An incredible spell of bowling by champion Spartan recruit Kodie McKrill has highlighted a sensational start for the Leeming Spartan Cricket Club, as our First Grade completed their second memorable win from as many matches to commence season 2017/18!

Kodie McKrill claimed an extraordinary 8/30 in the First Grade to single-handedly demolish Phoenix at Tempest Park last Saturday, giving the Spartans an impressive 94 run victory and helping us to sit a-top of the ladder in the top division after two games.

After another of our star recruits Ryan Jenkins claimed the first wicket of our bowling innings, Phoenix opener Ben McGilvray for one, McKrill set to work, claiming the next six wickets, and at one stage registered the Mark Rice-esque figures of 5/0 from two overs.

After Ben Harris dismissed Phoenix wicketkeeper Mark Dennehy for one, McKrill proceeded to take the final two wickets, completing an incredible rout of Phoenix for just 95 and giving him the personal figures of 8/30, a career best in just his second match at the Spartans.


McKrill Magic:

McKrill’s effort places him in astonishing territory within the Leeming Spartan Cricket Club, and it is the best figures in the First Grade since Ritchie Hickmott destroyed North Fremantle with 8/27 way back in 1931/32!

Kodie, 26, came to the Spartans after playing in last season’s Grand Final for the opposition, and is in the process of enjoying a hugely successful period in his career, having also won the 2nd Grade Grand Final the season before.

His figures of 8/30 are the seventh best ever figures by a Spartan in First Grade, and he is the only bowler to have taken an eight-for in the top division for the Club this millennium.

It is also the eighteenth best ever figures for the Leeming Spartan Cricket Club, in any grade, and is the first eight-for by a Spartan (in any grade) since Sean Wright took 9/35 against East Fremantle in 2014/15 in third grade.


Best Ever Bowling Figures By Spartans – In First Grade:

SpartanFiguresOpponentSeason
1.A. Jarvis9/11Saint Peters1926/27
2.K. Kirk9/42RANR1935/36
3.J. Treloar9/50Beaconsfield1934/35
4.R. Hickmott8/14Essandee1931/32
5.C. Steenholdt8/14Court Unity1934/35
6.R. Hickmott8/27North Fremantle1931/32
7.Kodie McKrill8/30Phoenix2017/18
8.Denis Bell8/33Tallies-Marmion1965/66
9.R.B. Stanton8/39Palmyra1961/62
10.R.B. Stanton8/65Palmyra1964/65

Best Ever Bowling Figures By Spartans:

SpartanFiguresOpponentGradeSeason
1.S. Hennessey10/43Kwinana3rd Grade2004/05
2.A. Jarvis9/11Saint Peters1st Grade1926/27
3.T. Carroll9/26CBC4th Grade1977/78
4.A. Jarvis9/35East Fremantle3rd Grade2014/15
5.K. Kirk9/42RANR1st Grade1935/36
6.J. Treloar9/50Beaconsfield1st Grade1934/35
7.B.J. Rushton9/56Thornlie4th Grade2012/13
8.T.J. Hegarty9/75Cockburn5th Grade1988/89
9.C. Spinella8/3Gosnells4th Grade2000/01
10.T. Allan8/10Cockburn6th Grade1986/87
11.R. Hickmott8/14Essandee1st Grade1931/32
12.C. Steenholdt8/14Court Unity1st Grade1934/35
13.S.J. Murfitt8/24Cockburn6th Grade2010/11
14.S.A. Carter8/25Rockingham2nd Grade1973/74
15.J. Leinasars8/25Phoenix5th Grade1991/92
16.R. Hickmott8/27North Fremantle1st Grade1931/32
17.M.J. Bennett8/27Kelmscott5th Grade2001/02
18.Kodie McKrill8/30Phoenix1st Grade2017/18
19.Denis Bell8/33Tallies-Marmion1st Grade1965/66
20.Denis Bell8/36Hamilton4th Grade1979/80
21.R.B. Stanton8/39Palmyra1st Grade1961/62
22.C.W. Bibrlik8/39Phoenix3rd Grade1990/91
23.J. Mann8/47Phoenix2nd Grade1966/67
24.M.J. Bennett8/48Willetton2nd Grade2006/07
25.R.B. Stanton8/65Palmyra1st Grade1964/65
26.S.K. Natarajan8/67East Fremantle3rd Grade2013/14
27.S. Blight8/77East FremantleColts1983/84

Click for full scorecard.


Earlier in the day, the Spartans had elected to bat on a sensational day for cricket, with perfect weather a welcome change following the cold of round one.

New opening pair Dan McClure and Jon Page (the latter yet another of our star recruits) began strongly, putting on 36 before McClure was dismissed for 20, as Page went on to become equal top scorer with 43 when he was dismissed in the 26th over with the score on 84.

1/36 quickly became 2/36 as Kodie was dismissed for nought, the only dark spot on a truly momentous day for him, an effort that saw him gain the ‘wig’ for more wickets than runs.

Some solid contributions down the order from Rhys Jones (43) and Todd Gill (25) and an impressive 14 not out from number ten Logan Wake helped the Spartans put up a very credible 10/189 from 40.0 overs, before the floodgates opened on Phoenix and an enormous victory was recorded for the visiting club.

Travis Zimdahl was the pick of the Phoenix bowlers, claiming 4/28 from 5.4 overs.


It was a truly remarkable day for the Club, as we recorded an absolutely outstanding six out of seven wins, which marked the best ever start for the Club in our history.

You can read more about this impressive performance across the board here, and when coupled with the results from the two-day only matches in the previous round, we’ve won an incredible eight out of ten matches in season 2017/18!

Todd Gill (left) and Kodie McKril (right) at last year’s SMCA windup, that saw the two gain the most votes in the competition.

One interesting tidbit to note about Kodie’s performance is that it is the biggest difference in wickets to runs in Spartan history, when the player in question had scored less runs than he took wickets in the same match.

Kodie actually finished ahead of Todd Gill in last year’s Jim McKenna medal count for the Association’s best First Grade player for his efforts at Thornlie and Armadale, having accumulated six more votes, but was ineligible.

It was truly a magnificent performance that will live long in Spartan history, and it is the best ever figures by a Spartan in their first five matches for the Club, in any grade.

The First Grade now sit comfortably atop of the ladder, and it becomes the first time in seven years that the side has won their first two matches, with many opening fixtures in recent years having been rained out.

It all bodes well for the coming weeks, which will likely prove to be the toughest period of the season for the First Grade, as they take on Cockburn, CBC, and the newly-promoted SJ Blues in two-day matches in the next three rounds.

All the best to Kodie and the entire Leeming Spartan Cricket Club in season 2017/18, the benchmark has been set (at an extremely high level might we add), and we look forward to going to the next level this summer!

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