In this issue:
After the Xmas break
Last weekend's games
Junior all-stars

After the Xmas break...

Seniors: Training resumes Wed Jan 7 -- game on Jan 10 (firsts Jan 11)
Under-14s: Training resumes Fri Jan 16 -- game on Jan 24
Under-12B: Training resumes Wed Jan 28 -- game on Jan 31
Under-12E: Training resumes Fri Jan 30 -- game on Jan 31
Under-10s: : Training resumes Wed Jan 28 -- game on Jan 30

Last weekend's games:

B Grade: MHSOB 139 d Reds 65

Not a great day. We watched the drizzle until 2.50, while Undy sounded more and more like Bill Alexander before the 2001 grand final. If he'd made as many runs as he had mood swings, we would have won easily. "This is useless, let's go home .... why haven't we started yet .... it's not going to stop, you know .... we should be out there playing." Anyway, we finally got on and promptly crashed to 3-12 with the damp track contributing to a couple of outs. MTC (26) and Steve (17) s howed it was playable, driving very well and taking the score to 3-49 and we were back on track. Then Steve fell to a good outfield catch off a towering shot, MT C got bowled behind his legs, and we lost a couple to questionable caught behinds where Woody and Deadly seemed to hit the pitch. End of story.

D Grade: Powerhouse 170 d Reds 69 & 5-77

We resumed at 2-19 and never looked like getting the runs. Following on, we collapsed again to be 5-23. Then a very good partnership between Simon (20*) and Ewan (30*) defied Powerhouse. With rain delays and a huge number of overs to be bowled to match last week's quota, the game ended after 7.30. But not before some sea rching questions were asked about Tim Place's action by Dave Guest, determined to go out on a note of controversy.

U14A Grade: Strathmore 3-dec-136 d Reds 51 & 53

Ouch. Strathmore resumed at 1-47 and made merry for another 16 overs. Only highlight for us, another slick run-out from Tom throwing to Cailean. Batting again, we looked set to avoid the outright at 3-40, with Tom batting well to be 12 after Cailean made a stylish 11. Then with 12.2 overs left, Tom was caught behind off spinner Dunell's legbreak, they brought their paceman Nick Bergin back, and the two of them ran through us in 7 overs of mayhem. Bergin had 8-10 for the match pl us an unbeaten 50.

Under-12B: Reds 6-93 d Airport West St Christophers 8-cc-85

A tidy bowling performance restricted AWSC to a modest 8-85, with Shea Tierney the star taking 3-5 from 4 overs with his legspin. We were in a bit of bother early at 3-24, but Chris Scott (13) and Tom Reilly (25 ret) got us on track. Marcus (9) and Jarrow (6*) brought us home in style.

Under-12E Grade: Reds 5-52 drew with Craigieburn (washed out)

We drove out to Donnybrook, started badly, then recovered (sort of) thanks to Carlo Manley (10*). After 18 overs, down came the rain. We got in our cars and went home. Naturally the rain stopped once we got 8km down the road.

Under-10s: Flemingtom 4-cc-105 d Reds 3-cc-87

Flemington did well to get to 105. Nicky Manley had our best bowling figures, 1-5 from 3 tidy overs. Nicky also top scored, making 12, with good support from Charlie Roberts (9 ret). But despite another fantastic contribution by extras (54) we couldn't quite get up to the run rate we needed.

Junior All-stars

The club has had five junior players selected for rep teams over the school holidays. In the Under-14 Hatch Shield, Tom Ward and Ewan Greenfield have won selection for Broadmeadows and Cailean Moore for Brunswick. Shea Tierney and Tom Reilly will be representing the NWCA in the Under-12 Mitchell Shield. Congratulations and good luck boys ... we'll be following your results in the papers!