NSW YC Gee Shield
12 October 2025, Nolan’s Reserve.
We opened our campaign against Fairfield Liverpool U13 Div1 at Nolan’s Reserve. After losing the toss, Captain Jensen du Plessis and Vice-Captain Ekam Dhillon led the team out to bowl first.
Fairfield Liverpool’s openers started steadily against a tight spell from Charlie Corcoran and Zac Catchpole. The first breakthrough came late, with Charlie Corcoran finally getting a wicket in his second spell to have the opposition at 1-87 after 25 overs.
Manly’s bowling unit was largely on top through the middle overs, but the opposition accelerated strongly in the final seven overs, adding 52 runs to finish at 6-179. The pick of the bowlers were Jensen (3-26 off 7 overs) and Charlie (1-18 off 6 overs). The fielding demonstrated some brilliant individual efforts. Wes Harpur took two excellent catches behind the stumps, Hamish Pike grabbed two great catches in the field, and Ekam Dhillon executed a run-out to end the innings.
Chasing 180, Manly’s openers, Luke Peak and Alex Claxton, started well with a 25-run stand. However, a tough middle-order slump saw the team fall quickly to 57-6. A solid 54-run partnership between Jensen (17 runs) and Ekam helped to stabilise the innings. With a positive mindset, Ekam and Charlie (21 runs) lifted the run rate to 10 runs per over in the closing stages. A fantastic effort from Ekam saw him finish the day to make a great 65 not out. Manly finished 37 runs short of the target on 143-7. It was a challenging, rewarding start to the season that showcased strong individual performances, setting a good platform for the rounds to come.
By Jensen du Plessis