Results since Christmas have been of a mixed sort for the club. Whilst First and Second Grade only have four wins between them for the season, the progress of several players, particuarly in First Grade, has been very positiive.
First Grade's first win of the season came in the re-scheduled Round four clash with New Town at KGV. The Magpies batted first and compiled a competitive target of 6 for 221 from its 50 overs, Dane Anderson top scoring with 61 and Liam Reynolds making a run a ball 54.
New Town started poorly, and despite a 104 run fifth wicket partnership between Leigh Nosworthy and Mick Peters they fell short by 18 runs thanks to some tight bowling from all the Glenorchy bowlers.
First Grade's only other points this season so far came in the return clash with New Town last round, with Glenorchy taking first innings points before succumbing to an outright loss.
From an outsider's point of view, the club's First Grade performances this season may come across sometimes lame, but extensive injuries, retirements and unavailability, particuarly since Christmas has hampered the club in a major fashion.
From the eleven players that took the field in the last round, seven are first year first grade players, five are under 18, eight have fewer than ten games experience in the ones and Luke Butterworth, Brett Geeves, Dane Anderson, Nathan Matthews, Damien West, Matthew Dilger, Liam Reynolds, Brad Absolom and Robbie Dilger were all missing from a first pick side, either through injury or unavailability to give you a bit of an idea of the rebuilding phase our club is going through.
It is important though that we all stick with the club through this tough period, because we know with the calibre of juniors we possess that are now getting good exposure to first grade cricket, and the talent of our state players in Geeves, Butterworth and Anderson, results are not very far away.
As long as we stick together. That last sentence can not be stated strongly enough.
Two young players at our club have come leaps and bounds this season, particulary since Christmas, both making their mark in First Grade in a serious way. Young batsman Matthew Dilger has scored 200 runs and averaged 40 since Santa last visited, and Dicky Knee's twin brother Trent LeRossignol sits second in the TCA leading wicket-takers list with 23 victims, second only to our very own Nathan Butterworth who has taken 25.
The fact that after Round 12 we have the two leading wicket takers in the whole competition whilst sitting last on the ladder is quite a statistic in itself. It also shows the enormous workload that these two have shouldered, and quite admiradely it must be said whilst Matthews, Pickering, West, Reynolds, Geeves and Luke Butterworth have missed large chunks of the season.
Other youngsters making their mark, particulary since Christmas have been 15 year old Richard Dilger, who is currently opening in first grade, 16 year old Tristan Penneyston and 15 year old Nathan Philip, the club's first grade wicket keeper.
Second Grade, after a glittering start to the season, which included four wins before the Christmas break, has bore the brunt of First Grade unavailabilities, losing the bulk of their team from the start of the season. Although they haven't won a game in the New Year, several promising youngsters have been given an opportunity, and done well, which is a positive.
Veteran Simon Stebbings and Corey Whitbread have lead the way with the batting this season, both scoring in excess of 230 runs, whilst the unlikely name of Matthew Hamilton leads the wickets with 13, with Kial Hingston and Luke Curran not too far away on 12 a piece.
Third Grade have been our best performed team this season, currently at time of writing sitting third on the ladder on 40 points and seemingly assured of playing finals.
They have been superbly led by captain David Adams, he leads the run scorers for the club and has chipped in with 9 wickets. Matthew Orth, Tim Faltusz, Kevin Johnson and Elliott Maher are all chances of walking away with TCA trophies at the end of the season with the ball, it must be said the third's ability to bowl sides out has been their strength and these four players have led the way.
The Under 17 team, which stormed to the premiership last season, struggled early on, largely due to the fact we have eleven under 17 players playing up in the grades, but have been big improvers all year and have managed to win three games so far this season to date.
Tall Tommy Coates has led the way with the stick, scoring 239 runs thus far, 100 runs more than the next Glenorchy player. Tim Spotswood, the only survivor of the eleven that won the flag last year, has taken 20 wickets at only 10 a piece and is inline for end of season awards.
Overall the club is sitting sixth in the Club Championship and has a chance to move as high as fifth in the next two rounds.
Surf http://www.glenorchymagpies.blogspot.com/ for extensive match reports, TCA ladders, player profiles and all the latest news.
Starting next season will be a whole new section for the juniors. Including their own match reports, results and player profiles.
Good luck to all for the rest of the season.
Damien West
