In 1997/98 a new representative competition came into being. There was some concern at first as to the status of this venture as it did not appear to have the support of the NSWDCA. However it has continued to exist and is now a regular part of the cricket calendar for SSJCA players.

Teams from Canterbury/Wests, Georges River/St George, Fairfield/Liverpool and Sutherland took part, all aiming to win the "Presidents Trophy".

 

Presidents U16

Season 2008/09

Team

• Dane Hooper; Nigel Garton; Joel Colman; Tony Ward; Dane Bennett; Chris Young; Matthew Reynolds; Aden Reynolds; Nicholas Sheridan; Jordan Wilson; Riley Campbell; Sean Picone

For us to have been as competitive as we were in this competition was quite a shock to me initially. Down on numbers initially, we had to talk a couple of extra boys into giving representative cricket a go. As we went into the season with only three older boys and nine first year under 16's it was obvious we would be playing against physically stronger sides all year.

Although we did not win a game during the season, (we won our trial), there were many highlights during the season. Firstly, the positive attitude of all the boys throughout the season kept everyone on the sideline upbeat as well, including the coach. A lot of this can be attributed to the senior players, Tony Ward (c) and the vice captains Dane Bennett and Joel Coleman.

Personally there were highlights for all the boys as well. On the batting side of things, if you include the trial, Nigel Garton 59, Dane Bennett 73 n.o., Nick Sheridan 50, Dane Hopper 77, all had individual scores of over 50 as well as all scoring more than 100 runs for the season. Joel Coleman was consistent all season with a top score of 29 and Riley Campbell and Tony Ward played some important innings even though the scores may not reflect this. Jordan Wilson also scored well and applied himself later in the season as did Sean Picone, Matt Reynolds, Aden Reynolds and Chris Young.

Our bowling became our strength later in the season with Aden Reynolds and Chris Young the standout performers. Aden returning figures of 4/24, 3/28 & 2/14 among his 10 wickets for the season, while Chris returned 5/26 & 2/4 among his 9 wickets. Jordan Wilson was our quickest bowler and had figures of 3/28 and 2/21 squeezed in among some tight spells. The standout achievement goes to Matt Reynolds, taking a HAT-TRICK in round 4. Sean Picone and Nick Sheridan bowled without luck but always kept it tight while Dane Bennett and Joel Coleman Chipped in with wickets to break partnerships during the year.

In the field, Dane Hopper had a great first year as keeper with catches and a stumping and very few byes. Safe hands were displayed by Nigel Garton, Jordan Wilson and Nick Sheridan while Chris Young, Dane Bennett and Joel Coleman displayed good all-round skills.

As a coach, I can't recall having a less successful season and still I don't remember a game that wasn't great to be involved in. Thank you to the parents for their involvement and good humor in the face of adversity. A special thank you to Michael Wilson, for taking on the role of Manager at short notice and doing such a great job. And finally thank you boys for making my life as a coach such a pleasure.

Adam Young (Coach); Michael Wilson (Manager)

 

Presidents U14

Season 2008/09

Team

• Joel Beattie; Ben Letton; Jonathon Lamotta; Liam Fletcher; Gavin Ho; Brock Johnstone; James Corbett Ernest Ng; James Thomas; Jake Purser; Gareth Brown; Matthew Andrews;

The team chosen by the selectors to represent the SSJCA Under 14 Presidents team for the season 2008/2009 was a mixture of seasoned representative players from previous seasons and quite a few with no previous experience at this level of cricket, including the coach. It was clear however from the first training session that we had here was a most enthusiastic and talented group of players and after some words of inspiration from Len Pascoe and presentation of their first representative caps to Matt Andrews, Gareth Brown, James Corbett, Liam Fletcher and Brock Johnstone we were ready for action.

A trial match against North Shore continued the promising signs already shown. All players got good time in the middle with ball or bat with Ernest Ng, Matt Andrews and James Corbett taking two wickets each and Matt, Jake Purser and Ben Letton amongst the runs, although there were some worrying signs against the opposition spinner. Still a win was recorded but we were not getting ahead of ourselves at this stage.

Round 1 was a home game against the same opponents although they were strengthened by the inclusion of two quality players. Sutherland won the toss and elected to bat first and a competitive score of 162 was posted with a major contribution by Jonathon Lamotta and useful scores by Gavin Ho (22) and Ben Letton (31). However there was a strong feeling that we were 40 runs short of what we should have been and that is how it proved. A superb early spell by Ernie (3/43) had the visitors in trouble at 3/17 but big hitting by the opposition middle order proved crucial and despite Jonathon chipping in with 2/13 our score was passed with 6 wickets down. Initial disappointment gave way to the realization that we were undone by only two class players. There is no doubt we worried an outfit who went on to win the competition without losing a game.

So with some excitement we traveled north of the harbour for our first away game against Hornsby. We again batted first despite losing the toss and made a promising start with solid contributions by Gavin, Jake and Ben. Then came the coach's nightmare as we self-destructed losing 5 wickets for 1 run against tight but not devastating bowling although we now knew why we were put in to bat. James Thomas and Gareth Brown dug in to make our score more respectable but a total of 72 was never going to be enough. However the bowlers rolled up their sleeves and Matt and Ernie soon had the home side reeling at 3/17, but despite solid contributions by Gavin (1/7 off 7) Hornsby took their time and passed out total with 5 wickets down.

Our next match was away to Central Coast and the parents decided to make a weekend of it with most of the team electing to stay at some interesting accommodation on the Saturday night. The bonding session seemed to work as the boys responded to the decision to insert the opposition with as good a fielding display as could have been hoped for. All 11 opposition batsmen were caught, no chances were dropped and with the bowlers bowling straight the opposition were bundled out for a meager total of 86 with pride of place going to keeper Joel Beattie with 4 catches. The team has worked hard on its fielding and this effort was vindicated by this performance. We lost 3 wickets only in passing the total with Gavin (26), Jake (21) and Jonathon (24*) bringing us safely home. Tea and an early drive home were a sound reward for a great team effort.

After the long Christmas break our first outing was a daunting away trip to Penrith. On a very hot day in trying circumstances Penrith batted first and scored 8/223 - if our fielding was spot on in the previous match it was lacking on this day with a number of chances missed throughout the innings. To their credit the boys kept going and Jake (2/19) and particularly Gavin (3/19 off 10) returned creditable figures. Chasing such a large total was always going to be a tall order but Jake chose this day to show his qualities as a batsman with a magnificent 81 before he fell victim to the home-team umpire. Liam Fletcher was promoted to opener and scored a fighting 43 but the pressure of chasing a big total proved too much despite some bold late hitting by Brock Johnstone (18) and James T (14). However a lot of valuable lessons about playing cricket at this level in these conditions were learned today.

And so to our last home match of the season on the turf at Sutherland Oval, a first for many of the lads. Another hot day, we won the toss and elected to bat. Our best opening partnership of the season of 82 (Gavin 54, James C 30) laid the foundation but we did not quite capitalize and there was plenty of debate as to whether 146 would be enough. The bowlers started well with Matt making early inroads (2/11) supported by James T, Gareth and Jonathon. Some chances were missed as one of the Newcastle batsmen made a fine 50 but Ben stood up with 3/26 and the fielding tightened with three run-outs finally seeing us home by 11 runs. A great win and fabulous day all round against very gracious opponents. Days like today are what Presidents cricket is all about.

The play off match was against Newcastle away and half the team duly drove through the rain on Saturday to sample the delights of the northern city on Valentine's Day. A great night was had by all but the rain did not stop and a 6.00 am pitch inspection confirmed what we all knew - no game today. A disappointing end to the season.

My thanks to a lot of people who contributed to what was ultimately a successful and most enjoyable season. To the parents for sharing the burden of scoring, umpiring and chauffeuring and providing the best teas and for their support, to Jeremy Ng for assisting in the training duties and his encouragement and enthusiasm (the boys really appreciated your involvement) but particularly to Neil for taking on the role of manager with such efficiency and dedication - thanks mate. And last but not least to the boys, to the captain Ben who really grew into the role and whose captaincy against Newcastle went a long way to winning the game, to his able assistant vice-captain Jake and to the rest of the team who showed themselves to be a fine body of young men who are a credit to the Association, their parents, their clubs and themselves - good luck in the future.

Peter Brown (Coach); Neil Purser (Manager)

 

Presidents U12

Season 2008/09

Team

• Mark Simpson; Michael Howard; Conor Aggett; James Hawksworth; Ben Saunders; Lachlan Smith; Jacob Heffernan; Ryan Williams; Jackson Nicholls; Joshua Towell; Callum Docherty;

A learning experience for all members of the the U12 Presidents squad. It would be fair to say that our results during the season didn't match the level of talent contained in the squad. There is no doubt that every member of the squad has the ability to succeed at representative cricket. The challenge is in the application of that ability to build the vital partnership, or take the vital wicket that means the difference between winning and losing at this higher level of cricket.

The U12s were competitive in most matches. Stand out performances with the bat included Jacob Heffernan's 60 n.o. (vs Nth Shore), Conor Agget's 32 (Vs Central Coast) and who could forget Ben Saunders swashbuckling 43 (Vs Newcastle). But the stand out batsman throughout the season was undoubtedly James Hawksworth who consistently applied himself mentally and was rewarded with top scores in most matches including a magnificent (and a touch unlucky!) 49 (Vs Penrith).

Throughout the season we struggled to bowl sides out. Our best performers with the ball were Lachlan Smith (6 wkts @ 16.33) and Michael Howard (5 wkts @ 16.60). Casey Grimes bowled well without much luck, and our 3 spinners - Conor Agget, Jacob Heffernan and Ben Saunders - all produced some tidy spells.

Thanks to Rod Agget for his time and effort in coaching the boys. Huge thanks to a great bunch of parents who not only supported the boys in great fashion but also provided the best afternoon teas in the history of Presidents Cup cricket!!

Rod Aggett (Coach); Jim Docerty (Manager)

 

Presidents U16

Season 2007/08

Team

• Milton Antonian, Nicholas Bird, Matthew Brogan, Adam Chesher, Josh Daniels, Blake Duncum, Cameron Foskett, Andrew Gilchrist, Michael Grant, Benjamin Hargreaves, Michael Truman, Anthony Ward

It is with pleasure that I present the report on the SSJCA's Under 16 Presidents side for season 2007 / 08.

The SSJCA selectors presented the coach of the Under 16's Presidents side John Chesher with a young side full of confidence and talent. The side only had four second year under 16 players and five first time representative players. It was a pleasure to see Milton Antonian, Josh Daniels, Michael Grant, Ben Hargreaves, and Tony Ward presented with their representative caps by Glenn McGrath at Caringbah Oval as well as all the boys receiving words of encouragement for the season ahead from Glenn. I'm sure Glenn's inspirational words will live with the boys for many years to come.

Our first game of the season was played against North Shore at Caringbah Oval. This was the first time most of our players had the opportunity to play on the hallowed turf of Caringbah Oval and make full use of all the facilities the ground had to offer. North Shore won the toss and elected to bat on a good wicket and amasses a solid score of 218. Michael Truman was the pick of our bowlers on the day taking 3 for 37. A little disappointing given that we had made a good start to the game. In reply Sutherland scored 155 with the highlight being a great 100 run stand between Michael Grant 50 and Josh Daniels 41. A great effort from Josh, after he also collected 2 for 17 with the ball.

Game two saw us play away to Hornsby at Turramurra. Everyone was aghast at the size of the Hornsby players. I'm sure they all drove their own cars to the ground. Unfortunately we were also blown away in the game. We were all out for 73 in our first dig with only Matt Brogan, Milton Antonian and Ben Hargreaves providing any real resistance. In reply Hornsby made 9 for 153 in what was a good effort by our bowlers. Michael Truman, Andrew Gilchrist and Matt Brogan were the main wicket takers in what was a good all round fielding display. Our second innings was again disappointing finishing at 9 for 84. Cameron Foskett and Michael Grant started well but it was left to Andrew Gilchrist and Michael Truman to luckily save off an outright defeat.

Our third game was against the Central Coast at Woronora Heights. In another good performance by our bowlers, we rolled Central Coast for 140. Mat Brogan led the way with 3 for 27 supported well by Andrew Gilchrist 2 for 23 and Josh Daniels 2 for 15. Unfortunately runs were again difficult for us to come by as we were bowled out for a disappointing 93. Matt Brogan, Michael Grant and Nick Bird tried hard but it really was a game that we should have won.

Following the Christmas break we ventured out to Penrith, where with the assistance of Mark Rice, we were able to post our first win of the season. We dismissed Penrith for 145 in what was a good effort by our boys. It was Tony Ward's day with the ball as he took a great 4 for 14. Adam Chesher chipped in with 2 for 2 while Michael Grant also took 2 for 7. Cameron Foskett and Matt Brogan got us off to a good start with the bat but it was a fantastic 71 from Mark Rice and 25 from Nick Bird that really got us over the line as we scored an emphatic win finishing at 5 for 132.

We undertook the long trek to Newcastle for game 5 and after a number of false starts we ended up playing at Nelson Bay. Sutherland got off to a great start with 65 run stand between Matt Brogan 41 and Michael Grant 31. Our batting again went south from there with only Tony Ward lending good tail end assistance as we finished our 50 overs at 10 for 122. We were blown off the park by the Newcastle batsmen who scored 3 for 124 off only 34 overs. Michael Truman 2 wickets and Milton Antonian were the pick of the bowlers. We may not have won this match, but all the boys and most of the parents did enjoy a wonderful stay at the Charlestown Motel where a couple of reds were quietly put away over dinner.

That left our last game back at Sutherland Oval against Penrith. Our bowlers again did the job as we dismissed Penrith for 135. Milton Antonian was outstanding, taking 4 for 25, Mat Brogan took anther 2 for 11 while Ben Hargreaves too his first representative wickets with 2 for 11. Our run chase was heavily affected by persistent showers. In the end it came down to run rates and we fell agonisingly short at 9 for 83. Cameron Foskett led the late order batting charge in his best innings of the year while Ben Hargraves and Andrew Gilchrist tried hard to get the required runs. In the end time and overs beat us.

In the end we may have had only one win, but I'm sure all the boys learnt a great deal about playing representative cricket. The Under 16 Presidents side were given some great opportunities especially by being allowed to play on Caringbah and Sutherland Ovals. We thank the SSJCA for those opportunities. I thank our wonderful coach John Chesher for the time and dedication he put into the team. John's contribution to this team was simply outstanding and all the boy's benefited from John's coaching.

I wish to thank all the parents for a very enjoyable representative season. To all the fathers who either scored or undertook square leg umpiring and mum's who supplied simply the best afternoon teas during our home games. We may not have won as many games on the field as we would have liked, but we were undefeated when it came to the afternoon teas. The company of all the parents and the boys during the President's Season was simply wonderful and it was a pleasure to be amongst you all.

Bryan Gilchrist
Manager

Coach: John Chesher

 

Presidents U14

Season 2007/08

Team

• Patrick Bird, Christopher Curtis, Bradley Ford, Scott Gordon-Phillips, Liam Hamling, Liam Herne, Ewan Macpherson, Nicholas Robertson, Luke Sharkey, Matthew Stanton, Alexander Wynn, Christopher Young

Firstly may I thank the Association for the privilege of coaching such a terrific team of young men. We cannot claim to have had a successful year based on the results, with one win and one draw from our six games, but there were many positives to reflect upon. After what could only be described as a horror start to the season, (all out for 56 against 7/167), the coach from North Shore declared that we would not be competitive with most of the other sides and we could only hope that strong sides like Penrith and Newcastle didn't do too much damage to us when they beat us.

Knowing most of this team before the season started I knew that we should have been better than that first game showed. Although there was only 1 win to follow it could easily have been 4 and any thoughts of being belted by the undefeated Newcastle were put to rest when we won the toss, had the courage to send them in and bowled them out for 59. Although I don't want to take away from our opponents' on field victories it would be fair to say we had some 'bad luck' along the way.

The leadership that was shown, both on the field and off, by Alexander Wynn (Captain), Liam Herne and Chris Young (Vice-Captains) was an example for all to follow. They were charged with the responsibility of making all on field decisions and with keeping the team focused on their goals. To watch them making bowling changes and changing field settings was inspiring and enthusiastically supported by the team.

Our batting was better than it looks in the scorebook with the long grass and wet conditions the batsmen put up with causing more problems than the opposition bowling attacks. It was frustrating for the coach to watch our top order having to chance their luck, trying to score runs by hitting over the top because cover drives and cut shots were stopping before they got 20 metres. The only time we got to see the team batting on a field that gave good shots value for money was in Round 2 against Hornsby. Making the most of the conditions Liam Herne hit our top score of 95 and was ably supported by Patrick Bird with 50. Chris Young (19) and Chris Curtis (19*) also contributed quick runs to our total of 229, which was the only true reflection of our batting ability. Liam Hamling and Alexander Wynn opened our innings and despite not posting big scores showed confidence and ability to see off the opening attacks although both deserved just an ounce of luck. Others to do well with the bat were Luke Sharkey (28) and Nicholas Robertson (51) in Round 3, Chris Young (21) and Bradley Ford (13) in Round 4, and Liam Herne (23) in Round 3. Each of these scores could have been at least doubled if they were on better grounds for batting.

Our bowling was spearheaded by Ewan McPherson and Matthew Stanton, two of the younger members of the team, who (like Liam Hamling with the bat) showed maturity in the way they approached their game that was beyond their years. Matthew finished Round 4 with the outstanding figures of 6/21 whilst Ewan was for the most part "unhittable" with his season going at less than 2 runs an over with 4 wickets. Others to do well were Luke Sharkey bagging 3 wickets in both Round 1 and Round 3, Scott Gordon-Phillips with 3/3 and 2/7 in our last 2 games (his pace was something to see and will guarantee we hear more from him in future years), Bradley Ford with 2/7 against Newcastle, and Matthew Stanton 2/6 in Round 3. Liam Herne, Chris Young, Nicholas Robertson and Chris Curtis all bowled accurately and tied opponents down, especially as the season got older. Alexander Wynn's keeping was typically tidy with few byes but he may need to slow down his glove work on those stumpings as square leg umpires seemed to have difficulty believing he could catch the ball and take the bails off so quickly. In the field there were also some outstanding efforts with Nicholas Robertson at the top of the list with 3 "screamers" at first slip in Round 3, while Bradley Ford (4 catches) displayed safe hands under the high ball and Chris Curtis (3 catches) and Liam Hamling showed great alertness to stop many runs on the ground.

Again to the parents, a big thank you for putting up with me throughout the season and for allowing me to spend some time with a great "team" of young men. To those young men thank you for your attention at training and for the way you applied yourselves to whatever the task you were set on game day. You are a credit to the Association, your club, your parents and especially to yourselves!!! Good luck in your future cricketing endeavours. Coach: Adam Young

 

Presidents U12

Season 2007/08

Team

• Joel Beattie, Marcus Beattie, Jaiden Connell, Benn Hallman, Connor Heathington, Campbell Jackson, Kane Manning, Corey Napper, Oliver Selby, Mitchell Selwood, Corey Wheeler, Blake Woodward

This season we traveled further than the Leyland's, playing away games against Penrith, Newcastle, Hornsby and Central Coast. A sincere thanks to our loyal parents and supporters who trekked to these far flung venues.

Throughout the series we experienced every possible emotion associated with competitive sport. Our joint managers, Craig Selwood and Mark Wheeler, aged considerably but always maintained a pleasant demeanor and performed their duties admirably. A hearty thank you to you both.

A special thanks goes to every parent who contributed to the cause by preparing the best afternoon teas of the series, scoring for many hours, umpiring, driving long distances and bringing the boys to training. I'd like to echo Geoff Morton's comments after our final game in saying that it was a privilege to be involved with a team of boys and parents who were a credit to Sutherland Shire cricket on and off the field at all times.

I have always maintained that statistics can be misleading. Whilst our record of 5 losses and 1 win was disappointing, we were competitive in all but one of those games, losing 2 of these in the final over. But for a few dropped chances and a couple of run outs we could have easily had 2-3 more wins. Despite this, the boys always gave their best and I am proud of their efforts.

As a coach I judge the success of a season based on the improvement the team and how many players back up next year. By beating the undefeated Newcastle team in the final round we showed that we are a capable unit.

A highlight of the season was the cap presentation where the great Glenn McGrath spoke about what it means to represent your shire. I encourage you all to follow his example of working very hard on your game if you want to progress to higher honours.

Thank you for the opportunity to coach and hopefully you all learnt a few useful things along the way. I'll be watching the progress of each of you over the coming years with interest. Coach: Ben Connell

 

Presidents U16

Season 2006/07

Team: Ian McRae (Coach), Sean Garton, Jesse Shewan, Mason Whitaker, Alex Wall, Pat Dibley (c), Anthony Chapman (Manager), Chris McRae, Tom Sinclair, Alex Fisher, Mitchell Hay, Pat Chapman (v/c), Carl Stevenson, Mitchell Crews.

A talented bunch of boys formed the President's Under 16's this year, but for the first 3 games that talent did not really transfer to the park. It was not that the boys were not trying, but coach Ian summed it up best after our loss the Penrith in round 4 that we were "out enthused" by the other teams. This is perhaps not surprising as of our team, 5 of the boys were new to representative cricket, and the learning curve had to be quick and steep.

There were a lot of high spots, but certainly the most was that ALL the boys improved their cricketing skills and they all competed to the best of their ability. On behalf of the boys and their parents, I would particularly like to thank Ian McRae for taking on the coaching role. His technical advice and his attitude were absolutely top rate and he provided a real role model for the boys in their future cricket careers.

Thanks to the parents who helped with scoring, umpiring, afternoon teas and so on and especially thanks to Paulette for organising things to run so smoothly.

Lastly thank you to Greg Thomas for his time and efforts as Rep Manager, and when we had our Round 1 bye, Greg organised training at the SCG for the boys, thanks very much Greg.

Pat Chapman: As vice captain helped our captain Pat Dibley with field placings and general motivation of the team. His batting was more aggressive this year and top scored in our Round 4 match. His wicket keeping was its usual high standard.

Mitch Crews: As the season progressed Mitch was growing in confidence and it is a pity there was not another game or 2 to be played. Mitch is one of the younger players in the team and we will hopefully see him back up again next year.

Pat Dibley: Our Captain performed very well this year in all facets of the game. His 101 off about 60 balls) at Caringbah oval in round 5 was the highlight, but he top scored against Central Coast (39) and topped the aggregate (152) and average (38) for the team. His bowling was very quick and unlucky, whilst his fielding was first class.

Alex Fisher: Alex was unlucky not to make more runs, but he got to double figures in 3 of our 4 games and 2nd top scored twice. His 20 against Central Coast was great to watch and contributed to the partnership of 58 with Pat Dibley.

Sean Garton: Sean proved himself a very capable leg spinner and it is amazing he only picked up 1 wicket! The highlight was his tandem spin effort with Tom Sinclair against Penrith which proved a highly frustrating period for the Penrith batsmen, ultimately leading to a loss of quick wickets.

Mitch Hay: Mitch was another boy who really had to step up a couple of classes for this level cricket. Throughout the comp, he improved every game and picked up 2 wickets at the end. His batting improved as well with a good not out against Penrith.

Andrew McRae: His opportunities were limited, but he picked up 2 wickets in the over that he bowled for 1 run at Caringbah oval! Thanks for helping the team out Andy.

Chris McRae: Chris was our rock solid batsmen. He really found his niche in the big game at Caringbah oval where he made 38 not out and was instrumental in a couple of big partnerships. His bowling was as usual very tight and he picked up 4 wickets.

Jesse Shewan: Played in 3 of our games. Jesse normally opened the bowling or first change, and whilst he usually bowls quick he was another who saved his best for our final round at Caringbah, taking 3/17 off 6 overs. Jesse is the youngest in the team and the added experience he got this year will hold him in good stead in the years to come.

Tom Sinclair: Every aspect of Tom's game is of the highest standard. Tom top scored with 23 in our opening game and he got a very well put together 52 at Caringbah oval in our last game. His fielding was always of a high standard and he took the most wickets , 5 including 4/14 off 8 overs in one innings against Penrith. Tom was one of our most experienced players and was the most enthusiastic on the field.

Carl Stevenson: Carl opened the batting for us and did a great job. His partnership of 22 with Alex Wall in the first game on a wet rough pitch was very determined but the highlight was his 38 against Newcastle at Caringbah oval. His leggies always looked dangerous and provided a great economy rate with his bowling.

Alex Wall: Opened the batting and also sometimes opened the bowling. He can consider himself unlucky in batting as he got off to a good start in our round 2 game when he got a ball that just ran along the ground and in the Central Coast he got out to a miraculous slips catch. His bowling was of a good line and length. He unfortunately missed our last game through a leg injury, but he came along and as usual was incredibly supportive of the whole team.

Mason Whitaker: Another experienced player, Mason was unlucky with the bat as well. He ran out of partners in the Central Coast game with 12 not out and looked in great touch. His bowling was always tidy and he uses his height to great advantage by getting plenty of bounce. Another player always willing to have input for the good of the team and a real team player.

Results

• Round 1 bye
• Round 2 Sutherland All out 81 Hornsby 2/84
• Round 3 Central Coast 8/267 Sutherland All out 119
• Round 4 Penrith All out 122 Sutherland All out 50
• Round 5 Sutherland 8/275 Newcastle All out 109

Presidents U14

Season 2006/07

Team: Terry Byrne (Manager), Brandon McLean, Adam Chesher, Andrew Gilchrist, Zac Wedesweiler, Brendan Byrne, Luke Sharkey, John Chesher (Coach), Chris Curtis, Mitchell McInnes, Michael Truman, Mitchell Vassallo, Cameron Foskett, Mitchell Foster.

The Under 14 Presidents XII ended the season as they started it, with an outstanding team win.

After the First round win against North Shore we had a long summer of success to look forward to. After the thrilling final round victory in Newcastle we were able to look back at some fantastic challenges and performances, and also forward to a long drive home.

Against North Shore, all of the parts of the team combined well to produce an outstanding result. Chris Curtis showed the kind of bowling form that would see him emerge at the end of the season as our best-performed bowler. Our top order regulars of Brendan Byrne, Adam Chesher and Mitchell McInnes also contributed strongly with the bat, and our work in the field was outstanding - with textbook catching and positive talk.

Against Newcastle on the final day we batted first and our cause looked hopeless at 7 for 62 but then Mitchell Foster and Cameron Foskett defied the conditions, and our opponents, to add 42 between them give us some faint hope.

As usual, conditions seemed to settle for our opponents - the pitch had dried out and the wind had dropped considerably by the time Newcastle's innings commenced. Despite this, Zac Wedesweiler dragged down a screamer off his own bowling and dragged us back into the match. Michael Truman, who bowled brilliant accurate swing all season, kept our opponents tied down with a 0-11 off 10 overs and pushed them back into a corner. From that base the boys, as a team, basically forced their way to the tightest of wins.

In between the two wins, we had some fantastic days together as a team, and came up against some really tough opponents who ensured that we were really tested as cricketers, and forced to think about our game, our preparation and performance.

Most of our squad were experienced as representative cricketers, the exceptions being key position players Mitchell Vassallo (opening bat) and Andrew Gilchrist (opening bowler and key catching fielder). Both boys had impressive first years at this level and it was wonderful to see how they applied themselves and kept learning as the season progressed. We also had strong contributions from our more experienced players - Brandon McLean, as captain, leading the team superbly and being our top batting performer. He also provided tidy keeping throughout the season. Cameron Foskett, along with team-mates from the previous year's U14 side Brendan Byrne, Adam Chesher and Mitchell McInnes provided a strong core of key performers. They put in some outstanding performances throughout the season. Adam also contributed with his leadership role as vice-captain. Of our other experienced representative players, Zac Wedesweiler emerged as a key force in the field, and chipped in with some vital wickets with his imposing bowling. Mitchell Foster proved to be our key change bowler, and was one of our final day batting heroes. Luke Sharkey emerged as the genuine all-rounder we needed to be competitive. Luke showed the way to the others with his aggressive stroke play.

This was a magnificent team, with a magnificent group of families and friends supporting them, and a great coach in John Chesher who brings it all together for the group. There was no part of this season, for all of its challenges, that was not enjoyable and memorable.
Terry Byrne

Results

• Rd 1 : Win at home v North Shore
  Sutherland 5-156 [B Byrne 25, A Chesher 17, M McInnes 45no, C Foskett 20] v North Shore All-138 [A Gilchrist 2-37, M Foster 3-18, C Curtis 3-21]
• Rd 2 : Forfeit by Northern Districts
• Rd 3 : Loss at home v Central Coast
  Sutherland All-147 [B Byrne 23, B McLean 62] v Central Coast 2-153 [A Chesher 1-26, Curtis 1-37]
• Rd 4 : Loss away v Penrith
  Sutherland All-124 [M Vassallo 22, L Sharkey 28] v Penrith1-138 [M Truman 1-17]
• Rd 5 : Loss at home v Newcastle
  Sutherland All-113 [M Vassallo 21, C Curtis 17] v Newcastle 8 -179 [C Curtis 4-31, L Sharkey 2-17)
• Playoff 3rd vs 4th : Win away v Newcastle
  Sutherland 10-116 [M Vassallo 17, M Foster 16, C Foskett 26] v Newcastle All -112 [A Gilchrist 2-16, M McInnes 2-18, M Foster 2-7, B Byrne 2-8]

Presidents U12

Season 2006/07

Back Row: Mitchell Blake, James Thomas, Jordan Trajcevski, Jake Purser, Terry Chalmers (Coach). Front Row: Liam Hamling, James Pfundstein, Ernest Ng, Harry Chapman, Brendan Royall, Sam Cooke. Absent: Gavin Ho, Jonathon Lamotta. This was a very challenging series for the boys. For several it was their first taste of representative cricket and for everyone it was a big step up from club cricket. Some of the opposition batsmen showed us how to build an innings and really attack the bowling. Opposition bowlers got results by consistency in line and length and we saw how important good fielding is. We had a great win over runaway leaders Newcastle and competed well against some of the other teams by getting ourselves into winning positions only to see games slip away at crucial moments. It was great to see the lads get on well and be genuinely happy for each others success, encouraging others when required and generally having a fun time playing every game. Even though the results were disappointing I'm sure the boys enjoyed themselves and can take a lot away from the season. We trained hard to get the basics right before the series began with lots of work on fielding, catching, running between wickets etc. Sometimes we got these right for an extended period during the game but the more successful sides did it for longer periods than us. We also made a few poor decisions when confronted with pressure situations but that is all part of learning the game. I'm sure everyone learned from those experiences and will be better players for it. We need to bowl consistently in "the corridor" around off stump, concentrate in the field and try to accelerate our scoring when we have established ourselves with the bat. Having said that, there were some fantastic results throughout the series as well. Liam Hamling showed good technique throughout the series with bat, scoring runs when opening. Jonathon Lamotta batted well when given an opportunity at the top of the order and was one of the quickest bowlers we saw. James Thomas's 6 - 28 against Hornsby almost won the game for us in round 2 and Sam Cooke batted well at the top of the order also when given the chance. Jake Purser skippered the side and has the makings of a good all rounder. Better shot selection will improve results with the bat. Can tend to bowl too short which was punished at this higher level. Liam Hamling opened for the first couple of games and was our leading run scorer for the series. Will need to add a few more shots to his repertoire as he gets older in order to keep being successful. Liam also did a fine job behind the stumps. Jordan Trajcevski certainly hit the ball harder than anyone we saw this year. Some technical refinements will benefit him. Bowled with good pace at times and will get better results by pitching the ball up more often. Jonathon Lamotta improved throughout the summer and is a wonderful athlete with real potential in all aspects of the game. More confidence will see results improve even more. James Thomas was the standout bowler on several occasions but needs to find consistency to be more successful. Troubled all batsmen with his sharp bounce. A better batsman than his results showed. Be patient, James! Ernie Ng has a beautiful action for a left arm medium fast bowler. Found it was a big jump from club cricket but overcame this with some tidy spells after Christmas. Potentially a good lower order hitter and needs to work hard with the fielding and catching. Mitchell Blake also has a lovely action and also found it was a different game on Sundays. Line and length improved as the series went on and took some useful wickets along the way. A good pair of hands in the field with several great catches mixed in with a few misses. Brendan Royall was a first year under 12 player but was not intimidated in any circumstance. A fine keeper in the making. Didn't get many opportunities this season but will improve next season. Harry Chapman was another first year boy with limited opportunities who played better after Christmas with some handy knocks at the end of the innings. Some fantastic catches at first slip were standouts. James Pfundstein has a great technique but couldn't quite convert it into runs this series. Also bowls a more than useful leg spinner. Sam Cooke played well when given the opportunity at the top of the order scoring some good runs. Developing more run scoring shots will help his game. Bowled at a lively medium pace with good control - an important skill performed better than most in the team. Gavin Ho was our main spinner and even though he did not take many wickets kept a wonderful attitude to the game. Some minor technical improvements will see better results next year. Ethan Verdich played well in the games he played for us. A good all round cricketer with a great approach to the game. Finally, a big thank you to the parents. It's not easy giving up a whole Sunday, often with younger children in tow and travelling to Glenorie, Castle Hill and Penrith! The encouragement and support from everyone was first class with everyone genuinely happy to the players' success, sharing their disappointments and always encouraging the boys. As usual the afternoon teas from Sutherland were miles ahead of anything else. Mark Chapman

Presidents U16

Season 2005/06

Tim Smith, Paul Bremner, Keiran Rossenrode, Daniel Stack, Mason Whitaker, Nathan Waugh, Andrew Jones, John Turnbull, Davis Theobald, Chris Feggans, Thomas Jackson, Carl Stevenson.

Tom Croucher (Coach), Bill Rossenrode (Manager).

The season was not a successful one with one win but apart from one loss against Central Coast every other game was competitive and with a bit of luck the results could have gone our way.

Our first game against North Shore was reduced in overs due to wet surrounds and became a slog a thon and we just failed to reach the target. Against Central Coast we were soundly beaten but we came back well against Penrith to record a convincing victory. We came very close against Newcastle and Hornsby.

The pleasing part about the season was the positive attitude shown by all players, their willingness to learn and develop their skill throughout the season.

Tom Croucher as coach did a wonderful job throughout the season giving his time and effort to improve all players playing abilities. This was assisted by the District club by supplying specialist coaching sessions throughout the season.

A big thank you to all parents for your support and help throughout the season which made my job a bit easier especially Peter and Pam Jackson who were in charge of the lunch BBQ which were enjoyed by all.

The playing roster was of high quality and below is a summary of the team:

Chris Feggans - the captain of the side. Always a difficult task but handled it well. Had scores of 40, 51 and 51 and also grabbed 5/22 with the ball against Newcastle.

Paul Bremner - our opening bowler who always gained us an early breakthrough. Took 10 wickets in the season, got 4/36 against Central Coast.

Tom Jackson - a good all round cricketer with both bat and ball and very good slips fielder. Nearly won us the game against Hornsby with 29 and also bowled well against Central Coast 3/33.

Tim Smith - all rounder very consistent opener with a top score of 45. Was very unlucky with the ball, fielded very well. Missed the last two games after breaking a finger with his club side.

Daniel Stack - very enthusiastic and was always talking the boys up. Had success with the bat scoring a polished 36 against Central Coast. Fielded and bowled well throughout the season.

Davis Theobold - early order batsman who got a start most times. Top scored against Hornsby 42. Took over the gloves for our last two games and performed well.

John Turnbull - a true all-rounder his top score being 52no against Penrith and also got 40 against Hornsby. Also a very classy leg spinner and with a bit of luck would have got a bag full of wickets.

Andrew Jones - higher order batsman, who performed well throughout the season, had a great dig as opener against Newcastle scoring 35. Also a very smart fielder.

Kieran Rossenrode - our other left armer who at times swung the ball a treat. Ended up with 7 wickets for the season. Took 3/56 against Newcastle. Very positive and safe in the field.

Carl Stevenson - another higher order batsman who performed well. Got a nice 50 against Newcastle. Carl�s fielding was good throughout the season.

Nathan Waugh - our wicketkeeper who performed to a very high standard throughout the season, arguably the best keeper in the comp. Against Penrith took five catches. Missed last two games with a broken toe.

Mason Whitaker - the youngest member of the team. Mason was a very competent change bowler who kept runs down to a minimum. Also took the most catches for an outfielder.

Patrick Feggans - replacement for John Turnbull against Central Coast. Didn�t get too many opportunities but when called upon performed up to representative level in the field.

Daniel Brett - replacement for Tim Smith and took to representative cricket with ease. Exceptional close in fielder and very competent batsman. Scored 39 against Hornsby and 24 against Newcastle.

Mitchell Hanarahan - replacement for Nathan Waugh who also performed well as a representative player. Opened the bowling and troubled the batsmen. Very quick in the outfield and had a powerful throwing arm.

Bill Rossenrode Manager

Presidents U14

Season 2005/06

Nicholas McCarthy, Shane Te Patu, Kurtis Manwarring, Jesse Shewan, Patrick Chapman (Captain), Adam Smith, Cameron Foskett, Adam Chesher, Brendan Byrne, Mitchell McInnes, Sean Mulally, Jeremy Tuite.

John Chesher (Coach), Anthony Chapman (Manager).

We knew at the beginning of the season that we were in for a tough year and for a change we were right with that assumption.

With five of our boys coming from the Under 13 age group we were far and away physically the smallest team on the field but certainly not in the boy�s hearts. Every boy tried their utmost and the most pleasing aspects were that every boy not only improved their cricket but played in a great team spirit.

The main reason for the boys giving their all was purely due to the positive coaching and mentoring of John Chesher. John�s positive attitude to the game of cricket was infectious to the players and they all went out with a positive mental attitude and as John always said to the boys the most important thing is to have fun.

All the parents and I thank John enormously for the time and effort that he has put in this year. Other thanks go to the parents who assisted with square leg, scoring, afternoon teas, and the ground setup. Special thanks to Paulette who again did all the work behind the scenes and also I can�t express enough appreciation to Allan Morgan who really makes managing a rep side incredibly easy.

Matthew Burg. Matt was called in as a replacement in our last two rounds and top scored in one game. His leg spinners were as usual sharp, accurate and caused the batsman a lot of problems. Thank you Matt for your contribution.

Brendan Byrne. Brendan proved to be one of our most dependable middle order batsman and in one notable game put on a courageous defence with Adam Chesher to turn what could have been an embarrassing score line into something respectable. Good hands in the field with a couple of great catches.

Patrick Chapman. As a captain he did an outstanding job and worked in very well with John on field settings and team motivation. His wicket keeping was exceptional with minimal byes and some aggressive stumpings and good hands. He also topped the batting average and aggregate for the team.

Adam Chesher. Adam had a very good year particularly with bowling where he claimed six wickets for just 60 runs to top the bowling average. More than once Adam was the rock in our lower order of batting and could occupy the crease.

Cameron Foskett. Cameron shows great technique with the bat but the runs didn�t come his way however, he proved to be one of our safest handlers in the field taking four catches including one spectacular catch in the covers against Newcastle.

Kurtis Manwarring. Kurtis was batting up the order and was incredibly unlucky with two of his dismissals. Kurtis was tidy with the ball picking up a couple of wickets.

Nick McCarthy. Nick was in the unenviable job of opening the batting and started the season with a great opening stand of 53 off 21 overs (with Adam Smith). Nick also shone in the field and showed some real pace and at the end.

Mitchell McInnes. Mitch was also batting in our top order and had good technique but the runs unfortunately weren�t flowing his way. Mitch was positive in the field and all round he is a great team player.

Sean Mulally. Sean was our number one spinner in the team and picked up seven wickets for the year to top the bowling aggregate. He was accurate and spun the ball well and contained and troubled the opposition batsman.

Jesse Shewan. Jess was our opening bowler who bowled with real pace. On the batting side in one memorable innings he hit a quick fire 27 he proved his aggression with the bat.

Adam Smith. Adam was our main opening batsman. He occupied the crease for considerable periods of time doing a great job as a opener.

Shane Te Patu. Shane was our other opening bowler whose bowling progressed well through the season. He can bowl with considerable pace and can intimidate the opposition batsman.

Jeremy Tuite. For a couple of games Jeremy was thrust into the opening bowler role which he was well suited for due to his fantastic line length and accuracy. Jeremy was also a handy lower order batsman.

Results

• Round 1. Sutherland 11 for 105 (54 overs) beaten by North Shore 5/109 (44 overs).
• Round 2. Sutherland all out for 74 off 59 overs. Central Coast 9 for 186 of 60 overs.
• Round 3. Sutherland 11 for 140 off 57 overs. Penrith 6 for 161 off 60 overs.
• Round 4. Sutherland 10 for 110 off 57 overs. Newcastle 6 for 111 off 52 overs.
• Round 5. Sutherland all out for 59 off 50 overs. Hornsby 3 for 65 off 26 overs.

Presidents U14

Season 2005/06

Andrew Cole, Nicholas Robertson, Luke Sharkey, Jackson Saxby, Bradley Ford, Jordan Dow, Front Row: Chris Curtis, Anthony Sawdy, George Hronis, Tom Rowlands, Chris Young, Taylor Burman

Terry Chalmers (Coach). Annette Robertson (Manager)

At the start of our campaign we all spoke about what we wanted to achieve and how we were going to do it. I am very pleased to say that we have succeeded, every boy has improved his cricket skills, his knowledge of the game and the sportsmanship shown was outstanding.

Every game, won or lost, was competitive and even when we were struggling we always managed to fight back and take the game to the end of the day.

I cannot speak highly enough of our captain, Jordan, who led the team with enthusiasm, intelligence and fairness. It is not easy to be the wicketkeeper, adjust the field and change the bowlers and for someone so young Jordan showed maturity beyond his years. His wicket-keeping skills are as good as I have seen at this age.

Luke had a great season, being our top run scorer and wicket taker, he is one to keep an eye on for the future. George, Brad and Anthony shared the opening batting position and always tried to get the team off to a good start. Unfortunately Anthony�s season was cut short by injury and he was replaced in the team by Harry who proved to be a very capable substitute. Andrew had some good innings and was always outstanding in the field as was Chris C., who proved to be a valuable team member as the season progressed. Chris Y. was our most consistent bowler and played some very important innings as did Tom who always had the outfielders on their toes. Nick and Taylor were big improvers and showed plenty of all rounder skills. Jackson showed promise with the ball and we were always anticipating those big hits when he came to bat.

I had great fun coaching this team, they are a great bunch of boys whose parents must be very proud of them. I wish them every success in their future endeavours.

A big thank you to Annette who managed the team so capably, and thank you to the parents who supported the boys.

Terry Chalmers

• Round 1: Sutherland 117 beat North Shore 101
  (Chris Young 18, Luke Sharkey 6/25)
• Round 2: Sutherland 124 lost to Central Coast 6/128
  (Luke Sharkey 51, Chris Curtis 2/17)
• Round 3: Sutherland 134 beat Penrith 95
  (Luke Sharkey 26 & 3/12, Chris Curtis 16 & 2/17, Chris Young 3/14 Nick Robertson 2/3, Jordan Dow 2 catches & 2 stumpings)
• Round 4: Sutherland 140 lost to Newcastle 6/143
  (Tom Rowlands 29no, Luke Sharkey 22, Jordan Dow 20, Nick Robertson 2/9 Chris Curtis 2/24)
• Round 5: Sutherland 9/133 lost to Hornsby 166
  (Luke Sharkey 51, George Hronis 30, Brad Ford 3/15, Chris Young 3/27 Nick Robertson 2/18)

Presidents Cup

History of Sutherland's Involvement

The first team to participate in this venture was made up of boys who had missed out in the selection trials for entry to the Cawsey shield team. For eight of the twelve team members this was their first exposure to representative cricket. They did well. They played six rounds, three in November and three in February and won every match. Their coach Ray Stafford reported, "The improvement in these boys from the first game to the last game had to be seen to be believed".

The team comprised, Tarek Barakat (Capt.), Toby Nash (V. Capt.), Andrew Keep, Ryan Shepherd, Julian Batchelor, Chris McCarron, Adrian Rizzi, Robert Bunker, Ryan Stafford, Matthew Smith, David Riley and, Matthew Malone.

The Harold Moore Shield team that year was also entered in the Presidents Cup at the higher age level (under 14). Whilst it did not have a lot of success in the NSWDCA competition it did well in the Cup winning every game but one (won on forfeit due to Fairfield/Liverpool withdrawal).

The second season of Presidents Cup saw a third team added, - an Under 16 team This competition was proving to be ideal for giving boys a taste for representative cricket at a level approaching the standard of NSWDCA competition but without the same level of intensity. This is not to say that the effort applied was any the less. It simply acknowledges the value of NSWDCA cricket as acquiring a step up on the ladder to a cricket career as a senior player.

Since the start of the Presidents Cup competition Sutherland has been a keen participant and has regularly fielded teams in each of the three age groups. Indeed only in 2001/02 did it fail to do so entering only two. It has proved a very popular introduction to representative cricket to many a player and though Sutherland has never won the Presidents Cup it has always been knocking on the door. In 2002/03 rain in the final round led to a washout that denied Sutherland the much sought after victory.