Hawkesbury’s under-16 cricket team has qualified for the semi-finals of a representative tournament.
The team will play Illawarra on Sunday, November 29, with the winner to advance to the next finals round of the New South Wales Districts Cricket Association’s Watson Shield competition.
The competition is for under-16 teams from Sydney and the out-lying areas such as Newcastle and the ACT.
The team had a rough start to the tournament, suffering two losses, including a mauling at the hands of Illawarra, in its first two games.
However, the team won the final three games of the tournament, which included a win in the last round over a previously undefeated Bankstown outfit.
Hawkesbury coach Michael Shields said the team had come together over the last three games.
“We played Illawarra and they belted us in the second game, but our team has improved over the tournament,” he said.
“A lot of our team plays together in the local second division team.
“The kids have been playing and training together a lot and it seems to be coming together a bit.
“We are starting to play better cricket in the second half of the tournament.”
Shields said Reece Lipowicz, who plays with the Hawkesbury men in Sydney Grace Cricket, had been one of the standout players.
“On Sunday against Bankstown, Reece Lipowicz scored 115 not out opening the batting and he also scored a century against Hornsby,” he said.
“Hopefully Reece has a good game with the bat and ball, he also opens the bowling, this week then some of the bowlers like Bailey Thompson chip in with some wickets as well.”
Shields said there was no doubt Hawkesbury was a different team to the one that only put up 76 runs against Illawarra earlier in the tournament.
“I am hoping all the boys will have a good game,” he said.
“We just have to score more runs, that is basically it. If we bat first we need to score runs and create pressure, which is something Illawarra has not seen in this tournament.”
