The Last Day

They don't come around too often.

I still remember the day when Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh played their final day of Test cricket against Pakistan at the SCG back in 1984. It was a great day - a sad day. Lillee finished with four wickets for the innings and took the last wicket, and they walked off together. Marsh played in the one day series before finally calling it quits.
AUSTRALIA VS PAKISTAN, 5TH TEST, S.C.G., 1983/84

At the time, we had no way of knowing how these three great players would ever be replaced. The next five years were the hardest years to be a cricket lover in this country. We got creamed by the West Indies. Our captain resigned in tears. A squad of our best and up-and-coming players were banned after partaking in a tour of South Africa, in the days when it was sacrilege to do so, leaving a huge gap in the availability ranks. Our next captain threatened to resign if his players didn't show some heart and guts. All kinds of players were tried in the hope they would be the answer. Some played one game and were discarded. Some were given a dozen opportunities, and were stuck with despite poor initial results.After five dim, dark years, when we *shudder* lost series to New Zealand - TWICE! - we came out the other side, winning the Ashes back in 1989, and have been moving up ever since.

Today will see the end of another era. Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer will play their last day of Test cricket. Damien Martyn has already gone. Adam Gilchrist and Matt Hayden may yet join the exodus. It will be a sad day, but a great day, One that you must see all of, to take it all in, so you can tell your kids about it.

But it's a different feeling from that day 23 years ago. Then, you could feel the concern about how we would replace such legends of the game. Today, we don't believe we can replace these legends, but we know that we have the players who can come into theis Test team, and do the job to the best of their ability, and that we won't suffer more than a slight hiccup.We might be losing over 1200 Test wickets and over 10000 Test runs - but the lessons learned from 1984 have been learned well, and we now have such a talent base in the Sheffield Shield (as it will always be to me) that we can't help but succeed. Because those who are waiting in line want to get their shot, and make a spot in the Test team their own.

So let's celebrate the great careers of those we may never see again -and let's anticipate the next great champions that will soon replace them.

THE ASHES ARE COMING HOME! THE ASHES ARE COMING HOME!

Australian Test Team November 2007

With so many players moving on from the Australian Test team, it’s time to have a stab at who will front up for the side when they play their next Test, which isn’t until November this year.

1. Matthew Hayden. If he doesn’t pull the plug before then, he is a certainty.

2. Phil Jaques / Chris Rogers. These two are the standout next-in-line for opening the batting. In all reality, Jaques should now be the opener in the One Day team, especially with the others who have been tried now out of the side or injured. Jaques deserves first crack at it.

3. Ricky Ponting ©. Unless he gets hit by a bus.

4. Mike Hussey (vc). See above.

5. Michael Clarke. His century has shored up his position, and he looks a better player after his time out of the team.

6. Andrew Symonds / Shane Watson / Adam Voges / Marcus North. One is the incumbent. The next is the one the selectors have been wetting their pants over for 24 months. The next was (for some reason) in the Test squad for Perth. The last is the in-form middle order batsman in Australia. This will be one of the most interesting positions when November comes around. Symonds, as incumbent, should be expected to hold his spot.

7. Adam Gilchrist / Brad Haddin. I can’t see Gilchrist playing next season. If he does, he’s it. If he doesn’t, we lose nothing with Haddin, who has probably been the better bat of the two (on form) over the past two seasons.

8. Brett Lee. Must finally get the number 8 with Warne retiring. Surely.

9. Stuart Clark. Just imagine, if McGrath hadn’t taken all of 2006 off, Stu may still have yet to play a Test. And he was our best bowler in 2006. What a discovery.

10. Stuart MacGill / Cameron White / Dan Cullen / Beau Casson. MacGill is the obvious replacement for Warne, but he’s 35 and hasn’t been popular with selectors or team mates for years. White averages almost 50 with the bat, but has let his bowling slip since being made captain of Victoria at age 20. Cullen has been identified as the best off spinner in the country. Word around the traps is that Casson is the one who will be chosen in November. I would plump for MacGill initially. In the long term, I think Casson is a big chance, and that White should be our allrounder at 6 – if he gets serious about his bowling again.

11. Shaun Tait / Mitchell Johnson / Ben Hilfenhaus. All these three should have good international careers ahead of them. Tait is swift with good late inswerve. Johnson is swift, and being left arm offers variety. Hilfenhaus hits the deck hard, moves the ball off the seam and in the air. Any will do a job. Hilfenhaus looks like a 200 Test wicket bowler to me.

Best Albums of 2006

In no particular order.

1. A Matter Of Life And Death - IRON MAIDEN
2. Christ Illusion - SLAYER
3. Inhuman Rampage - DRAGONFORCE
4. Gillan's Inn - IAN GILLAN
5. Shot To Hell - BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
6. Holy Diver Live (live) - DIO
7. Tales Of Rock 'N' Roll - MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP
8. Axes 2 Axes - EDDIE OJEDA
9. One Cure Fits All - THERAPY?
10. Score - 20th Anniversary (live) - DREAM THEATER

Mentions to For The Sake Of Revenge (live) by SONATA ARCTICA and Boned! by THE 12TH MAN.
Also mention for As Daylight Dies by KILSWITCH ENGAGE, which is apparently great, but which I haven't heard enough of yet.

The "Hope They Die A Thousand Deaths" goes to the following:
* Operation Mindcrime II by QUEENSRYCHE
* Yeah! by DEF LEPPARD
* 10 000 Days by TOOL

It was quite a slow year in terms of metal releases - at least, the metal that I listen to. I know that as I get older, the number of albums released in the genre of metal that I listen to and enjoy will shrink, meaning that either I have to expand, or stop getting new music.

Damn! :)

The Folly of Selling Ourselves Short

The original plan of this article was to praise the legacy of Jeff Lawler, who is leaving our Club to take up a promotion within his company in Melbourne. However, his departure has left a few questions to be answered that I am not sure are being done in the best interests of our Club.

But before that, cheers to Jeff Lawler, and the sterling service he has provided our Club in the six seasons he has played for us.
One suspects that his valedictory should have been a premiership victory in last season's 3rd Grade decider, though sadly it was not to be. Jeff's batting was an asset chased by all lower Grade captains. Though he was happy to relinquish the gloves at any stage, Jeff's wicket-keeping was more than tidy, and he took some absolute screamers on the few occasions I was able to play with him or watch him.
For the past four seasons, Jeff has been in charge of 3rd Grade (or one of the 3rd Grade outfits in the years our Club had multiple entries), and has engendered a familial bond with successive teams and their players. His quiet yet capable leadership has been a beacon for both seniors and youth in 3rd Grade over the time of his captaincy. It is no surprise that his teams have not only performed strongly, but have come back and snatched so many games in outright victory after having lost on first innings. A record like that speaks highly of the motivation and ability of the players in the side – but generally it reflects the talent of the leader who is able to inspire it.
Our Club has lost a wonderful leader, an excellent batsman and keeper - but most of all a mate. We shall miss your company Jeff. Our best wishes for your move go with you.

Now to the other part...

In searching for a replacement captain for 3rd Grade, a job that will most likely also encompass the role of third selector on the Selection Panel, a nomination has been received from Josh Elliott. As I understand it, he is the only person to have expressed interest in the position. He has sounded out Jeff, as well as other senior members of the team and the other Grade captains. He has ensured that if he is to become 3rd Grade captain he will have received everyone's full support.
He will receive everyone's full support. However...

Apart from the attack that 1st Grade has corralled this season, there is a real dearth of fast bowlers in the Club at present – certainly a dearth of talented ones who have previous performances on the board.
At present 2nd Grade find themselves in somewhat of a crisis bowling-wise, with their opening combination unable to breakthrough the opposition consistently. The medium pace of Steve Holz and Mick Norris are the major wicket-takers in the team. In their past two matches, the bowling attack has been monstered, with no one able to exert any influence on the opposition to bring them back to a manageable level. Josh played in one of these matches – the game against Lake. He took 0/36 off 6 overs. Reports suggested he was unable to find the line and length needed, but then again, neither could any of the other bowlers.
In 2nd Grade, Josh has always lifted against the better sides – Albion Park, Oak Flats and Warilla. His average of 14.41 against Albion Park, compared with, say, 33.67 against Lake Illawarra and 24.50 against The Rail, suggests he rises to the big occasion.
Only last season, Josh was chosen in 1st Grade, on merit, when skipper Matt Meurant wanted a job done. As Josh has always done against the better sides, he rose to the big occasion, and as Oak Flats smashed 6/301 declared at Cavalier Park, Josh took 1/41 off eleven overs and performed the task that his captain needed of him.

In any true selection of Kiama teams, Josh Elliott would be one of the first players chosen in 2nd Grade. He is the opening bowler 2nd Grade teams need – quick, able to exert his presence, a game-breaker. Opposition teams respect him, and often just try to see him off rather than lose their wicket to him. Two of the 2nd Grade competition's best batsmen in recent years, Trent Glover and 'Crackers' Cummins from Albion Park, have both been Josh Elliott victims on four occasions each. No mean feat.
To me, it appears that as a Club we are shooting ourselves in the foot if Josh Elliott is anointed as 3rd Grade captain. We immediately rob 2nd Grade of the opening bowler they require, and 1st Grade of a first choice replacement should one of their fast men be unavailable.
21 year olds should not be playing 3rd Grade, unless the Club has an enormous amount of talent that forces such a player to be in 3rd Grade, or the player's skill level is only of that standard. Neither of these is the case here.

Cricket is, and always will be, Josh's second sport. Though he is not one to take the easy option, he is generally clear on the issue that he is playing cricket for fun. When it comes to higher honours on the cricket field, he can take it or leave it.
Josh does not lack in leadership ability. He has shown that in his cricket, and he has certainly shown it in his rugby league career, both on and off the paddock.
There is no doubt that Josh will do a great job in the role. The responsibility may even lift his own performance. His enthusiasm will lift his side. He will make the tough decisions required on player selection. He alone will not win Kiama a 3rd Grade premiership.

Is this the direction we wish to have our cricket Club continue in? I realise that this is only my opinion, and that I appear to be bagging a lot of people who certainly do not deserve this kind of criticism, but to me we have done this for far too long on too many levels. It has held us back in many ways from becoming a real power in our competition. What is worse is that, in all the years that players have been 'held back' to play 3rd Grade when their performance or ability or both dictated that they should be playing higher, Kiama has still not lifted a 3rd Grade premiership.
Josh is not the only person in this category, but events in the past week have brought his case to the forefront.
There is every chance that I am overstating this case, and that everything will work out for all involved. However, I fear that by selling our Club short on this issue once again, we will be contributing to our own mediocrity – not only this season, but in the seasons to come.

New Year's Resolutions

The cricket season has reached the festive hiatus once again, giving the Kiama Cricket Club a chance to step back, take a breath, and review how it has progressed so far, and what needs to be done in the coming three months.
At the break, Kiama sit in first place in 1st Grade, fifth in 2nd Grade, fourth in 3rd Grade and sixth in 4th Grade. That is simplifying what to this point has been a difficult season, and one that will have a few more twists and turns before it comes to its conclusion.

1st Grade, apart from a disappointing first round loss to Lake Illawarra, has done almost everything they can do to this point of the season. One Day losses to Lake and Oak Flats, and the One Day washout against Warilla, meant that the Club missed out on the overkill of semi-finals for the One Day competition. To be quite honest, I see this as a huge boost to 1st Grade's chances in the real competition. More Sunday cricket is the last thing players in our Club want, despite the pressure building from areas of the Association. By avoiding this fixture, our players can concentrate on the cricket at hand, and there are some crucial games still to come.
No one needs to remind Kiama 1st Grade of how the wheels fell off in January and February of 2006. However, it should be uppermost in their minds when competition resumes on January 6. 1sts have played some enterprising cricket this season, and scored some vital bragging points against Albion Park and Oak Flats in particular. There is nothing more important than momentum heading into March. Last season 1sts didn't have it. This season they must have it if they are to make an impression on the other teams. Has our number one team learned the lessons of last season? We'll soon know the answer.
Matt Meurant and Dale Scifleet have had superlative seasons so far, and they will need to continue in this vein of form. Tim Wolf has been good in the supporting role with the bat, and Josh Jones similarly with the ball. More runs need to come from the openers, where no doubt there will be pressure to perform, or face losing their spot to other players looking for an opportunity.

Up to the end of November, 2nd Grade had nothing but smiles on their faces after the way the season had progressed. Following disastrous losses to Lake Illawarra and Gerringong in the last two rounds, the holes have opened up in the team performance, and been exposed as a chasm and not as easily papered over as it may have appeared. The team's position as fifth is a little misleading as they have already received their two day bye, which they don't receive points for. However, some concerns have been discovered that need attention.
There has been little continuity in selections due to the unavailability of different players every weekend. This always makes it a difficult job to find cohesion, but 2nd Grade is always that way. Players have to be able to stand up and take responsibility for their own performance.
Without being derogatory to the skipper, a season where Steve Holz is the leading wicket-taker is a concern for not only his own team but for the side above him. The so-called strike bowlers have been largely ineffective, creating an enormous amount of pressure on the medium pacers to gain breakthroughs. While this worked well early in the season, the savage attacks inflicted upon the side by Lake and Gerringong have proven that other answers must be found, and soon.
This is also somewhat true of the batting. Apart from the capitulation in the second innings against Gerringong, 2nds have posted useful 200+ totals almost every match of the season. In 2nd Grade, if you score over 200, you should not be losing games. Though some are claiming the batting is not in perfect health, it is the bowling attack that is suffering hypothermia.
What is the answer? In general, it will be up to those who have already been tried to try and pull it together. If they can't, then blooding different kids may be what has to be done to ensure this doesn't occur again next season.

Having finished runner-up in last season's competition, 3rd Grade have quietly worked their way to Christmas without fanfare, and sit nicely placed to make a good run home to March. Though they are perhaps not the all-encompassing, all-dominating side that ended last season, they will not be taken lightly by their opponents this season.
Their form has been mixed. A reasonably comfortable victory over likely improver Oak Flats was followed by a first innings loss to Shellharbour City, which Kiama promptly turned into outright victory for themselves the following weekend. A narrow loss to great rival Albion Park and to their usurpers in last season's final Lake Illawarra has reminded the team that it won't just happen for them if they don't work at it.
It is a largely different team that has been on the field this season compared to last, which is as it should be. Successful lower Grade sides should find their players moving up the Grades if they have the form on the board. Selection policy after the New Year break will be an important factor in how 3rds fare for the remainder of the season. In previous seasons 3rds have been generally left alone as a unit to mold into a finals-winning outfit. Whether or not that is the case again in 2006-07 will have a bearing on the outcome for not only 3rd Grade, but all Grades.

After a period of success, including three consecutive premierships, with a team filled with players who were obviously playing in a Grade below their ability, 4ths have struggled in recent seasons to win games. This season has seen little change, except that the team is blooding the players of tomorrow for higher Grade representation, and doing a fine job of it. Under the tutelage of Ian Pearson, 4th Grade has become the Kiama nursery, with plenty of youngsters getting a chance to experience Grade cricket.
While this is a good thing for the Club, and the job done by Ian and Bruce McNaught in particular is to be applauded, one wonders if gaining experience in Grade cricket in a side that is unable to win a majority of its games is helping their development. This is certainly not meant as a criticism, but just as a precursor to when our thoughts turn to preparing for next season, and if we can do some things better than we have over the last couple of seasons.

January will prove to be the making or breaking of all of Kiama's four Grades teams this season. Our Club needs to retain the focus and drive that has got us into the position we are in, and carry on it that vein. The time to push for the success that all of us in our Club crave is now.

To everyone associated with the Cavaliers, all the best for the festive season. And let's kick some arse in 2007.

Individualising the Team Game

On a weekend where the top three Grades again asserted a certain degree of dominance over Jamberoo, and individual efforts were again the lead story, one can only ask “What is going on with Fourth Grade? Have they slipped into the Twilight Zone? Are they still playing? Where are the results?” Hopefully more news will be available following this weekend...

First Grade was again dominated by the new acronym MSJ – Meurant Scifleet Jones. The triumvirate again carved out the majority of the work in disposing of a Jamberoo team desperately trying to rebuild itself.
Dale's century was his first for Kiama in 1st Grade. He has scored them just about everywhere else - 2nd Grade, Kiama juniors, junior rep teams, Burns Cup, even overseas in the united Kingdom – but his 128 not out was his first in the top Grade for us. To some eyes it has been a long time coming, but surely centuries are not the be all and end all of batting (I guess I am biased, as I did not score one in Grade cricket...). Consistency is the key, and that is what Dale is beginning to bring to his batting. He is the dominant player at the top of Kiama's order, and the key to big team totals. He of course carries a double burden in being a key to the bowling attack, and his figures of 2/21 were vital again last weekend.
Matt added yet another half century to his aggregate this season, sharing a partnership of 140 with Dale for the third wicket. Like Dale, he is an important part of the bowling attack as well, taking 3/25 to complement his runs.
Josh just can't seem to get going with the bat since he won the batting average 18 months ago, something that will no doubt be troubling him. Perhaps the key is for him to go in without putting pressure on himself, and trusting his instincts for a few innings. Thinking too much can muck up one's batting just as regularly as not thinking enough. It doesn't seem to have affected his bowling too much, providing another classy spell last weekend in picking up 3/36.
The scorecard shows that these three again provided the impetus and the bulk of the winning formula for First Grade. No doubt the Club's opponents have also noticed this imbalance, and will be planning for it appropriately.

Second Grade won its match against Jamberoo, but some general ineptitude, loss of concentration and other factors made it a lot closer and a lot tougher than it should have been. In other words, business as usual for 2nds.
Jamberoo were bowled out for 125, but it should have been about 70. Missed catches, and an ambivalence in the field that defied the unusual sight of a pre-game warm-up gave Jamberoo more opportunities than they deserved. You can completely exonerate Jordan Inwood from this – he was fantastic, earning the Kiama equivalent of Mike Hussey's nickname “Mr Cricket” in a tireless fielding effort. Following this, the batting failed to live up to expectations, and struggled to chase down a mediocre total with any dominance. It was a given that there were a couple of decisions that probably went against their batsmen, but this cannot disguise the fact that passing a small total eight wickets down against a team that are in no way a threat to make the finals was not a great performance.
Steve Holz continues to show his other bowlers how to get wickets in 2nd Grade – by bowling at the stumps. It is an underrated commodity in this day and age. While openers Brendan Shaw and Daniel Reilly bowled well, as their figures attest, they took a combined one wicket to Steven's three, by not following the golden rule – if the batsman misses, you hit.
Mick Norris put in his best performance of the season to date, taking 2/23 with the ball and a match-winning 30 runs with the bat. But it was the way he did it that was more impressive. His second spell with the ball homed right in on the stumps, with added pace and good movement. His batting was filled with the strokes we all know he can play, with aggression and intent. It was the best I have seen Mick bat in the past 18 months. After a slow start, he is getting closer to his best, and that's what the Club needs.

Third Grade returned from the bye to smash Jamberoo by 10 wickets, and barely raised a sweat by doing it. In a performance that 2nd Grade should probably have emulated, Kiama bowled their opponents out for 70, and got the runs in a hurry without losing a wicket.
Questions still abound for 3rd Grade. Is Luke Bombaci's lack of practice affecting his bowling? He has so far been far less effective than he was last season. He went on a run spree at opener last weekend, but the majority of the 70 Jamberoo runs came from his bowling. Certainly there is no need to panic yet, but hopefully some reappraising of the situation will bring better results in the future.
Bryn Coleman took his relegation to 3rds well, and finished not out in the run chase. He has a very promising future, not only as a batsman but as a real team player. His introduction to Grade cricket this season has been highly successful thus far, and hopefully his elevation back into 2nds is only a mere formality.
Josh Elliott finished with the remarkable figures of 6/9, which included 4 wides. Jellie is an enigma in the Club, one who seems to bounce around Grades like he enjoys bouncing batsmen at the crease. Currently recovering from another shoulder injury sustained during the football season, Josh has not extended himself this season, and as such is not pushing the higher Grades. Despite this, he is one of the few bowlers our Club has who is an enforcer, who has the presence and (more importantly) pace to run through opposing teams. Figures like those taken last weekend will ensure he is not resting in 3rd Grade very long. At peak fitness and form, Josh is a key ingredient in the premiership push by 2nd Grade – or even 1st Grade. His season has better tales to come.

Can Kiama threaten for several premierships this season? Are all Grades travelling as well as they believe they are? You can bet that this weekend's matches against perennial antagonist Albion Park will shed more light upon those thoughts, and give a much clearer picture of the journey ahead.

Leading the Charge

Funny how winning weekends seem to bring out good stories, and losing ones just bring out negatives. Usually at Kiama, we are also able to see negatives in winning weekends. That has probably been covered enough in the past.

The glittering jewel in the crown of the weekend was the continuing form of Club Captain/Coach Matt Meurant. His 4/13 off four overs, and 60 not out to anchor the run chase against The Rail, was yet another important all-round contribution which has been the hallmark of his cricket in 2006.
For the last half of 2005-06, and the first half of 2006-07, Matt has been Kiama's most consistent player, scoring runs and taking wickets with monotonous regularity, and that in a side that has taken some fair pastings in the 2006 calendar year. Having come into our Club cold at the beginning of last season, and having not played in recent times, Matt not only had to get to know the players in the Club and their nuances, he had to perform himself. Having won the John Watts Medal last season, and been the major contributor this season, one would say that he has succeeded.
I often get asked “How does Matt go? Can he play?” It may seem like a strange question, but it is a fact that few people in our competition really know who Matt is. With only one season under his belt in our competition, opposing teams are still trying to work out if Matt is a threat to them, or merely another interloper who will fail to make a mark on the South Coast.
For those that have not been paying attention... the answer is “Yes, he can play” and “Yes, he is a threat”.
Matt's start to the season – 205 runs at 102.50 and 10 wickets at 6.60 – is an indication of how seriously he is taking his role. It is obvious he is still not happy with the way our Club trains, something that will not come as a shock to anyone in Kiama. Despite this, Matt has taken the reigns himself, and led by example with runs and wickets. He has also been happy to entrust responsibility in the younger members of his squad – Matt Unicomb, Andrew Ross and Jordan Inwood.
If it wasn't obvious to people before, it should be crystal clear now that Kiama has a player of immense ability leading our Club, one whose influence will be felt on every match this season. Hopefully Matt will have a few more people following him over the top to charge at the enemy during the course of the season.

The other star of the weekend was an unlikely one. Andy Sheehy has played all of his cricket for our Club almost exclusively in 3rd Grade, and almost exclusively as a batsman. Over the course of the past three seasons, he has scored 393 runs at an average of 10.34, with a highest score of 34. Not exceedingly spectacular, by any means. I have not brought this up in order to embarrass Andy (there are plenty who have done a lot less), but merely to enhance what is a quite remarkable story.
With a player shortage last weekend, and 3rd Grade in the middle of a bye, Andy was picked to make his debut in 2nd Grade. Opening the batting and chasing down 163 runs is a daunting task on your debut, especially on an unfamiliar turf wicket. However, his partnership with Nathan Barr reached 167 and remained unbroken as 2nds won the match against The Rail by 10 wickets in one ball under 30 overs. It was only the third time since 1946 that Kiama 2nd Grade had won a one day match by 10 wickets. The partnership is in the top ten 2nd Grade partnerships for Kiama for ALL wickets, not just the 1st wicket.
Andy's contribution? Well, he finished on 60 not out, and who knows what may have happened had Kiama batted first? It was just Andy's third half century in Grade cricket, and ranks as the highest score on debut in 2nd Grade for Kiama since 1969.
What is it that brought about this amazing feat? How do you post the type of scores that Andy has done for the past couple of seasons, only to excel at his first opportunity at a higher Grade? I guess if we knew the answer to that, we'd all be better players. Certainly Nathan Barr, Andy's partner on the weekend, would probably like to know. Barrie has spent the past couple of seasons smashing most 2nd Grade bowling attacks (last weekend was no different, finishing on 86 not out), but as yet has been unable to translate that to consistent and big runs in 1st Grade. His 2nd Grade stats of 1349 runs at 22.11 dwarf his 1st Grade figures of 376 runs at 12.97. He is still only young and has the chance to fix that, but he probably wouldn't mind the extended opportunities that some other batsmen have received in 1st Grade in recent seasons.

Two excellent victories over The Rail for 1st and 2nd Grades have put both teams firmly in the top four, and established that both will be contenders for higher honours this season if they can continue to produce efforts like those last weekend. With good players still to return in the coming weeks, everything augers well in the lead up to the New Year break.

A Need to Remain Focused

The season has reached November, and though the rain has once again washed away the Club's chances of holding aloft the Country Cup, the signs in the S.C.D.C.A. competition have been promising without raising false hopes. Outright victories for the top three Grades in the last round against Shellharbour have been eagerly accepted, but not without knowing the fact that they weren't as emphatic as they perhaps should have been.

First Grade have recovered from their poor first outing, and won their next two matches impressively, before having the anticipated clash with Warilla washed out last weekend.
At their best, with their strongest side on the paddock, First Grade can win this season's premiership. It's been a long time since we've been able to say that, but it's true. The team on a whole have the experience now. Marquee players Scifleet, Meurant and Jones are the keys, along with off-season acquisition Glenn Cleary, who is proving to be a real bonus for the side and the Club.
We certainly do not want to get ahead of ourselves. The second half of last season is proof of that. However, it needed to be said. Not since 1994/95 has our Club had any real opportunity to be considered a real threat to take out the First Grade premiership. It is not a cocky taunt. There is a real belief in the Club now, something Kiama are always loathe to throw out there in case it comes back to bite us in the arse. This season, believe it. The Cavs are coming.

Hurdles still need to be cleared, of course. Apart from Dale and Matt, the batting has still been too inconsistent, and the other guys need to find some runs, and quickly – not because of any great pressure from Second Grade, but just to contribute. Dale and Matt have big shoulders, but they won't be able to do it every week. Contributions from everyone is a vital and immediate responsibility of all the batting order.
The bowling attack seems to be settling nicely. Dale, Matt and Glenn, along with Josh and OB, will no doubt be the backbone of the team for the season. There is excellent variety between the five of them, and all are contributing to the cause.
This weekend will be a water test. Dale is in Dubbo with the Southern Zone squad, and Firsts will need to find runs and wickets from elsewhere. We'll all know more about our real chances after the round has been completed.

Seconds have won two of their three matches. Thirds have won both of their two games, last weekend's yet another of the 'lose 1st innings, win outright' scenarios that they got entangled in last season. Fourths haven't yet troubled the winning column yet, but have put together some impressive performances. Things appear rosy in the Garden of the Cavaliers. On the surface...

There is still a lot of work to be done. The Club needs to perform strongly in the lower Grades, to continue offering up possible solutions and alternatives to the top Grade. We need to be vigilant in continuing to win games well in the lower Grades, and to have players scoring runs and taking wickets. So far, individual performances have been winning matches for Thirds and Seconds – not team performances.As individuals, as teams, and as a Club, we need to remain focused through to the Christmas break. Everything looks promising on the surface at the moment. Let's not allow that to change through a slackening off in intensity. The start has been good. Let's make the next six weeks just as profitable.

Emerging From the Shadow

Since my return to our Club from the dark depths of Erskineville seven years ago, I have had the pleasure and privilege of not only watching from a distance, but also batting with some of our finest young players. At that time, it was generally fairly easy to see that they were (going to be) good. They played the bowling like they were facing an 8 year old sister, they all had a thirst for more runs, and they each had their own unique style and strokes that spoke volumes for their class.
On December 4, 1999, I batted with 15 year old Dale Scifleet at Kevin Walsh Oval. Chasing 287 for victory, I joined Dale at 2/67 and had the best seat in the house to witness what, until last weekend, was the highest individual score for Kiama in Second Grade. Dale defied his years to simply dominate the attack. His driving and cutting was a joy to watch – especially when you are at the other end struggling to get the ball off the square. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Dale had his century. Our partnership of 136 contained the bare 32 from me, and remained a 2nd Grade record for the 3rd wicket... until last weekend. Dale finished with Joe Murphy as a runner (giving everyone a laugh) and 159 sparkling runs, and remains one of the finest innings I have witnessed for Kiama. A career was about to bloom.

On March 2, 2002, I batted with 14 year old Mitchell Gowland at Cavalier Park. Batting first against a Jamberoo First Grade side that would go on to win the competition, the top order had struggled. From the boundary, I had witnessed the finest bowler of my generation, Graham Stinson, bowling at top speed and engaging in plenty of talk with the young prodigy. Unfazed by it all, Mitch kept quietly compiling runs. By the time he had reached 30, there was nothing but silence directed at him, and Stinson had bowled himself out of the attack. I only batted with Mitch for seven overs, but had the distinct pleasure of being at the crease with him when he brought up his first half century for Kiama First Grade. His unbeaten 64 remains one of the finest innings I have seen for Kiama. A career was about to bloom.

On November 20, 2004, I batted with 17 year old Will Sheridan at Cavalier Park. Against an Albion Park side that would go on to win the next two premierships, Kiama collapsed for only 62 in the one day fixture. However, the shining light in that was Will, who batted through most of the innings, displaying the traits he is renown for – standing tall and driving everything with power and velocity. His timing was unquestioned, as he saw off the good balls and put the bad ones away. Though he only scored 23, his was an effort that staved off what could possibly have been the lowest total ever by a Kiama First Grade side. Batting with him that morning was a real eye opener as to his true talent. Though by this stage of his career he already had a First Grade century against Shellharbour, and one of the most brilliant innings I have seen for the Club with his 89 against Narara-Wyoming in the Country Cup match at Maitland, here he again proved he had the right stuff. A career was about to bloom.

Now, I can add another to that list.

Last weekend, on October 21, 2006, I batted with 17 year old Matt Unicomb at Cavalier Park. Last season, Matt had shown signs that he was going to be a very good batsman. He had been hampered as, unlike the three aforementioned players, he had played practically zero Grade cricket during his junior days, which had left him at some sort of disadvantage. Despite this, he lifted the Second Grade Batting Aggregate, and had shown enough to be confident of his future.
I joined Matt at 1/52, and was immediately impressed not only with his strokes, but his demeanor. He wasn't fazed by the few deliveries that beat him. He was patient, waiting for the bowlers to bowl to him, rather than chasing what appeared to this ageing eye to be 'boundary balls'. Each shot was marked by genuine timing. Not everything found the gaps, but he never appeared in trouble. On a couple of occasions Matt missed the opportunity for quick singles – but he never missed it twice in succession. We put on 94 before I threw away my chance for a hundred. Matt was determined not to miss out. When he finally made it, just before tea, he was ecstatic, and his teammates were the same.
Apart from his driving (reminiscent of Will Sheridan) and his pull shot, Matt has an absolutely unique shot to leg, where, with a lot of bottom hand, he forces any ball directed towards leg stump through square leg in a cross between leg glance and stand-up sweep shot, that generates so much power the ball generally races away to the boundary. I have never seen anyone else play this shot, and it comes so naturally to him. Not only that, it scores him a lot of runs.
At drinks in the second session, Matt was given five overs to reach a double century before the inevitable declaration took place. Before being dismissed for 178 in the second of those five overs, he gave it a red hot go, scoring 18 runs in those 9 deliveries.
Matt was given three lives in his innings, none of those before he reached 92. His partnership for the third wicket with Ben King-Gee totalled 140, and is now the Kiama record for Second Grade for that wicket. Matt's score of 178 eclipsed Dale's 159 as the highest score by a player for Kiama in Second Grade.

I have little doubt that I have now played my last match with Matt. His apprenticeship is over, and he goes on now to the next step of his development. Where will it take him? Who knows. Dale has played Grade cricket in Sydney, is a current Southern Zone representative, and is the finest all-rounder in the South Coast competition. Mitch has played for New South Wales Under 17's, and now plays Second Grade in the Sydney Grade competition. Will has represented Australian Under 19's, and now plays for A.C.T. in the Cricket Australia Cup. The genes are pretty fair.

A career is about to bloom.

The Recipe for Success

"Pssst! Hey! Can I have a word? Just a quiet one between you and me. I've got something to show you. Something I've been working on. It's a recipe, and if I've got it right, it should be worth a dollar or two. Of course, I'm not looking to sell it. I just want it to be right. And to work.
I call it the Recipe For Success. A tacky title to be sure, but hopefully an accurate one.
You see, I've been observing our cricket Club for close to three decades now, and I've seen talented players and talented teams never reach the heights that they were meant to, or achieve the success that they could have. And that last tiny step, the step from Contenders to Champions, is not really that huge - if you know how to negotiate it"
One of the things that our Club must first accept is that we are a little light on in terms of player depth. People may scoff at this remark, pointing towards last season, where we had three sides reaching the semi-finals, with one of those reaching the final. That is true. Yet the real truth is that as a Club we had virtually no players putting pressure on those in Grades above them. First Grade lost almost every match after Christmas, but retained basically the same squad. The critical shortage of specialist batsmen is also a concern. Somehow, this must be overcome.

And it can be. With the correct ATTITUDE being utilised by everyone in the Club, we can overcome any hurdle, and taste premiership success again.

The following steps should be carefully digested.

1. Take PRIDE in your PERSONAL PERFORMANCES

It sounds like a simple premise, but take my word for it, it hasn't been done. One of the things that has held our Club back in recent years has been the attitude that 20 runs is 'enough', or a couple of wickets is 'enough'.
"My job is done."
"I've held my spot"
"If we don't win it can't be seen as my fault"
As an individual, you should be focused enough to not only want to succeed, but to succeed at a greater level. Being satisfied with 20 runs or 2 wickets won't win cricket matches. Everyone should not only be striving for big scores or big hauls, you should have enough pride and determination in your own performance to WANT IT every week. No one can do it every week, that is a given. But if you are not striving for it every week, you become a weak link in the chain.

2. Take PRIDE in your TEAMMATES

Having conquered your own performances, you must be aware and supportive of the performances of your teammates. Some will succeed, some will fail, but you need to be able to support them no matter what. A teammate may fail, in which case they will need reassurance that the next innings will be their redemption. When a teammate succeeds, it is a time for congratulations, while also trying to drive him to greater heights.
It is okay to feel less than cordial if your teammate is bagging wickets or slashing runs while you are struggling - as long as you don't show it. Don't bring your teammates down to your level - bring yourself up to their level!

3. Take PRIDE in your TEAM

Always be a part of the team, not a dead weight. People who sulk and brood through an afternoon, whether it be on or off the field, bring down the rest of the team in the process. Celebrate the good times. In the harder times, stay in the game and talk positively on the field. Enjoy a joke when they come, stay committed to the cause. Leave negativity out of the equation.
Get to know your teammates, especially newer ones into the Club or Team. Don't allow the team to become a closed shop. Everyone must not only feel as though they are a part of the team, they must also open the team to everyone.
Fight together as a team in adversity. If quick wickets begin to fall when batting, or they have dried up when bowling, support each other as a team, and drive the team to break the cycle.

4. Take PRIDE in your CLUB

Slowly but surely we are getting better at this (mainly as some of our kids move up the Grades, and some of our elder statesmen begin moving back through the Grades) but more work is needed. The relationship between the players of different Grades is something that tightens the bonds of the Club, and improves everyone's performances. The chief role in doing this is for more players to return to the Grand Hotel Beer Garden after each day's play, to tell the tales of the day's happenings. Driving competition between the Grades, and individuals in other Grades, helps to not only bond the Club, but push everyone to a higher level, to get the better of that particular Grade or player next weekend. Healthy competition between the Grades, and healthy support of their cause as well. Being aware and wanting to be aware of what is happening with all other Grades each Saturday is a major part of becoming the best we can be.

5. Take PRIDE in your GAME

Don't ever forget – it is only a game. If you stop enjoying the contest, you'll be doing yourself, and everyone involved, no favours by continuing. If you are just sulking over poor performances, wake up to yourself and get on with the show. It's a bloody GAME for goodness sakes!!! Enjoy the struggle, laugh at ineptitude, and have a beer at the end.

Cricket philosophy is easy. I can preach it to you ad nauseum if you would like. Actually putting it into practice and proving its worth is a completely different and more difficult thing to do. I'd like to see it happen, if only for a season.
In the long run, it all comes back to taking pride in your personal performance.

It can't happen with JUST you. But it can't happen WITHOUT you.

Work to be Done

The opening to the South Coast cricket season has probably illicited more questions than it has answered, pointing towards yet another year where the strong remain strong and the weak remain uninspired. It also proved that Kiama need to do a lot of work if they are to remain competitive in this environment.

While it was no surprise to see The Rail defeating Shellharbour City, and Oak Flats caning Jamberoo in their respective 1st Grade fixtures, the relatively comfortable victory by Warilla over reigning premiers Albion Park came from out of the blue. After last season's disappointing finish, it must be gratifying for their supporters to see the Kooka's come out strong in the season's first round. Having been so successful for so many years, it would be no shock for Warilla to be back in the thick of things this season. As a Club, their training and preparation has always been of the highest quality.

Kiama's loss to Lake Illawarra in the first round is disappointing more for the size of the defeat than losing in itself. Having dismissed both Lake openers for ducks, a total of 167 was still more than manageable. Being bowled out for 63 once again highlighted our Club's continuing problem with batting strength and batting depth through the Grades. Only skipper Matt Meurant and the extras column managed to reach double figures. It is all and well to mention that the Club had a number of players unavailable for the weekend – the side that played 1st Grade should have been more than capable of reeling in that total.

The Second Grade competition looks to be, at this very early stage, a race between the same three or four teams. Despite being completely thrashed by premiers Oak Flats, Albion Park will no doubt be a force once again. One can only imagine that they suffered from a lack of numbers like other Clubs last weekend.
Surely this situation, which occurs every season, should force the District to see that there is no need for 2nd Grade to start their competition on this weekend. 1st Grade are the only Grade that plays two full rounds, and to do so requires starting on the weekend before the October long weekend. Surely common sense should prevail, and in future 2nd Grade will start on the same weekend as 3rd and 4th Grades do. This would mean that these three lower Grades can all play to the same draw, bringing continuity to the season. Unfortunately, common sense and decisions made at a higher level do not always go hand in hand.

Kiama's victory in 2nd Grade against Gerringong was one of the best that I personally have been involved in. Seven of the selected players had only four 2nd Grade matches for Kiama between them, with five of these players on debut. Despite this situation, and an untried captain at the helm, 2nds outplayed a Gerringong side that are also suffering a player shortage.
Matt Cook continued on from last season's form, taking 4/30 from eight terrific overs, while Luke Bombaci again proved his worth with 3 wickets and 10 not out with the bat. Both Cooky and Bomba should be automatic 2nd Grade selections this season, despite Luke's stated reluctance on the issue. The time has come for younger players to move into the 2nd Grade team, especially those whose talent is wasted at a lower level. If our Club is to continue to improve we need some fresh faces and fresh attitude on the scene.

Though the Club has a number of players returning for the next round beginning on October 7, it is obvious at this early stage that Kiama needs its players to stand up and be counted this season. The depth, especially in batting, is worryingly low, and it means that everyone has to take stock of themselves, and lift themselves to new levels. Success does not come without putting in the effort, and the attitudes of players in the Club must change if Kiama is going to have a successful season.

Time to start thinking to yourself – what do you want to achieve this season, and what are you willing to do, or to sacrifice, to make that happen?

Evolution, Extortion and Egomaniacs

Fines for daily scores not being sent through to the Association within a gnat's gonad of play finishing for the day. Brand new $20,000 sight screens now to be absolutely useless for half of the season. Grand ideas for connected websites to include all Clubs, now laying half-baked in rubble.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another season of South Coast Cricket.
I'm certain that the above issues will appear trivial to many people, and yet they affect each and every person in our Club, and in our Association. The arguments that I bring forth here may appear petty to some, even most, but I assure you that there are decisions being made here that are contrary to the charter of the Association itself. Ask yourself a question - “Are the rules that are being enforced by the South Coast District Cricket Association (S.C.D.C.A) in the best interests of the Clubs who make up the competition?”

Last season, the S.C.D.C.A brought in the use of coloured clothing for First Grade in all one day matches, which appeared to be a success. It was hailed as such, as the S.C.D.C.A was the first competition to introduce such an innovation. One of the sticking points last season however was on the use of the ball – red or white. The S.C.D.C.A eventually left it to the Clubs in each match to decide which colour ball they would use. There seemed to be no objection.In season 2006/07 however, the rules have been changed, with the use of a white ball MANDATORY in all one day matches in First Grade. This of course requires home teams to completely black out their sight screens (if they have sight screens...) to enable the use of the white ball. And here is the rub.
Over the past few seasons, a number of people in the Kiama Club have spent a lot of time and energy in raising the necessary capital to purchase the two fantastic sight screens we now have at Cavalier Park. Fund-raising, the seeking of grants, the design process, and the erection was a process over five years. And now we are being told to cover them up.
To do this, Clubs are expected to purchase black cloth. The S.C.D.C.A are generously 'helping out' with the cost of the material, but the Clubs will be required to fork out more money in this instance. Then this cloth must be placed over the sight screens and then removed every Saturday of one day matches. With the extreme length of the screen at the Reilly End of Cavalier Park, it must theoretically all be covered up, or else fieldsmen are bound to lose the white ball in the part of the sight screen left uncovered.
I know this all sounds a bit pedantic, and that many people will consider this an unjustifiable whinge. I have spent over 20 years playing cricket at what we now call Cavalier Park, and have heard a hundred players – from our Club and from others – complain about losing sight of the ball in the cliff and in the roofs of Blue Haven, and that we should have sight screens installed. After so much work to get the damn things installed, now we are expected to change them again.
Has anyone considered how this may affect any insurance claims if they come about?
One of the quotes to arise over this issue was “If we don't keep moving forward, we may as well be a social competition” Well, a word to the wise. We are not a social competition, but we are an AMATEUR competition. We play because we love cricket, and those that are good enough play to advance through the various representative levels to achieve greater glory. Playing in coloured clothes with a white ball does not increase the standard of cricket in our Association.
I saw and watched only one match last season where the coloured clothes were used, when Kiama played Albion Park at Keith Grey Oval. It was a great match that went down to the wire, with Park winning by a dozen runs. The one thing I noticed was that the standard of cricket was completely unaffected by the colour of the players clothing, and the colour of the ball being used.
Anyway, good luck to those who are charged with erecting black cloth over a monolith on those Saturdays. It won't be me doing it.

For more than fifty years, the newspaper publicity for the S.C.D.C.A was handled by Athol Noble. Every summer, on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings, Athol would chase up scores from every match played in our district, compile them, do write ups for the First Grade fixtures and summaries for other Grades, and get them into the Illawarra Mercury and the Kiama Independent/Lake Times in time for publication – almost without fail. As a historian of the local game, I am not only in awe of the job Athol did, I am in eternal gratitude, as it is his meticulous efforts that have allowed me to continue to delve back into our Club's history as accurately as I have. Since his 'retirement' we have seen cricket reporting in our district disintegrate, to the level that anyone trying to find out what had occurred in cricket on the South Coast between 2002 and 2006 would simply not be able to do so.
For the coming 2006/07 season, the S.C.D.C.A have decreed that all scores for all matches MUST be submitted to the Association publicity officer by 9.00pm on Saturday evening. For every team's scores that are NOT submitted by this time, the Club in question will be fined $50. That amount again is $50 PER TEAM. Therefore – if none of your Grade scores get through one weekend, that is either $200 or $250 dollars for the Club, depending on whether you have a Fifth Grade team entered.
Now, just to get this into perspective. Up until this season, the cut off time for scores to be transmitted to the Association has been 10.00am SUNDAY morning. As anyone who has done reports for the local papers before knows, the cut off time for the Independent/Times is 10.00am MONDAY morning. I am reliably informed by a source that should know that the cut off time for the Mercury is 4.30pm SUNDAY afternoon.
Now, I may just be a simple person, but does anyone else believe that it should be possible to collate and report on all of these scores within the time frame of, say, 10.00am and 2.00pm, at a very long stretch? And surely not EVERY Club is going to send their scores through at exactly 10.00am? The process of collating would not have to begin at 10.01am.
Publicity is a relatively thankless role. The fact that the Association has had someone willing to volunteer their time and energy into performing the role is a terrific thing. Hopefully we will return to the days when you would pick up the paper on Monday and Wednesday and be able to read about CRICKET!
However, the decision by the S.C.D.C.A to set a 9.00pm curfew on the transmission of scores is simply unacceptable. By doing this without direct consultation of all Clubs, and by blindly eliminating all debate on the matter, they are effectively holding all of the Clubs to ransom. No longer can teams mingle after the day's play has concluded. The day's when teams would go to the home team's establishment for a drink or two are over. No ducking home for a shower and some dinner before heading down to the Grand for a drink. And heaven forbid if your match has to go into overtime to get in those overs, or because of a rain intervention. No – those scores MUST be in by 9.00pm, or else fines will be enforced.
As a fund-raiser for the Association, it is a goldmine. What it has become is extortion of the highest degree. As I have previously mentioned, we play in an amateur competition. Fines like the ones outlined here, for what could hardly be called an 'offense' of any description, are obscene. In the past, our Club has had cricketers fined $100 for allegedly abusing an umpire. By simply missing a 9pm curfew for ringing through some scores that could just as simply be collected the following morning, our Club could be fined twice that much. What would YOU consider to be the worse offense of the two?
The S.C.D.C.A simply must take a step back, and review the situation. The only body that can lose face in this dispute is the Association. It has been made clear that if fines are not paid, then a Club can be de-listed from the Association. It would be kind of difficult to run a competition without any Clubs. A return to the status quo, of a 10.00am Sunday morning deadline for scores to be submitted, must be made, and it must be made before the season starts in two weeks.

One of the bright points of the pre-season has been the appearance of a website for the S.C.D.C.A, something that our district has been crying out for. Hopefully, everything that Clubs and players and supporters alike need to know or want to know will be found on this site.
Again though, for some unknown reason, what appeared to be a great opportunity for our district and its Clubs has been badly botched due to an inability (on this occasion...) to make a firm decision one way or another.The Association decided to dabble with CricketVault as the hosts of their site, which could also incorporate ResultsVault. On advertising this to their Clubs, a number of them switched their own websites to CricketVault – Oak Flats, Albion Park, Jamberoo and Kiama.
The benefits of utilising the ResultsVault as well are obvious. On inspection of the site, it would be possible to have the scorecard of every game played in our Association accessible. Stats of every player in every Club would be at your fingertips. All Grade tables would be up to date and available to see. Each Club could even run their own Fantasy Cricket league on their site, for profit or pleasure.
As I understand it, the cost for our Association to have this fantastic utility available for their Clubs was $60 per team entered. For 45 teams, that would come to $2700. Pricey? Sure. Maybe they could have recouped that cost by insisting scores should be in by 8pm on Saturdays instead. But put that price tag into perspective by comparing it to the $2200 the Association has just spent on a new laptop computer – for use by how many? And for what?
Talk about wanting the Association to go forward! What envy the S.C.D.C.A could have garnered if there had been enough foresight to take up this opportunity! As it stands at the moment, the website will be helpful and a starting point. But it could have been so much more.

These decisions have already been made, and look as though they will not be undone. That is disappointing. Perhaps my perspective is at odds with most people (it certainly wouldn't be the first time if that is the case), but I have trouble understanding the logic behind these three issues.
However, as the people involved in that decision making process would no doubt say, if you have an opinion strong enough, stand up and run for election to the board.
Not this year, thanks.

OK. Enough of the negative side. Let's get this season underway.

Team of the Year 2005-06

It has become a habit of mine to put together a Team Of The Year for the Presentation Night each season. As I did not attend this season I had not done so, but after some gentle persuasion I have now complied that team. As always, there are a number of people who may feel miffed that they missed out. Let it be known that I miss out every year...

Dale Scifleet (vc)
416 runs at 26.00. Highest score 94. 3 half centuries.
25 wickets at 9.44. Best 4/8.
Dale's season has been adequately summed up in previous responses. Though he probably did not quite go on with his season as he would have liked following the New Year break, his figures are still mighty impressive. He became the man everyone in the Club looked up to in regards to putting runs or wickets on the board, which proves how highly he has become regarded. One of four genuine all-rounders chosen in this season's team.

Jaya Hartgerink
348 runs at 21.75. Highest score 91*. 1 half century.
Jaya's was once again a season unfulfilled, where he was unable to emphatically put results on the board that would once and for all stake his claim as a class 1st Grade batsman. Again he got starts, only to have them frittered away by strange shot selection. Occasionally he was filmed for television in the middle of one. He began the season in 1st Grade's middle order, which simply doesn't suit his character. A short stint in 2nd Grade saw him re-elevated toward the end of the season, where he again made starts without capitalising on them. He and Dale still comprise Kiama's best opening partnership, and hopefully next season will prove to be the real awakening of the Hartgerink talent.

Matt Meurant (c)
334 runs at 23.86. Highest score 74. 1 half century.
25 wickets at 11.52. Best 5/14. 1 5WI.
Matt's initial season with Kiama turned into a successful one on a personal level, when he picked up the John Watts Medal, and had a successful all-round season. He should also feel pleased with the way the younger cricketers in the Club have responded to his leadership. Matt was also influential in giving his young charges more responsibility, to which most responded well. Kiama need a strong presence in the top order of the batting to both stabilise and dominate, whatever the match situation. Though personally it would be better to see Matt performing this job batting at three, his stated preference is four. After a successful return to the game last season, his next season should make great viewing.

Anthony Savage
336 runs at 37.33. Highest score 87. 1 half century.

Sav's stated intention at the 2004-05 Presentation Night was to “come back next season and show everyone exactly what I can do”. While he may not have done that to his satisfaction, he certainly had some of the younger members in the Club in awe at his stroke play. While Sav was still unable to open his 1st Grade run account (2 matches, 2 ducks over 2 seasons), he played some impressive cricket again during the summer, dominating most 2nd Grade attacks without actually going on to make lots of big scores. With Sav being posted elsewhere over the winter, lets hope we haven't seen the last of his flashing blade. And Sav wielding the willow...

Jeff Lawler
394 runs at 21.89. Highest score 75. 3 half centuries.

The 3rd Grade captain had yet another consistent season with the bat, though this season Jeff batted a lot more up the order than has been the case in recent times. Jeff continues to be one of the most consistent cricketers in the Club, having made this team all but one of the years it has been chosen. Once again he chose times when the team was in trouble to shine the most. His respect within the Club is universal amongst the Grades, as is his competitive nature. Though naturally disappointed at not snaring that elusive 3rd Grade premiership, he will hopefully back up again for another crack next season.

John Simon
325 runs at 23.21. Highest score 53. 2 half centuries.
For a guy whose ambition at the start of the season was to play a few games in 3rd Grade, John has only himself to blame for not even seeing one game there. Displaying all the natural talent that was the whisper around the Club, John was in 1st Grade before December and played out the season there. His ability to play to the situation required was uncanny. He proved far too good for 2nd Grade attacks, and by the end of the season was doing the same thing to 1st Grade attacks. If he had been able to steer clear of problems with umpires, who knows what he may have achieved! With luck, John will return next season with the same hunger.

Luke Bombaci
426 runs at 32.77. Highest score 65*. 3 half centuries.
54 wickets at 8.98. Best 6/47. 3 5WI. 1 10WM.

Luke's was one of the best all-round season's ever seen in 3rd Grade for Kiama. More importantly, when the crunch came, he performed. His 65 not out in the semi-final's first innings rescued the team from disaster, and put them into a position from which they never surrendered. He then turned on the finest display of bowling in his career, taking ten wickets on the second day of the final to almost snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. There is little doubt that for the sake of his own cricket he must now be given an extended spell in 2nd Grade, in order to utilise his ability to the greater good.

Mick Norris
169 runs at 18.78. Highest score 64. 1 half century.
34 wickets at 11.78. Best 6/13. 2 5WI.
Another belated arrival in the higher Grades, Mick had an excellent first up season in 2nd Grade that should see him progress even further in the near future. Mick's batting on turf has not yet developed from the play usually seen on astro turf, and will be something he will be looking to improve upon next season. His nagging accuracy with the ball, however, was tailor made for turf, and he reaped the rewards. Though a natural leader, and one people are already looking at to captain again, one hopes he is given the opportunity to develop his cricket further first before being handed the reigns of captaincy once again.

Ben King-Gee (WK)
141 runs at 14.10. Highest score 37.
22 catches and 4 stumpings.

To have made so much advancement from the beginning of the season, and yet still have so much improvement in him is something that probably only Ben himself can fix. He undoubtedly has the best hands in the Club. I am not scared to say that he is one of the three best keepers I have bowled to, and yet he still needs to remove the laziness from his keeping. Toward the end of the season he finally began to show the talent he has as a batsman, and yet he still needs to concentrate more on the task at hand. No one impressed me more nor frustrated me more this season gone than Ben King-Gee. His future is in his hands. How hard he wants to work will determine how far he goes.

Matt Cook
106 runs at 11.78. Highest score 56*. 1 half century.
34 wickets at 11.44. Best 4/24.

The leaps and bounds this young kid has made last season is a joy. With so little Grade cricket behind him, Cooky quickly found himself taking the new ball in 3rd Grade, and holding onto it for the entire season. Matt is a real old fashioned slinger who, on closer inspection, looks to have room to improve his pace substantially in the next couple of seasons. He has impressed all who have watched him, and figures for his first season are phenomenal. Not only that, he scored a miraculous 56 not out from number eleven during the season. Add it all up, and it looks like we have a real star of the future on our hands.

Matt O'Brien
21 runs at 5.25. Highest score 9*
33 wickets at 15.03. Best 5/13. 3 5WI.

OB has probably outplayed just about every other player in the Club this season. By being thrust into the Club's number one spinner role at such a tender age and experience, he was placed under an enormous amount of pressure. Countering that, he came out and took 33 wickets in the season, and was 1st Grade's highest wicket taker for the season. Not only that, but his batting has improved to the stage where he is not just a token wicket – he is a batsman that has to be dismissed.
Josh Elliott said two years ago that Matt O'Brien would be a 1st Grade wicket taker, but even he could not have expected OB's rapid rise and development. With this season under his belt, the sky is the limit for the Club's favourite leg spinner.

Season Review 2005-06

In reviewing a season where the top three Grade sides reached the semi-finals, with one of those teams going on to compete in the final, where the Club ran a very credible third in the Club Championship, where individuals won District awards and represented District teams, perception must be taken into account.
In September, if someone had said to our Club that we would have the kind of success that I have mentioned above, I would venture to say that most people would have said that we had had a successful season. As it turns out, I don't think it is unfair to say that come the end of the season, most of the Club would be disappointed at the end result, believing that more should have been made of the opportunities that came our way.

The acquisition of Matt Meurant as Captain/Coach of the Club was a terrific achievement, before a ball had even been bowled. The loss during the off season of a number of very talented players, including Scott Cox, Will Sheridan, Nick Hattersley and Mitch Gowland (who subsequently stayed with the Club until Christmas) meant that Kiama were going to rely rather heavily on their junior base, and the truckload of young players between the ages of 18-22. In order to do this, and be successful, it was imperative that an experienced coach was found to help these players progress and improve, and also find an experienced person to lead the First Grade team. In Matt, the Club was fortunate to find both. It is safe to say that his experience was what allowed First Grade to be such a competitive unit during the season. Though he began the season barely knowing any of the players, their abilities or their quirks, by season end he would have been very familiar with all of those things. Next season will provide new challenges for him. In many respects this season was a trial run

First Grade's season, though culminating in a semi-final appearance against the reigning premiers, ultimately will be seen as disappointing, one that showed so much promise, but was unable to be capitalised upon. Kiama were probably never in the same class as Albion Park and Oak Flats, but they were a better side than latter season results suggested. Kiama as a Club has a very special knack of being able to perform a collapse with either bat or ball that stupefies the critics at least once a season. This season got repeat treatments.
The phrase best suited to First Grade's season is “When they were good, they were very very good... but when they were bad, they were horrid!”
The Club rejoiced early in the season. A termination of The Rail in round one. An unprecedented outright victory over Warilla in round two – the first time since 1990 that Kiama had tasted victory in this derby in First Grade! A further defeat of Jamberoo in round three. Top of the table after three rounds. It was a dream start for the new captain and his young side.
First Grade lost only six of their fourteen regular season matches. However, it was not the fact that they lost these matches that was a cause for concern. It was the way that they lost them.
Why did the wheels fall off against Lake Illawarra, with Kiama bowled out for 48 when chasing only 115? After a wonderful bowling and fielding effort against Albion Park in the one day game, why were the batsmen unable to chase down a relatively gettable target? Following on from this, having again done a magnificent job in restricting Park to a mid-sized total in the two day game, how did the batting again fail to get even close to this score? What happened in the return match against The Rail, where the batting again failed to meet the task asked of it? Where was the spirit of the side as Oak Flats ran roughshod over them in the two day match at Cavalier Park? How, in all honesty, could this side possibly allow themselves to lose to Shellharbour City in the final round of the season, when that side had not won a single match in two seasons???
These are questions to which answers must be found if our First Grade side is going to become a real premiership threat. The fact that Kiama gave Albion Park, the eventual premiers, a run for their money in both matches this season doesn't stack up against the fact both matches were lost. The other losses listed here were dire. The reasons for that must be discovered and put right.

Dale Scifleet's coming-of-age season is to be applauded. He has had to deal with the weight of expectation that his talent has demanded since he was 15 years old. He has always shown glimpses of what he can do, without being able to cut loose. Even this season, he began like a steam train, and finished like a coal train. Carrying a team on your back can have that effect. He became the first player since Ken McDonald in 1969-70 to win both the First Grade batting and bowling awards in the same season. He won the District bowling average (not a bad feat for a part-time bowler), and also claimed the Club's Cricketer Of The Year trophy. He was selected in the Southern Zone representative side for the first time. He made his debut as First Grade captain as well. Not a bad seven months work. The future of our First Grade side lays in his hands.

Second Grade started the season on the back foot, and finished it the same way. Theirs was a season that never really seemed to move out of second gear, and the side struggled as a result. Looking to overcome the disappointment of the past two seasons, the side's momentum never got going, stalled by wet weather, weeks off at inopportune times, some woeful opponents and a revolving door in regards to player availability and selection.
The loss to Shellharbour City in the first round was a grave disappointment, and always a danger for Second Grade at that time of year with so many regular players unavailable. Despite losing first innings points to Albion Park in the two day game at Kiama, Seconds put on a great fightback on both days, and almost stole an outright victory that had Park rattled late on the second afternoon. That was almost reversed in the one day match at Christmas, when what looked as though it was going to be an easy victory for Kiama turned into a nail-biter as quick wickets fell late in the match.
Two easy outright victories against very average outfits after the two week New Year break left the team under prepared. The loss to Oak Flats was by an understrength team, while the inability to defeat The Rail outright left some huge question marks.
Another two week hiatus due to the bye meant that Seconds had had a very ordinary preparation for a semi-final. Combine this with ten dropped catches, some lazy batting and unfortunate selections, and you have a thrashing, which is what Kiama endured. Though it was not the major bearing on the result, the decision to allow Seconds to go into such an important match with only five recognised batsmen was a mistake that should never be repeated. It gave the side very little opportunity to recover once they were 3/5 in their first innings, and meant they were bowler heavy, with three very capable bowlers not even used during the first innings.
What it meant was that Second Grade, with very good teams over each of the past three seasons, had failed to win a premiership in any of them. The opportunity may well have passed them over.

Captain Steve Holz put in a very creditable effort in his first season in the job. If nothing else, he can be extremely proud of the youngsters he has brought on this season. The strides taken by Matt Unicomb, Ben King-Gee, Jason Dowling and Andrew Ross this season can be almost directly attributed to Steve's desire to have the future stars of the Club experiencing top grade cricket now. Their labours this season may be the key to challenging for that elusive premiership next season.

Mick Norris, in his debut season in Second Grade, proved that he should have been there three or four seasons ago. Though not as successful with the bat as he would have hoped, his bowling was a revelation, tying the opposition in knots and weeding out batsmen who were set. In the process he won the district bowling average and aggregate. His aggression and competitive nature make him the ideal team mate, and it was somewhat surprising that he did not play more First Grade cricket this season. One suspects that may change come September this year.

Third Grade spent most of the season as a team telling anyone who would listen that they were sure things to win Kiama's first premiership in that Grade. To those outside of the Club it may have been seen as an arrogant position to take, but it spoke volumes for the way the team approached each match during the season. Though not always the better team in the contest, the fight for Kiama was never over until the final ball was bowled.
Having won the first four games of the season fairly comfortably, the wheels fell off well and truly in the match against Lake Illawarra. With the hosts having posted a good total of 230, Kiama were then dismissed twice in under 50 overs, losing outright by an innings and plenty. Though the side was not at full strength it was a fairly hefty blow to their premiership aspirations. There was another unexpected defeat for the team in the round nine match against Shellharbour City Blue, when Kiama were dismissed for a paltry 36 in reply to 163. The match was salvaged by good runs in the second innings, but it did nothing for their confidence.
Third Grade were suitably fortunate to have the experience of two elder campaigners – Jason Wills for much of the first half of the season, and Joe Murphy for the second half. No doubt their influence played an important part in the teams season. Twice during the season Kiama came back from first innings deficits to record resounding outright victories, against Oak Flats White and Gerringong. It was an unrealised sign of what was to come, and one that experience no doubt played its part in.
Thirds won nine of their eleven matches during the regular season, in the process claiming Kiama's first Minor Premiership in Third Grade, a wonderful achievement. They then crushed Albion Park in their semi-final, despite an initial stutter in their first innings. Rescued from oblivion by Luke Bombaci, who scored 65 not out of the team total of 139, they then bowled Park out for 45, with Russell Park gathering an amazing 5/8 off 8.5 overs. Though the match pushed well into the second day, it had been over from that moment.

The Third Grade Final of 2005-06 was one of the most exciting matches seen in this Club, and all those that saw those two days would agree. Playing at home at Bonaira Street Oval, Kiama looked a nervous team as they won the toss and batted, and they stumbled to just 93. Lake Illawarra, the side that had destroyed them earlier in the season, then batted out the remainder of the first day. The opening partnership of 126 was perfectly played, giving no chances and taking every run available to them. At 2/139 at stumps, Lake celebrated like the match was already over. Many supporters thought it was too.
The fightback on the following day was one of the proudest moments in Kiama Cricket history. Ignoring the odds they were against, Kiama came out and snared 8 wickets for just 26 runs in 90 minutes, to bowl Lake out for 173, and a lead of 80 runs. Bombaci had taken 6/47 from 25 overs in a marathon stint. After a good start Kiama were only three runs to the good with three wickets in hand when Russell Park and Andy Sheehy put on a 44 run partnership that had panic beginning to creep into the Lake team. When they were finally dismissed for 128, they had at least given themselves a chance, with 48 runs to bowl at. The following 75 minutes was fascinating and heart-stopping – and that's just for the spectators. Needing only to draw, or score 49 runs, Lake had a brain explosion, and Kiama found the strength that had already nabbed them two such comeback victories during the season, crashing Lake to 6/23, and pandemonium broke out in all camps. A mini recovery was staged by the visitors, before another two wickets left them at 8/41 – two wickets or eight runs for a famous victory.
It was left to poor young Matt Cook, whose debut season was an absolute sensation, to be punched over the boundary to bring up the winning runs, and the premiership for Lake Illawarra in a sensational game of cricket.
That maiden Third Grade premiership will have to wait at least another twelve months.

It would be remiss not to mention the role of skipper Jeff Lawler in this season. Respected by all who have played with him, he took on more responsibility this season than he has in the past, batting in the top order and scoring a lot of runs. His competitiveness and yet easy going nature is a big reason for Third Grade's recent success. His leadership will be needed again next season.

Luke Bombaci has, for all intents and purposes, played his final game in Third Grade for awhile. In a season which reaped him 426 runs and 54 wickets, there is little for him to prove at this level. Not only does the Club need him to advance, he needs to do it for himself. The opportunity for success in higher Grades awaits him, and the time could not be more perfect. One can only hope that both he and the Club selectors see this as well, and ensure the opportunity is not wasted.

Fourth Grade completed their best season since 2001-02, and in the process appear to have discovered a truckload of young talented cricketers who will hopefully begin to populate Kiama's higher Grades in the coming seasons.
Nine wins from their 18 matches during the season was an excellent effort, especially considering the ages of most of the team, and their relative lack of experience compared to the sides they played against. Albion Park, Lake Illawarra and Oak Flats all have Fourth Grade sides that are populated by older experienced men, and playing against them can be a daunting task. This season, Kiama handled them with aplomb.
Though the team had only one win in their first six games, they commenced a streak of five wins in December and January that had them on the cusp of a place in the top four. A desperately disappointing loss to Shellharbour City White cost them a sixth consecutive victory. The team commendably won their final three matches of the season quite convincingly, thus finishing the season in 6th position. There is little doubt that the experience that each player has received during the course of this season will be of enormous value come next season. The good oil is that a number of these players will be in line for promotion up the Grades as early as 2006-07, which is good news for the Kiama Club.

Ageless captain Bruce McNaught toned down his playing this season, eventually passing on the captaincy role to Josh Grosse. Between the two, the team has been well led, with all players given the opportunity to play and perform in all positions. This is invaluable at the Fourth Grade level, to ensure that the players are not only happy, but improving their skills along the way. Players like Grant Regan, Lindsay King-Gee, Brendon Czulowski, Matt Stewart and Josh Runge are players whose future may lie at a higher level.

Kiama's chances of glory in the Country Cup knockout competition fell victim to the weather, with their second round match against Keira washed out without a ball being bowled. As a result of no spare day being scheduled, Keira progressed through to the next round by having a better rate rate after the first round. Having defeated Nowra in the first round, this was a disappointing end for Kiama. Players and supporters can only dream of the 'road trip' for the final 16 to Dubbo for another 12 months.

Former Cavalier Will Sheridan provided one of the season highlights for the Club, even though he was no longer affiliated with us. Having moved to Canberra to play with A.N.U. Will was selected in the A.C.T. Under 19's team to play in the National Championships in Perth. Batting at three and bowling first change, he did enough to be chosen in the Australian Under 19 team to play in the World Cup in Sri Lanka, a great honour. He made a couple of appearances in Australia's doomed campaign, top scoring in their match against U.S.A at a time when the match hung in the balance.
For a player who averaged under 10 with the bat and over 20 with the ball for Kiama in 2004-05, it was a huge jump. The Cavaliers loved every moment, and look forward to Will continuing to build his career away from home base.

Off the field, the Club continued to be extremely sociable, though not always together, which is something that still needs to be worked on. An extremely successful Mexican Night was held at the Kiama Golf Club in February, and the great atmosphere of the evening should ensure that it becomes a regular event. The Punters Club, run by the tireless Josh Elliott was a fantastic success, its formula of selecting runners every Saturday proving to be a winner. The day held at Randwick on Sydney Cup Day was an unmitigated triumph, with everyone involved having a great time. The Punters Club should be bigger and better next season if everyone gets involved. Further bonding sessions were held with great attendance. With more organisation in the coming season, we could see off-field spirit rising to unheard of levels.

The Club executive, headed by President Ross Wolf and Treasurer Wayne Richardson have again done themselves proud with the administration of the Club as a whole. Their tireless efforts are to be applauded. It is to be hoped that the new administration for the coming season can continue the great work that has been done in the past decade.

The 2005-06 season has concluded, with advancements in most areas. If this can be continued into 2006-07, there is no telling what may be reported on come this time in twelve months. Let's hope it is all positive.

Andy Sheehy's 3rd Grade Final Report - with reprint authority

Match: Kiama vs. Lake Illawarra - Grand Final
Place: Bonaria Street Oval, Kiama
Date: 25/03/06 and 26/03/06


The grand final was here and if we didn't realise it for ourselves, the overwhelming feeling of anticipation would have told you that this was going to be a high pressure game. With the hill already beginning to populate, Lake Illawarra and Kiama set up their respective camps at Bonaria Street Oval readying themselves for the biggest game of the 3rd grade season. With only 3 losses between both team for the whole season, and Kiama looking to exact some revenge for an earlier season loss at the hands of the Lakers, it was pretty much a flip of the coin to who was going into the match as favourites. Kiama were coming in as minor premiers and on the back of comprehensive semi final win against Albion Park. Lake Illawarra however, lost only one game throughout the season, but fewer outright wins, would see them come in third place. They snuck home against Gerringong in the semi final, but in the only meeting of the season, Lake did give Kiama a cricketing lesson, flogging us by an innings and plenty!


So the stage was set for what would be an epic encounter. With both sides at near full strength, Kiama lost the toss, and were sent in by the Lake Illawarra skipper, in a move that surprised many in the Kiama camp, who were of the belief that it is always better to bat first and get the runs on the board in high pressure games like this. Kiama started out with the usual opening pair of electrifying Tommy Mayes and the experience of Joe "Spud" Murphy. Kiama got off to a quick start with Tommy Mayes getting off to his usual quick start but was dismissed in the second over after ballooning a full toss to mid on. Spud was joined at the crease by Simon Pearson and the two began to build a useful partnership, before Spud drove a ball straight to mid off and Kiama were not exactly travelling well at 2/21.


With Simon looking much better than he had in previous weeks, and looking more like the batsmen who began the season with a classy ton, and Jeff beginning to take charge of the young Lake bowling attack. I didn't actually see Simon get bowled because I was in the process of taking a piss when I heard a cheer and had to stop mid stream (that shows commitment) and sprint back to get my gear. Simon was dismissed for 9 and with the Cavs sitting shaky on 3/46. Things got a whole lot worse (no not because I was now at the crease!) when Jeff Lawler top edged an attempted pull shot and held out in the deep and Kiama went to drinks at 4/46.


Soon after drinks and the Cavalier collapse continued as I was dismissed without troubling the scorers and Kiama were in deep trouble at 5/51. Kiama still had hope of a revival with Mr 165, Russell Park, coming to the crease to join Bombaci. But this hope was soon dashed as a pearler of a delivery knocked Russell's off stump out of the ground and Kiama were 6/61. In a near mirror image of our semi final 1st innings, Kiama were crumbling while Luke Bombaci held strong, hitting out and giving hope to another miracle Cavalier recovery. However unlike the semi final, Lake Illawarra obviously knew Bombaci's strengths which is mighty suspicious since in the only game this season he played against Lake, he didn't actually do anything with the bat (conspiracy theory #1).


But unfortunately for Kiama, Bombaci couldn't match his semi final heroics with the bat as he was unlucky in chopping one back onto his stumps with his score on 26 and Kiama slumped to 7/81. With the Cavaliers staring grand final disaster in the face, grand final disaster dead set gave us a swift backhand to the face when Nathan Simpson was bowled for 4, as Kiama shook their head in disbelief as they looked at the scoreboard that read 8/85. After receiving a well deserved promotion to #10, Matt Cook came to the crease and got more respect from the Lake Illawarra team than anyone expected. How? Well you don't normally immediately send a couple of players to the boundary for a #10 batsmen unless you know something (conspiracy theory #2).


Well the respect shown to Cooky must have worked because the semi final batting sensation was dismissed for a duck and Kiama were in the tragic position of 9/86. Whilst some of us on the sidelines were praying for Robbie Wakeham to re-live his 56 not from earlier in the season, and getting off the mark was a great start. However any chance of seeing Robbie blast the Lake attack was cut short when Jason Horley was bowled for 8 and Kiama's innings came to a close on the grand total of 94.


Kiama attempted to regroup in the short break between innings, clinging to the self belief that we had no less than 7 days ago, skittled Albion Park for 45 on this same ground. Once again Kiama were to look to our stellar bowling attack to bail us out of trouble once again. As the 3rd grade Cavs came out to a thunderous reception from the very rowdy hill, including a booming rendition of "Beneath the Southern Cross", Kiama were set for the carnival atmosphere that included the rollercoaster ride that was expected.


As we have become used to, Matt Cook and Luke Bombaci opened the bowling and terrorised the opening partnership. However the gritty Lake openers kicked, scratched and clawed their way through the storm. With runs extremely hard to come by and the hill letting each other batsmen know it, Lake were able to move into tea with no damage and a fair chunk taken out of the target. Kiama's dismal day was beginning to eat away at the self belief that had sent us to the minor premiership. It seemed that nothing was going our way. Edges went wide of desperate, outstretched hands, run out opportunities missed by the smallest of margins and LBW cries were turned down over and over again.


After tea, a double bowling change putting Nathan Simpson and Russell Park into the attack did little to ease the Cavalier frustration. As the scoreboard slowly ticked over, the confidence of both Lake openers grew and grew. Neither Nathan or Russell could break through and the introduction of Robbie Wakeham's off spin was also unable to break the partnership. A tough chance was grassed by Simpson with the score on 85 that could have proved helpful, but it was not the Cavaliers day on Saturday as Lake managed to cruise past Kiama's 1st innings total, with no wickets down. Though one opener could not really dwell too long on passing the total as the very next ball he was struck in the jaw by a vicious Bombaci bouncer (hey it was a highlight for us on day 1!)


With both openers passing their crucial half centuries, captain Lawler was unable to find the right answers to break the partnership. Until he threw the ball to one of the "A-team" crew and with Jason Horley's first ball he clean bowled the Lake opener. After toiling away in the hot sun, the 3rd grade bowling union could only shake their head in disbelief as Horley did what they all couldn't do, and he did it with one ball (The A-Team rules). Soon after Horley the Destroyer took the prize scalp of the remaining opener as he got one to rise up early on the batsmen who could only deflect it straight to Matt Cook at 1st slip. 2 quick wickets, but the damage was already done. Despite a some what comical send off from the hill for both players (we were laughing on the inside), and though it wasn't always "pretty", the Lake openers did their job perfectly. Maybe if some of the Kiama batsmen decided to follow suit and tough it out, instead of playing like our logo, and attempting to look "pretty" we may have been able to add a 1 in front of our dismal 1st innings total of 94. The Lake openers deserve all the credit because even with the barrage and sometimes embarrassing abuse they were copping from the hill, they hung tough, exactly what you need in finals cricket.


The day came to a close with Lake 2 down for 140 odd and in a commanding position. The two camps could not be anymore of a contrast. Kiama were hanging their heads in shame thinking about what could have been. On the other hand, Lake were celebrating their day one victory... But did they celebrate too much too early? Because cricket is indeed a funny game and only a true blue, one eyed Cavalier could have predicted what would happen next!


Day two arrived and it was a bright, sunny day, similar to the day before, and Kiama were looking to restore some pride, though only a miracle would see Kiama pull out a victory. Talk before the start of play was that we need quick wickets and knew with the average age of the Lake Illawarra team being quite young, if momentum began to swing in our favour, we could begin to claw back. With Bombaci and Cook beginning the day, it wasn't long until Bombaci ripped one through the #3 from Lake before clean bowling another Lake youngster. The run of wickets continued with Bombaci capturing another Lake player LBW. And the Lake foundations were further shaken when Matt Cook clean bowled another Lake youngster who was looking dangerous.


This brought to the crease were the father and son combination that destroyed us during the previous match up early in the season. When the Lake skipper skied a ball, everyone wanted to know were Robbie Wakeham was, hoping history would not repeat itself. However instead of going to Robbie, the ball went directly to Simon Pearson and Lake had fallen to 7/172 and it was soon 9/172 when Bombaci put himself on a hat-trick clean bowling one of the Lake tailenders and picking up his 6th wicket for the morning after picking getting a LBW decision the ball before. Kiama ended the Lake innings picking up the 8th wicket in the morning session with Nathan Simpson picking up his first wicket for the innings trapping the Lake #11 in front and Kiama had fought back from Day 1 disaster to roll Lake for 173, with the morning destruction resulting in 8 wickets falling for 30 runs.


All credit has to go to our bowlers, especially Luke Bombaci who rebounded from a bad day on Saturday to capture 6/18 in the morning session in one of the most devastating bowling spells third grade has ever seen. He had excellent back up initially from Matt Cook, followed by Nathan Simpson but the innings, well the Sunday morning part of it belonged to Bombaci. We needed early wickets and we got them all, a feat that we did not think was possible seeing as though we could only manage 2 wickets in double the time less than 24 hours beforehand. But now going into Kiama's 2nd innings, momentum was in our court, only being 79 runs behind and with plenty of time still left in the day.


With about half hour before lunch on day two, Spud and Tommy were sent out with the hope of coming back at lunch still with their pads on. And returned they did and Kiama went into lunch looking much happier than day 1, with Lake now holding a 50 odd run lead, and Kiama still having all 10 2nd innings wicket remaining. However soon after lunch, just as Tommy was looking as though he was going to unleash, he was dismissed for 20 and Kiama were 1/36. Soon after Simon Pearson was dismissed for 1 after a good catch in the covers and Kiama were 2/39. In the quest for quick runs, Nathan Simpson was bumped up the order and he and Spud began ticking the scoreboard over before Nathan was dismissed and Kiama were 3/52 still needing 27 to make Lake Illawarra bat again.


The Cavaliers were hoping that Jeff Lawler and Spud could guide Kiama to the 79 target before unleashing hell, but this was not the case because soon after Nathan's wicket Spud was given out LBW and soon after that Jeff was bowled and Kiama were 5/61. In a continued effort for quick runs, big hitting Robbie Wakeham was promoted from his #11 spot and was joined by bowling hero Bombaci and these two were able to guide Kiama past the 79, but were not able to extend the Cavalier lead much with both men being dismissed soon after passing the total, Robbie for 11 and Bombaci for 15.


At the crease for the Cavaliers was myself and Russell Park. Somehow Lake knew I hadn't scored runs for weeks, a sledge (maybe it was an educated comment) that was riddled with errors, since I hadn't scored runs all year, but scored runs last week (take that wicket keeper!). However knowledge of my lacklustre season means one thing... Conspiracy theory #3! How would they know that considering I am not famous, nor am I usually a threat to opposing teams... Very interesting, and a point I will get to later.


Back to the game and Russell and I decided that with the fall of quick wickets, we should try and hang around to tea and tick the scoreboard over. Quick singles were taken and some singles were made into doubles as Russell and I ran between the wickets like maniacs. One personal highlight was a silent call from Russell that resulted in a second run being taken whilst the Lake skipper had his back turned, which seemed to delight the hill, who had no hesitation in hurling a couple of sledges his way. In between the sneaky singles, Russell and I were able to hit the odd boundary before the game was nearly called off due to hell freezing over.


Now I am not one to usually sledge a young, up and coming bowler, not because its against my nature, but usually I have already been dismissed by them and it is hard to get a good, credible sledge on your way back to the pavilion. However the left arm bowler opening bowler from Lake needs to have a good look at himself in the mirror, not because he did an unsavoury sledge towards me, but because I hit him for six... YES I HIT A SIX! The crowd erupted and children cried in admiration (OK maybe a bit of a stretch) because I finally found out that my bat does have a middle. From all accounts someone was fishing the ball out of the Norris backyard afterwards, but then again I did have a lot to drink on Sunday night, so that may be exaggerated. Unfortunately for the crowd who was still in disbelief, I was dismissed 2 balls later for 28 and Kiama were 8/127, after Russell and I put on 44 valuable runs.


The two remaining wickets were picked up quickly with Jason Horley stumped for a duck and Russell being bowled in an effort for more quick runs with his score on 16, leaving Cooky stranded on 0 not out, possibly robbing him of another 2nd innings 50 (He was using my bat and it is due for one). Kiama's innings came to a close with the score on 128 an overall lead of 49 runs. An early tea was taken and Kiama were geeing themselves up for one final onslaught. After the events of earlier in the day, and momentum heavily in our court, there was a feeling that we could pull this off, but knowing that everything would have to go off perfectly for the Cavaliers to pull of the miracle win.


The Cavaliers got off to a great start when Bombaci picked up an early wicket, trapping one of the openers who nearly broke us on day 1, and Lake started off not how they wanted as they were 1/7. Soon after the game plan to rid the other opener worked perfectly and Kiama were starting to move towards the unthinkable. With the crowd building by the minute and the pressure all on Lake Illawarra, two of their youngsters were out at the crease and the #3 was being terrorised by Bombaci and Simpson (as well as the fielders) before his middle stump was uprooted by a pearler from Simpson and Lake were 3/18. Next ball and another wicket as Simmo caught Scott Usher plumb in front and Lake were on the brink of disaster at 4/18.


Next over and Bombaci clean bowled another batsmen and Lake were 5/19 and when a dicey run was taken as the batsmen took on my arm (usually that's a safe bet), but not this time as I rocketed it into Spuds gloves, only to be hit by despair as the ball bounced out of Spuds gloves. When we turned around, the square leg umpire had his fingers up. Now most of us were in shock, and the gobful that the umpire copped made it safe to assume that Lake thought he same way, however after the game, the umpire told me that the ball had bounced off Spud's gloves into the stumps before Spuds gloves wrecked the stumps... A stroke of luck for the Cavaliers and maybe someone upstairs was wearing a Cavalier shirt!


After day one, Lake Illawarra had one hand and 4 fingers on the 3rd grade trophy... The Sunday fightback from the Cavaliers has seen those 4 fingers taken off and replaced with the hand of the Cavalier, because at 6/23, this game was well and truly back on. 4 wickets remaining and 27 runs still to get with Kiama well on top. However with the Lake skipper still at the crease, Kiama knew they couldn't rest for one second. After a somewhat steadying partnership by the Lake skipper and his son, Bombaci shattered the Lake Illawarra camp when he caught the Lake skipper in front and Lake had fallen to 7/36.


At this time, Bombaci and Nathan were running on empty. Both men were drawing from something inside that kept them giving 150% on every ball despite being totally exhausted. Bombaci was dillusional as he thought I was the umpire (maybe he was drunk?) and Nathan was struggling with a calf injury. Bombaci was called upon to work through the exhaustion barrier and young Matt Cook was thrown into the pressure cooker as he replaced Nathan Simpson and it proved extremely worthwhile when Cooky clean bowled another Lake batsmen and Lake were now 8/41.


A close LBW shout off Bombaci and a hard caught and bowled attempt that went down by Cooky were the only chances before Harry Webb smacked a six onto the Bonaria hill to pick up the victory and let the celebrations begin. Hats off to Lake Illawarra for winning the 2005/06 3rd grade premiership, as they totally outplayed us on Day 1 and managed to hold their nerve in the thrilling ending. However Kiama Cavaliers have nothing to be ashamed of. The fightback that we showed on Sunday was legendary and if we pulled off the victory it would have gone down in Cavalier history books. We showed true character and team spirit. Everyone thought we were down and out and that included most of the 11 players. But it was the team spirit that kept us fighting and nearly pulled of a great victory in one of the greatest grand finals of all time.


Luke Bombaci deserves a bloody medal for the way he bowled on Sunday. I was at mid off late in the day and I can tell you, Luke was cactus... He had nothing left at all, but kept bowling with the same intensity every ball. 10 wickets in a match, let alone a day is a terrific effort and capped off a great season were he led both the batting and bowling aggregate at the end of the season (thankfully for all of us, he wasn't ahead on the batting aggregate at the end of the regular season... I don't think we could have survived the off season if he had won them both). Simmo battled through the pain of a calf injury for a few overs and that picked up vital wickets in the 2nd dig. And Cooky... What a rookie season! These three and Russell Park, who may or may not have played his last game of cricket for the Cavaliers were the reason we were minor premiers and nearly became premiers. Countless times they bailed us out of jail with terrific bowling spells. They were the backbone of our team this season and deserve all the praise that can be thrown their way.


But you may or may not be asking about these conspiracy theories I have been referring too... How did Lake Illawarra know so much about the Kiama 3rd grade Cavs. Was their Lake Illawarra spies watching our matches, making a database on each player in preparation for the Grand Final? Probably not, though I would like to see mine if that theory was correct. Are the 3rd grade Cavs just that famous that everyone knows about us? Well besides Bombaci thinking he is, it probably isn't the case. No my theory is one that was very hard for me to believe... Lake Illawarra 3rd grade were using my reports to gain knowledge on our players! DAMMIT! Despite my reports being famous, and I am starting to build my cult following before I take on world domination, it still hurt us... Next year I am thinking of writing a decoy report that says I have been hitting sixes left right and centre and watch all the teams go on the boundary.


That being said congratulations Lake Illawarra (I know you are reading this, hence proving my theory correct), and congratulations to the 3rd grade Cavaliers for a great season!


Man of the Match: Luke Bombaci (Match figures of 10/68 off 42 overs and 41 runs for the match)

Special mentions:

3rd Grade Cavaliers (nearly the fightback of the century)
The Hill (for some top calls throughout the weekend)
Me (for hitting a six!!!!)


Well that's the way the season ended. I can't write a report on what happened back at the Grand because I can't remember a bloody thing, besides a lot of beer being drunk!

I'm Andy Sheehy writing off for season 05/06!