A Grade
A-Grade had the bye.
A-Reserve
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Lakers struggle against in-form Delatite at ‘Lords’
After the Leeburn mobile decided to turn up at 12:59pm, taking a detour to Euroa before finally arriving at ‘Lords’ (Mansfield), the skipper lost the toss and was sent in to bat.
Openers Dishot and Hudson faced some good deliveries and were dismissed early. Captain Cope steadied the ship briefly, but the middle and lower order struggled to build a total.
Archibald, Thorpe, and A-Reserve debutant Ben Webb all fell quickly. Leeburn and Connell managed to push the score to 78 before being bowled out.
After Archibald’s wicket, there was no afternoon tea left, with him taking over Fraser Smart’s role for the weekend.
Opening bowlers Mitchell and Dishot delivered good line and length, with Dishot taking 1 wicket.
Aneeque Azam and Jack Hudson bowled like McGill and McGrath, tying up both ends and taking wickets. However, 78 was not enough to defend, and Delatite chased the total down in just 17 overs.
A Reserve travel to Myrtleford after the Australia Day weekend bye.
B Grade
Rattled at Stanley
With more players unavailable than available, captain Hawking miraculously assembled a side to travel to picturesque Stanley.
The game was delayed by an air ambulance landing on the oval, and after the wait, Hawking won the toss and elected to bat.
Late inclusions, father-son duo Dave and Will Bott, were thrown straight in to open. After a few throw-downs, Dave declared he was ready after 19 years out of the game. However, just as he was getting into it, the chopper arrived overhead and play was paused for 45 minutes while the patient was loaded.
When play finally resumed, the Bott duo looked like they’d been playing consistently, taking the score to 37. Dave popped a calf attempting a quick single and holed out for 16. Will looked good for 22 before a good ball snuck through him, and then the middle order collapsed to 5/46.
Buerckner and Pickering dug in and pushed the score to 88 before giving away catches. Pickering followed soon after and was given a lengthy send-off by the Stanley boys.
The tail resisted, and the Lakers finished with 9/131. The highlight of the day was 10-year-old Jack Hawking making his first senior run — 1 — outscoring his dad. *
Opening bowlers Hill and Old Pickering started well, but in the 9th over the heavens opened.
The previously dry ground turned slippery, making run-ups difficult and ruining the ball. After Hill took a tumble and Pickering struggled, the umpire called for a 10-minute break.
When play resumed, Hawking rotated the bowlers, and only Lucas Pickering broke through, with a sharp catch taken by young sub fielder Hugo Bott.
Despite plenty of chances, Stanley’s opener guided them home, losing only 1 wicket.
To add to the skipper’s misery, he received a speeding ticket while trying to get the kids home for bed — a truly forgettable day.
In two weeks, we travel to the fire-stricken town of Merton to attempt to get back on the winners list.
C Grade
Barkley Park belongs to the good guys
First game back for 2026: Lakers v Rutherglen
Rutherglen won the toss and bravely elected to bat at Barkley Park — a decision they would soon regret more than buying white pants for cricket season.
Royalty arrived early, with champion greyhound Black Top gracing the sidelines to cheer on the Reeves lads. Rumour has it the dog showed more resistance than some of the batters that followed.
With the new Kookaburra in hand, “Two First Names” Kade Michael steamed in and delivered some serious pace, building pressure like a cheap tyre pump. At the other end, the wily veteran Browning rolled back the years, bowling his full 8 overs straight through and finishing with 4/7 — proving class is permanent and hips are optional.
“Two First Names” backed it up with 0/17 off 8, a rare spell where you don’t take wickets but still feel morally superior.
Enter Wild Thing D. Reeves, whose first over was more “wild” than “thing”. After a gentle counselling session from Browning, he returned reborn, taking 1/19.
Captain Parker brought himself on just before drinks and immediately proved the ancient cricket theory that “sh%t balls get wickets” is alive and well. Two wickets later, Parker finished 2/7 with a smug grin.
Fresh off a massive rep cricket week, “Meat Eater” Knight bowled like a wizard, conceding nothing — 0/3.
Then “Towball Head” J. Reeves arrived to tidy up, knocking over the tail with ruthless efficiency — 2/4 off 10 balls.
Behind the stumps, C. Jamieson was elite — dropping only two but taking three ripping catches, a keeper’s masterclass in C Grade.
Fielding highlights included sub fielder Tathila pulling down another screamer in the covers, while young veteran Dodd produced a direct hit off a Parker deflection — proving there’s still life in the old dog yet.
Rutherglen all out for 61.
The Chase
The Lakers’ reply started shakily, with Towball Head and Dhamindu swinging at anything loose and departing for 2 and 3 respectively.
Despite the short stay, Dhamindu, playing his first game on Australian soil, impressed everyone — lively in the gully and playing shots rarely seen in C Grade. A star in the making.
Young veteran Dodd anchored the innings with a calm, unbeaten 32, batting like a man who knew exactly where the beers were afterwards.
Dec Reeves was in and out quickly, while “Two First Names” (11*) dug in alongside Dodd. The Lakers finished 3 wickets down in the 19th over, no panic, no drama, minimal sweat.
What C Grade is all about
A cracking day for the Lakers featuring four father–son combos, plus a father–son–daughter scoring combo — everything C Grade cricket is meant to be: community, family, and controlled chaos.
The Lakers now enjoy the weekend off to celebrate Australia Day.
As the great line from The Castle says:
“We’re going to Bonnie Doon.”
Next clash is against Delatite.
Ghost Writer
Under 14 Rams
Rams 14/3 (111) defeat Wang Magpies 8/103
Twenty20 cricket was back at Lonsdale Reserve, Mulwala, and after the Christmas break the young Rams came out firing.
Opening bowlers Finn Mitchell (3/5 off 3 overs) and Kirsty Plevnik (1/4 off 3 overs) troubled the Magpies’ top order early. The Magpies steadied with partnerships until Lachlan Brown took the keeper’s pads off and bamboozled them with his leg spin, taking two wickets.
Jacob Richardson bowled tightly towards the end, restricting the Magpies’ scoring. The Magpies finished on 103, a strong score considering their slow start.
Rams openers Byron Dodd and Benji Wollington set the tone with Dodd hitting 4 fours and 2 sixes, retiring for 32 off 14 balls. Benji also retired, scoring 30.
Isaac McLarty played a great team role, punishing loose balls and scoring 17 retired, while Kirsty (7)* and Richo (2)* saw the side home with an over to spare.
This result puts the Rams in the top four on the ladder, with two rounds remaining.
They have a week off before heading to Mansfield for a two-day game.
Under 14 Bulls
T20 cricket returned with a clash at Myrtleford against ladder leaders Ovens Valley.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl, the Bulls bowled well but took only one wicket — a ripping one-handed caught-and-bowled from Jordan Knight. Ovens Valley finished 1/132.
In reply, Taj Parker played one of his best innings of the season, reaching 30 and retiring. Eamon Pickering continued his solid form, retiring on 15. Finn O’Brien again impressed with 27 — and remains undefeated this season*.
The Bulls finished 4/105, a respectable effort against a quality bowling attack.
Under 12 Rams
A perfect day for cricket at Vic Park for the first game of 2026! The Rams faced City Colts, who had only seven available players.
Coach Doyle asked if any Rams were willing to help the opposition, and Paddy Doyle and Alex Mulquiney obliged — a credit to them.
Colts won the toss and sent the Rams in to bat. The innings started slowly, losing Beau Taylor on the opening ball, but Ned O’Brien and Bobby Best built a strong partnership. Bobby retired for 26 off 15 balls, and Ned retired for 6 off 15 balls.
The next batters kept the momentum going:
•Ted Hammon retired for 8
•Danny Ryan scored 14 (his best of the year)
•Charlie Kennedy retired for 4
Jack and Farley came and went, while Arty fell just short of retiring on 2.
Bobby and Ned returned and added 48 runs off the last 19 balls, taking the total to 4/123.
Bobby finished *48 off 28 balls (9 boundaries), and Ned *26 off 25 balls (4 boundaries).
In the chase, Colts fought well. Six of their first seven batters retired, including Alex (18 retired) and Paddy (10 retired). The Rams bowlers kept pressure on throughout, and wickets finally came from Danny Ryan (3rd over) and Beau Taylor (final over). Colts finished 2/95.
Next week is a league bye for the Australia Day long weekend.
Under 12 Bulls – 1 Run Thriller
An away game to Benalla started the new year with a few absences. Captain Rory Buerckner was sent in to bat, and things began poorly with 2 wickets in the first over.
At 3/6, Jack Hawking and Rosie Lidgerwood launched a rescue mission, retiring with the score at 30. After a few more wickets, George Hill and Lidgerwood batted through, with Rosie finishing on 11 (33). The last pair of Hill and Hawking pushed the total to 6/69, with Hill 5 (32)* and Hawking *36 (47)**.
Benalla started their chase strongly, losing only one wicket in the first ten overs. At drinks, they needed 18 runs from 10 overs with 7 wickets in hand.
The Bulls tightened the bowling, and in the final over, left-arm pacer Bowie Isaac defended 8 runs. With 2 runs off the first five balls, the final ball was smashed to deep mid, but an errant overthrow allowed only 4 runs, giving the Bulls a 1-run victory. Benalla finished 2/68.
Under 15 Girls
Had the bye.
Tungamah Cricket
Round 13 match report Vs Jerilderie
With the holiday season behind them, the team reconvened for training on Thursday night, boasting a strong attendance and a clear determination to make a strong start to the second half of the season.
The team selection process was challenging this week, with many players returning from other commitments and displaying strong form in training – an encouraging indication of the club's growth and a reflection of the committee's dedication to reestablishing the team this season.
Vice-Captain Rory facilitated the team's travel to Jerilderie for this week's early game by arranging for the use of the Tungamah Pub's courtesy bus.
After Jerilderie won the toss and opted to bat, Ben Beaton made an instant impact, taking the new ball and snatching the first wicket of the day with his opening delivery.
The bowlers from the Hoppers worked incredibly hard, consistently delivering accurate line and length, which ultimately limited the Demons' scoring opportunities.
The final couple of wickets proved to be the most challenging to capture, which is a common frustration in cricket.
With the strike bowlers having completed their allotted overs for the day, Tom threw the ball to Jeremy, hoping the change of pace and Jeremy's ability to handle the ball's speed would lead to a quick collapse of the remaining four wickets.
Jeremy delivered a solid performance, finishing with impressive figures of 3/2, and it was Tom's brilliant fielding in the final over that sealed the deal, running out the last batter to bring Jerilderie's innings to a close.
Phil and Travis were tasked with opening the hoppers innings, Phil was out for 2 in the fifth over with the total at 1/21.
Next up was Chris, who partnered with Travis to form a small but determined partnership that, although not as influential on the score as they had wished, showed signs of stability and patience.
Travis's innings came to an end with the introduction of a new bowler and a change in pass, scoring 19 runs.
Jeremy stepped up to the crease after two quick wickets fell, adding only 14 runs to the score. He brought much-needed stability and patience to the innings, showcasing his classic batting technique and skill.
Jeremy remained steadfast at the crease despite the fall of wickets around him, keeping his team in contention for victory until he was caught out for 22.
With 12 runs required from the last two wickets, hopes were high, but Jerilderie ultimately secured a 10-run win.
Man Of The Match - Jeremy Kelly
He put on a show today, showcasing his skills with the ball and bat to take home the man of the match honors. 1.4 overs 3/2, 1 catch, 22 runs.
Next:
This upcoming round will be a special moment for us as we feature a local family who have made significant contributions to various sporting clubs in and around Tungamah over the years. We'd love to promote this family affair in the paper if possible;
Get ready for a family spirit themed Tungamah hopper when we face off against Katunga on January 25th at Katunga Recreation Reserve, kicking off at 10am.
The Irvine siblings, each with their own flair and character, are set to wear the revered Green and Gold of the Hoppers, creating a cherished moment for their family and the club, which prioritises family as a fundamental aspect.
Their father Rob, a seasoned cricket veteran will take on the role of coach, guiding his sons with a mix of wisdom and encouragement.
He’ll be undoubtedly excited to share this special experience, instilling not just skills but also the values of teamwork and camaraderie.
As they step onto the pitch, the brothers will not only be competing but also forging a memories that will surly be somthing they’ll treasure and look back on with excitement.
The atmosphere promises to be electric, filled with cheers, laughter, and perhaps a few friendly rivalries on the field. The Irvine family is ready to make their mark, bringing both talent and heart to the game!