Apologies for the delay but it’s now time for our final premiership recap, our U16s victory at the Hill against Hahndorf Cricket Club played across the Sat and Sun mornings on 16/17 March.
Losing the toss and bowling first, the Echidnas made early inroads to have the Magpies in strife at 3/15 courtesy of two (2) wickets from Cade Tonkin & the other from co-captain, Damin Biddle. The Echidnas then tightened the screws, with Hahndorf limping to 4/47 at drinks.
Holly Paech (2/8 from 3 overs) was injected into the attack shortly after drinks and did what she had all season, collecting two (2) wickets in the space of three (3) balls to see the Magpies further slump to 6/60 after 25 overs. Even at the 30 over mark the Magpies were just 6/70 but to their credit, Hahndorf then fought back, led by an unbeaten 51* (101) from Bailey Grant, before a quick flurry of late wickets saw the Echidnas dismiss the Magpies for 121 with 4 balls remaining.
In addition to Holly, the pick of the Wistow bowlers were Cade (3/10 from 6) & co-captain, Ryan Davies (3/19 from 6).
Threatening to be a tricky total to chase, especially given the 16s had lost to Hahndorf just a fortnight earlier when they were dismissed for 115 chasing 138, they started their chase auspiciously on Sunday morning in front of a number of sleep-deprived seniors players who had spent the night celebrating at the Hill, and after Damin was dropped in the opening over, opening batters Damin & Mitch Westrych set to work as the two would put on a 98 run opening partnership to effectively put the match to bed by the time Damin was dismissed for 32 on the last ball before drinks.
Mitch retired an over and a half later for 62* from 74 balls featuring 11 fours & a six, before David Bredenkamp & Ryan knocked off the remaining runs, bringing the scores level in the 25th over before Ryan was dismissed trying to hit a six for the winning run, bringing Declan Bell in to hit the winning run only for the match to end on an anticlimax with a no ball.
A few final notes:-
– Mitch was narrowly awarded Player of the Match ahead of the likes of Cade, Ryan & Holly;
– Comfortably the form side in 16s all season, it was fantastic to see the Echidnas put together a complete performance in the GF after their remarkable one run, last ball victory in the Semi Final a week earlier (and after also having disappointingly been knocked out in the SFs of the U16 T20 comp a few weeks earlier);
– This was our first U16s Premiership in 37 years, with our last Premiership coming way back in 1986/87;
– For coach Brett Lynn, it was a 4th Premiership for Wistow to go with his trio of A Grade Premierships as a player in 2002/03, 2004/05 & 2007/08, having also been A Grade captain in the last two (2) of those Premierships; and
– Finally, a special mention to regular 12th player, who ended up playing most of the season, Matilda Lynn, who held her own despite being just 12 years old, batting four (4) times during the season and scoring three (3) runs whilst being dismissed just once which led to her making her Women’s 2nd Grade debut for the Eastern Falcons late in the season, where she would make 5* (playing alongside fellow Echidna, Holly Paech).
Up the Echidnas!!!
