PREMIER MEN CROWNED 2-DAY CHAMPIONS – 28 MARCH 2026
The Premier men capped an outstanding season by adding the 2-Day title to their achievements, having already secured the T20 championship before Christmas. It may have been ten years since the club last lifted the 2-Day trophy, but that only added to the satisfaction as Sydenham completed the job on the second day of their match against St Albans at the Nursery Ground. Dylan McArdle produced a superb all-round performance, advancing his overnight 57* to finish unbeaten on 92, before claiming a further three wickets in the St Albans second innings to add to his three in the first.
Premier Men
However, the Premier men were not the only title winners on the day. The Division 4 Goats, showing why they’re so aptly named, relished their opportunity to play their final on Sydenham 1, and delivered an excellent performance. On a tricky, weather-affected surface, the Goats produced a disciplined bowling display to restrict a good Burnside West University side, before holding their nerve to secure a three-wicket victory and claim the Division 4 title.
Division 4 Goats
The Prem Men were the only morning-grade side to play on the day, with the women’s finishing their season last week, and the Championship match abandoned after the late-week rain made Sydenham 2 unplayable. And Division 2, who were in a commanding position against Hornby at Denton Park after the first day, picked up full points when Hornby defaulted on the second – a special mention to the Div 2 lads who really have stepped up this season and impressed everyone.
While the Goats’ win was the highlight of the afternoon grades, other results were mixed with wins only to Masters Hospital and T20 Gujarat Kings. However, Hannah Watson was the star of the Division 1 women’s local derby between Sydenham Red and Blue at Barrington Park. After Julia Manton’s excellent 69 for the Blue’s, Hannah’s 4-13 backed by an unbeaten 54 was enough for the Red’s to come away with the win.
The youth sides also headed into the winter break on a high note, recording six wins from six matches played. The most emphatic result came from the 1st XI, who secured an innings victory over Christ’s College 2nd XI, with the second day highlighted by Finn Hill’s 60*, Dhru Avindkumar’s 37 and Bayley Gardner’s excellent 5–17. Other notable performances included Eli Helms’ remarkable 4–2 for the 2nd XI, and strong contributions in the 9B match from Jack Thomson (52) and Deep Mahyavanshi (42*).
Overall, it was a fitting conclusion to the season, highlighted by two competition titles and a number of outstanding individual performances across the club.
Some of the photos in this publication are also courtesy of Ash Hart’s Hartland Images.
Premier Men
St Albans 133 & 149
Sydenham 295-7
The Premier men went into the second and final day of the season against St Albans at the Nursey Ground needing only 0.41 of a bonus point to take out the 2-Day title…either 41 runs in their final seven overs of their 1st innings, or three or so wickets in St Albans 2nd innings. As it turned out, the overnight batsman Dylan McArdle settled that issue early into the morning when he took his score from 57 to 92 not out, including four sixes, as Sydenham took 50 from the final overs to 295-7.
Dylan McArdle
Although the competition now settled, both sides were still keen to finish with a result. But behind on the 1st innings by 162, and on a wicket that now strongly favoured the bowlers due to the late week rain, it was always going to be tough going for Saints to get itself back into the match. Although they lost their first wicket early at 21-1, the Saints batsmen stayed positive and worked their way to 66-2 before the innings unravelled somewhat at that point. And it was that man McArdle doing the damage again as he dismissed the next three middle order batsmen, taking Saints from 66-2 to 69-5. Melhuish batted well for 43, but others struggled to stay with him, and when Tom Agnew came back for his second spell, his next two wickets had the game on track for an early finish.
There was then some end-of-season pressure release with Ryan Wallace given his first bowl of the season, four overs but with a winter to recover from the effort, some surprising leg-spin from Jackson Hemingway who two wickets proved he could also be a legitimate option in future matches, Matt Tromp who delivered four overs of from behind the back inventive spin variations, and finally Michael Robbinson relinquished the gloves to Cullen Crowe and bowled a very tidy over of left arm medium pace. Saints were eventually all out for 149 with Sydenham not required to bat again. Tom Agnew 3–46 and Dylan McArdle 3–28 were the leading contributors with the ball, while McArdle’s unbeaten 92 capped an outstanding all-round performance.
A top fielding side with Brandon Matzopoulos one of the best
While Sydenham have enjoyed recent successes in the T20 competition, the 2-Day title represents a sterner challenge and a particularly satisfying achievement, being the club’s first in the format since 2016. Holding only a narrow lead when the competition resumed in mid-February, the side showed composure under sustained pressure from strong opposition, including Heathcote, Burnside West and St Albans, ultimately winning their final three matches with maximum points to secure the championship. Saturday evening’s celebrations were both loud and well deserved.
Metro President and OEM sponsor Paul O’Connor presents the trophy to skipper Mitch Gardner
Thanks to umpires David Henderson and Altamash Askari, and indeed to all umpires who contributed throughout the season.
Full scoreboard & video highlights: https://live.nvplay.com/nz?tab=m_scorecard#m06fef3d6-02a6-4168-b23c-844377bb6aed
Championship – ABANDONED
Unfortunately, the late week rain made conditions unplayable at Sydenham Park with the match abandoned
Division 2 – WON
Hornby unfortunately defaulted the 2nd day of the match
Division 4 Goats – WON
Match report courtesy of Ollie Philpott (Finals winners are allowed excessively long reports)
FINAL
BWU 110 (39.4 overs)
Sydenham 111-7 (38.3 overs)
History is a wonderous thing, the learnings, the teachings, the resulting catch phrases and pop songs. Making it is something else entirely – soul quenching and righteous. But to predict it, and live that prediction…that transcends any typical human experience, and elevates one’s existential plane to pure omnipotence.
Please see citation from first game report against Burnside November 2025 – “Despite the loss it was a great game to be a part of. The fact remains that these Burnside boys always pip us at the post during regular season matches, but we always come up trumps against them at the sticky end of the season… ”
Nostradamus, step aside.
But enough about my prowess at prediction (you really don’t want to hear my Wahs foresights) – this was an all-time team contribution that typifies how the goats have consistently proved to be better than the sum of their parts. Or how well we have learned to metaphorically play off the back foot, as we started this game with significant scratches in player stocks. Down no less than 4 pivotal players in gun bowler Chris, power batter Dougie, keeper and top order bat Kyle and captain my captain Jon, The goats needed to muster every bit of resolve they could find to pull this one off. Luckily, as evidenced from the high number of elbow injuries in the side, pulling one off is what we have become accustomed to doing.
Arjun Das takes one of his three on the day
Giddy at the prospect of playing on a rolled pitch, we were ecstatic to learn we would host on Sydenham 1. After two days of heavy rain however we arrived to find a squishy mush bed awaited us. Even stand in captain Joe, a bat first lock almost always, made a massive play straight up in winning the toss and inserting burnside. Spirits buoyed; we suited up. To a man – not one person forgot their kit – proving just how locked in we all were for this game.
With Chris nursing some sort of knee injury specific only within the Douglas lineage, recent father Paddy Wickes abandoned his newborn to answer the opening bowlers’ call to arms. Being off Goats duty for a few months, it became clear immediately that Paddy had been favouring his left arm in babe carrying capacity. His once perfectly symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing rig had become muscularly swollen beyond control down said left side, meaning the bowler’s biomechanics caused a leading arm drag at delivery, sending the new pill swinging perilously close to gully on several occasions throughout his opening spell. Thankfully the ever-spritely MS Tony was on the job – forced into the gloves and pads as regular keeper Kyle was in a moon boot and back up keeper Dougie was staying true to form and going AWOL for the last game of the season for the 14th consecutive year (don’t worry Dougie – we have already assigned Joe to put your work leave request in on your behalf for next year since you clearly don’t understand the process).
It was a particularly cunning masterstroke from Wickes – who lulled burnsides best bat into a false sense of security (notably inflated by some inhouse sledging from the sidelines). The first straightish delivery from Paddy was met with a feverish attempt to slap across the line through mid-wicket, it stuck in the gooey slab and skewed in a devilish fizz towards the waiting hands of Arjun. The silence as the ball took an eternity to nestle safely in his hands was excruciating. This was the type of chance the goats let slip through their fingers quite literally all too often, but today was different. Taylor’s speech before play had requested that we all stick our hands up to do the basics well – this moment set us on the respectable path of a mildly skilful level of accuracy that would see us home. The decision to leave the baby home alone well justified, as he will surely retell the tale of his father’s final “Choo Choo!” of the season echoing forcefully through the visitors changing shed in years to come.
The blight of rugby on this nation did its duty in making the outfield an unrewarding quagmire of a mistress for anyone skilled enough to hit a gap, and combined with perfectly miserly spells from Geordie, Jesse and last-minute injury replacement GJ (Gourav) the goats applied the pressure. Every time Burnside attempted to advance the game, a chance was offered – and every time it was taken by the goats. A run out, another slick catch to Arjun and two safe-as-houses catches (and almost a stunning third) to new ‘buckets’ Dan Laughton and the goats were well on top at 5-31.
After the break, Burnside strung together a few partnerships between 10-20 runs, we knew they batted deep and we would have to keep the pressure on. Burnsides’ spiritual captain, Jon Cowley, looked set to ramp up the scoring after a towering 6 off Ollie – he had single-handedly batted them to victory against us earlier in the season, and if he got going, things could have looked dicey. The next over, however, Arjun turned the game with an absolute spekky off his own bowling. He fired in a short of a length ball that sat up and got absolutely slapped by Cowley down the ground. Arjun, as nimble as an arctic fox threw himself full stretch to take a one-handed blinder an inch off the turf. Laying on the deck liked a stunned mullet at this miracle take, left the four Burnsiders in close proximity aghast as Arjun was swamped by his team mates. An absolute blinder that has to be top contender for catch of the year – especially given the situation and player.
The innings was wrapped up in the 39th over, with Geordie ending the season the way he started it with a fine running catch in the outfield. Burnside all out for 110. A great all-round effort with the ball, with wickets shared between the 6 bowlers, and no one going for more than 20 runs. Special shout out to the effervescent J Markes who tirelessly ran through 8 overs straight in steamy conditions to end with 2 for 15.
It is well documented that Burnside has a top draw bowling attack – and on this pitch and outfield we knew things wouldn’t be easy. But we also knew, Burnside bat deep, but goats bat deepest. At innings break J. Taylor urged us to just take it deep and bat 40. If we did that we knew it would be close…the key was to not do what we had been over the last month or so, loosing wickets in clumps. With a clear purpose and destiny whispering sweet nothings in our ears the chase began.
George Wigley
Taylor batted with steel to blunt the opening barrage – playing sweetly through cover for very little reward. After a rough tickle up in the rib cage, Tony was dismissed bowled (He later told us this would be his final goats innings, but as expected, Jon refused to accept his resignation – as did we all). This brought George to the crease and some much-needed stimulus to the innings. Some eye-catching cuts and pulls pushed the Goats forward as Taylor continued his stoic work. Whether Jo knew this or not is up for debate, but one run after he ticked off 500 for the season, he played his first ill-advised shot of the innings. With a man on the rope, he launched a stunning lofted on drive only to be caught a metre inside the rope. The Calendar Boys knew the importance of this wicket and went into the break cock-a-hoop, even though we were only 2 down.
Their press continued after the break as GJ’s dismissal was followed quickly by George – who hit arguably the shot of the day – a thumping cut straight to the man on the rope. When Dan unluckily gloved a shocking half tracker through to the keeper the Goats were in real danger of letting things slip at 5/46. Some tight overs followed and Joe Stevens and Ollie managed to stem the wicket flow and start to push forward. The entire game saw only 10 boundaries hit – so each time we achieved one it felt like a dagger blow to the opposition. Joe quite literally used his bulking frame to muscle a six down the ground – it was the first shot of authority since the break and signified the shift in our favour. A 30-run stand from Joe and Ollie brought the finish line in sight. After Joe knicked off for an important 20, Ollie and Jesse continued the march. A sensual straight six from Philpott and a powerful pull for 4 off the opposition’s captain by Markes, and we could feel the sting coming out of their chat.
Joe Taylor
Despite some stellar bowling from Burnside – with innumerable plays and misses and a few body shots, we kept firm to the captains demands to take it deep. Great running and cool heads, even after Ollie finally timed one, a full toss straight to mid-wicket, Geordie and Jesse took us home with an over to spare. Never in doubt!! Like the bowling, a team effort with crucial 20 odds from Joe, Jo and Ollie and cucumber cool batting from Jesse and Geo did the trick.
An amazing finish to a top-class year, and to do it at home with ample support on the side lines was a real pleasure. Over the past two seasons we hadn’t won the round robin but went on to win the knockout stages. We knew the empty feelings we had instilled on other teams in recent years and our determination after winning the round robin to not let that happen to us got us over the line even with so many of our stars out for the day.
Mention has to go to Burnside who have been wonderful opponents over the last few years. The only downside to heading up a grade will be missing the fixtured with them. They all clapped us off the field hung round for drinks and even shouted us a round. Not just nice to look at – bloody good lads as well.
There is one more downside to the day. Sadly, the premiere team won the two day comp, and whilst we celebrated heartily at the club rooms, we were unaware that premiere victory celebrations involved full nudity. Where’s the decorum!! And why is it the peacocks with the smallest plumage are always the proudest?!? (if you get my drift)
Awesome day, awesome season, awesome team. I frickin’ love you guys.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/mens-division-4/game-centre/cfabe9ef
Division 4 Royal Challengers – LOST
Match report courtesy of Lathish TM
Heathcote 112 (38.1 overs)
Sydenham 101 (29 overs)
Heathcote Alley Cats secured a hard-fought 11-run victory at Woolston Park after defending a modest total in a low-scoring contest.
Batting first, the Alley Cats posted 112 all out (38.1 overs), with Angus Scott (39 off 80) anchoring the innings. Contributions from Daniel McKenzie (23) and Duncan Gardner (22) helped push the total past 100. The Royal Challengers bowling unit was disciplined, led by Anand Krishnamohan Beena (3 wickets), while Trusharkumar Desai (2/11) , Shyam (1/17) and Lathish TM (2/28) kept things tight.
In reply, the Royal Challengers struggled to build partnerships and were bowled out for 101 in 29 overs. Ajith Sudhakaran (39 off 42) played a standout knock, but lacked support from the rest of the batting lineup. Regular wickets derailed the chase despite a brief fightback.
The Alley Cats bowlers shared the workload effectively, with Tom Knight (3 wickets) and Kevin List (3 wickets) leading the charge, supported by disciplined spells across the attack.
A strong all-round bowling performance ultimately sealed the win for Heathcote Alley Cats in a closely contested match.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/mens-division-4/game-centre/6c703b62
Division 5 All-Stars – LOST
Match report courtesy of Abe Atherton
Sydenham 78 (34.3 overs)
Merivale Papanui 79-5 (35.4 overs)
Sydenham Division 5 All Stars showed great determination and effort but fell just short against Merivale Papanui BBS Timbers Division 5 in a tightly contested match at Edgar MacIntosh Park #1.
After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Sydenham faced a tough challenge against accurate and disciplined bowling. An early wicket saw Jacob Koster dismissed in the first over, and the side struggled to build strong partnerships throughout the innings. Jaedyn Ward (9) and Dan Linden (12) worked hard to steady things, while Sumedha Senarathna (15), Chase Barnsley (14) and Andre Macleod (14) added valuable runs in the middle order. Despite their resilience, regular wickets prevented momentum, and Sydenham were eventually bowled out for 78 in 34.3 overs.
In response, Sydenham delivered an outstanding effort with the ball, putting Merivale under immediate pressure. Abraham Atherton led from the front with an excellent spell of 3 for 17 from 8 overs, including two maidens, consistently troubling the batsmen. Jacob Koster supported well with 1 for 18, while Jaedyn Ward and Cameron Hatcher were extremely economical, conceding just 11 and 14 runs respectively and keeping the run rate in check. Chase Barnsley also chipped in with a wicket as Sydenham fought hard to defend their total. Dan Linden with his first bowl of the season, bowled a tight line conceding 1 run in 2 overs.
The fielding effort matched the intensity of the bowling, with Andrew Reynolds taking a key catch and strong contributions in the field from Atherton, Koster, and Barnsley helping maintain pressure throughout the innings.
Merivale were made to work for every run, but a steady 35 from Ash Reddy proved crucial in guiding them through a tense chase. Despite Sydenham’s relentless effort and discipline, Merivale reached 79 for 5 in 35.4 overs to secure victory.
While the result didn’t go Sydenham’s way, the performance with the ball and in the field showed strong character and commitment, nearly defending a low total and pushing the game to the very end.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/mens-division-5-bottom-4/game-centre/64e6f378
Masters Cardinals – BYE
The Cardinals finish their season on bye week
Masters Hospital – WON
Match report courtesy of Bruce Day
Merivale Papanui 105 (23 overs)
Sydenham 108-9 (39.2 overs)
After Merivale turned down the offer of playing on an artificial pitch at Westlake, I arrived at Centennial No. 2 to the sight of Jamie sweeping up leaves and others staring at the pond inside the northern boundary. A decision was made to have a much shorter boundary at that end. A damp pitch and long outfield meant that every run was going to be vital. John our tosser for the day won the toss and we sent Merivale in to bat. Somehow, they got to 93 at drinks, mainly due to hitting our full tosses and short balls for runs and a couple of fielding bloopers from our more experienced players. Fortunately, we did bowl 6 good balls, so we were still in the hunt. We quickly got the remaining 4 wickets after drinks. Merivale all out for 105. Wicket takers: Jinto 3/22 off 6, Rahul 1/19 off 6, Jim 2/34 off 6, Matt 3/28 off 5
Wrik and Richard opened up getting through to the 9th over before Wrik was beaten 17/1, a good partnership between Richard and Jamie taking score to 40 before Jamie trapped in front. Richard out soon after went to drinks at 58/3. Lost Frank straight after break then Jinto and Bruce inched towards the total, both out by the 31st over, 81/5, John departed soon after. Bryan and Rahul got us to 92 , Bryan out caught on the short boundary. Rahul and Matt scampered through for quick singles before Rahul belted a six off the 3rd ball of the 39th over. Two balls later Matt run out 102 /9. Rahul then sent 2nd ball of the last over out to cow corner, only for the fielder out there to misjudge the catch, and it rebounded over the boundary for 4.
A one wicket win after all that with top scorers Richard 26, Jamie 16, Jinto 20 & Rahul 14 not out.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/joes-garage-masters-bottom-7/game-centre/0857c01e
T20 Cavalier Cardinals – LOST
Match report courtesy of Jeremy Ensor
Sydenham 144-5 (20 overs)
St Albans 146-5 (18 overs)
The Cardinals turned up to Walter Park for their final outing of the season, a playoff match for 3rd and 4th against the St Albans 67’ers. A team of energetic 18-20-year-olds who warmed up by actually bowling, which immediately raised suspicions. In a moment that will live long in Sydenham cricket folklore, the toss was conducted via phone flip. Not a coin, not a bat, Not even a bottle cap. A phone… A first for all involved, but Skipper Camo called it right and chose to bat.
Jezza and Barnsey came out swinging like they had dinner reservations, Barnsey blasting 45 off 27 before retiring – either to give others a go or because his smartwatch issued a medical alert. Camo played some lovely shots with his captain’s knock of 38, only to find a fielder on the final ball of the innings, caught near the boundary – proof that cricket, like life, can be cruelly poetic. Extras chipped in with 23, officially outperforming most of the Cardinals batting lineup and earning serious consideration for team selection next season. 144-5 off 20 overs. A solid total – if the opposition had agreed to bat one handed or age 25 years instantly.
With the ball, Manny and Wolfy started well, tight lines and early wickets. Wolfy found Camo behind the stumps, who took a clean catch. Manny then produced a juggling caught-and-bowled that briefly doubled up as live entertainment. Then came the change bowlers…Barnsey, fresh off dominating with the bat, delivered 2 overs that can only be described as a personal apology to the 67’ers batting lineup. Apes and Webby followed, both generously donating runs at a rate that would make a charity blush. Lines were optional, lengths were theoretical, and the 67’ers score book operator was under genuine strain.
With the game slipping and the Cardinals visibly ageing in real time, Camo rolled the dice and handed the ball to Jezza at the death. Needing 11 off 3 overs, Jezza (possibly fuelled by panic) produced the over of his life, taking 2/7 and briefly reminding everyone that miracles do happen. Camo backing him up with a sharp stumping, whipping off the bails like a man possessed.
Sadly, reality returned quickly, and the 67’ers knocked off the runs in the 18th over.
It was another tight contest played in great spirit against a quality opposition – though a gentle reminder to the 67’ers that score books are not abstract art projects!
Proud, slightly sore, and already looking forward to next season.
T20 Gujarat Kings – WON
Match report courtesy of Yash Patel
Heathcote 70-8 (17 overs)
Sydenham 71-4 (12.4 overs)
Gujarat Kings signed off the season in style with a composed 4-wicket win over Heathcote Hammers, successfully chasing 71 in a low-scoring encounter.
The foundation was set by a brilliant bowling performance. Dhananjay Trivedi led from the front with an outstanding spell (4 wickets), while Yash Patel provided strong support with 3 wickets, restricting the opposition to just 70/8. Tight lines, discipline, and great fielding kept the pressure on throughout.
In the chase, despite a few early wickets, the team showed calmness and maturity. Keyur Patel (27)* anchored the innings beautifully, supported by crucial contributions from the middle order to guide the team home.
This win marks a strong finish to the season, with Gujarat Kings securing an impressive 3rd place overall – a testament to the team’s consistency, resilience, and all-round performances throughout the campaign.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/summer-202526/cavaliers-section-3-t20/game-centre/4489c436
Division 1 Women Blue – LOST
Division 1 Women Red – WON
No Match Report Available
Sydenham Blue 122-7 (20 overs)
Sydenham Red 123-4 (19.2 overs)
Youth First XI – WON
Match report courtesy of Daniel Herd
Sydenham 144 & 166-4
Christ’s College 50 & 67
Sydenham Youth 1st XI capped off a dominant two-day performance at Sydenham Park with a victory, underpinned by their most complete all-round cricket display of the season. The team lifted significantly in all three facets of the game – batting, bowling and, particularly, fielding with several excellent catches.
Dhruv Arvindkumar
Resuming at 28/0 and with a lead of 122, Dhruv Arvindkumar and Cameron Fairhall extended their solid start, with Arvindkumar compiling a composed 37 to lay a strong platform. From there, the middle order took control. Harry Durdin’s positive 29 lifted the tempo before Finlay Hill dominated with an unbeaten 60, showcasing powerful straight hitting to take the game away. Will Herd added an entertaining unbeaten 18, featuring scoops and reverse sweeps, as Sydenham declared at 166/4.
Harry Durdin
Defending a substantial lead of 260, Sydenham’s bowlers wasted little time asserting control. Noah Dean struck early as part of an outstanding spell of 1/2 from 6 overs. Bayley Gardner led the charge with an outstanding 5/17 from 9 overs. Christ’s College were reduced to 6/14 and it was left to Reuben Williamson (2/21) and Archie Nielsen (2/7) to finish the match off for Sydenham.
Christ’s College were eventually dismissed for 67, sealing an emphatic outright win for Sydenham. It means that Sydenham finished the season in fifth in the Cup, and, unfortunately, just outside of a place in the Championship in the second half of the season.
Youth Second XI – WON
Match report courtesy of Jamie Helms
Ashburton College 69 (28.2 overs)
Sydenham 70-9 (31.2 overs)
This was the final game of the season and, somewhat disappointingly, we were matched against Ashburton College due to Metro using a different points-scoring system than that stated in the grade rules. However, having finished 5th overall, we already knew we would be moving into the Cup competition for the one-day matches later in the year.
After rain over the previous few days, conditions were always going to be challenging. Regardless of the state of the pitch, we knew the Ashburton manager would likely find something to complain about, as they have consistently displayed poor sportsmanship and a bullying attitude in an attempt to bend the rules in their favour. Knowing what we were in for, our focus was simple: enjoy the game and finish the season on a positive note, which has very much been the story of this season overall.
Winning the toss was crucial on a pitch that had been marked but could have been anywhere on the block. The grass was thick, and it was difficult to tell whether it had been properly prepared. I made a quick call to Metro to see if the pitch could be mown, but they were tied up elsewhere, much to Ashburton’s disgust. With Liam having been unlucky with tosses recently, Zac stepped up, won the toss, and opted to insert Ashburton into bat. Rupert Neilsen took the new ball and made an immediate breakthrough, removing the opener with what he would later admit was probably the worst ball he bowled all season — a delivery somehow guided to second slip. This was followed by a couple of quick wickets from Ruan Diederiks, who was called up from the 3rds due to a default in their match, allowing us to play 12 this week.
Will Johns, bowling first change, delivered an outstanding five-over spell. Despite several chances just falling short of fielders, he was rewarded with a wicket in his final over, thanks to a sharp catch at second slip by Liam Kinsett. Will could quite easily have finished with two or three more wickets. Om Akash Patel and Benji Williams both chipped in with a wicket as well, leaving Ashburton at 62 for 6 after 25 overs. Eli Helms was then introduced and produced a devastating spell of bowling, taking 4 wickets for just 2 runs in 1.4 overs. This eight-ball burst cleaned up the innings, with Ashburton dismissed by 12:30pm. We were left with 69 runs to chase in 72 overs, with 75 minutes available before lunch.
Bowling figures of note: Rupert Neilsen: 1 for 9 off 4 overs, William Johns: 1 for 6 off 5 overs, Ruan Diederiks: 2 for 4 off 4 overs & Eli Helms: 4 for 2 off 1.4 overs
Going into the chase, we knew the pitch would make batting difficult, but with the time available, the target should have been manageable if we applied ourselves. We made a few changes to the batting order, pushing up boys who hadn’t bowled to give them the opportunity to contribute in the final game of the season. Neil Thakar was promoted to open alongside Liam Kinsett, but this didn’t go to plan. The Ashburton opening bowler bowled impressively, dismissing Liam, Neil, and Khan Stanbury (at first drop) with three quality deliveries. This left us struggling at 8 for 3 early on. Angus Ferguson came in at four and battled hard, seeing off most of the opening spells before he too was dismissed. A quick collapse through the middle order followed, and we found ourselves at 32 for 7.
Eli Helms and Zachariah Nicholson then began a crucial rebuilding effort, both batting well and making the conditions look far more manageable as we approached lunch. Unfortunately, whatever they ate at lunch didn’t sit well, as both struggled to regain their timing in the afternoon session and were dismissed in quick succession. That left us at 51 for 9, still needing 29 runs with just one wicket remaining. With Rupert Neilsen and William Johns at the crease, a few parents were left with very high heart rates. However, the boys showed the fight that has been a hallmark of this team all season. Rupert top-scored with an unbeaten 15, while Will chipped in with 7 not out, calmly guiding us home to a very well-deserved win.
We finish the season with 4 wins, 1 losing draw, and 3 losses — several of which could easily have gone either way. It has been a strong season and one that sees us promoted to the Cup competition. We’ll face a few familiar teams again, but as a young group, I expect significant improvement over the next six months. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this group can produce in October.
Youth Third XI – WON
The 3rd won through a forfeit by North Canterbury Youth
Youth Year 10 – WON
Match report courtesy of Mark Williams
Shirley Boys HS 93 (23.4 overs)
Sydenham 94-1 (14.4 overs)
The game was to be played on an artificial pitch, so there was the promise of more consistency than we have seen on some of the recent decks that we have played games on. The outfield was lush and green and in need of a decent mow – so boundaries were going to be hard to find. Overhead conditions were warm with high cloud. SB won the toss and chose to bat first.
SB lost a wicket to the very first ball of the innings – a good delivery from Jay knocking over the castle. The energy levels were good, and our bowling was too. Batters played and missed a lot early on, hanging the bat outside off on a regular basis. It was only a matter of time before one took the edge, and a question of whether we would hang onto the chances. This question was answered in short order as Chris delivered an excellent ball that took the edge and nestled cleanly in Harvey’s gloves. 2 down for 16. Not long after – the same combination delivered wicket number 3. Another good delivery outside off induced a big edge and once again Harvey made no mistake pouching a good catch. 3 for 25. Whilst this was going on the # 3 was watching from the other end – he had quietly begun to build an innings, but this was ended by Jonathan with the total on 27. A slow ball completely deceived the batter and took the stumps. Chris continued to serve up threatening deliveries but picked up his third off one of the few looser ones – a good catch held down leg side by Stokesy. At 5 for 32 the innings was in disarray – but the question I had was could we keep the foot on the throat and finish it off, or as had happened last week would we leak more runs than we should of and set ourselves up for a tricky chase later on? Wickets 6 and 7 fell to Aadi and Thomas and it looked like we would perhaps be chasing a total below 60 with 8 down for 54. A drop in our intensity, and a gutsy effort from SB #8 kept us in the field a lot longer than we had expected. He rode his luck, with balls landing in gaps, 1 straight forward chance being grassed and some chaotic running between the wickets matched by our contriving to miss an easy run out. After drinks were taken, we lifted again and knocked over the last 2 wickets in good order. The final tally was 94 on the board, a lot higher than it had looked likely at one stage.
The fielding effort was headed by Chris who took good catches, placing himself intelligently in the hot zone and pouching a good running catch to go with an earlier catch and 3 wickets for 13 off his 4 overs. Ethan took an excellent catch diving forward. It is also worth noting that we started the season with no wicket keeper in the team. Harvey took on the role and has certainly found his feet in this role – his improved positioning being rewarded with 2 good catches today and he is showing strong potential with the keeper’s gloves. It was also pleasing to see a reduced number of spilled catches this week.
At times this season we have made hard work of chasing low targets. A combination of poor shot selection, good bowling, a misbehaving deck and unnecessarily defensive play in the previous game had turned a chase of 99 into a mountain that we ultimately could not conquer. Before the game we had spoken about how important it was for our openers to lay some sort of platform – we had lost many wickets early on this season. Today, as it turned out would not be a repeat of our previous opening struggles. Aadi and Will batted intelligently, defending when necessary and accumulating singles. As the opening bowlers tired and were replaced things opened up a bit. Some really attacking fields by SB left wide open spaces for both our batters to target – and this they did efficiently. The sight of Will and Aadi running regular twos was something that made us all smile a bit. The opening stand was not without the odd chance being given, but those were not taken, and the score built steadily. It felt like both batters were generally in control and would get us home without loss – and they both deserved to be there at the end, having done the hard work. With the total at 83 something unexpected happened. The SB bowler who had not really got his radar tuned correctly delivered an absolute peach – swinging late and then nipping off the seam to breach Will’s defenses and clip the top of off stump. That as it turned out was the only wicket that would fall – although with a single needed to win Aadi managed to get caught but it was ruled a no ball on height and so the game ended with Aadi not out on 37. A win by 9 wickets is a comprehensive one in any cricket match and the lads wrapped it up in the 15th over.
I was also very happy to see the last couple of lads heading out to umpire unaccompanied, we have worked hard on this area and they have done well!
Thanks to Pete for all of the scoring, wrangling the temperamental online system that again acted up today. Thank you to Rob for the umpiring coaching and support, and to Nathan and Karen who rescued our scoring efforts at times during the season. Thank you to the parents who keep turning up to watch the games too. I would like to thank each one the boys for their contributions to the team efforts this season, it has been good spending afternoons in your company. Cricket matches can take a lot of time – but for those who are watching and supporting the lads this is a good time. Our youngsters grow so quickly, these days are precious. Where would you rather be on a warm Saturday arvo with clear skies above – somewhere else running weekend chores, perhaps grocery shopping or mowing the lawns, or seated under a shady tree watching the boys play some good cricket. I know which I prefer, how about you?
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/2026/cricket-express-year-10/game-centre/6ff166cb
Year 9A – WON
Match report courtesy of Matt Barlow
Sydenham 201-9 (40 overs)
Shirley Boys HS 101 (33.3 overs)
The final game of the ’25/26 summer saw us travel out to South Brighton to take on Shirley Boys. This was an artificial surface – something we haven’t played on as a team, nor trained on, for quite a while. We won the toss and decided to bat, in sunny warm conditions. Nico Whitehead got us off to a fast start with 25 off 24. We were accumulating runs but wickets were falling at regular intervals. It’s probably fair to say that the SBHS bowlers were not making it easy with good lengths, and we were not adapting well to reading the bouncy surface. Joel Barlow contributed a watchful 24 off 38 in the middle order.
Joel-Jair Nicholson
However, wickets were still tumbling, and we found ourselves 149/9 with around ten overs remaining. The message to our last batting pair was simple: we must bat out our overs. Lennox Spain (28* off 36) and Lucas Napier (20* off 41) rose to the challenge and dug in, producing a gritty and inspiring last wicket stand of over 50 runs to get us to 201-9.
We felt this was a good score to defend, and we got stuck into our mahi with the ball. The Joel-Joel double act set the tone and picked up wickets: Joel Learman and Joel Barlow both rattling the stumps of the SBHS openers. Barlow finished with 2/15 off five, showcasing his versatility. What followed was a great advertisement for the bowling riches we have, with all bowlers delivering tidy and accurate spells. SBHS fell further and further behind the run rate, and we could feel the game was now largely under our control. Fletcher Hill bowled 3 disciplined overs for four runs, taking a brace of wickets in the process. Hamish Ferguson’s trickery with the ball mopped up the last of their resistance with 2 wickets for 12 runs. A satisfying 100-run victory in a glorious warm Autumn evening.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/2026/cricket-express-year-9-red/game-centre/c7c9eec2
Year 9B – WON
Match report courtesy of Sarah Freeman
Sydenham 219-9 (35 overs)
CBHS 187-6 (35 overs)
Last game of the term 1 with all the boys pumped for another win. We lost the toss and were put into bat. CBHS rattled us from the second over, picking up 2 very cheap wickets. We struggled to settle with CBHS totally controlling the game and picking up 2 more wickets making Sydenham even more rattled. After 12 overs we were 46-4. With 2 fresh batters at the crease Jack Thomson pushed forward with Ayaan Rawaat with a much-needed partnership of 60 runs before Ayaan was run out. Jack Thomson continued on hitting boundaries until being caught on the boundary with an amazing catch. A great innings of 52 runs off 37 balls by “Captain Jack” got Sydenham back into the game. But CBHS had their tail up and within 5 overs we were 155-9 with only 7 overs to go. Deep & Rithek put on a entertaining last wicket stand of 64 and pushed Sydenham up to 216, Deep doing the damage with 42 runs off 24 balls with Rithek being a massive support.
With 216 on the board we were back in the fight but CBHS came out batting strong and cruising along after 20 overs at 120/2. Riley McAskill made the breakthrough that we really needed and from this point the game shifted in our favour. The boys kept the bowling and fielding so tight that they only conceded 40 runs in the next 10 overs. The boys now had a sniff of a win with CBHS needing 10.5 an over, with more tight bowling and fielding it led to a couple more wickets and a win of 32 runs. It was a good scrappy game of cricket from both sides, with Sydenham showing great spirit and character. Although we had some great individual performances to get a defendable total, it was the teamwork in the field that got us the win.
Full scoreboard: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/org/christchurch-metro-cricket-associationcjca/2026/cricket-express-year-9-black/game-centre/bd347e52
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