PALTRIDGE & THOMSON HEADLINE 2ND ROUND – 18 October 2025
A magnificent 153 off 169 balls from Nathaneal Paltridge, backed up by an equally impressive 6-44 from Makenzie Thomson, put the Championship Men in a strong position at the end of day one against BWU on Sydenham 2. On the adjacent Sydenham 1, the Premier Men were locked in a tight contest with BWU, with honours evenly shared at stumps. The Premier Women, however, will rue letting their match slip away against Lancaster Park, who fought back to successfully defend a modest total. Over at Hillsborough Domain, Division 2 have work to do to claw their way back into their match.
The afternoon grades continued their strong start to the season, with most sides now two from two. The standout performance came in the Masters grade, where Phil Walker smashed 114 for the Cardinals against OBC at Elmwood to secure the win. Another century came in the Division 4 Royal Challengers’ clash at Bradford Park, where Chandhu Kumar’s 104 off 71 balls powered his side to a comfortable victory over Hornby. Meanwhile, a remarkable 50 off 45 balls from George Wigley, batting at No. 11 for the Div 4 Goats, proved pivotal in their win over Heathcote.
In the youth grades, results were again encouraging. Whilst Henry Hood’s 5-32 wasn’t quite enough to get the Youth 1st XI home against Timaru Boys’ High School, there were several standout efforts elsewhere. William Herd’s 4-30 and Ruben Williamson’s 3-9, combined with Leif Kitto’s unbeaten 46, set up the 2nd XI victory, while a strong top-six batting display saw the Colts claim their win. In the Year 10s, Om Patel’s 58 not out anchored another good result.
Some of the photos in this publication are also courtesy of Ash Hart’s Hartland Images.
Premier Men
Sydenham 209-9 (60 overs)
Burnside West University 157-6 (35 overs)
Sydenham lost the toss and were asked to bat first against last season’s champions, Burnside West University, on Sydenham 1. The innings was a story of several promising starts without anyone going on to a substantial score.
Openers Chad Bowes (28) and Michael Robinson (22) laid a solid foundation, doing an excellent job of blunting the new ball in a 42-run opening stand. After Dylan McArdle fell for 13, Aarush Bhagwat (33 off 40) steadied the innings until Michael’s dismissal at 80-3.
Jackson Hemingway
New recruit Matt Tromp (23) looked composed in his first innings for the club, but like others before him, couldn’t convert his start as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Small but useful contributions from Benji Bell and Tom Agnew kept the scoreboard moving, before Jackson Hemingway, returning to Sydenham after a stint in Wellington, anchored the lower order. His composed knock ensured Sydenham pushed past the 200 mark before he was last out in the final over, the side declaring on 209-9.
Tom Agnew
That total looked even more valuable when Tom Agnew struck twice early to have Burnside on the back foot at 13-2. The visitors steadied briefly, but when Agnew claimed his fourth wicket to reduce them to 55-4, Sydenham had the upper hand. However, opener Nick Gibb fought hard to keep BWU in the game, compiling a steady innings before Mitch Gardner removed him for a well-made 63 with the score on 111-5.
A late partnership between Zobrab and Turner added 45 for the sixth wicket, but Turner’s dismissal—Agnew’s fifth scalp of the day—left Burnside at 157-6 after 35 overs, with the match evenly poised heading into the second day.
Tom Agnew was the standout with the ball, finishing with excellent figures of 5-37 from 10 overs.
Thanks to umpires Darryn Boyle and Kaushik Padmanaban.
Full scoreboard & video highlights: https://live.nvplay.com/nz?tab=m_scorecard#m4072ebf2-0108-4364-ad6c-436415e797ec
Birdwood Café Premier Women
Lancaster Park 112 (27.4 overs)
Sydenham 101 (30 overs)
Sydenham Women put up a strong fight in their latest match, falling just 11 runs short of a modest target of 113. Bowled out for 101 in the 30th over, the team showed plenty of grit but couldn’t quite get over the line. The batting effort was steady but lacked a defining partnership. Several players got starts, but regular wickets kept the pressure on. Despite a determined lower-order effort, the chase ended with Sydenham just shy of the mark.
Izzy Fox
With the ball, Sydenham were excellent. Izzy Fox led the way with a brilliant 5-wicket haul, conceding just 16 runs in her 6.4 overs. Felicity Robertson and Boadicea Lynch supported well, and the fielding was sharp—highlighted by a run-out from Molly Loe and a clean catch from Shizuka Miyaji.
It was a tough result, but the team can take heart from a strong bowling performance and a fighting spirit that kept them in the contest until the very end.
Felicity Robertson and Kate Craig
Thanks to umpires Alan Hill & Shreyas Debur
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/ev-power-premier-women/game-centre/a553c16a
Championship
Sydenham 279-4 (55 overs)
BWU 171 (44.1 overs)
The innings began cautiously with Nathaneal Paltridge and Akshan Gulati taking 27 from the first ten overs before Akshan’s dismissal. Dax Babaria, in his debut for the club, then supported Nate as the pair took the score through to 68-2 before Dax’s dismissal.
Nathaneal Paltridge & Makenzie Thomson
That was pretty much the story of the innings, with a number of batsmen providing support to Nate, whose innings always looked destined for great things. Jack Smith (20 from 39 balls) played his part in a 88-run partnership that took the score to 159-3. Cullen Crowe did likewise, and by the time of Nate’s dismissal in the 52nd over for a magnificent 153 off 169 balls, Cullen was well set and pushed on to be 40* off 55 balls when the 60-over declaration came. BWU weren’t helped by the number of dropped catches, which no doubt assisted Sydenham through to a final score of 279-4
The BWU reply started well, not losing its first wicket until the 14th over when Makenzie Thomson took the first of his wickets with the score at 60-1. Udi Upadhyay picked up the next couple as the Sydenham bowlers generally maintained control. Experienced Prem player Carl Hyser kept the score ticking over for BWU but Makenzie was conceding little and chipping away with regular wickets.
BWU were eventually dismissed for 171, with Makenzie finishing with the top class figures of 6-44 from his 19 overs, and Josh Wedlake and Akshan both taking a wicket each.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/mens-championship/game-centre/a21c555f
Division 2
Match report courtesy of Todd Ward
Heathcote 207-7 (45 overs) & 29-0 (10 overs)
Sydenham 120 (32.2 overs)
Another brilliantly called toss saw us put Heathcote in to bat on what looked like an average wicket. Lyle (3 for 38 off 9) and Isaiah (0 for 23 off 8) opened the bowling and found their rhythm nicely. Lyle was unlucky not to pick up a wicket early as a chance went down in the slips. In the 12th over things started to swing our way as Lyle picked up the first wicket with the score 1 for 36. From there we tightened the screws and piled on the pressure to have Heathcote 3 for 54 after 18, courtesy of a brilliant delivery from Ryan (1 for 24 off 6) that clipped the top of off stump to send the third man back to the pavilion. A rebuild for Heathcote followed as they put on another 100 runs for the 4th wicket. Noah (0 for 45 off 8) hurried the batsmen up and looked to keep them unsettled, before Tanhirdaypal (2 for 29 off 7) broke the partnership in the 38th over. Adhi (1 for 38 off 7) then operated from the other end as the two spinners looked to restrict the flow of runs as the innings came to a close. Heathcote finished their 45 overs 205 for 7
Our reply with the bat started cautiously as myself and Adhi looked to navigate the unreliable bounce and movement through the air. But before long Adhi picked up where he left off last week and took the 7th over for 13 runs. From there, we both started to find the boundary and were striking out regularly. Looking like cruising to our target at 84 for none after 17, Adhi was bowled for 51, another fine half-century. At drinks, we were looking comfortable at 100 for 2 after 22, but what followed was anything but comfortable. I was bowled in the 24th over for 41, and we proceeded to lose our remaining 7 wickets for just 16 runs. All out for 120 in the 33rd over.
With 10 overs left to play in the day, Heathcote headed out to bat again and our objective was simple, try and cause as much carnage as possible. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful with that objective, and they batted out the day to finish at stumps with a 114-run lead, 10 wickets in hand.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/mens-division-2-red/game-centre/44487fd4
Division 3 Tamils XI – WON
Match report courtesy of John Emmanuel
Marist Harewood 101 (22 overs)
Sydenham 102-6 (16.1 overs)
It was a hot, cloudy day at St James Park, with a thick outfield that made conditions a bit uncomfortable. The heat built steadily, adding to the challenge as Everest Warriors won the toss and chose to bat first, aiming to set a competitive total. *Everest Warriors Innings* The Warriors began with aggressive intent but lost early wickets to Chidu and John, who opened the bowling spell for the Tamils. Just as the Everest Warriors’ opening batsman began to settle, wicketkeeper Dinesh struck with a sharp stumping, swinging the momentum back toward the Tamils. Ajay, coming in at number three, ignited the innings with a blistering 50 off just 20 balls, threatening to take the game away. But once again, Dinesh’s awareness behind the stumps proved decisive as he executed a second stumping to dismiss the danger man. From that point on, Everest Warriors struggled to find rhythm. The middle and lower order could not build any lasting partnerships, and wickets fell steadily. Rohith offered brief resistance, occupying the crease for 31 deliveries for his single run, but his effort was ultimately in vain. Everest Warriors were bowled out for 101 before the end of their allotted overs. Niranjanmani & Chidu took two wickets, Parthipan claimed three, while Arunravi, John and Jagannath contributed with one wicket each, rounding off an impressive bowling effort by the Tamils.
Chasing a modest target, the Tamils began their innings with confidence. Dinesh and Monty opened the batting, though Dinesh fell early after scoring just two. Monty, supported by Arunravi, accelerated the innings with a brisk 23, while Arunravi remained composed and anchored the chase with an unbeaten 40. Once Monty was dismissed, Parthipan joined Arunravi and played some elegant strokes, contributing 16 vital runs. Although he was bowled trying to counter a leg-spinner, his contribution had already steered the side close to victory. Niranjan added another 16 runs to take the team near the target. A minor scare followed with the Tamils losing a few quick wickets just before the finish line, but Naveen ensured there were no further surprises as he saw the team home. Despite the late collapse, Sydenham Tamils secured a comfortable win with four wickets in hand. Post-match, the Tamils captain acknowledged the team’s overall performance but expressed concern over the unnecessary late wickets. He emphasized the importance of maintaining composure during the finishing stages of an innings, especially in tighter games.
Although both Arunravi and Parthipan were strong contenders for the award, the captain exercised his discretion and selected Parthipan as Player of the Match for his valuable all-round contribution in both innings. *Final Result:* Sydenham Tamils defeated Everest Warriors by four wickets
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/mens-division-3/game-centre/3b786af1
Division 4 Goats – WON
Match report courtesy of Jon Bennett
Sydenham 171 (37 overs)
Heathcote 136 (36 overs)
The Goats arrived to take on Heathcote at Barrington Park, thankful to see that all the rugby posts were down, and then had to through the regular debate over which pitch was #1 and which was #2. Working that out, Jon won the toss and shocked their captain and our bowlers by deciding to have first use of a well grassed wicket, saying “looks like a road to me”.
Jesse Marks
Tony nicked off early, but the rest of the top order all made starts, taking advantage of any short bowling which sat there and said “hit me”. However no one pushed on as we regularly found the safe hands of their outfielders and we went to drinks at 73-4. A couple of quick wickets after drinks had the innings teetering but once George and Ollie came together the runs started to flow. George mixed solid defense with nine hard hit fours and brought up his 50 off just 44 balls and it was a surprise to see him out the next ball. The best #9 in lower grade cricket, Chris Douglas, finished 21* when the innings closed with the Goats score at 171. Decisions to bat first justified.
Jon Bennett
With 172 to win, we were feeling confident until disaster struck during the innings break. An errant throw back in taking catches (by his brother) struck Chris on the back of the hand while he was getting ready and he was unable to bowl. A quick run over to the Allstars game, which had just finished, secured Jacob Coster to sub field for us. A hastily rearranged bowling attack was hit around by the Heathcote skipper as they made a bright start. It was time to take the pace off the ball and Jons introduction saw him quickly pick up both openers and dry up the scoring from the northern end. However, runs were still flowing at the other end, not helped by a number of dropped catches. Ollie picked up an attacking batsman with a dubious LBW and from then on wickets started to fall a bit more regularly. With Chris not bowling, Jesse “I don’t really want to bowl” Marks was thrown the ball and 4-20 later the Goats had secured a 35-run win.
Not our best performance. Plenty of starts batting without going on to a big score and some average catching but the Goats find themselves 2 from 2 to start the season, a much better position than the 0-2 hole we were in at the same time last year. Special thanks to Jacob for helping us in the field.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/cmca-adult-summer-202526/mens-division-4/game-centre/588ba4e1
Division 4 Royal Challengers – WON
Match report courtesy of Lathish TM
Sydenham 197 (37.3 overs)
Hornby 133-9 (32.2 overs)
Captain Lathish TM won the toss and chose to bat first. The decision looked risky early on as Sydenham lost two quick wickets with only 6 runs on the board. However, the innings was revived brilliantly by Chandhu Dileep Kumar and Sujith Ajayan, who put together a superb 147-run partnership that turned the game around.
- Chandhu Dileep Kumar was in stunning form, smashing 104 off 71 balls with 12 fours and a six, dominating the opposition attack.
- Sujith Ajayan played the perfect supporting role, anchoring the innings with 40 off 72 deliveries.
Lathish TM
Lathish TM contributed a handy 25 off 33, adding valuable middle-order runs before the tail was cleaned up by some fine bowling from Hornby Hawks. For the opposition, Lovepreet Kang was outstanding with the ball, claiming 5 wickets for 24 runs. Gurpreet Deol (2/31) and Balwinder Singh (2/34) also chipped in as Sydenham were bowled out for 197 in 37.3 overs.
Chandhu Kumar & Sujith Ajayan
Defending 197, the Royal Challengers bowlers came out with intent. Ajith Sudhakaran struck early, while Arun Venupal Nair delivered an exceptional spell of 5 overs, 2 maidens, 1 for 5, applying relentless pressure. Captain Lathish TM rotated his bowlers smartly, with Amrinder Singh leading the attack and producing a match-winning spell of 4 for 38 from 8 overs. The fielding unit backed up the bowlers superbly — Chandhu Dileep Kumar effected a direct-hit run out, and Basil John took a sharp catch to dismiss a well-set batsman.
Despite brief resistance from Gurpreet Deol (25) and *Pawandeep Singh (24)**, Hornby Hawks fell short, finishing at 133/9 in 32.2 overs, giving Sydenham a 64-run victory.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/cmca-adult-summer-202526/mens-division-4/game-centre/18649778
Division 5 All-Stars – WON
Match report courtesy of Abe Atherton
Merivale Papanui 71 (23.1 overs)
Sydenham 72-3 (13.2 overs)
Sydenham All Stars entered their Division 5 clash against Merivale Papanui BBS Timbers at Barrington Park missing five of their regular players. Still, they produced a dominant all-round performance to secure a convincing win.
After winning the toss, captain Abraham Atherton elected to bowl first. The decision paid immediate dividends, as the bowling unit operated with discipline and variety despite the reshuffled lineup. Koster led from the front, taking 2 for 13 off 4 overs, including a maiden, and setting the tone early. Jaedyn Ward backed him up strongly, claiming 2 for 22 off 5 overs, while Abraham Atherton was particularly economical, conceding just 8 runs and taking 2 wickets from his 4 overs. Chase Barnsley (1/11) and Sumedha Senarathna (1/11) kept the pressure on through the middle overs, and Joel Thomson wrapped up the innings with 2 wickets for 0 runs from 3.1 exceptional overs. Catches went to Gourav Saini, Sumedha Senarathna and Andrew Reynolds. The All Stars bowled out Merivale Papanui for a modest 71, showcasing a complete team effort in the field.
In reply, Sydenham’s chase was anchored by Jacob Koster, who produced a match-winning 51 off 45 balls*, striking 8 fours and a six in a commanding display. Though wickets fell early at the other end, a steady partnership saw the All Stars home comfortably. Supporting Koster was a composed 12 off 15 balls* from Savya Saachein, guiding the side to 72/3 in just 13.2 overs.
It was a clinical win for Sydenham, highlighted by a disciplined bowling effort and Koster’s composed half-century. The victory continues their strong form and underlines the team’s depth and resilience, even with several key players unavailable.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/cmca-adult-summer-202526/mens-division-5/game-centre/d6fbb523
T20 Cavaliers Cardinals – LOST
Match report courtesy of Adrian Patchett
Sydenham 72
Sumner 72-7
The Sydenham Cardinals arrived at Barnett Park to take on Sumner, the reigning Section 1 champions from the 2024/25 season. Despite Sumner’s top-tier status, they hadn’t managed a win against the Cardinals in their last three encounters. The big question heading into the match: did Sydenham hold a psychological edge, or were they stepping straight into a lion’s den?
Sumner won the toss and elected to field. Echoing the previous week’s match against Halswell, tight bowling from Sumner kept the Cardinals batters under pressure early forcing a slow run rate. No one managed to build on their starts—except Adam Neylon, who top-scored with 25. Jamie Livingstone was the only other batter to reach double figures, as the Cardinals were bowled out for 72.
The Cardinals bowling and fielding were solid from the outset, but 72 runs was never going to be enough to be competitive against this team. The early wickets never came as Sumner cruised to a comfortable 7-wicket. with Adam Neylon claimed the lone wicket for Sydenham.
A special mention goes to Willi Heinz, who stepped up behind the stumps in the absence of the Cardinals’ regular keepers. With a flawless performance and no byes conceded, one might say Ofisa Tonu’u should be watching his back ahead of next year’s Black Clash
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/cavaliers-section-red-t20/game-centre/fb3aa878
T20 Gujarat Kings – WON
Match report courtesy of Yash Patel
The Buffalos 93-6 (20 overs)
Sydenham 97-2 (13.3 overs)
What a start to the season! Our new team continues the dream run — making it 2 out of 2 wins with a dominant performance against The Buffalos. Bowling first, our Kings were on fire! Dhaval Patel led from the front with 2 key wickets (4-0-19-2). Yash Patel kept things tight with a brilliant spell (4-0-13-0). Arya Baxi and Dhananjay Trivedi also grabbed one wicket each — top team effort to restrict them to just 93-6.
Chasing 94, our batters made it look easy. Debutant Sagar Patel announced himself with a classy 37 (33) full of elegant boundaries. Yash Patel stayed calm and finished unbeaten on 26 (20)*. Another debutant Keyur Patel played a steady hand with 9(9)* as we cruised to 97/2 and another big win!
A perfect all-round display from the boys — teamwork, composure, and Kings’ spirit on full show
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/cavaliers-section-black-t20/game-centre/638440c2
Masters Cardinals – WON
Match report courtesy of Paul Bennett
Sydenham 237-6 (40 overs)
OBC 120-10 (29 overs)
Not many teams knock over an OBCC side with the lineup they have most weeks, but that’s precisely what the Cardinals did at Elmwood Park on a very grassy-looking track. Skipper McKay won the toss and elected to bat, and things didn’t look too promising at the drinks break with Cardinals 2 down with only 73 on the board. However, when you have Phil Walker in your side in full flow you know you’ve got a chance. Ably supported by newcomer Sagar Gandhi, the pair took to the OBCC bowling attack with contempt. A partnership of 124 in only 20 overs on a variable pitch upped the ante to put Cardinals on course for a grandstand finish. 164 in the second 20 overs gave Cardinals a very foreboding score of 237. Phil’s 114 was a master class in batting, finished off with two towering sixes by Anak Lumb in the final over.
With the batting line up of OBCC’s it was imperative Syds held their catches. First over Kelvin Scott had Adam Hastilow snaffled swiftly behind by skipper McKay and then in the third over bowled Davidson with a beauty. Collins, who scores runs for fun, swiftly struck a few over the ropes before planting one in the hands of square leg. A steady procession of wickets from all the bowlers culminated in a thumping 117 run victory to Syds. A top effort from all the bowlers to back up Phil’s and Sagar’s batting efforts as well as a master class in catching.
MOM: Phil Walker 114 and 2/11.]
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/joes-garage-masters/game-centre/12777898
Masters Hospital – LOSS
Match report courtesy of Bruce Day
Sydenham 161 (38.3 overs)
BWU 162-7 (38.5 overs)
Hospital’s first game of the season started with a loss of the toss to Burnside Foxes at Centennial Park. Sent in to bat , we made a good start with Jinto Matthew (59) taking to the bowling with 14 off the 2nd over. Mark Crawford first out with the score at 65 in the 11th over, three more quick wickets had Hospital at 109 /4 after 24 overs. A 40 run partnership between Tristan Pettit (41) and Bryan Bunz got us to 149 /5 with 6 overs to go. Unfortunately, another collapse and all out for 161 in the 38th over.
A great start with Rahul getting a wicket 2nd ball, we then proceeded to have a dose of the dropcies, dropping 7 catches before taking one. In-between these the bowlers hit the stumps 4 times to have the game nicely placed at the 30 over mark with Burnside 112 for 4. Jinto got another couple of wickets and it 126/6 at 33 overs. Tristan got another at 139 and the game still in the balance, during this time the number 4 Carmont was the steadying batman waiting for loose balls and dispatching them to boundary. He found a hitter in Kember and they got the winning runs of the last ball of the 39th over. Jinto 3/21 off 8 best of the bowling. A really good game to start the season.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/joes-garage-masters/game-centre/4246d212
Women’s Division 1 Red – WON
Match report courtesy of Linda Pettigrew
Sydenham 194-8 (33.5 overs)
Pleasant Point 99-8 (26.1 overs)
Sydenham delivered a dominant performance, posting 194 runs in their innings thanks to a composed 62 from Julia Manton and a fluent 46 from Elsie Duncan. Elise Dill-Russell added 25, while Willow Ewing and Mya Cridge chipped in with valuable contributions.
With the ball, Elise Dill-Russell and Elsie Duncan were outstanding, each taking three wickets and keeping the scoring rate in check. Olivia Mckenzie and Elise’s friend bowled with control, and the fielding unit, led by Mya Cridge’s two catches, was sharp throughout.
The opposition was dismissed for 99, sealing a comprehensive win for Sydenham.
Women’s Division 1 Blue– LOST
Sydenham 190-8 (35 overs)
OBC 191-6 (34.3 overs)
Sydenham stepped onto the field with intent and confidence, choosing to bat first after winning the toss. The innings was anchored by a composed knock from Lily Hayston, who compiled a well-crafted 43 off 56 balls, finding the boundary seven times. She was supported by Linda Pettigrew, who showed patience in her 33-run effort from 55 deliveries, including three boundaries. Millie Kinzett provided early momentum with a brisk 22 off 30 balls, and Biena Hickford added a late surge with an aggressive 38 off 40 balls, striking seven fours to lift Sydenham to a competitive total of 190 from their full quota of 35 overs.
Despite a disciplined bowling effort and moments of sharp fielding, Sydenham were unable to hold off the opposition, who reached the target in the final over. It was a closely contested match that highlighted Sydenham’s fighting spirit and depth in the batting lineup. While the result didn’t fall their way, the team can take heart from a strong performance and look ahead with optimism.
Youth First XI – LOST
Match report courtesy of Daniel Herd
Timaru Boys HS 185 (42.2 overs)
Sydenham 71 (25.3 overs)
Saturday saw the 1st XI taking on Timaru BHS 1st XI. Full of confidence from our win last week we were looking forward to a competitive outing. This time we lost the toss but still got to bowl first which was our preferred option on Sydenham #3. Timaru batted well with combined patience and aggression to get through to 150-5 at the second drinks break. At this point our boys were under pressure. Coming out after drinks, an excellent catch in the deep by Sam Johns and some fine bowling from Henry Hood (5 for 32 off 10 overs) swung the game back in our favour, finally bowling out Timaru Boys for 185. Quin Helms (2/40 of 6) took two useful top-order wickets, clean bowled, and Cadell Durdin was again excellent with 2 for 15 off 8 overs. Congratulations to Henry for yet another 5-wicket bag for the 1st XI. Overall, we were satisfied with our bowling and field effort and were confident of pushing for anther win.
Henry Hood
Unfortunately, we could not put together enough reasonable batting partnerships to get the win and were bowled out for just 72. Jaxson Moynihan and Al Derry were the best of our batters with 15 and 12 respectively. Whilst our bowling and fielding is pleasing at the moment, building batting partnerships continues to be a big work on for us.
Jaxson Moynihan
Willows Cricket Club match
Willow’s XI 258 (50 overs)
Sydenham 257-7 (50 overs)
On Sunday the Sydenham youth 1st XI played at the Willows for the first time. It was a privilege to play at such a beautiful ground, steeped in history, that makes such an amazing contribution to developing youth players in Canterbury and across the country. The boys played very well in a high-scoring game that ended up with a loss by just one run.
As is the tradition, the Willows XI batted first with the captain for the day and Sydenham Masters player, Kelvin Scott, scoring a fine 88 opening the batting. Again, our boys bowled and fielded well and were on top with the Willows at 153-8. Unfortunately, a 100+ partnership between Pat Ross and Archie Huston got the Willows through to 258 from their 50 overs. Quin Helms (2/31 off 10) and Henry Hood (3/40 off 10) were the pick of our bowlers.
On a good batting track and pristine outfield, the focus of our batting was to build good partnerships. This started well with our openers Isaac Tutt (15), and Cameron Fairhall (23) making his 1st XI debut, putting on 31 for the opening wicket. After the loss of three wickets Archie Neilson (32) and Conway Andrews put on 59 for the 4th wicket. After Archie was out, Conway continued to put away the bad balls with powerful hitting, and Al Derry, continuing his fine batting form with 64, had an 111-run 5th wicket partnership. Unfortunately, Conway was out for 91, trying to increase the scoring rate. He batted so well, it was a pity that he didn’t manage to get through to his 100. Despite some power hitting from Potiki Hamilton-Morrison, and Cadell Durdin at the end, our boys ended up on 257-7 from our 50 overs.
This was a great day for our boys. We demonstrated that we can chase a high score and our batting partnerships definitely improved. Well done lads.
Youth 2nd XI – WON
Mt Hutt 167 (48.2 overs)
Sydenham 168-4 (32 overs)
The Sydenham Youth 2nd XI continued their strong start to Term 4 with a commanding six-wicket win over Mt Hutt 1st XI at Waltham Park — a performance built on disciplined bowling and a calm chase.
Bowling first, Sydenham struck early. Reuben Williamson (3/9 off 6) was impressive with the new ball, striking early to leave Mt Hutt struggling at 20/4. He was supported by tight spells from Bayley Gardner (1/20) and Yahya Shasawar (1/16). William Herd bowled his off-spin for a 10 over spell, finishing with an outstanding 4/20, including key middle-order wickets that turned the match firmly Sydenham’s way after Mt Hutt had gained momentum. Mt Hutt was bowled out for 167 all out in 48.2 overs.
In reply, Sydenham’s top order paced the chase well for a time. Cameron Fairhall (39) and Archie Neilson (14) with a 46 run partnership, before Herd (11) joined Fairhall for 27 runs. A small mid-innings wobble reduced Sydenham to 4/99, before Leif Kitto (46*) and Thomas Wedlake (10*) guided the team home comfortably in the 32nd over with a 64 run unbroken partnership.
The 2nds have gained the maximum 12 competition points from two games – the perfect start.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/2025/cricket-express-1st-xi-bowl-one-day/game-centre/31885e7f
Youth 3rd XI – LOST
No match report available
Sydenham 84 (32.2 overs)
Chch Boys HS 85-4 (24.4 overs)
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/2025/cricket-express-1st-xi-bowl-one-day/game-centre/26e4cd17
Youth Colts – WON
Match report courtesy of Callum Green
Sydenham 255-9 (50 overs)
North West Youth 175 (38.4 overs)
Sydenham took on North West Colts @ Knights Stream Park. After having a bye in the 1st round, the Colts were really ready to play and get into the season. Losing the toss, NW put us into bat.
Jonty Rutherford and Braithan Davies got the team off to a solid start before Rutherford was trapped in front for 6. Zarnder O’Donnell took a bit of time to settle in, but once he did (coming in at 3) he played some elegant off side shots. Meanwhile Davies was accumulating well and hit some beautiful pick up behind square boundaries. After a partnership of 79, Davies feathered one behind for a score of 35. O’Donnell was joined by Noah Green, who took his time to get going, but hit some great lofted drives and as usual was lethal with anything short down leg. Meanwhile, O’Donnell was punishing anything over pitched and he and Green consolidated whilst NW put pressure on with their leg spinners. O’Donnell was out to a magnificent one handed, 1st slip catch by Luke Spicer for a great 55, with he and Green partnering for 57 runs. Next in was Rupert Nielsen and, as usual, the field spread quickly. Nielsen hits the ball so cleanly and with four fours and a huge six, he was dominating. At the other end, Green was out to a great catch at a deepish mid-on for 34. Whilst trying to increase the run rate we lost a few wickets, including Nielsen for 34 (off 25). For a while it looked like we may struggle to get to 240, but Austen Grant came in at 10 and hit 20 off 10 balls to get our score up to 255 of our 50 overs.
In the field, some great opening bowling by Austen Grant meant we snared a quick wicket with the NW batsman playing a rash shot and Grant hitting the top of off stump. NW could not build any meaningful partnerships, and Green took the next with a sharp caught and bowled. Nielsen bowled with pace and bounced out one and then snicked behind another. Meanwhile Benji Williams carried on from the start of the year with great leg spin bowling, snaring 2 wickets. Our other very capable spinner (and captain), Kahn Stanbury bowled at his miserly best, also snaring 2 wickets. NW counter attacked and Sydenham struggled to put NW away for a bit, but Braithan Davies got a couple at the end with his leg spin.
Overall a great, confidence building performance from the boys. Our intensity was great from the outset, and we sustained it throughout the match. This team can match it with any in the competition, and they proved this on Saturday.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/2025/cricket-express-colts-one-day/game-centre/79a0de7c
Youth Yr 10 – WON
Match report courtesy of Akash Patel
ChCh Boys HS 130 (39.1 overs)
Sydenham 131-4 (29.4 overs)
Another great game and win for Sydenham year 10. Nice teamwork by all boys this week and great bowling by all, staying economical, and some great wickets taken by Nakul Singh, Benny Wilkinson and Angus Furgeson, all taking two wickets each. Our fielding has been improved, as we stopped many important runs of our opposition, CBHS.
A target of 130 was set by CBHS which Sydenham chased down very strategically. Om Patel’s innings of 58 of 95 not out, and Vansh Sharma’s 16 of 24, demonstrated great batting skills. Great start to the season!
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/2025/cricket-express-year-10/game-centre/eb9cc719
Youth Yr 9A – WON
Match report courtesy of Mark Williams
Sydenham 177
ChCh Boys HS 162
Week 2: 18 Oct 25 v Chr Boys High Kiwis at CBHS.
Win by 27 runs.
Overcast skies and traffic chaos greeted us as we arrived at Christchurch Boys’ High School. With clearer skies forecast and the heat from the sun building before an expected afternoon change, we had decided we would bat given the chance to do so, with the aim of putting a decent total on the board, and then taking advantage of conditions later on, not to mention hoping for cooler conditions when we were in the field. The toss confirmed that we would have first use of the willow.
Our opening partnership moved the score past 20 before the first wicket fell. A well-mown surface and reasonable offside and legside boundary size meant value for shots square of the wicket on both sides, but the size of the straight boundaries limited scoring in that area. A succession of our batters got a start and when the 4th wicket fell we were 2 short of 100 on the board. None managed to push on though. A mid-innings slump saw us go from 98/4 to 136/8. A late innings rally then saw us fight past 170, finally being dismissed for 177. Once adjusted for the grace period wickets, the total was moved to 189. Extras gifted us over 50 runs, a significant boost to the total. Shot selection is definitely an area we need to work on, as a succession of batters played around, or attempted ambitious shots against straight deliveries, resulting in 5 batters being dismissed by being bowled. An improvement noted this week was our running between the wickets which was a level up from the week before – work still to be done but good to see this improving.
Our stated objective for bowling was to aim for 6 good balls per over, aiming to reduce the extras tally that had plagued us previously. Our opening bowlers tied down the scoring rate, supported by good fielding. two early wickets saw CBHS at 23/2 and the innings wobbling. The middle order dug in though, not scoring fast but keeping the board ticking over, assisted by some indifferent catching. The fast outfield persisted, and well struck shots raced away to the boundary. Once we started holding our catches, wickets fell. Our bowlers did the jobs themselves, hitting the stumps regularly as well. Ultimately, three of the opposition batters combined to score the lion’s share of the runs, and our total was never really under threat. A gutsy knock by the number 9 batter kept us in the field longer than it had appeared would be the case. Despite dropping several catches, we did manage to hold on to five in the end. The final wicket fell with the total at 162. A marked improvement in the level of energy in the field also boosted our fielding display.
Well done lads on a second win.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/2025/cricket-express-year-9-white/game-centre/77e8390c
You must be logged in to post a comment.