Trophy days wrap up junior cricket season

Gretna Cricket Club Under 13s, back from left: coach Darren
Lennox, Jamieson Farrell, Conor Kelly-Lennox, Tyler Farrell,
Nathan Barrington and coach Glenn Blackwell. Front: Samuel
Jackson, Aidan Featherstone, Jacob Blackwell, and Brayden
Butler. Absent: Absent: Blake Eyles, Joshua Eyles, Tyrone
Skinner and Jack Smith.
 Photo taken at Gretna by Wade Gleeson.

GRETNA junior cricketers held their trophy presentations recently. The Under 15 event was on February 28 followed by the Under 13s on March 2. All players received a trophy and a certificate each, while other trophies went to Hannah Mann for taking a hat-trick, Zachery Crosswell for making a century (137no) and Nathan Eyles for being player of the match in the grand final.  A highlight of the Under 13s day was the match between the players and the parents with the players showing mum and dad how it's done.

The junior teams have had a most enjoyable season. Most of the Under 13s team were in their first season of cricket. Winning three matches and the improvement from all has just been terrific. The Under 15s were runners-up in the grand final which was an outstanding achievement considering they were struggling to make up a team at the start of the season. Another highlight of the season was the selection of Hannah Mann for the state Under 15s girls team that played in NSW.

The season saw a good initiative by Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania with former state players visiting clubs during the season to help the coaches fine tune the skills of our future stars. Former Tassie Tigers bowler Mark Colgrave was given the task at Gretna. He was very good with the kids over the three-week period and also attended the Under 15s grand final. This initiative will again happen next season with more planned visits. A big thumbs up to Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania.

A big thank you goes to coaches Darren Lennox, Glenn Blackwell, Bruce Emery and Ian Booth. Their knowledge and commitment has been outstanding and the club and parents are very much appreciative of their efforts. Thanks also to Colin Cunningham for his help in training the kids - we look forward to seeing him again next season. Debra Crosswell scored every match played by the Under 15s. This has made things much easier and she will be missed amongst the juniors next season.

To the kids, it's been a pleasure to have you become part of the club and I hope you all return next season. Our kids are our future.

WADE GLEESON

Gretna Crccket Club Under 15s, back from left: coach Ian Booth, Sam Booth,
Mark McGuire, Jake Campbell, Luke Crosswell, Zachery Crosswell, Grant Booth
and coach Bruce Emery. Front: Hannah Mann, Brody Nichols, Andrew
McKenzie, Jake Ransley and Ryan Emery. Absent: Nathan Eyles.
Photo taken by Wade Gleeson at Gretna.