The Leeming Spartan Cricket Club has produced its best ever start to a season by winning eight of our first ten matches!
In the opening round of the two-day competition, we won in both our First and Second Grade, whilst Thirds narrowly lost by thirty runs.
The following weekend saw all seven of our sides take to the field, and what followed was nothing short of incredible. Six out of those seven all had victories, the first time this has happened for the Club in its opening full round.
What a weekend for the Spartans!
We’ve produced our best ever start to a season by winning eight of our first ten matches!
Last Saturday, six out of seven teams who took to the field won their matches, including all of our two-day sides!
First and Second Grade both had massive victories over Phoenix, making it the first time in over fifteen years since both our top two sides had won their opening two matches.
The First Grade victory was certainly highlighted by a sensational 8/30 by Spartan-newbie Kodie McKrill, who at 26, becomes the first Spartan to take eight wickets or more in the First Grade since Ritchie Hickmott destroyed North Fremantle with 8/27 way back in 1931/32! You can read more about Kodie’s astonishing performance here.
Our seconds (SMCA Third Grade) also had their second win from as many matches, putting on a clinical bowling and fielding performance after Phoenix elected to bat, to roll the visitors for just 79. It was a shared performance with the ball, and is a fantastic result for new captain Will Webber and the team, after many years of less than satisfactory performances by the Leeming Spartan Cricket Club in the grade.
It is quickly becoming a grade that is on par with the First Eleven in terms of its professionalism and application, with a plan to ensuring that there is no difference in standard produced by players in these two grades. For example, both Firsts and Seconds are expected to complete a series of “extra-curricular” activities before and after the game, that helps show off the Spartans to other clubs. This was certainly the case on Saturday.
Russell Lee ensured there would be no qualms in chasing down the total, cracking a very impressive 91 – our highest individual score for the season so far.
Our Third Grade (SMCA 7th Grade) also produced a spectacular win – their first of season 2017/18, that saw them overcome South Bertram away by exactly one hundred runs. It was another even performance from a Spartan side, an extremely satisfying sight that bodes well heading into the two-day fixtures, with Darrin Usher top-scoring with 48, with fine assistance from captain Dale Putland (37), and Sooty (18) as the side posted 7/208 from their allotted forty overs.
Wickets were shared by youngsters Mitch Wake (yes, seriously) with 3/13, and Jacob Lane (3/23), as the side took wickets regularly to prevent South Bertram from ever getting started, and they eventually were all out for 108.
The board from last Saturday was a fantastic sight to see!
Our one-day sides were also extremely successful, with three out of four claiming victory, thereby allowing the Leeming Spartan Cricket Club to win eight of its first ten matches, a first.
Perhaps most satisfying was the result in our One Day ‘G’ side, with Chubba D’Angelo debuting as Captain, and leading the G Squad to victory, a great result that will no doubt install a great deal of confidence in the side (most of whom are aged 20 and under) going forward.
For our fantastic efforts, six out of seven sides now sit inside the top four – the cutoff for finals matches, and we certainly hope that is where we will stay come March!
Additionally, both First and Second grade sit on top of their ladders, with both sides having claimed ten wickets in each of their games, thereby giving them the bonus two points on top of the six for the win.
It wasn’t all great news however, as our One Day ‘B’s were taught a lesson, but as the side is still working out its eleven for the season there is plenty of time to make amends.
One final improvement we’d like to see is an increase in Club attendance – we had roughly 20 or so for presentations at 7:00pm, so we would love for this number to increase. As always, dinners are available, and for the first time in several years, we’re having player of the round awards for each grade, who will receive a $30.00 Market City Tavern Bar Card!
These are of course very minor infractions on an otherwise sensational report card for round one, and we certainly could not be happier – for sixty-six out of seventy-seven Spartans to experience a win is a fantastic achievement for the Club, and to do so in round one makes it even better.
Special thanks must also be given to our coaching staff, Nick Manifis (head coach), and Peter Waite, for the hours of work they have put in over the last several months, it is fantastic to see such outstanding results so quickly!
It is a fantastic way to begin season 2017/18, our 99th year, and we sure hope it continues!