Illawarra juniors continue strong representative form

It was another big weekend of representative cricket for Illawarra’s junior sides, highlighted by impressive wins in both the Watson Shield (U17) and Foster Shield (U12) competitions.

Watson Shield (U17's): Illawarra edge South Coast in thrilling finish

Illawarra continued their unbeaten start to the CNSW Watson Shield with a hard-fought 8-run victory over South Coast at UOW Oval on Sunday.

After losing early wickets to slump to 3/42, Heath Barkley anchored the innings with a superb maiden century — 107 from 133 balls, including eight boundaries. He found strong support in the middle order from Zac Jordan (31) and Ryder Thomas (31), guiding Illawarra to a competitive 7/220 from 50 overs.

South Coast’s reply was led by an outstanding knock from opener Joe Burgess, who finished unbeaten on 122 off 151 balls. Despite his heroics, Illawarra’s spinners kept the pressure on, with Hudson Shaw (4/61 off 10) and Lucas Brown (3/37 off 10) leading the bowling effort.

Needing just 9 runs off the final over with one wicket in hand, South Coast’s hopes were dashed when Zac Jordan bowled the last man, securing victory and keeping Illawarra’s perfect record intact.

Coach Mark Johnston praised his team’s resilience, saying:

“It was a very exciting game, but some sloppy fielding almost cost us the win. South Coast played very well, and it was a great learning experience for the boys.”

Illawarra now top their pool heading into their final match this Sunday against South Eastern at UNSW’s David Phillips Oval.

Foster Shield (U12's): Lach-Newinsky’s third century powers Illawarra to victory

The U12s continued their strong run in the Foster Shield with a commanding 165-run win over Fairfield-Liverpool at Amalfi Park, Lurnea.

Returning from school representative duties, captain Archer Lach-Newinsky made an immediate impact, winning the toss and electing to bat — and then delivering a batting masterclass.

He combined with Fletcher Bell (29) in a 73-run opening stand before putting on 104 for the third wicket with Tex McNamara (22). Lach-Newinsky’s stunning form continued as he blasted 137 off just 74 balls, including 19 fours and three sixes — his third century of the tournament.

Late-order hitting from Bradley Cohen (34 off 58) and Brock Smith (43 off 22) helped push Illawarra’s total to a formidable 319 all out (39.2 overs).

Fairfield-Liverpool started aggressively but were pegged back by sharp fielding and disciplined bowling. Wickets were shared around, with Isaac Rowland (2/8 off 2) and Charles Mowatt (2/25 off 5) leading the attack.

There were also single wickets to David Micallef, Bede Ryan, Bradley Cohen, Austin Merola, and Matthew Placek, while Bede Ryan impressed in the field with three catches.

Fairfield-Liverpool finished their 40 overs at 9/154, giving Illawarra another well-earned win and keeping their momentum rolling into next week’s home clash against Sutherland.

Two strong performances, led by standout centuries from Barkley and Lach-Newinsky, underline the depth of talent in Illawarra’s junior ranks — a promising sign as both teams continue their impressive representative campaigns.