scheduled for Monday 30th March.

Batting (1/203)

• Cale Polson – 65* retired
• Hamish Baker – 60* retired
• Jed Mannix – 54

Bowling (10/64)

• Hamish Baker – 3/15
• Jensen Sawyer - 2/2

FINALS ROUNDS

Game 1: CMCB vs Marist College Bendigo

The three 3 winning teams from the preliminary round come together in the finals to battle it out for the Sandhurst Shield, and the boys were once again up for the challenge.

Playing Marist in Game 1, the boys once again took to the field with the bat first, and Tom Marasco and Jed Mannix most definitely got the memo to ‘score runs’. When Jed was dismissed for an impressive 28, Cale Polson then came to the crease, determined to keep the runs ticking over. Both Tom and Cale batted superbly, and with Hamish Baker adding a fine little cameo with the bat at the end of the innings, the boys had belted 132 runs off their allotted 12 overs.

In the field, Nash Campbell and Cale both secured wickets early, which was just what the boys needed. However, Marist were not deterred, and they started to methodically tick off the runs required. Showing maturity, the CMCB boys did not panic and kept their energy up in the field as they refused to give away easy runs. The bowling tightened, the run rate slowed, and the total of 132 was soon beyond Marist as they finished at 2/93. It was a terrific win by the boys, which meant their final match in this competition would determine the Sandhurst winner.

Batting 3/132

• Thomas Marasco - 46
• Jed Mannix - 28
• Cale Polson - 42*
• Hamish Baker - 9*

Bowling 2/93

• Nash Campbell - 1/15
• Cale Polson - 1/19

Game 2: CMCB vs Bendigo South East College (BSE)

The Final match was against the strong team from BSE, and this time the CMCB boys had to bowl first. It was a new challenge for the team, who were used to defending runs on the board, but the challenge of being able to contain their opponents excited them. BSE got off to a solid start, losing their first wicket with the score on 32. However, from then on it was all CMCB as the steady flow of wickets started. After the completion of their 11 overs, BSE finished with a modest but competitive 5/76.

The batting innings of CMCB did not get off to a great start as both Tom Marsco (4) and Jedd Mannix (10) were dismissed early, which had the boys feeling the pressure. But true to form, Cale Polson and Jensen Sawyer were selective with their shot selection as they both took their time with the bat and put a massive dent into the run chase. Hamish Baker and Nash Campbell then came in for the final couple of overs to score the winning runs in the very last over of the match. It was a thrilling finish for the team that had performed consistently well over all games played.

Bowling 5/76

• Jensen Sawyer - 3/11
• Cale Polson - 2/21

Batting 4/81

• Jensen Sawyer - 22
• Cale Polson - 21
• Hamish Baker - 11*
• Nash Campbell - 7*

This win qualifies the boys for the Loddon Mallee Regional Finals to be played in Term 4 on Monday 12 October. Thanks to Brady McDermott and Tarkyn Ralphs, who scored and assisted with the umpiring. And thanks also to Mr Alex Code, who coached the team.

TEAM: Mr Alex Code (Coach), Cale Polson, Nathaniel Thompson, Jensen Sawyer, Thomas Marasco, Jesse Cox, Jed Mannix, Brady McDermott (Scorer), Tarkyn Ralphs (Umpire), Nash Campbell, Hamish Baker, Isaac Manley, Thomas Barlow, Solly Baker, Amos Edwards, Miller Fletcher