Around the Grounds: 17-19 January

With wild weather conditions across Sydney recently, it was great to be able to get some sporting action in over the weekend. There were plenty of great results for #TeamUNSW on and off the field, from smashing boundaries to incredible teamwork.

WOMEN'S CRICKET

First Grade had a bye and enjoyed a break this weekend - currently sitting in fourth on the ladder, they will look to leapfrog over Penrith this weekend with a win over Parramatta. Second Grade had a tough game against Campbelltown-Camden at David Phillips and weren't able to pull off the win in the end. Universities won the toss and sent their opponents in, which looked to be a good decision as they followed it up with a strong bowling performance. Only two of the Campbelltown-Camden batters were able to make double figures against a bowling attack led by Amy McKay (3/16). Feeling confident they had a chaseable total, Universities lost a few quick wickets to be in trouble early. Lucie Gordon (22) and Kirsten Wraith (28*) gave it their all, but in the end the team fell 12 runs short of the total.

Third Grade got rained out, extending their holiday break by another week. They resume their T20 competition next week against Manly-Warringah. The Brewer Shield Under 18 team also had a bye this week and will be itching to get back to cricket when they play UTS North Sydney in their next round on 2 February. The Under 15 team started their season on the weekend - the game was an uphill battle for the start as school holidays had reduced their numbers to just eight players. They fought hard, but couldn't hold on against a determined Northern District team. Alexandra Toschack, Emma Lawrie, Sofia Muston and Bianca Lozell each took a wicket, to start the season off on a great note.

MEN'S CRICKET

First Grade had a tough ask this week against the in form Sydney at Drummoyne Oval. Rain affected the match as Sydney won the toss and sent UNSW in for a reduced match of 35 overs a side. Jack Attenborough (48) put on a great batting performance for UNSW, however the rest of the team were unable to match his scoring rate and they finished their overs at 6/154. Sydney were able to chase this down in 31 overs, with only wickets to Josh Bennett and Tom Scoble able to slightly stem the flow of runs. Second Grade got rained out before a result was reached, but Tanzeelur Rahman and Sanjit Selverajoo snuck in a wicket each before the rain put an end to proceedings.

Meanwhile in the newly discovered microclimate of Birchgrove Oval, Third Grade were able to get a full match in with no interruption and came away with a win to boot. UNSW batted first and amassed a decent score on the pitch of 8/156. Nivek Tanner top scored with 42, putting on a strong partnership with Jake Greenberg (22). While the batting was good, the bowling was exceptional, with three bowlers - Akash Biradar (3/18), Aaron Crofts (3/22) and Mitchell Law (3/35) finishing with three wicket hauls to see Sydney all out for 104. Fourth and Fifth Grades weren't as lucky with the weather - their games were called off without a ball bowled with the grounds closed due to heavy earlier rain.

In the Under 21 Poidevin-Gray Shield, UNSW finished the regular season with a loss, going down to UTS North Sydney by 85 runs. Vincent Hreszczuk was the pick of the bowlers with 4/31, while Thomas Scoble (42*) was a shining light with the bat. Despite the loss, the team still finished second on the ladder and will get another shot at UTS North Sydney when they play them in the semi-finals at David Phillips South on 2 February. In the Under 16 Green Shield competition, UNSW lost their last two matches to miss the finals, but Nicholas Everitt and Joseph Gillard continued their great form with the bat in the last match of the season, scoring 85 and 48 respectively, showing the future is looking bright for the club.

SWIMMING

The UNSW Swimming Club trekked out to Kurnell over the weekend to compete in the NSW/Ocean Classic Open Water Championships, with some excellent results. Special mentions go to Ashley Finegan (Under 16) and Siena Citarella (Under 13) who came away as State Champions in their respective age groups for the 5km open water swim. Other medallists at the event included Emily Swinburn, Charlotte Hughes, Mela Delmenico, Alexia Zivanovic, Erwan Le Pechoux, Campbell Groves and Scott Swinburn. The club now travels to Open Water Nationals in Adelaide this weekend.