Cricket End of Season Report

The 2022/23 season saw us as a community continue to strive for our strategic key priorities. I am pleased to ultimately see a vast improvement across all the teams. In the junior age groups there was approximately a 15% increase in wins, and I believe the genuine hard work and a temperament to succeed is evident amongst the boys.

Although our senior teams were not as successful, the 1st XI and 2nd XI were committed to bringing about a positive display of sportsmanship and camaraderie, which inspired many of our younger players.

Well done to our Year 8 sides who have been our consistent top performing age group. I encourage all Year 8 teams to make their return to Cricket next year, where our goal is to have three full teams in the Year 9 age group.

Individual performances this season flooded in each week. Thank you to all the players who have put in countless hours of hard work, dedication, and determination to work diligently towards their personal goals. The return of the Batting Club to a more full-time basis was greatly beneficial, and it was fantastic to see so many involved each morning at these sessions.

Hence, there was a significant improvement overall from last year’s individual batting performances, with 29 players achieving scores of 50 and above, and seven players reaching the ultimate goal of a century. This is in contrast to last season’s four fifty and above totals and zero centuries scored. Thomas Rudolph, of the Year 9A, deserves a special mention with back-to-back tons against Cranbrook and Trinity, culminating in winning the 2022/23 Br Murphy Shield. Thomas was joined by Hunter Eldridge, Luke Duffy, Ashton Hourn, and Asher Dowd in their respective tons.

Congratulations also to Matthew Frost and Jonathon McDonald for taking five wicket and six wicket hauls in the 1st XI, putting their names alongside Hunter’s century on the Queens Park honour board.

In terms of representative selection, the College is very proud of Jonathon McDonald, Toby McDonald and William Livissianis for selection in the U/15 CAS team.

Hirav Gandhi was also selected for the second year in a row into the Opens CAS 1st XI. Aarush Soni also has made his mark in being selected for Hawkesbury Cricket Club’s 1st Grade side. Aarush is the youngest player in the Club’s 37-year history to make their debut in Sydney’s premier cricket competition, and I am personally looking forward to seeing Aarush’s progress over his time at Waverley. 

Henry Walker of Year 7A was also selected in the NSW CIS in his age group. Henry has already made some impressive totals in Term 1, falling just short of a century on two occasions due to merely running out of overs. Consequently, Henry’s consistent run totals have no doubt put him in good stead for further representative honours. Despite his young age, Henry was invited to the final round of the UNSW Green Shield selection trials. Good luck Henry!

Congratulations also to the talented Ashton Hourn who was selected as a finalist in the 2022 Mosman Youth Art Prize and exhibited his work publicly. Below is his artwork ‘Cricketers Dream.’

Moreover, I would like to extend my gratitude to all our coaches, who have been instrumental in developing the skills and abilities of our players. Your passion and expertise have been invaluable, and I know that our players have learned a great deal from your guidance and support.

Thank you to the Supporters’ Group and parents/carers of our players. Your encouragement and love for Waverley College Cricket have been the backbone of all our teams, and I am truly grateful for your ongoing contributions towards events and initiatives such as the Parent v Son game and the Presentation Night. Notably, the ongoing contribution of the Hickey family and the Andrews family deserves special recognition, alongside all our Year 12 families who are departing this season.

The Hickeys and the Andrews have a long association with the College, and have given countless hours to supporting Cricket through a variety of different capacities. I wish both families well in the future, whilst acknowledging that they are always welcome back to Queens Park to cheer on Waverley cricketers. Thank you to Craig McDonald, father of Jonathon and Toby, for stepping into the role of Supporters’ Group President, and for his assistance in organising many of the raffled items at the Presentation Evening whereby money was raised to better improve coaching and equipment. 

Finally, I would like to thank the College leadership, in particular Mr O’Donnell and Mr Leddie for their constant support of the Cricket program. Thank you also to our teacher coaches: Mr Kroll, Mr Knight, Mr Shorthouse, Mr Cross, Mr McCallum and Mr Elliot. Your efforts towards the Cricket program have been invaluable, and I am grateful for the time and resources that you have put into ensuring our success.

Sadly, Mr Elliott will be taking a temporary hiatus from Waverley College to embark on some well deserved rest, relaxation and adventure. I thank Mr Elliot for all his work over the years, many of which involved coaching the 1st XI, 8A and 7A teams.

As we move into the off-season, I encourage all players to reflect on the progress you have made and continue your hard work into next season. There will be opportunities for skill development sessions in the lead up to the 2023/24 season, and I am hopeful that many of the boys capitalise on this opportunity.