TROMPED – 7th FEBRUARY 2026
A superb unbeaten 130 from just 54 balls by Matthew Tromp at Burwood Park put the Premier Men’s one-day campaign firmly back on track. Tromp’s explosive innings powered Sydenham to East Shirley’s 208 with the loss of just two wickets, completing the chase inside 20 overs. Overall, it was a much-improved day for the morning-grade sides after last week’s forgettable outing.
The Premier Women also celebrated a breakthrough, recording their first win of the 40-over competition with a victory over Lancaster Park, Hannah Kidd’s composed 52 from 76 balls proving decisive.
While the Champs again found results hard to come by in a loss to competition leaders Halswell — their batting unable to capitalise on a solid bowling performance — Division Two continued their impressive resurgence with another comprehensive win, making it four victories from their last five matches. Nathan Chin’s 3–28 in his first game back played an important role, but most pleasing was the growing impact of former Sydenham youth players now stepping up into the senior ranks. Henry Hood (3–27), Isaac Tutt (52), Sam Johns (62*), and Freddie Winsor (29*) all made key contributions to the latest success.
With all other afternoon grades cancelled due to the Waitangi Day long weekend, only the two T20 sides took the field on Wednesday evening — and both emerged victorious. The Cavalier Cardinals cruised to a 70-run win, while the Gujarat Kings edged out their opponents by 10 runs in a much tighter contest on the back of half-centuries from Yash Patel (69*) and Arya Baxi (53).
In youth cricket, the 1st XI’s opening match of the season against CBHS ended in an innings defeat after their batting again struggled in the second innings. The 2nd XI also endured a difficult outing, dismissed for 94, with CBHS chasing down the target for the loss of just four wickets. The 3rd XI, however, produced a dominant performance, skittling an inexperienced St Bede’s College 3rd XI for just 27 before knocking off the runs without losing a wicket. Austen Grant led the way with outstanding figures of 5–7 from six overs, well supported by Kaveesha Geeth’s 2–20.
Many of the photos in this publication are also courtesy of Ash Hart’s Hartland Images.
Premier Men
East Shirley 205-9 (50 overs)
Sydenham 208-2 (18.5 overs)
After last week’s heavy home defeat, Sydenham travelled to Burwood Park to face East Shirley with both sides needing a win to stay in semi-final contention. Winning the toss, Sydenham elected to bowl on a well-grassed surface offering early movement.
East Shirley made a confident start, their openers putting on 56 for the first wicket at a healthy rate, aided by 20 extras as Sydenham initially struggled for consistency with the swinging new ball. Archie Goodrick provided the breakthrough in his first over and struck again just a few deliveries later, restoring balance to the contest.
Jackson Hemingway
From there, East Shirley’s innings followed a familiar pattern: several batters made starts, but none were able to convert into a substantial score. Tim Hampton-Matehe anchored the initial effort as Easts progressed to 108–3, but his dismissal — the first of three wickets for Jackson Hemingway — saw the momentum slow. Hemingway, Matthew Tromp and Makenzie Thomson combined effectively through the middle overs to apply sustained pressure, at one stage threatening to restrict Easts to around 180–190 before a late push lifted the total to a more competitive 205–9.
Sydenham’s bowlers responded well after last week’s disappointment, with most conceding at around three an over. Archie Goodrick (3–36), Jackson Hemingway (3–33) and Makenzie Thomson (2–36) were the standouts, the only blemish being 38 extras, including 26 wides and three no-balls.
Michael Robinson
The Sydenham reply quickly turned into another masterclass of ball striking from Matthew Tromp. It started well enough for Easts when they had opener Jackson Hemingway out LBW in the third over at 17-1. However, that wicket only brought Trompy to the crease, and after a couple of overs settling in, the boundaries started to flow. Seven overs later, that 17-1 had become 107-1 and the match had swung Sydenham’s way decisively. Then, at the start of the 13th over, Michael Robinson, who had been playing the perfect supporting role, got emboldened by the ball striking at the other end. He emulated it beautifully for the first three balls with a six and two fours before skying the next one to be caught for 20 off 31 balls – Sydenham 132-2
Matthew Tromp
Aarush Bhagwat came to the crease and played positively in his unbeaten 30 off 17 balls, but like Robbo, spent a lot of his time fist-bumping Trompy’s boundaries, 12 sixes and 9 fours. The innings closed in the 19th over with Matthew unbeaten on 130 off just 54 balls, and Sydenham 208-2.
Aarush Bhagwat
Much of the post-match discussion was on how “Bevon Jacob like” Trompy’s innings had been in its ferocity and the distance that the ball was being dispatched to – even the occasional mis-hit was comfortably clearing the boundary riders. For the East boys, it was a similar experience to Sydenham’s the previous week, when they had to quietly admire Scott Janett’s onslaught in Burnside’s win at Sydenham and move on. Both teams remain in contention when the final pool matches are played next week. For Sydenham, it’s Heathcote at Sydenham Park.
Thanks to umpires Brent Littmoden and Robert Hill
Premier Women
Lancaster Park 157-8 (40 overs)
Sydenham 158-7 (31.3 overs)
Sydenham played Lancaster Park at Lancaster Park. After winning the toss, Sydenham elected to bowl first, looking to make early breakthroughs with the new ball. The opening bowling attack of Boadicea Lynch and Izzy Fox delivered exactly that, striking early to put Lancaster Park under immediate pressure.
Izzy Fox
However, Lancaster Park responded through a strong partnership led by Laura Hughes, whose powerful and accurate batting applied counter-pressure, alongside the patient and resilient innings of Lilyana Cullen. The pair proved difficult to separate and worked hard to stabilise the innings. Sydenham’s bowlers maintained consistent pressure throughout, and the momentum came back again when Charlotte Clatworthy claimed a key wicket, breaking the partnership at a crucial moment. From there, Sydenham tightened their grip on the innings, eventually restricting Lancaster Park to 157 runs, closing the first innings with renewed control.
Hannah Kidd
In reply, Sydenham approached the chase with composure, focusing on building some good partnerships rather than taking unnecessary risks. The standout performance came from Hannah Kidd, who anchored the innings superbly with 52 runs. Her knock provided stability and structure to the chase. Kidd was well supported through valuable partnerships with Megan Meltzer, Charlotte Clatworthy, Boadicea Lynch, and Shizuka Miyaji, each contributing to maintaining momentum and keeping the run chase on track.In the closing stages, the young duo of Elsie Duncan and Elise Dill-Russell guided Sydenham home, completing the comeback and securing the win.
Shizuka Miyaji
Championship
No match report & no completed scorecard
Division 2
Match report courtesy of Todd Ward
OBC 143 (36.1 overs)
Sydenham 147-1 (27.1 overs)
A contrast of fortunes this week from last. We lost the toss and were asked to bowl on a flat wicket with a soft top. We started loosely conceding 32 runs in the first 4 overs before Conway Andrews (2 for 39 off 8) had our first wicket. OBC continued on and made it to 65 after 10 overs before Nathan Chin (3 for 28 off 9) began his spell beautifully taking 3 wickets in 4 overs alongside Gaurav Jadhav (1 for 11 off 6) who was as economical as ever. At 77 for 5 after 16 the innings was at a tipping point, a rebuild could see OBC make a good total from their fast start or a couple more wickets would see us well into the tail. OBC began that rebuild and it was another 13 overs before we broke through again courtesy of Henry Hood’s (3 for 27 off 8.1) maiden wicket for Div 2. The breakthrough came at a crucial time with the total now creeping to 130 after 30 overs. We tightened the screws from there and bowled OBC out for 143 after 37 overs.
Henry Hood
Any nerves of a small total to chase were put to bed when Sam Johns and Issac Tutts confidently made their way to a 50 run opening partnership after just 9 overs. Sam putting away anything short and Issac playing some classic straight drives. They comfortably got us to 100 before Issac was out for an entertaining 52 playing one too many paddles down to fine leg off the OBC spinner. From there we only accelerated to the target with Freddie Windsor coming in and wasting no time striking 6 boundaries to chase down the total in 28 overs and finishing on 29* off 13 balls and Sam 62* off 74.
Nathan Chin
Back to our best this week, with everyone chipping in in some way. Whether it was with the ball, the bat or one of the brilliant catches in the field, we can feel very confident in our abilities for the coming weeks.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/mens-division-2-red/game-centre/faca6258
T20 Cavaliers Cardinals – WON
Match report courtesy of Jamie Livingstone
Sydenham 152-6 (20 overs)
Halswell 82-8 (16 overs)
After a late change in venue due to the weather, the Cardinals found themselves at Warren Park on the artificial. Skipper James Stokes won the toss and elected to bat to try and get the best of the evening sun. The innings started well, with the return of Cardinals stalwart Geordie Dann, who partnered Jeremey Ensor to face the new ball. Both found the boundary with ease, and this led to a 79-run opening partnership with Ensor hitting his best for the Cardinals, 29, while Dann at the other end retired on 43. Luke Wolf got a golden, but the momentum created wasn’t lost with Cam Rennell (25), Stokes (26) and Brad Moore (14) all adding valuable runs. Cardinals 152-6 off their 20 overs.
A strong start by Halswell put the Cardinals on the back foot. Once the first wicket was taken by Manny Roberts, the batters struggled to get things going. Wolf was outstanding in the outfield, getting a run out. Pressure was then built by Kris Webster (1-19), Dann (1-8) and Stokes (1-4). The innings was superbly finished off by Adam Neylon, taking the final 2 wickets on consecutive balls in the 15th over. Halswell finished 82 all out.
A convincing win for the Cardinals to start their defense of the Section 2 title. Tougher opposition awaits!
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/cavaliers-section-2-t20/game-centre/b07e0684
T20 Gujarat Kings – WON
Match report courtesy of Yash Patel
Sydenham 194-6 (20 overs)
Heathcote 184-8 (20 overs)
What a match! The Sydenham T20 Gujarat Kings held their nerve in a dramatic last-over finish to defeat Heathcote Hammers T20 by 10 runs at Spreydon Domain.
Batting first, the Kings were in early trouble at 30/4 within the first 5 overs. However, Yash Patel (69 off 35)* and Arya Baxi (53 off 33) produced a brilliant recovery partnership, showing composure and class under pressure. With valuable contributions from the middle and lower order, the team reached a competitive total of 194/6 in 20 overs.
In response, Heathcote got off to a flying start, racing to 74 in the first 6 overs. The momentum shifted when Arya Baxi (1 wicket) and Smit Patel (1 wicket) applied the brakes and brought the Kings back into the contest. They were well supported by Yash Patel (2 wickets), Dhaval Patel (1 wicket), and Captain Dhananjay “DJ” Trivedi (1 wicket), keeping the pressure on throughout the innings.
The match came down to a thrilling final over, with the opposition needing 15 runs off the last over with 2 wickets in hand. Under immense pressure, the Kings delivered — two run-outs in three balls sealed the victory, showcasing outstanding presence of mind and teamwork.
This was a complete team effort — from battling with the bat to defending under pressure — and a reminder of what this group is capable of.
Youth First XI – LOST
Match report courtesy of Daniel Herd
Sydenham 95 & 79
CBHS 204
Sydenham Youth 1st XI came into Day Two with work to do after a difficult first day, having been bowled out for 95 on a challenging surface after losing the toss and trailing by 75 runs. There was plenty of opportunity for Sydenham to back into the match – but it wasn’t their day.
CBHS resumed their innings with Sydenham needing one wicket to close it out, and the team had a clear plan to finish things early. However, despite good intent, Sydenham weren’t able to consistently execute their bowling lengths, allowing the innings to stretch deeper than it should have and for Boys to put on an additional 34 runs. The final wicket eventually came through a sharp piece of work from Reuben Williamson, whose excellent run out ended the innings at 204.
Trailing by 109, Sydenham’s second innings began with a bright start from Finlay Hill (27 off 38), who played positively and gave the side some early momentum. Cameron Fairhall (9 off 32) supported him before wickets began to fall in clusters, with the middle order unable to build the partnerships needed. Quinn Helms (11* off 18) and Jamie Anson (14 off 19) added some late resistance, but Sydenham were dismissed for 79 in 27.3 overs – to lose by an innings.
The match is one to put behind the group quickly, with a clear focus needed on executing basics better next week and performing to a much higher standard. All the batters will be better off in future innings having spent time in the middle. Congratulations to Liam Beck, Noah Green, Neil Thakar, Samuel Wild and Kahn Stanbury who all made their 1st XI debuts in this match.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/2026/cricket-express-1st-xi-cup-two-day/game-centre/09aed0f8
Youth Second XI – LOST
Match report courtesy of Jamie Helms
Sydenham 93 (35 overs)
CBHS 97-4 (21.4 overs)
Sydenham 2nd XI played Christchurch Boys’ High School 3rd XI at CBHS. With the first game of the season falling on Waitangi Weekend, the match was moved forward to a Friday, which unfortunately meant a couple of regular players were unavailable. As a result, Sydenham fielded a few fill‑ins for the opening fixture.
The toss proved crucial. With no cricket played on the block for several weeks, the surface was always going to be a challenge, Christchurch Boys’ High School won the toss and had little hesitation in sending Sydenham in to bat.
Dhruv Arvindkumar
Liam Kinzett and Eli Helms opened the innings with the clear intention of seeing out the first hour, expecting the wicket to settle as the day progressed. Liam was dismissed early to a very good delivery, and Eli was looking solid before an unnecessary run‑out, which triggered a mini collapse through the top order as wickets fell in quick succession.
Dhruv rode his luck, with several chances going down in the field, and went on to top‑score for Sydenham with 33. Lower down the order, Daniel Barclay and Zachariah Nicholson (batting at 8 and 9) put together a valuable partnership of 37 runs the highest of the innings that began to swing momentum back in Sydenham’s favour. However, once Daniel was dismissed, Sydenham were eventually bowled out for 93.
Benji Williams
With the innings finishing before 1:00pm, it was a quick turnaround. Due to grade rules, Sydenham returned to the field before lunch, which was scheduled for 2:00pm. Knowing early wickets were essential to stay in the contest, Sydenham started brightly with the ball. Rupert Nielsen struck in his second over, providing an early breakthrough. However, more wickets were needed to apply real pressure. The bowlers rotated well and the pitch offered increasing turn, allowing both Benji and Eli to find success. Benji claimed a wicket in his first over, while Eli picked up two wickets either side of lunch.
Despite the effort, it was clear that an extra 40–50 runs on the board would have made this a very different contest. In the end, Christchurch Boys’ High School were simply too strong on the day. Rupert finished with excellent figures of 1 for 7 off 6 overs, while Eli returned 2 for 29.
Both teams played the match in great spirit, highlighted by players from both sides accepting umpiring decisions and enjoying the contest regardless of the result.
While the result didn’t reflect the true talent and ability within the Sydenham squad, expectations are high that with a full-strength side returning next week, the team will be highly competitive and a genuine challenge for any opponent in the grade.
Youth Third XI – WON
Match report courtesy of Shannon O’Donnell
St Bedes College 28-8 (12.1 overs)
Sydenham 28-0 (5.3 overs)
The Sydenham 3rd 11 played against an under strength and short St Bedes College 3rd 11. It was a lovely sunny morning at Sydenham Park (No 2 pitch), although the wicket was soft and looked tricky to bat on. Sydenham won the toss, elected to bowl, and it wasn’t long before the wickets started falling for St Bedes.
Nakul Singh
Sydenham opening bowlers took a rapid fire 7 wickets within 11 overs (Austen Grant an outstanding 5fer for 7 runs off 6 overs with 3 maidens! and Kaveesha Geeth with 2 wickets 20 runs 6 overs), with the 8th and final wicket in the 12th over with first change bowler Joe Wilky. St Bedes dismissed for 29-8 – Also to note three fantastic 2nd slip catches from James Gross.
Ruan Diedericks
Sydenham opening batters chased the total without loss (Ruan Diedericks 15* and Angus Fergusson 10*). As this was the first game of the season, and it was over so quickly, both teams decided player development was important, so St Bedes batted a second time, and Sydenham batted their full batting line-up (with 25-ball retirement). Batting scores to note here were: Angus Fergusson 32* retired, Zarnder O’Donnell 28* retired & Nakul Singh 34
Angus Fergusson
Youth Year 10 – BYE
Bye first week up for the Year 10’s
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