Hawkesbury cricketers Dale McKay, Adam Carpini, Dan Brown, Luke Power, Tim Wilson, Luke O’Hare, Sam Timbs and Jona Sammut are ready for their Poidevin-Gray final on Sunday at Bensons Lane against Parramatta. Picture: Geoff Jones
THEY’RE already one of the best under 21s cricket teams in the country and on Sunday Hawkesbury’s Poidevin-Gray Shield side has the chance to be crowned among the best in Australia.
The Hawks will take on Parramatta in the final at Bensons Lane after a stellar season in which they lost only one game on their way to the minor premiership.
Club secretary Mike Wilson said the young side couldn’t wait to play on Sunday and expects vocal home crowd support to get them over the line.
“They’re looking very fit and are very confident,” Wilson said.
“They know the conditions and there will be a couple hundred people down there supporting them.
“Without doubt this is the club’s biggest game of the season and it’s our biggest game since we made the final two years ago.”
The Hawks have done a magnificent job just to make the final given the club is in a re-building stage.
The last time they won the competition was more than five years ago when internationals Peter Forrest, John Hastings and Steve O’Keefe were a part of the side.
Wilson said the squad was better than in previous years due to the number of players in first and second grade.
Generally the bulk of the Poidevin-Gray squad was made up of mostly third graders, but this year they’re full of top grade batters and bowlers.
“It’s a result of having more guys up in the higher grades,’’ Wilson said.
‘‘The exposure to better cricket helps,” Wilson said.
The match starts at 10am at Bensons Lane on Sunday and a luncheon will also be hosted for all sponsors between 1pm and 3pm.