South Yarra Cricket Club

Annual General Meeting 2017-18 Season

Flying Duck Hotel, Thursday 6 July 2017, 6:30pm

P.0. Box 9041, South Yarra, 3141 2016-17 Office Bearers

President David Strachan Vice President Matthew Richards Treasurer Graeme Patience Secretary Don Elliott Committee Thejas Balaraman Gideon Haigh Ted Allen John Scurry Bryan Scutt (assistant Treasurer) Sam Chapman Mitch Weston (withdrew mid-season) Rohan McClure (Bar Manager – withdrew mid-season) Vinod Richards MCA Delegate Yugraj Singh / David Hill

2016-17 Committee Attendance

The Committee of Management met on seven occasions between the last Annual General Meeting (26 July 2016) and this 2017 Annual General Meeting. Attendance was as follows:

1- 18- Aug-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Nov-16 Jan-17 Feb-17 Mar-17 Total David Strachan Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7 Gideon Haigh Y Y Y Y Y - - 5 Graeme Patience Y ------1 Don Elliott Y Y - Y Y Y Y 6 Yugraj Singh Y - Y - - Y Y 4 Vinod Richards Y Y Y - Y Y Y 6 Ted Allen - Y - - - Y - 2 John Scurry Y Y - Y - Y Y 5 Bryan Scutt Y - Y - - - Y 3 Sam Chapman Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7 Mitch Weston Y ------1 Rohan McClure Y - - Y - - - 2 Matt Richards Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7 Thejas Balaraman Y Y - - Y Y - 4

2 Agenda

Part A – Finalisation of 2016-17 Proceedings 4 Welcome from the president 4 Approval of last year’s AGM Minutes 4 Executive reports 4 President’s report 4 Treasurer’s report 6 Financial Statements 8 Secretary’s Report 8 MCA Delegate’s report 9 Selection and team reports 10 Chairman of Selectors report 10 First XI Captain’s report (A Grade) 11 Second XI Captain’s report (B Grade) 13 Third XI Captain’s report (B Sunday) 14 Fourth XI Captain’s report (C South) 15 Fifth XI Captain’s report (D Saturday) 16 Sixth XI Captain’s report (D Sunday) 17 Part B – Election of Committee for 2017-18 18 Order of business 18 Prior nominations 18 Part C – Commencement of 2017-18 Proceedings 19 General Business 19 Fees (not being tabled – to be reviewed in first Committee Meeting) 19 Proposed changes to calculations for the Club Champion 19 Proposed introduction of a 5 minute rule 19 Need for a Web Page Manager 19 Need for someone to manage bins/rubbish 19 Need for helpers for coaching 19 Call for any other items 19

3 Part A – Finalisation of 2016-17 Proceedings

Welcome from the president

Approval of last year’s AGM Minutes

Executive reports

President’s report This was my third season (consecutively) as president and again a majority of the committee was retained from the previous two seasons which helped run many of the events easily and without issue. Although Jubby’s (Rohan McClure) departure was a big loss (especially as he did a great job as bar manager), we were able to take up the slack reasonably well (Richo doing most of the graft in the bar).

There were some amazing contributions by some in the committee (especially by Donny), but I felt we had some passengers too. We need to have pro-active, responsible members onboard! I hope this is a focus for the next committee, going forward.

The teams

On a playing level we fielded 6 teams and the breakdown of results shown below.

Firsts MCA A Grade 3rd out of 8 (lost semi-final) – 17 players Seconds MCA B Grade (relegated from A Reserve) 3rd out of 8 (won grand final) – 23 players Thirds MCA B Sunday 6th out of 10 – 40 players Fours MCA C Saturday (South) 5th out of 7 – 48 players Fifths MCA D Saturday 6th out of 8 – 41 players Sixth MCA D Sunday 7th out of 8 – 36 players We had 102 members play compared to 135 in 2015/16. We had 23 new recruits this season too.

The position of each grade does not (really) reflect how competitive we actually were. We were unlucky not to have 2-3 more grades sneak into the top 4, alas, it was also an inconsistent season from 5 of the 6 sides which proved our downfall. As president, I did hope for one more top four finish; and one other grand final appearance, but one flag is (still) a good result.

Is there a way to improve these standings? I think yes. Ensure training is amazing and ensure each captain is also amazing. Both need to have the right people in place and with plenty of support.

Training

Getting the training right is the Holy Grail. We put a lot of effort (pre-season) to prepare and plan for the season ahead and we thought it would improve. We appointed Vippy to lead the training, but when he was thrown the captaincy for the ones, we didn’t have a back-up plan. We were also given a ‘grant’ from Cricket Victoria to get four visits from an elite coach, alas, this didn’t help us and our planning fell well short in trying to achieve our goals. Simply, we need to find people to help and take responsibility and build a great training environment within.

4 Kit and sponsorship

Chappy put a lot of effort into the new kit (with sponsorship) for the season. With new playing shirts, training shirts and jackets, the overall look of the club improved. With the increased membership ($100), it allowed better consistency and almost allowed a semi-professional look. I hope this can be improved and built on for the coming season.

Although we lost the College Lawn as a sponsorship we are looking at another pub sponsor and hope to finalise this by the next season. The Bendigo Bank continues to be a reliable sponsor, but we need to be better at promoting them (and they need to be better at being involved too).

Scotty Cruttenden’s business, Vantage Point, was a GREAT new sponsorship for the club. Although he is a major sponsor via the promotion of his brand on the playing kit, his financial contribution is very much a charitable donation. An amazing gesture and very much appreciated

We still need to improve our networking and how we promote our sponsorship. Having said that, Chappy and I have created a Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorship level agreement, so that we now have an incentivised template going forward.

It was great to see one of our own jump in as a sponsor with his new cricket store, ‘Whack Sports’. We need to be pro-active and support Vipin in this new venture more so!

Como Pavilion and grounds.

We generally maintain the pavilion and bunker well. But we need to have a third party or members take more responsibility in their cleanliness. Although there was a tick list for captains to maintain this, it still needs to be improved.

Como ground was mooted to be re-turfed for 2017/18. The budget did not go through Stonny and it could now be 2019/20. The outfield continues to be below standard, and hopefully the curator will improve this (for this coming season).

On a good note; thanks to OGGS, we now have a digital scoreboard, which (if run properly) will be a great asset and hopefully a drawcard for new players and sponsors!

Grants

We applied for a few grants and we were lucky to receive them (more by luck than by preparation). But having spoken to OGGs and getting advice, we have now sourced a third party which will be pro- active in applying for grants going forward.

The bar

The bar was run well by Jubby and on his departure by Richo. Without taking anything away from them, we need to be able to run the bar more efficiently. Knowing the profit margins and having a better (cost effective) supply can only help. This should be reviewed for the coming season.

5 Some thanks

● Some amazing efforts during this season past. Firstly, thanks to all the captains who do so much more than turn up on the day of play. Especially Vippy and CC who were thrown the captaincy roles at the last minute. ● Special thanks to Jimmy who began the season as CoS, and then to Lukey who took the baton and did an amazing job from then on! ● As always, special thanks to Scuzza who does the nets, lines and couriering. Big, messy jobs and greatly appreciated! ● John Spooner, who continually provides his amazing art work. We are privileged to have him in the Yarras. ● Although Gid would not think twice about the work he does, he is the first to do everything. His connections help make this a great club. Again, we are privileged to have him playing. ● There are many who have helped out consistently; Donny, Flinchy (Vinod), Richo, Slim to name but a few.

Strachany El Prez: 2014-2017

Treasurer’s report Season 2016/17 provided a financial profit of $10,969 whilst cash resources increased by $14,171. An excellent result for the Club.

Summary of financial outcomes for 2015/16

• At the commencement of the 2013/14 season a $30 annual fee was introduced for all members. This initially provided $2,070 additional cash for the club.

This was increased to $100 for the 2016/17 season, resulting in $8,310 additional income (net increase of $6,210). It should be noted a match shirt was issued to approximately 60 financial members at a cost of $44 each. This additional cost of $2,640 provided a net income of $5,670 from the new annual membership.

• Annual and weekly match fees increased $354.

The Clubs decision to increase match fees by $5 was offset by the reduction of teams from seven to six. It should be noted match fees generate approximately $3,670 per team.

• To indicate the value of club memberships in relation to the operating costs of the club, the following needs to be considered.

6 2016/17 2015/16

Total match fees 31,685 31,331 Annual fees 8,310 2,100 Total membership fees 39,995 33,431

Less operating costs - umpire fees 14,035 16,010 - match and practice balls 5,400 7,099 - ground hire and groundsman fees 10,695 12,991 - association fees 3,000 3,500 - minor equipment 64 225 - ground marking 581 1,060 Total operating costs 33,775 40,885

Net operating profit / (loss) 6,220 (7,454)

Less cost of match shirts 2,640 Adjusted net operating profit 3,580

Increasing annual membership and decreasing the number of cricket teams to six has turned the operating loss into a surplus. Consideration should be given to this to determine the number of teams the Club intends to maintain. The costs associated with seven are not economical.

• Other positives include;

Interest received totaling $273 is a healthy return, given low interest rates during the past 12 months.

Last man standing night provided a successful return of $2,136 ($1,018 decrease from 2015/16).

• The Club’s bar takings during 2016/17 contributed a profit margin of 42% (increase from 21% in 2015/16). These figures are misleading, as bar revenue may include other revenue sources, i.e. Trivia night, 7 a side day and kit sales.

• Committee lead by the President has put a great effort into securing external funds from grants and sponsorships during 2016/17. This resulted in the Club receiving $5,841 of grant funds and an increase of 52% in sponsorship. The grants are a notable additional, as the Club was generally unsuccessful in this area in the past.

The negatives

• During 2016/17 the Club contributed $5,000 to Old Geelong Football Clubs electronic score board. Although the Club will be a user of the score board, it will not have any control over it. Based on this fact, the contribution was fully expended in the 2016/17 financial year.

• There were no major repairs incurred during 2016/17.

7 Other matters of financial importance

The Club entered the second year utilising the following tools.

1. QuickBooks sponsored by Sam Chapman

2. EFTPOS.

Both items are providing benefits to the administration and collection of monies. However, more work needs to be done in a number of areas to maximise the benefits from these changes. The benefits will only be realised if the Club as a whole enforce the procedures when implemented.

Graham Patience SYCC Treasurer 2016-17

Financial Statements (Refer Profit & Loss, Balance Sheets distributed separately)

Secretary’s Report Looking back on the season with a few months to reflect, it certainly has been both an eventful and successful season for the Yarras. While there were some early concerns around players missing out by us fielding 6 sides instead of the 7 from previous years, a flag, a very narrow loss in the Semi- finals for our A grade and a number of other sides just missing out on finals action should be remembered as a good year, but still with some room for improvement next season!

On the social front all of our events were very successful and the retention of committee members over the last few years has meant the organization of these events has been relatively straight forward with everyone contributing – that said, there is always room for other club members to put up their hands and pitch in as many hands make light work.

We have struggled a bit this year with committee meeting attendance with a number of the committee unable to attend more than a handful of meetings due to other commitments. Hopefully we can rectify this in the forthcoming season because we get an enormous amount of momentum around training and upcoming events when we can harness the support of the full committee - this can be a bit thinner when we have lower attendance.

One aspect that hasn’t been so good for the club this season has been the number of players reported, particularly around finals time – with new laws being introduced by the MCC (and adopted by the MCA) allowing umpires to send players off we will need to lift out game next season to make sure we continue to be seen by the associate as a role model for the MCA vibe.

Don Elliott SYCC Secretary 2017-17

8 MCA Delegate’s report Through the 2016/17 season, South Yarra CC has continued to build on its strong relationship with the Mercantile Cricket Association. SYCC member David Hill continues to serve on the MCA’s Executive Committee. The Association continues to grow and the 16/17 season saw 39 different clubs represented by 82 teams across 10 grades. The Executive continues to field enquiries from clubs looking to join our competition and we expect to see continued growth in the coming season. SYCC was well represented at the MCA’s presentation night where the B Grade shield was re- presented to our premiership winning second XI. Congratulations also to Kevin Boudville who won the B Grade bowling average for the season, Nick Martin who won the batting average in B Sunday, Ryan Hanna who was selected in the Association’s team of the year and Oliver Lovejoy who was selected in the under 21 team as captain. The Mercantile’s EC has been involved in Cricket Victoria’s Steering Committee in relation the Victorian Metropolitan Turf Cricket Task Force. The position of the MCA is that while we are happy to assist Cricket Victoria in the development of the new model for Victorian metropolitan cricket, our member clubs are against the proposed re-structure and as such the MCA will stand outside Cricket Victoria’s model and continue to provide our member clubs with an Association that suits their requirements. The VSDCA has also indicated to Cricket Victoria that their member clubs will not form part of the new Cricket Victoria regions as they believe they are better served by the VSDCA in its current structure. I would point out, that the MCA EC is acting on the response of member clubs. It will not attempt to dissuade any member clubs from moving across to Cricket Victoria’s regional competition, in fact several clubs already have teams representing them in Cricket Southern Bayside. As most are aware, the MCA will lose the use of Herring Oval for the next five seasons while the Melbourne Metro Tunnel work is carried out. While the EC is in negotiations to source an alternative turf ground, nothing has as yet been agreed to. The availability of turf cricket grounds continues to decline. The EC are lobbying for member clubs to stop this decline and will continue to do so. With the recent update by the MCC to the laws of cricket, the MCA will be amending their playing conditions as appropriate. In addition, submissions for rule changes had been received by clubs and any proposed rule changes will be voted on that the AGM. The MCA approaches the 2017/18 season in a strong position. The AGM will be held on Tuesday 8 August at St. Kilda Bowls Club at 7:30pm. The President’s annual report to the Association is currently posted on the MCA’s website.

David Hill MCA Executive Committee, Club Delegate

9 Selection and team reports

Chairman of Selectors report The job of chairman of selectors is never an easy one, and taking on the job once the season commenced was not how we’d do things in an ideal world. Thankfully though, with the sensible decision of the committee to go back to 6 sides and the patience & guidance (especially early on) from Jimmy Dixon we were able to get through the season relatively smoothly. So once again many thanks to Jimmy, not only for his help this season but for his massive efforts in the role over the previous seasons. Things were so well set up and managed I could slot in relatively seamlessly.

There was plenty of change this season, with the drop back to 6 teams, and 4 new captains; which included leadership changes in both A & D Sunday once the season was underway. Much appreciation here to both Basil & Pugs for their assistance to all the new guys on the selection committee this year. With one less team, we still managed to have 102 players represent the club this season – C South led the way with 45 different people featuring.

Unsurprisingly the two most successful teams (A & B Grade) were also the two most settled, using 17 & 23 players respectively. It was a great effort by B Sunday, C South & D Grade to be well in finals contention despite each using more than 40 players. Obviously, there is more fluctuation in the lower grades and we were not helped by the withdrawal of 2 sides from C Grade competitions which resulted in more Sunday matches. However, it is no coincidence the best sides this year were the most settled. For the talent in the playing group, to have 2 sides in the finals was ultimately a disappointment. There remains an air of complacency around the group, players know they are guaranteed a match (we had 3 double ups only for the season and 2 of those came on match morning after very late withdrawals), too many are content to do nothing other than turn up on the weekend. Training commitment has suffered; whilst players clearly have work and real life commitments that get in the way the simple act of letting someone know you won’t be there was beyond most. 10 seconds of effort goes a long way. Consideration should be given to perhaps going back to 5 sides for next season to encourage greater commitment and competition for places.

The selection process and meetings ran relatively well, with the weekly exceptions of wrangling both Strachany (away from presidenting) & Viplove (off the training field). Communication during the week was good, as was the co-operation and advice offered by all in the meetings themselves. I would urge the committee to avoid appointing a captain who is also on the committee if possible next season, and to seriously consider a ‘training manager’ tasked with co-ordinating the net session. Captains also need to manage their own time on Thursdays a bit better to ensure we can get sides selected in a timely fashion.

For those considering captaincy next season, think long and carefully about it. Whilst we all think we can do it, the job is significantly bigger than bowling changes and field placing. It’s mostly about managing people. Covers, drinks, afternoon tea, endless selection emails, arriving early to set up, staying late to clean up, umpires’ reports, entering the scores online and a whole lot of other minutiae that many have no idea about makes up most the job. It is a big commitment, so make sure you’re up for it.

The club is going OK on-field, but we are close to being extremely successful if we can get more commitment from more of the group. As Jimmy wrote last year, the club cannot thrive if made up of mostly ‘match-only’ types.

10 Lastly, thanks to the committee for entrusting me with the job, it has been mostly enjoyable. Should anyone be interested in the role for next season, I encourage them to make it known as it is far from certain that a) I will be putting my hand up again and b) it would be presumptuous on my part if I did so.

Cheers, and enjoy your off-season.

Luke Hudgson Chairman of Selectors 2016-17

First XI Captain’s report (A Grade) The run-up to the season

Our season ahead looked very promising with a team that looked as formidable as I have ever been with. But there were clouds of doubt over availability of a few players, either due to injuries or other commitments; and as it would happen, the duo of Captain Haacky and the wicketkeeper Terry, ruled themselves out. As things would turn out, Haacky showed faith and confidence in me and inspired me to take up the challenge of leading the side. With a flavor of the job on my first day on the field and decent support from the lads, I put my hand up. A very interesting journey was to follow… The flyer before Xmas

The promised formidability of the team stamped its authority on the field with only a few partial slips here-n-there and all the doubts seemed to evaporate in thin air as we went off to as good a start as any team can expect. The run was something beyond expectation even by the standards of an inflated assessment of our team's collective repertoire. And by the time we broke off for Christmas break, we had won every game we had played, and in the process had - two 400+ scores, a win against our nemesis Burnley in their home ground on the other side of the river which is infamous as a minefield, a win from a losing position against last year's champions Parkville District while defending a paltry 169, an outright win within a day and a near-outright win which saw us take 17 wickets within a day - to boast off. We looked like the champions. 'Looked' ! The boat was rocked

Fortunes changed in a way no one had expected, and as they say, our wheels came off; and when they come off while traveling at high speed, the crash is disfiguring. Something like that happened with us. The first match post-Christmas saw us register a small margin victory where we played like a shadow of the team that looked like champions before Christmas. It was downhill for next 6 weeks. We lost our next 3 games which included some demotivating losses which hurt the collective psyche of the team. From being the table toppers, we were now struggling to be in top 4 and were in dire need of a win to get the campaign back on some sort of track. We did that with a decent win against Youlden to set up an away-semi-final. The finish that almost was

This was a match most of us wouldn't forget for a long time. That we narrowly lost an intensely fought semi-final was only one of the many ways to look at this match. The unabashed display of carefree big hitting by the opposition opener showed us a challenge we hadn't seen in a long time. A great comeback by our bowling unit which saw the opposition going from 80 for none to 167 for 7 reinstated the dominance of our bowling department. Some brilliant swing bowling exposed our 11 batting woes again and saw us get all-out for one of the lowest ever totals most of us had experienced in our lives. We were asked to follow on and that was not the primary reason why all this was deeply hurting. In fact, we looked at it as a chance for redemption and we gathered ourselves overnight. A more than courageous fightback with the bat in the second innings gave us something to fight with. And then came the super high intensity last innings where we literally roared through the psyche and skills of the opposition batting to get them to 47 for 8. There is no dearth of extraordinary points to talk about from this match. But the point that we almost snatched a win from the jaws of what looked like a certain & disgraceful loss is what I take away from this last match of the season. It doesn’t generally happen in our comp, or in any comp at any level for that matter, that a team which is asked to follow on goes on to manage to get to within 2 wickets of victory. Proud of the boys. We walked off with an aching heart but heads held high. Afterthoughts

Our bowling unit was the standout department throughout the season. Barring the home game against Parkville District, where we dropped 7-8 catches on the way to conceding 334, the highest score we conceded was 213 in the semi-final with only one other 200+ score in all of the season. Redeye was venomous with the new ball and equally efficient with the old one. Ryan again stamped his authority as the best spinner in the league with consistent pressure and wicket taking ability. Jimmy quietly evolved into the most dependable bowler in the moment of crisis and did the crucial & very hard job of drying out runs to build the pressure and break partnerships. Chop with his left armed aggression & Tom with his dipping off breaks pitched in as crucial wicket takers when the team needed them. Ours was the most well-rounded bowling attack in the comp and we showed that on the field. But you never expect a team to be in the grand final if they don't manage to score a single 200+ score post-Christmas (Our only decent outing with the bat was the 6 for 191 while chasing in last league match). Our batting failed collectively in the second half of the season averaging ~18 runs per wicket. But for Ryno's and Tom's courageous batting in pressure situations, these numbers would have looked much more abysmal. Ryan was the stand-out batsman averaging 40+ on both sides of Xmas break, despite the fact that he played with a half-broken body and was generally in to bat with far too many overs to go. He and Tom did just enough to ensure respectability to the total more often than not. Perhaps it was losing our best batsman in Mr McClure (aka Jubby) which suddenly left the middle order fluid. But that's hardly an excuse as there was no dearth of talent and while we played a few breathtaking shots here n there, good solid innings to shape the winning totals were few and far between. We largely lacked the temperament which is crucial for application of skills over longer periods of time. And in 2 day games, that is a deal breaker if you want to win flags. My biggest disappointment was my own very poor form, something which had been unprecedented for me. I will always rue that aspect of this season - I let my team down with the bat. Overall for me, the opportunity to lead the side on the field gave me immense insight into the diversity of individuals that we have in this team and at this club in general, each with his own unique flavor of life energies (which are more commonly known as strengths and weaknesses) and his own distinct perspective or worldview. I had very able support from all the boys, notably Scott, Reidy, Jimmy and obviously Ryno, who did his bit as a deputy and partner in crime. The standout for me was Scott, who drove the team through his unbounded energy and was a very strong presence in the team, both on and off the field, and that helped us a lot. Although it is to be noted that sometimes this energy was a bit too unbounded to land us in trouble on the ethics side of the fence. But he was not the only one and we as a team should have been more mature in handling 'hot'

12 situations so as to be able to whip from morally higher grounds - a learning we should take to next season. Overall, it was a very enriching experience for me and I take it all in my stride. I believe all the other blokes feel the same way. While the disappointing run of losing semi-finals continued, we had many memorable experiences on (and off) the field. This was a season, I wouldn't forget for a long time for both kind of reasons, the ones to cherish as well as the ones to learn from. I look forward to another colourful journey next season, albeit with better results to show for. Viplove Sharma SYCC 1st XI Captain – 2016-17

Second XI Captain’s report (B Grade) A very satisfying season for the 2nd XI, achieving the ultimate prize with a premiership. It was a slow start with some close losses, but a bit of a shift in team attitude from just before Christmas, plus a few new additions, was reflected in a series of solid wins, with our best two performances saved for the two finals. Quite a turnaround from the season previous where we were relegated from A- reserve to B-grade, but a just result given the talent and level of commitment we were able to put on the park this season. The main drivers for the improvement this season were primarily more consistent availability across the grade, and when regular players were unavailable, greater depth throughout the club enabled gaps to be consistently filled with high quality players, making for some very difficult selection decisions throughout the year. As a result, at no stage throughout the season, regardless of unavailabilities, did I feel we fielded a "weak" side, and this showed in the results. In fact I'd say given the consistent quality of sides we fielded this season, we would have been more than competitive back at A-reserve level. The most pleasing aspect of the success this year were the contributions across the group, never more evident in the two finals where every single player made significant contributions at critical times. While Kev Boudville was clearly a standout taking out the MCA B-grade bowling award, Dan Scott, Jordan Stephen, Bryan Scutt, Hamish Guthrie and Tim Mitchell all played critical roles in the success throughout the year with the ball, while Kirk Mackelvie, Ben Hipsley and Nath Donegan all made significant contributions with the bat, with plenty of other solid contributors as well. In fact the majority of 2nd XI players this year showed the capability of being capable of stepping up to 1st XI cricket if required in the future. As always we should be looking for further improvements again next season. In this regard it starts with training, and while significant improvements were made in many aspects of training last season, I feel improvement in fielding skills and discipline while batting in the nets are two key areas that the club need to focus on. In that regards the response from some players when the coaching staff have tried to implement such aspects at training was at times disappointing. Three items that could enable improved training productivity could be laying out a clear set of expectations to the playing group, more one one on coaching (which may require some external help), and potentially splitting the higher grades at times for specialised fielding drills. Finally, the off-field requirements for each captain continue to be quite onerous, particularly on match days. In that regards I can’t thank enough the help from Luke Hudgson in particular, but to the entire 2nd XI playing group who regularly stepped up to help with various duties without fuss.

13 Anything the club or individual players can do to help out in that regard for the next season I’m sure would be much appreciated by all Captains. Andrew Puglia SYCC 2nd XI Captain – 2015/16

Third XI Captain’s report (B Sunday) By losing in the finals last season, I was eagerly waiting for the season to start and had big expectations from it. I was privileged to be chosen and appointed as a captain and I thank the entire committee for providing me with the opportunity. It was an absolute pleasure and honour to lead and represent SYCC. The season began with 5 out of first 6 games getting washed out and the only game that went the distance resulted in a loss. A close and painful loss. Our first win came in the 7th rounding by beating Monash University, one of the strongest teams in the tournament that went on to be runner ups in B Sunday grade. It was a huge win for us and there was no looking back from there on. We were settling nicely as a team with 7-8 players being repeated across weeks and the results took care of itself. However, we realised very soon that we were struggling to post a par total whenever our 2 in-form batsmen (Jeremy and Nick) failed to score big. This remained a fact throughout the season. We were on 4th spot with one match to go before Christmas against a team placed 2nd last in the ladder. However, owing to unavailability of key top order batsmen and an out of form middle order batting line up, we just didn't have the spark to get us over the line that saw us finish the first half placed at 6th (out of 10) in the ladder. We started our second half of the season strongly, beating the top side convincingly and with another consecutive win, we were jointly holding the 4th spot. However, we lost next few rounds (owing to poor batting) to leave a lot dependencies on the results of last 3 rounds. A few late dramas including umpire stopping a match when we needed 6 runs to win and MCA awarding points to Monash University for a match that they lost, saw us out of the contention to play the finals. However, we showed a lot of character to win the last match and finish the season on a good note. A few highlights and memories that I take away from this season: • Explosive batting by Jeremy King which included countless clean hits over the fence • Tight opening spells by Nick Martin and his brilliant all round performances • Huss's bowling - taking wickets by virtually giving no runs • Tom Mullinar's temperament to hold the innings when wickets were falling in quick succession • Thejas and Mick's partnership to draw a match • Geoff and Pal's 50s against Melbourne Strikers and Carnegie respectively I feel to improve as a club we should train with a lot more purpose and intent. Probably, attendance in training wasn't too great. From my memory, I saw too many batsmen trying to hit too many aerial shots failing more often than not. Bowlers not bowling with the same intensity for a significant duration. We somehow need to find a way to enforce more discipline during training. To summarise, the competition in B Sunday grade was intense with as many as 10 teams participating and none of the teams looked really weak. Apart from a few match winning knocks, our batting was inconsistent and we couldn't post a par total on most occasions. We bowled with a lot of heart and application in contrast to our batting. However, in most matches 1-2 bowlers gave

14 away more than 4 runs an over and we failed to defend our below par totals. On the contrary, we were one of the best with regards to ground fielding with a scope to improve our catching further. Personally, I have learnt a lot being a captain. I take a lot of positives from our performances and given a chance to lead B Sunday again, I would like to do better next year.

Soumyadip Pal SYCC 3rd XI Captain 2016-17

Fourth XI Captain’s report (C South) I was very happy and honoured to be accepted as captain, especially as my SYCC competition for this role (C Saturday South Captain) were more than capable, specifically Raj Singh. There were concerns that I would not be able to juggle captaincy with that of president, but the workload was not an issue (although (at times) selection had me distracted with committee duties). The MCA split C Saturday into a north and south division and with our strength in this grade being (generally) strong, we should have made a top four finish. Alas, we lost the last game which dropped us out of the four to cruelly miss out. To some degree, we were not a top four team. We were inconsistent and you won’t get a final unless you win more than you lose and our winning percentage was less than 40%. My general rule of thumb is that we need a batting average of 20+ runs/wicket to be competitive and we were less than 18. But in saying that, the preferred top order all averaged above 20 and when the availability allowed we had a strong batting line-up; Richo, Jay and Gunny being the standouts. Once again our preferred bowling line-up (when available) was as good as any team. But with an inconsistent attack, it was always hard to maintain pressure throughout an innings. Our average per wicket was near 19 which is good, but it goes to show that to be in the top 4 we needed to be better. Special mention to Groovy, Ash and Firey for some very consistent and amazing performances. But statistics don’t show the real side. At no time did we we lack commitment in winning. If a captain can ask anything, it would to be to play to the very end, and every player (I felt) did this. Generally speaking, I think we were given good teams. But the strength of C SAT South was actually better than I originally thought. We weren’t helped by the MCA as we had to play 4 Sunday games and this weakens our side considerably. This was due to fixturing (2 games) and when another team had to fold, we were thrown into C Sunday (2 games) so we were not given a bye. We fielded the most players out of the six SYCC grades (48) compared to Maccabi who fielded 34 who won this seasons C Saturday South grade (which is about 30% less than what we had). I was lucky enough to have very good counsel during this season, specifically Dave Macaulay and Richo. They were invaluable for advice regarding selection and on-field tactics etc. and they helped me become better as a captain and as a player. A few highlights included Asha’s 8 for against Barnies. I’d also say Asha was amazing in the field too as his intensity to the very end was inspiring. Our outright against the Barnies in another game was a great feat. Once again Firey created a match winning performance.

15 Watching Kirky belt his first hundred for the club with a 6 that was carried over the boundary to get there was as good an innings to watch at Como. Like any season without a flag, it is pretty disappointing. But the bottom line is that I bloody enjoy playing and being captain. Being surrounded by so many bloody good cricketers and blokes just makes me more keen to be better for next season. Simply – bring it on!

Strachany, SYCC C Saturday South Captain – 2016-17

Fifth XI Captain’s report (D Saturday) 2016/2017 was a season of highs and lows for D Saturday and the competition standard again stepped up on the improvements experienced in the prior season. The start of the season held the promise of a “top of the ladder” position if we won our first game – we were playing in the only match as all the other games were washed out. This was not to be however with Carnegie fielding a very strong side including 2 A Grade restricted players. This first loss unfortunately set the tone for the first half of the season taking us until match 5 to record our first win and by round 10 we only 3 wins. We were still on the bottom of the ladder after 13 games. From this moment on however, we were a real force within the competition. We won 4 out of 5 games to move into the 4 (for 3 days) until a cruel twist of fate saw Youlden awarded full points for a washout due to the opposition not covering the pitch correctly. This saw us needing to win our last 2 games and Youlden losing one – neither happened. We were however in with a chance of playing finals cricket right up to and including round 20. We finished the season in 6th with 8 wins, 1 draw and 11 losses. This was an improvement on the last season but not what the team was worthy of. There were several disappointing losses where we had earned the upper hand only to then let the game slip away. This is an area for us to eliminate from our game from game 1 next season. Notable statistics from the season that was: ● South Yarra scored 2,942 runs – the most of any other team in D Saturday ● 41 players contributed to the 5th XI result ● Smokey made 290 runs including 2 x 50’s ● Noel Martin made 278 runs including 3 x 50’s ● Half Centuries from Danny Emmerton, Ben McLean, Ari Singh, Hilly and Gunny with the top score of the season of 89 ● Simon Bambridge took 18 wickets ● Frazer Hughes took 5 for 9 Next season will see further improvement with the team developing a great style of cricket that will see South Yarra D Saturday to be the team to beat in 2017/2018.

Basil Stratos SYCC 5th XI Captain 2016-17

16 Sixth XI Captain’s report (D Sunday) Summary

The season started off slowly with only one win before Christmas. After that win we all stood around looking at each other wondering what do you do when you win! After Christmas things looked up with firstly beating the top side then the third top side in successive weeks. We ended up winning 5 after Christmas and – most importantly – ended up well off the bottom of the ladder. Our batting showed the usual ups and downs of a D Grade side. We usually had 1 or two openers and 9 or 10 middle-order batsmen! I will observe that it’s definitely a lot easier defending 200 than 65! Our bowling was definitely our strength all year. Unfortunately, we took a bit of a hit with an injury to Bobby that took him out of action for most of the second half of the season. Luckily there were usually 8 or 9 people who thought they could bowl in the side each week – all of whom thought they should get 9 overs – so we were able to cover for Bobby’s loss. It was a real pleasure to be offered the captaincy half way through the season and to lead a team of experienced players who were all there to enjoy the game. All games were played in good spirits and it was an enjoyable season all round. Stats

(Minimum qualification 5 games, 15 wickets, 50 runs) 40 players through the side in the 18 rounds that were played. Only 17 played more than 5 games and only 6 played more than half the matches. One (Vinod) played all games. • Batting average: Tied for 3rd Me & Vinod, 2nd Gid (136@45), 1st Macka (197@49) • Bowling average: 3rd Craig Stephens (9 wickets for 132 runs@15), 2nd John Spooner (12 wickets for 119 runs @10), 1st Satya (15 wickets for 136 runs@9) • Any 5 fors: Chris Harney (5/18), Satya (5/14), John Spooner (5/5) • Any Centuries: Macka 80 • Captains award: Vinod

Chris Connelly SYCC 6th XI Captain – 2016-17

17 Part B – Election of Committee for 2017-18

Order of business

● Declaration that all positions are vacant ● Call for nominations and then vote (if required) for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer. ● Call for nominations and then vote (if required) for general committee members. There are 7 positions available on the general committee.

Prior nominations All positions are open for nominations, with the following existing committee members stating an intention to re-nominate for the following positions:

Secretary Don Elliott Committee John Scurry Gideon Haigh Yugraj Singh Vinod Richards

The following Yarras are not re-nominating to serve in their prior roles on the committee next season, and were sincerely thank them for their service over the past years:

President David Strachan Treasurer Graham Patience Committee Thejas Balaraman

18 Part C – Commencement of 2017-18 Proceedings ● The Chairman of the AGM can either continue to run the AGM or can hand over to the new President (unless of course they are the same person).

General Business

Fees (not being tabled – to be reviewed in first Committee Meeting)

Proposed changes to calculations for the Club Champion ● Suggestion for change to an 80 point qualification, then divided by # of games

Proposed introduction of a 5 minute rule

Need for a Web Page Manager

Need for someone to manage bins/rubbish

Need for helpers for coaching

Call for any other items

Meeting Closure

19