Wellington District Cricket Champions

The Rise of the Meadows – The Wellington District Cricket Epic

For years, Waverley Meadows Primary School has carried a label that sounds flattering on the surface but has always contained a hint of doubt: “small but mighty.”

Small school. Small numbers.

But the “mighty” part? That part has been repeatedly proven.

At athletics carnivals across the district, WMPS students have punched well above their weight. Records broken. Medals won. One lightning-fast runner even stormed all the way to State level in the 100m and 200m, carrying the gold and blue colours proudly.

Still, in cricket circles, few expected what would unfold across two electric Fridays at Freeway Reserve during the Wellington District Interschool Cricket Tournament.

Week One – The Spark

The first Friday began quietly.

A handful of boys in gold and blue walked onto the field with belief, but perhaps not yet certainty. By the end of the day, the entire competition would be watching.

The team:

Reed – Captain. Fearless. The most explosive bat in the competition and the tournament’s leading wicket taker.
Shael – Reed’s opening partner. A calm batter with spin bowling that left opposition batters scratching their heads.
Archie – Only Year 5, yet the most reliable run scorer in the side.
Viraat – The team’s hype man and technically brilliant batter.
Hemish – Deadly accurate with the ball.
Callum – “Spiderman” in the field, taking catches others wouldn’t even attempt.
Luke – The ultimate team player. Dependable with the bat.
Seyon – A powerful striker and dangerous medium pacer.

Four games. Four wins.

But one match stood above the rest.

Against Brandon Park Primary School, the tension built until the very final delivery.

WMPS needed runs. One ball remained.

Viraat stepped forward. Calm. Balanced. Technically perfect.

The ball raced away, the winning runs scored, and the Meadows bench exploded. Victory off the final ball.

By the end of Week One, WMPS stood undefeated and equal top of the table.

The whispers began around the grounds:

Could this small school actually win the whole thing?

Week Two – Belief

The entire week at school was filled with talk of cricket.

Not just hope. Belief.

This team carried something different. They embodied the values WMPS champions every day—Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness, the pillars of the The Resilience Project.

They played for each other.

And when Week Two began, they made a statement immediately.

Game One – The Fall of the Giants

The first opponent: the formidable St Leonard's Primary School.

WMPS bowled first. Ball after ball whistled through the air. Fielders flew across the grass.

St Leonard’s struggled to score.

48 runs.

That was all they could manage. Then came the reply.

The WMPS batters attacked with fearless intent. Boundaries rained down across Freeway Reserve.

Six wickets fell to the WMPS bowlers during the match and the win margin soared to over 50 runs. The Meadows were rolling.

Game Two – The Clash of Titans

Then came the heavyweight fight. Good Shepherd Primary School vs WMPS.

Both teams undefeated. Top of the table. Good Shepherd batted first and managed a respectable 106 runs, losing five wickets along the way.

Then something extraordinary happened.

What followed was the most powerful batting display ever seen at the Wellington tournament.

Fours.

Sixes.

More fours.

The ball repeatedly cleared the boundary ropes. By the end of just eight overs, the scoreboard read:

235 runs.

The highest score ever recorded in a Wellington T20 Blast game. Players from other schools gathered along the boundary in disbelief. The small school had become the most dangerous batting team in the district.

Game Three – The Final Round Robin

The last preliminary match was against St John Vianney's Primary School.

This time WMPS introduced their Week Two super sub. Hudson. A brilliant fielder and strong batter who stepped in while Hemish sat out ill. Hudson almost pulled off a spectacular screamer in the field and later joined Archie for a massive 60-run partnership in just two overs.

Another convincing win. The round robin ended with a perfect record.

Undefeated. Top of the ladder.

But one final mountain remained.

The Grand Final – Destiny

Fate delivered a rematch. WMPS vs Good Shepherd. Winner goes to Division in Term 4.

Good Shepherd batted first. Captain Reed opened the bowling.

First ball. WICKET. The crowd erupted. His over finished with just 4 runs conceded.

The pressure never lifted. The next over: 3 runs and another wicket.

Overs three, four and five tightened the screws further, with more wickets tumbling as the WMPS bowlers swarmed the batters.

Good Shepherd mounted a late counterattack, but the total stayed under 100.

Now it was WMPS’s turn.

The Chase

Reed and Shael opened. Powerful. Confident. 36 runs without loss.

Archie and Hemish followed. Elegant stroke play.

Another 51 runs added. Victory seemed close.

Then cricket did what cricket does. A bad bounce. A sharp run out. Another unlucky wicket. Suddenly the scoreboard tightened.

The game was tied with one over remaining. The final pair walked to the crease.

Viraat and Luke. Just like the Brandon Park thriller the week before.

Three balls later… WMPS were three runs ahead.

But now the challenge: Good Shepherd’s best leg spinner had the ball.

Viraat faced the final three deliveries. He didn’t swing wildly. He didn’t panic. He simply did what great players do.

Blocked.

Defended.

Held firm.

Three balls survived. Game won.

Champions

The players erupted. The coaches celebrated. The small school had done it.

Waverley Meadows Primary School were Wellington District Champions.

And for the first time in school history:

WMPS is going to Division.

The Spoils of Victory

After the handshakes, the medals, and the photos… There was only one fitting reward.

A pilgrimage to 7‑Eleven. Where champions were rewarded with the most sacred trophy of all: The victory Slurpee.

The Team

Reed, Shael, Archie, Viraat, Hemish, Callum, Luke, Seyon

A team that proved something powerful:

Sometimes “small but mighty” isn’t a label.

It’s a warning.

Special thanks to the epic coaching of Mr Elliott and Miss J.

Students of the Week

Kilometre Club

Senior Sports

Australian Dental Health Australia visited last week.

All students left the van with great big smiles - so wonderful to see! It is recommended that children have their teeth checked every 6 months, so we've invited the team back in Term 4 for a second visit this year.

If you missed this visit, be sure to register your child(ren) in for their next visit to WMPS!

We are a Sun Smart School 🌞

We recently updated our SunSmart Policy and registration for another 5 years!

We take this opportunity to remind all families of the importance of

-Slip -Slop -Slap

WMPS OSHC