HAWKESBURY Cricket Club’s first grade team started the new year off with a win over Randwick-Petersham in the NSW Premier Cricket competition on a hot Saturday.
It was a good weekend for the club, with only third grade losing, while the Poidevin-Gray Shield team battled through awful conditions on Sunday to beat Sutherland.
In first grade, Hawkesbury sent Randwick-Petersham in at Owen Earle Oval and capitalised on that move.
While not bowling the opposition out, the Hawks’ attack was constricting, holding Randwick-Petersham to just 7-182.
Luke Courtney took three wickets for the club, while Pat Lawrence, Usman Qadir Abdul Kherkhah and Jas Cheema all took one each.
Hawkesbury chased down the total in 38.3 overs, losing just three wickets.
Josh Clarke went early for five runs, followed by Dale McKay on 19. Jordan Gauci was the last wicket to fall on 20 runs.
The Hawks were 3-56 before Corey Lowe and Toby Flynn-Duncombe combined and dug in to steer their team to victory.
Flynn-Duncombe was the top scorer for Hawkesbury, making a quickfire 58 off 66 balls, including a six and five boundaries, while Lowe made 55 off 89 with a six and four boundaries in his innings.
The second grade team’s dominance this season continued, with a solid win over their opponents.
Hawkesbury batted first after winning the toss and posted 264.
An opening wicket partnership of 105 between captain Tim Wilson and Chaitnya Sharma got the team off to a good start.
Wilson was the first to fall, after making 61 off 63 including two sixes and nine boundaries. Sharma made 49.
Kerrod Gordon then came in and made his second score in the 90s for the season, blasting 91 in an innings that included three balls hit over the fence and eight into it.
With the ball in hand, Salman Irshad took four wickets for Hawkesbury while three each were taken by Chris Lawrence and Kain Flynn-Duncombe.
The third grade match was the reverse of seconds, with Hawkesbury being bowled out cheaply and Randwick-Petersham chasing down the score.
Fourth grade had a tight one wicket victory. The team set 152 as the target, and the opposition made 151 before being bowled out.
Liam Hodge scored 54, while Nic Toscan scored 47, while with the ball, Manmit Bedi and Rowen Myers took three wickets each.
Fifth grade was another tight game, with Hawkesbury just chasing down their opponent’s total.
Hawkesbury won the toss and sent Randwick-Petersham in, with the batting team making 141, before being bowled out.
Ethan Sitaramayya had a five wicket haul in the game. With the bat in hand, Pat Moore made 57 not out, to help guide Hawkesbury to 9-142, chasing down the total with only 16 balls to spare.
The good weekend of wins has seen Hawkesbury move up on the club championship ladder.
The club now has 633 points and is ninth.
In round 10, Hawkesbury will play more one-day matches, this week against North Sydney.
