Looking back at the year that was for the second grade, the club and players can be proud of the achievements of this group, but hopefully return hungrier next year to go a couple of steps further. It was a successful season for the twos – all year long we were competitive and consistently hovered around the top six, and at times, the top three. This consistency of performance led to us ultimately finishing 5th, a position that could have been second or third had we closed out a couple of games in the latter half of the season with more conviction. However, we made finals, but were beaten by a better team in Joondalup in the first round. A great effort from the boys, but hopefully some fuel to the fire to push on beyond this point next season. Something we are very capable of doing.
The season was not just a positive due to our presence in finals. All year long we had outstanding individual and team performances. From a team perspective, highlights included our first half of the season, where we reached Christmas with a record of six wins and two losses. Another great team performance was our outright defeat of Claremont-Nedlands.
We saw astounding individual efforts as well; Michael Ardagh and Rob Fairchild regularly contributed throughout the season and offered great leadership and experience. Aryan Varsani made a wonderful hundred against Rockingham, showing us he’s ready to take 1st grade by storm. Sharad Jessani was remarkable in the second innings of our aforementioned outright win, incredibly taking all ten wickets. Youngsters such as Blake Holly, Kane Pearce and Matt Carroll displayed solid performances, showing us the future is bright in years to come. But we can’t go past Donavinn Fryer – a year in which he led the twos in both runs and wickets, finished in the top five for both aspects in the WACA competition and won yet another Paul Lucas medal. His amazing season was highlighted by a hundred and five wicket haul against Claremont.
Everyone throughout the season contributed at some stage, making us such a difficult team to beat when playing our best cricket. If we can build on this next season, then I think we all know that we are capable of challenging for the flag.
I would like to thank some people for their help and assistance throughout the year. Without these people, our club would not be as successful as it is today. To all volunteers, committee members, coaches, those who score, do the grounds, make the teas and chip in in all other ways possible, thank you. A special thanks to Dave Minear, Wayne, Brendo and Dave Spangenberg for their assistance throughout the year. A big thank you to Sean King for dedicating his time to coach our side. Without his help, we would not have had such a positive season. Another big thank you is to Dave Bebb – we always appreciate you taking the time to score our games Bebby. It is a massive help. Last, but not least, I want to thank all of the Wanneroo playing group, but specifically the boys who played twos. Boys, I hope this year you have enjoyed your cricket. We played aggressively and aimed to win, but always remembered to have fun and have a sense of humour. This combination of ruthlessness and fun is what makes playing with you all so enjoyable.
Thank you to everyone involved at the club, and I look forward to another positive season in 2022/2023.