It was another action-packed weekend for the Tewantin-Noosa Thunder, with First Grade pulling off a thrilling tie, a hat-trick in Seconds, and strong efforts across all senior and junior sides.
First Grade – Two Dayer
Thunder’s Firsts fought to the very last ball in an incredible tie with Glasshouse.
Batting first, skipper Michael Eckard led the way with 88, supported by Joe Murray (32) and Jarrod Officer (44), as Thunder posted 219.
With the ball, Riley Woolmer and Ben Giddy tore in to leave Glasshouse reeling at 3/11 before lightning stopped play. When play resumed a week later, the hosts battled back to 8/216, needing just four to win.
Eckard struck first over after lunch removing the set batter, and with the scores level, Woolmer grabbed a fine edge to seal the tie. Batting again, Murray made his maiden First Grade 50 and Eckard his fourth in a row as Thunder closed at 4/189, heading into a home clash with Caloundra in good form.
First Grade – T20
Needing a win to stay alive in the T20 comp Tewantin got off to an impressive start hitting 107 of the first 7 overs courtesy of some impressive striking from Cody Pyne, Ben Laughlin and Michael Eckard. As Caloundra adjusted their game plan and took some wickets the scoring slowed, with Tewantin finishing on 199 under par from the strong early position but still a very good score.
The bowling started impressively, with Riley Woolmer leading the charge taking 1 for 12 off 3 overs in the powerplay. Incredible stuff! Caloundra struggled to get going until the 16th over where some big blows gave them an outside chance. A couple batters got rolling and suddenly from 70 off 4 overs Caloundra only needed 20 off the last over. Luckily, the maybe the greatest death bowler in the history of the Big Bash had an over left… Clinching the win with 8 runs to spare. Not the most clinical game from the team but some lessons to be learnt and a win is a win.
Second Grade
Second Grade’s clash with Glasshouse was a thriller. Starting with the ball the Tewantin bowlers ripped through the top order Mike Thompson as he so often does, leading the way with four wickets. Glasshouse rolled for 74. In replay it was a real team effort with multiple batters chipping in with scores to accumulate a solid total 223. On day Two, the Thunder struck early through Levi Towart and Josh Christensen before Oli Wilson ripped through at the end to remove the set batsmen and claim a hat-trick, capped off with a diving one-hander from Ben Woolmer at short cover. Adam Graves kept superbly with five catches despite injuring his hand. Needing just 41 runs to complete an outright bad light intervened and the outright went begin 1/17 in the second innings. A very promising performance from the Second-grade boys who will be brimming with confidence.
Sixth Grade
Sixth Grade Thunder hosted Glasshouse at Dale Officer Oval for a tough two-day match. Batting first, Thunder posted 166 all out, with Sausage top-scoring 48 and solid contributions from Ron Lewis (27) and Matt Mayo (26). Junior players Lewis Ramsden (10) and Henry Blackwell (22*) showed promising technique and composure under pressure.
In the bowling innings, Thunder fought hard. Lewis Ramsden (3/53) led the way, with Cooper Withers (1/62), Wayne Moore, Nick Withers, and Justin Talbot all chipping in to pick up wickets. Glasshouse took the first innings finishing on 230 but it was a disciplined effort. In the Thunder’s second innings, Henry Blackwell (22*) and Luke Anstey (8*) guiding the team to a draw as poor light ended play.
Young gun Lewis Ramsden impressed with 3/53, while Cooper Withers took two sharp catches. Juniors Henry Blackwell (22*) and Luke Anstey (8*) batted maturely in the second innings.
It was also a very proud moment for the club, with Sharon, Nick, and Cooper Withers all taking the field together in sixth grade and Tilly playing for our ladies’ team. Truly a special moment for the Withers family and a testament to all they do at the club.
Women’s Team: Pink Stumps Day Spirit
The Thunder women brought plenty of enthusiasm to Pink Stumps Day against the Cooroy Eumundi Palmwoods Hawks.
It was a disciplined bowling effort with debutant Carol ‘Squirrel’ Vinson the star grabbing a wicket and two catches as the Hawks finished on 4/110 in a shortened 17-over match. A good score so the batting would need to be at its best. The team started well with a strong performance from Hannah who scored 47 off 42 but Cooroy’s bowling was too strong, the Thunder ending on 5/66. A really promising effort against last year’s Tier One runners up with some things to improve.
12A: Clinical Performance to Defeat Nambour-USC
The U12A Thunder put together another excellent performance, defending 131 to beat Nambour-USC and go top of the ladder. After a shaky start at 3/14, the middle order stood tall — Eddie (15), CJ (28), and Luca (30) all retired after 50 balls, steering Thunder to a competitive total. Leo (12) added handy late runs.
With the ball, the Thunder were superb. CJ bowled four overs for just one run, including three maidens, while Louis, James, Olly, and Zack kept the pressure on. The team’s fielding was sharp, highlighted by James taking four catches and a caught-and-bowled. Nambour were dismissed for 55, sealing a first innings win before Thunder went back in for valuable batting time. James (34*) and Luca (55 for the match) led the way as Thunder finished on 116/6, showing depth and patience across the lineup.
14B: Fighting Finish Against Caloundra
The 14Bs showed plenty of heart across their two-day clash with Caloundra.
After the hosts posted 216, Thunder fought back through a brilliant double-wicket maiden from Hugo, with Eli and Will also striking to swing momentum. Chasing 216, openers Tian and Christo made a strong start before a composed 57-run stand from Stella and Xavier steadied the innings. Thunder reached 142, then charged back into the field determined to make something happen. They bowled Caloundra out for 80 in just 21 overs, with Will taking five wickets for the match to move top of the competition’s wicket tally. Christian (46) and Henry (21*) then added late fireworks as Thunder reached 2/78, just short of pulling off an unlikely outright result.
The under 10s are underway with some cracking cricket played under lights at Tewantin! Makes me wish I was still ten. A special Thank You to Junior Coordinator Adam Graves for the many hours he has put into this new season. Along with all the other volunteer support, they are the reason everyone gets to play cricket this year.
