The selectors have named the sides for the Saturday/Sunday January 28 and 29 grade round against Bankstown and the Colts in a one day match vs Randwick Petersham at Snape Park.

The 1st and 2nd grade sides are unchanged and all sides are now more settled, as we head towards possible semi places in all grades.

Paddy Effeney comes into 3rd grade to replace Adam Fleming who has work commitments.

James Partridge in action for the Green Shield

Charlie Bangs takes his place in 4's while Anthony Sherman is a late withdrawal with a shoulder injury that may need an operation. Tom Carruthers take his place in fours.

Tom Bangs replaces his brother in 5's. Reagan Klemt replaces the now unavailable Corbin Edgar and Andrew Crosland returns for Andrew Chapman, who is also out for work reasons. Carl Kinghorne also comes in for Tom Carruthers.

James Partridge returns to Colts after a successful Green Shield campaign and is now available for the rest of the season. Tom Stobo who had come in for Tom Bangs is now unavailable and Sam Mart takes his place. With more players becoming available, the selectors have decided that we will need to rotate a core of approximately 15 players in the extremely strong Colts squad.

Attendance at practice will be the major factor in determining who plays or not in the roster.

The teams are:  

Train On: Richard Allchurch, Alex Crawford, James Hand,  

With 11 rounds now completed after the matches against Campbelltown-Camden and the preliminary knockout phase of the secondary competition now complete, the leaderboard and knockout competition results and new draw are attached below.

It's had not to put another photo of Benny Garratt up on the website after a hat trick!

Round 11 pitted the bottom 20 teams against each other in pairs and the higher point scorers have gone through to the final 32. Interestingly, many of the lower ranked teams managed to get progress through to the round of 32.

These results, and the final 32 match ups, are listed below.

NOTE: In the unlikely event of a draw, the highest current ranked team will progress.

Finally, the match played by 1st Grade this Thursday against Penrith will not be included in the knockout competition (as it was a round 7 match) and will be included in the first half of the season's points (i.e. in the teams before the transfer window).

Anyhow, enough commentary, check out the current points table below in the aggregate competition and the players’ points. And for those teams in the bottom 20, check out your results from round 11. All the rest, check out who your team is pitted against in round 12.

Your Fantasy League Management Team

100 Club Raffle - Three Prizes - Win up to $5,000

To all of the players, supporters and friends of the Gordon District Cricket Club, the 100 Club Raffle is a fundraising initiative to help finance the running of our Club.

There are 100 tickets at $100 each to be sold and there is a chance of winning up to $5000, whilst at the same time supporting your club.

First Prize is $3,500 - Second Prize is $1,000 - Third Prize is $500

Not bad prizes, at pretty good odds! Far better than backing a rank outsider at the races. You could purchase multiple tickets to improve your odds of winning. Or even get a group of friends together to share a ticket between them - say 5 friends at $20 each - and stand to win $700 each!

To get your ticket(s), it is a simple two step process:

1) Download the "GDCC 100 Club Ticket Request Form" and fill in the details - return by:

• Email - president@gordoncricket.com
• Fax - 02 9983 0875
• Mail - GDCC, PO Box 379, Roseville, NSW, 2069

2) Choose on a form of payment that suits you:

• Credit Card - Via our secure online payment process, with the Ticket Request Form returned as per above
• Cheque (made out to GDCC) - Mailed with the Ticket Request Form to GDCC, PO Box 379, Roseville, NSW, 2069
• Direct Deposit - Include "100C - Your Name" in the details -
  BSB: 032 090 A/C: 411 845 - with the Ticket Request Form returned as per above
• Contact Andy Falk - 0418 208 532

Your tickets will be posted to the mailing address provided immediately on processing of your payment.

If all tickets are sold, the 100 Club Raffle Draw will take place at the Club's Golf Day and Dinner at Killara Golf Club on 16th February 2012.

We look forward to your continued support of our Club.

Andy Falk - on behalf of the Gordon District Cricket Club Inc.

Driving out to Campbelltown through quite a bit rain didn’t give me great hope for the cricket ahead but arrived at the ground to find not much rain about over Raby No 1. So after “the skip” Packman arrived late, but still getting stuck into Harry, and a short delay, the boys were ready to take on the “Ghosts”. The pitch looked like it was in good condition but a little slow so with that in mind James after winning the toss sent the Ghosts into bat.

Chad Soper on his way to 5 more wickets after his recall to 1st Grade

The openers got off to a solid start with 46 before Chad took a wicket in his first over. The runs were ticking over steadily until Chad again chimed in with 3 more wickets. Dan with 2 wickets, James with 1 wicket and Scott, who was unlucky not to take a wicket, all bowled very well and Harry & I helped out also with some tight bowling.

The bowling honours for the day went to Chad Soper with 5 for 44. The Ghosts finished up with 9 for 210. With the target set but, because of the slow wicket, not knowing how good a score on this ground it was, we had to bat sensibly and solidly.

Cam and I went out with a positive attitude to keep the scoreboard ticking over and to make sure we had wickets in hand at the end if they were needed. The Ghosts opening bowlers were quite tight and with the slowness of the wicket runs were not easy to get but we managed to be a hard fought 61 before Cam was out for solid 23.

Reece Bombas came to the crease and we knew that it important for us to continue building runs so our other batsmen could come in and be able to play their natural game. I was out next for 33 and Harry “always late” Evans came in and he and Reece took the score to 134 before he was out for a well made 32 which put us in a good position to win the match.

Reece continued on with Packers who pinch hit 21 off 17 and then Dan “Greyhound” Smith came in to finish off the match, hitting the winning runs, with 4 balls to spare. Reece finished with a good, patient innings of 69 not out.

Reece 'Bomber' Bombas demonstrates his maturity as he guides the side home

After the game there was a quality fines session with a few punishments handed out for previous offences!

Starting with JK receiving the packing of the kits for last week’s crime, then Packman drank 3 fingers of his beer for being late which he loved anyway and finally ‘Situation’ Lewis had to eat a meat pie for leaving early on Thursday night! This was a high carb and saturated fat punishment for the ‘situation’ which required a 5km run later that evening. It was a tight and exciting game and I believe the Stags worked really hard for this win, so let’s continue the good form against Penrith and Bankstown.

Greg Lewis

At Chatswood Headquarters, spectators and supporters from various parts: local, deep south, distant north, and far west, arrived looking forward to a relaxing day of socialising, as well as some entertaining cricket action, were disappointed that the only action was Gordon’s skipper, Ben Garratt, winning the toss.

Adair Durie continues to lead the attack for his skipper

Instead of willow and leather colliding on the pitch, it was thunder and lightning from above, and rain pelting down.

Possibly the supporters from the far western regions were not too disappointed, as their team holds the upper hand on the competition table. Prospects of play were not looking too positive as Chatswood Oval became water-logged, but after four hours of dressing room games and spectator ramblings of suicide like exploits on the F3, the rain finally eased.

A start to play still seemed unlikely, but with Adair quietly encouraging the umpires to reluctantly leave their slumbering in the lounge area, and with the probable next curator at the SCG, Logan Weston, working magnificently on the super sopper, the umpires kindly deemed play to start at 2.45 pm with a 25 over aside game. Finally, the action we had all been waiting for was about to unfold.

Campbelltown is sent in to bat and what a start, with Adair “Any One For Red” Durie snaring a wicket with the third ball of the innings. The Gordon bowlers kept it very tight, with accurate bowling backed up by energetic fielding and some top catching behind the wicket. The Campbelltown innings, with wickets falling regularly, was never allowed to get into full stride. The Captain rotated his bowlers well and Blair “AB” Lindsay helped out with some tidy overs. However, at 6 for 107 after 21 overs on a wet outfield, the Ghosts had runs on the board and wickets in hand for a final onslaught. Captain Ben “the bowler of the moment” Garratt had other ideas.

Benny Garratt, Craig Thornborough and James Campbell & Logan Weston all contributed heavily

After bowling three tight overs, B.G. had a wicket with the first ball of his fourth over, thanks to an outstanding running catch on the boundary by James “it’s all in the technique” Campbell. Next ball, Campbelltown’s top scorer got an edge and was caught behind by a smart catch to Craig “keeper” Thornborough, to bring his tally to two after his brilliant first diving catch off Adair.

Two balls, two wickets. The pressure is on.

Ben bowls and the ball is hit hard back high to Ben’s left: a return chance; Ben dives: juggles three times, finally snaring the catch. A hat trick!! Congratulations. The skipper has now taken 15 wickets from his last 17.2 overs. This is from a skipper who regularly needed encouragement to bowl himself in games. A great effort. Next over, Elliot Richtor bowls the final Campbelltown batsman. All out for 112. All bowlers contributed with fine spells with Adair Durie 3 for 22, James Campbell 3 for 13, Ben “hat-trick” Garratt 3 for 12, and Elliot Richtor 1 for 18, sharing the honours.

A small total to get, a top batting line-up, get a good start and a win should not be a big problem, but with a wet outfield, dodgy batting conditions against a good bowling line-up, and Gordon 2’s penchant for the dramatic, nothing is certain.

Gordon got off to a good start with Jordan Liddle and Brett “The Flasher” Rosen building steadily against tight bowling. An opening partnership of 31 off 6 when Brett falls. A solid start. Blair “Cuddles” Lindsay has a rare failure with the bat. No worries. Plenty in reserve. Justin Avendano, B.G. and Jordan after a well compiled 29, soon follow victims of good bowling and a pitch that is obviously bowler friendly.

5 for 73, no need to panic. Elliot Richtor is still there and batting well, and Logan “The Curator” Weston is coming in. Oh crap! Elliot is out. 6 for 77.

The far westerners are starting to smile. Could be a long trip home south for others, Harbour Bridge closed, tunnel clogged, bugger it. Experience needed. Keeper in. A partnership please. Logan plays out a maiden. 5 overs left, 36 runs to get. Tension and runs steadily mount.

James Campbell partners with Adair Durie to cause a top-order collapse

Andrew Falk, a steady hand on the scoreboard, but I think I detect a slight quiver in the fingers though. A partnership at last, we reach 100. Sit still Manuel. Craig falls. Oh, why do they do it to us old blokes?

Kurt is run out: 8 for 104.

Mark “The Paparazzi” Weston is having trouble staying focused while, at the table, tiny pearls of sweat stain the scorebook as Dickie’s grip on his pencil tightens.

J.C. comes in, a level head and a technique to match. Logan pulls, a certain boundary. Oh no! He has punctured the square leg umpire. One run instead of four. The umpire claims he has never been hit in 40 years of umpiring. Why now? 8 for 105.

One over left. Curator, it is up to you. First ball: 4. Second ball: 2. Third ball: Logan skies it, fielder runs back and drops it. 2 runs and it is all over. A win that was never in doubt. Well played Logan. Congratulations again skipper. Well played Gordon 2’s. Can’t wait until next Saturday.

The Spectator

Benny Garratt celebrates his hat-trick!! Congratulations!!