Sport

Athletics

Congratulations to those students who participated with great house spirit and energy at Monday's house athletics carnival. It was wonderful to see so many terrific school performances and good sportsmanship throughout the day. 

Well done to Keniry House for taking out the winning house and to the following year level champions:

Year 7 – Nick Blunden 

Year 8 – Aaron Vereker 

Year 9 – Ollie Ryan  

Year 10 – Trigger Roberts  

Year 11 – Nash Armstrong  

Year 12 – Archie Elliott and Jett Spratling 

A reminder to any student who has just recently competed in a final at last weekend’s Victorian Track and Field Titles, SPC would love to share this with the broader school community.

Also, if you managed to qualify last weekend, for the Australian Track and Field Titles to be held in April, we would also love to celebrate this with you. Please email me your name, event, age group, placing and result by Friday, 6 March. 

Diary Dates

Tuesday, 17 March: ACC Athletics Carnival – Melbourne

Monday, 23 March: BAS Athletics Carnival – Ballarat

Mrs Rossato 

arossato@stpats.vic.edu.au                                                                                                   

Athletics & Cross Country Coordinator

ACC 1st XI Cricket

Round1: SPC v St Bede’s College

Round 1 started at St Patrick’s College on the Main Oval. We hosted St Bede’s, the only team to have defeated us in the first three seasons of ACC 1st XI Cricket. St Bede’s won the toss and batted first. Co-Captain Jack McMahon claimed a wicket in the first over. St Bede’s steadied with a 44-run partnership that was broken by a runout courtesy of Oliver Behrens. Will Chamings and Oliver Potter then claimed two more to have St Bede’s at 4/52. A partnership of 33 was broken by Harry Scardamaglia, but this was followed by a 63-run partnership which was broken by co-captain Lachlan Rea. At this stage they were 6/148 with 26 balls to go. Oliver Behrens claimed his first before Jack McMahon claimed the last two. St Bede’s finished 9/164, a significant score that would be difficult to chase.

After a steady start to our run chase, we were unable to build any significant partnerships - the loss of the first five wickets for only 75, put a lot of pressure on the lower order. Jack McMahon and Harry Hoffman combined for a 52-run partnership with some positive running between the wickets. The margin was down to 37 from the last seven overs. Harry was then dismissed and we were unable to build another partnership as we were bowled out for 147, 17 short with 15 balls remaining.

Round 2: SPC v St Joseph’s College

We travelled down to Geelong looking to get back on the winners list. We won the toss again and batted first. Two early wickets had us in trouble at 2/10. Xavier Coutts 26 from only 28 balls provided some highlights with two big sixes and two boundaries as he formed a 43-run partnership with Lachlan Rea 22. But once both were dismissed, we were 4/60. Wickets fell consistently from then on as we were unable to bat out the overs. Only Harry Scardamaglia looked comfortable as he top-scored with 30. With 35 balls remaining, we were bowled out for the second consecutive week, this time for only 111.

Going out to field with only 111 to defend the boys were going to need to produce a special performance. Oliver Potter and Xavier Coutts claimed the first two wickets. At 2/78 St Joseph’s looked like they’d cruise to victory. Three quick wickets - two to Will Chamings and one to Lachlan Rea saw them slip to 5/82. A 19-run partnership steadied their innings before Oliver Behrens struck. Lachlan Rea claimed his second the next over and St Joseph’s were under pressure. A mix up saw Harry Scardamaglia complete a run out. 8/108 and the unlikely victory now looked possible. Unfortunately, their number 10 batsman got two edges through the vacant slips to see them scrape home with only eight balls remaining.

Round 3: SPC v De La Salle

Matches at De La Salle have to start at 11am so they're off the oval by 4pm, so we hit the road at 8am. Their picket had been affected by overnight rain seeping through the covers so we were transferred to Sir Robert Menzies Reserve. On arrival to the ground the picket was half covered in water so the match was again transferred to Basil Street Reserve hard wicket. Finally, the match started and we won the toss and batted first. 

Harry Scardamaglia 22 and Lachlan Rea 4 opened the batting. The arrival of Xavier Coutts again saw a rapid increase in the run rate. Today he hit 42 from 49 balls, including two sixes and five boundaries. Once the top three were dismissed we were 3/75 with 19 overs to go. We then lost our next five wickets for 39 runs as we stumbled to 8/114. Harry Hoffman 20 was the best of those batsmen. With 39 balls remaining it was up to Rory Bell and Campbell McPhan to set a decent score. Both batted superbly as they both batted through to the end for a 33-run partnership. This helped us finish with a highly respectable 8/149, as we achieved our goal of batting through the 35 overs.

It was now up to our bowlers to bowl us to victory. Oliver Behrens and Jack McMahon kept things tight early as we had them 1/18 after the first seven overs. De La Salle had progressed slowly to 3/62 after Will Chamings and Oliver Potter claimed on each.  In the space of four overs the match was nearly over. Lachlan Rea (three wickets) and Xavier Coutts (two) stopped them in their tracks as they slumped to 8/69. The tight and efficient bowling had brought their batsmen undone. It was then up to Rory Bell and Harry Scardamaglia to claim the last two wickets to seal the victory, dismissing De La Salle for 87 runs, and a 62-run victory. A win that helps set up our run at into the finals.

BAS 2nd XI Cricket

Round 1 v Ballarat High School

High School were a touch too good for us. We are still learning - especially T20 style. Our 76 runs was still a defendable target if we could bowl them all out. We almost did. Tom and Azaad bowled brilliantly early - accurate , pacy and pitched up. Indeed at 2 for 26 after six overs, and later 7 for 61 (15 overs gone) after Cohen's magic, we were right in the game. We just couldn't get that last break through to engage the tail. They passed us with 12 balls and three wickets in hand.

BAS Junior Cricket 

Round 1: SPC Gold v Damascus at Vic Park

SPC Gold 5/99 & 3 retired def Damascus 7/75 & 1 retired

Gold Captain: Eamon Wakefield

Manager(s) Mr Kent/Mr Morris

We travelled to Vic Park and played on grounds two and three. With 12 of the 16 players selected in attendance, we were not off to a good start. This included two lads arriving to the grounds late. Lachlan DeLorenzo played for SPC – a Damascus lad. Thankfully we had Jack Costigan to call on to sub in the field all 20 overs. Jack is now a Year 9 and has his younger brother, Ryder, playing in the Gold team. Thanks Jack. 

Highlights for Gold

Batting: C. Allen 17 runs, Eli Mason 14 runs, W Williams 9 runs.

Bowling: 1 wicket each to P. Davey, R Costigan, B. Molloy, W. Stott, L. Murphy, L DeLorenzo (Damascus boy) and one smart run out R Costigan. 44 Sundries

Fielding: Outstanding

The wicket keeping was solid all game with two lads sharing the duties - Eli Mason and Eamon Wakefield. Ryder Costigan took two catches in the field. Good field placement by Jack Costigan and Eamon Wakefield saw many boundaries saved. Also, there were very few short singles due to the lads being sharp in the field.

Neither side posted high totals with sundries being the highest scorer for both teams. The result may have come down to the basics – good running between the wickets and good fielding. The areas we can improve is accurate bowling and more runs from the bat.

Overall, it was a positive experience with many year sevens participating in SPC cricket for the first time. All boys participated by batting or bowling – or both. Also, it’s good for the lads to get a win under their belts.

Thanks to Mr Morris for his presence and taking care of the umpiring duties for the afternoon, as well as preparing the wickets and boundary cones prior to our arrival on the bus.

Good cricketing,

Mr Kent and Mr Morris

Note: There will be a meeting held each Monday recess at OMW002 boys. Please watch out for details of the meeting on MS Teams and the daily school notices.

Round 2: SPC Gold v BG Gold at SPC

SPC Gold 1/109 & 4 retired def BG Gold 11/45 & 1 retired

The weather conditions were hot, humid and very windy today. We were unsure if we would be able to play with the rain threatening. Also, the opposition were late and arrived at approximately 4:20 pm. The playing fields and the pitches were prepared beautifully. It’s a credit to the grounds staff and a wonderful experience for our boys. It’s a stark contrast to Vic. Park which bone dry.

Our selected side is a ‘fluid’ matter with Jack Clark and Quayde Burnham unable to play due to illness and Jarrah Brown presenting without being named. This gave us the optimum number for players – 15. Fifteen players allows two batsmen at the crease and two padded up on one oval, and 11 players for the fielding team on the other oval. We took the liberty of claiming Main oval to bat for our lads to experience batting on the hallowed turf. Our batsmen responded very well to opportunity, making a solid score of 109 runs. 

Highlights for SPC Gold

Batting: E. Mason 28 runs ret., L. Anderson 24 runs ret., R. Costigan 21 runs ret., W. Williams 18 runs ret. NB. Each batsman receives 20 deliveries and then retires.

Bowling: P. Davey and J Lafranchi both took two wickets with one wicket to J Smyth, W Williams, R Costigan, B. Molloy, W. Stott, and two smart run outs – P Davey and L Murphy. 22 Sundries

Fielding: Outstanding

The wicket keeping was solid all game with three lads sharing the duties – Arthur O’Neill, Ryder Costigan and Eamon Wakefield. Eamon took a safe catch while keeping. Again, this week our lads were fielding well and starving the batsmen of singles. The pressure that comes with dot balls was most evident with the opposition finding it difficult to score. Our lads executed two polished runouts.

Overall, it was another very positive experience with more lads playing for the first time this season for SPC. Again, participation by all players was a feature with all players contributing to the win. The bowling was much improved with sundries halved this week. Notably, Patrick Davey and Jack Lafranchi were both on hat tricks with Patrick nearly taking the elusive hat trick. Patrick did take a hat trick for SPC Gold last season. Also, interestingly all wickets taken were dismissed ‘bowled’ except for one, indicating accurate bowling. Our batsmen got busy at the batting crease scored at a rate of about 1 run per ball bowled.

Thanks to the sports department and groundsman for preparing the grounds so well for us to play. Both grounds are in excellent nick and a pleasure to play on. Thanks also to Mr Morris for his presence and taking care of the umpiring duties for the afternoon.

Round 2: SPC Blue v Ballarat Clarendon College

Our second match of the season was played against our neighbours, Ballarat Clarendon College. Pre‑match conditions were damp and steamy, giving our seam bowlers early confidence. However, once play began, the Victoria Park wicket proved to be a pace bowler’s paradise, and the fast outfield offered plenty of reward for the batsmen. 

Ballarat Clarendon College got off to a lightning start, scoring quick runs and finding the boundary with ease. Despite this pressure, our bowlers did not lose focus and were able to slow the momentum with several well‑executed dot balls. Standout performances came from Beau Graham and Hamish LaFranchi, who each took two wickets, and Tadgh Gleeson, who delivered a superb ball that knocked out middle stump. Behind the stumps, Mason Lyle kept things tidy, reducing byes significantly from last week, while Braxton took a great catch in the field to remove an in‑form batsman. 

With the bat, several players made strong contributions: Beau Graham (49), Hamish LaFranchi (34), Jett Winduss (24), Grover Hains (23), and Billy Sheehan (24) all got off to excellent starts. Despite the team’s determination in hot, steamy, and windy conditions, St Pat’s Blue proved too strong on the day, winning by 102 runs.

The boys continued to display a high level of sportsmanship and are offering a high level of support to one another. 

BAS Scoreboard

BAS Tennis

Round 1 v Ballarat Grammar

1st V - Lost 5 sets 30 games to 1 set 11 games

2nd V – Lost 5 sets 32 games to 1 set 11 games

Round 2 v Ballarat Clarendon College

1st V – Won 5 sets 34 games to 1 set 18 games

2nd V – Won 4 sets 27 games to 2 sets 19 games

BAS Senior Volleyball

Round 1 v Ballarat Clarendon College

Won 3 sets 76 games to 0 sets 62 games

Round 2 v Damascus College

Won 2 sets 67 games to 1 set 66 games

BAS Lawn Bowls

Round 1 SPC Blue v Mount Clear College

Lost 26-7

Round 1 SPC Green v Phoenix College

Lost 44-5