The past year has seen the Club embark on a year of firsts. The purchase of a portable pitch, a game under lights, publicity, promotion and sponsorship and recognition of our efforts by the Victorian Cricket Association and the canteen managed and staffed every Friday night to name but a few. The North Eltham Wanderers Cricket Club is an innovative and professionally run Club and as members and supporters we should be very proud of what we have achieved in a
short time.

We have had a very successful season off field arld our fInancial position will consolidate markedly this year. The Money Shield Reserves 2nd XI capped off an excellent season by winning the grand final. Congratulations to Darren Morter and the team. The Under 16's were just defeated in the grand final. again an excellent achievement, given their early season difficulties.

Sponsorship is becoming an increasing part of our financial survival. This season we have been fortunate to have the support of Agility as our major sponsor. Club members have proudly worn the orange T -Shirts and caps all season and on behalf of the Club I thank Craig Ondarchie for his generous support and I look forward to a long and successful association with Agility. To Heinz Watties Australasia, David McFarlane Real Estate, CCB and Liquorland, thank you for your
support.

This season we fielded five senior and seven junior teams and to those coaches and team managers, thank you for your sterling efforts. Thank you also to Mike Reid and Steve Page for organising of our excellent Milo program and the junior teams. We are extremely fortunate to have persons of this calibre within our Club.
I would sincerely like to thank Darren Leighton who has been the senior coach for the past four seasons for all his hard work both on and off the field. Darren has done an excellent job to take the Club to where it is now. On behalf of the Club, I wish Darren and his family all the best for the future.

To all members of the Committee, I thank you for your tireless work and valuable contribution over the past year. I believe that this Club has one of the most efficient and diligent groups of people running a Club within the DVCA and we are fortunate to have access to expertise in both the financial and tax arena through Ian Groves.

Finally I would like to record my sincere thanks to the following persons who have given excellent service to the Club, Mike Fordred, Mike Reid, Ian and Chris Groves, Brett Temple, Steve Page and Ray and Sandra Monger.

Thank you to Mike Fordred for again compiling this excellent statistical yearbook and I commend it to you. We look forward to the next season with a great deal of optimism and we will strive to continue to build on our successes of this season.

Brian Stieg
President

Looking to improve on last year's poor on-field result where no senior team reached the finals, the club began pre-season with an air of confidence and optimism while once again fielding five senior teams in Money Shield, Money Reserve, D, E and F2 Grade. In all 78 players represented the club throughout the season with surprisingly only seven players being part of the juniors. From the juniors the previous year, we welcomed Peter Mann, Geoff Worsnop, Matt Oehme. Trent Stevens, Russell Smith, Craig Pirog and Ash Crawford to full time senior ranks. All players acquitted themselves well throughout the season. These players will help fill the backbone of the club in the future. New players to the club included Greg Worrell. Andrew Conquest, Andrew Williams, Marcus Oliver, Pep Leopold, Neil Anderson and Greg Calleja. All players made a valued contribution both on or off the field. Special mention must be made of the return of club Life Member Alex Argentino to the fold. His contribution to all facets of club life was naturally outstanding. Axe was also joined by the latter season return of Lax Purser and Dave Larkin along with the recruitment of talented veteran XI players Ian Cugley and John Barker who both really boosted the ranks of our lower senior teams. In hindsight the season was again another one that sort of got away. If not for the sterling efforts of our Second XI and their much welcomed premiership, the season may have turned out much the same as last year.

FIRST XI
The First Xl experienced a disappointing season. As the pundits have already
claimed, it was another year of lost opportunities and unfulfilled potential. In captain
and coach Darren Leighton's fourth season as club on-field leader, the side began the season confidently and posted strong early wins and gallant near misses against top competition. Rain also hampered some of the early games,. most notably the game against newly relegated side Bundoora United where we were denied the opportunity of securing outright points. The highlight of this game was dismissing United for 36 and Brett Temple taking a hat trick of LBW's and 7/19. Disappointing losses when we were in probable winning positions were the order until the last game before Christmas when we again accounted for top side Epping (second year in a row) in probably the best game for the season. Buoyed by the victory ~ the team returned after the break with hopes of still reaching the finals. With games against all the sides below us on the ladder the chance was certainly still there. But with batting consistency once again letting us down, the side did not take full advantage of their opportunities, winning only two of the final four games. Congratulations to all man of the match winners, century scorers, especially AI Mann who hit his maiden ton after a number of previous near misses, and all worthy individual efforts. However to reach the finals, as a club we must find greater batting consistency, encourage and expect greater commitment and match day availability and really fine tune our weekly training regime. As the pundits say, we have the potential but do we have the
commitment to be a winning team. The game against Epping may shed some light.

SECOND XI
Our Second XI achieved the ultimate goal of winning the premiership from fourth
position after accounting for undefeated Epping in the semi-final and second placed South Morang in the Grand Final. It was a marvellous effort and captain Darren 'Dozie' Morter must be congratulated for leading the side so well not only through a difficult and frustrating early season but particularly in the run home to the finals and the finals games themselves. For Dozie and the team it was a much-deserved win after so many near misses in past years. After struggling to get a balanced side onto the field before Christmas and battling inconsistency, the side posted four straight wins, three of them outright, to scrape into the finals. Our finals campaign was nothing short of sensational with every player making a valued contribution with the bat, ball or in the field. It was a truly remarkable team performance where a blend of exuberant youth and wily experience brought home the flag. It would be unfair to single out anyone performance for the season but special mention must be made to Cain Harper for his outstanding bowling efforts across the season. Cain fell one wicket short of equalling the bowling record for the club.

THIRD Xl
Under the second year leadership of Ash Chapple, the side were keen to improve on their mediocre performance of last season. With a win in the last game of the season and two of three sides above us to lose, a spot in the finals beckoned. It was not to be. But the side's efforts were generally an improvement on past years, even if consistency did remain up and down on occasions. The highlight of the year was the amazing outright victory against Memda in the first one-day game after Christmas. This set up the race to the finals. Congratulations to Harley Lee and Ben Pirog for their century scores and all trophy and award winners. With a relatively young side being put onto the field this season, there is every opportunity for the side to make further advancements next year.

FOURTH XI
Led for the first time by the redoubtable veteran Steve 'Pacey' Page, the young Fourth XI team had a much better season than the final ladder position might indicate. Putting together some fine wins during the season, the team in some instances were overwhelmed by much more experienced and older opposition teams, even though in every game the boys were always more than competitive. Probably the best team performance of the year came in the Third round when the side comfortably beat the fancied Bundoora team. WIth the cool-head experience of Steve page at the helm, the team may not have won many games but learnt a host of valuable cricket lessons that will hold them in good stead in their futures with the club.

FIFTH XI
The Fifth XI team took to the field for the third successive year and were out to improve on their mediocre finish of last season after a premiership the year before.
Battling to get a competitive side on to the track in the early rounds after the DVCA
changed the competition format, the side was boosted by the inclusion of experienced veterans John Barker and Ian Cugley and the exuberant leadership of Jarrod Mann, returning from injury. These players and other experienced veterans blended together well with an ever-changing number of youngsters to post some solid wins and very competitive efforts. A number of excellent individual performances were seen with both bat and ball while John Barker was the stand out player of the season.

Alan Watt *
Colin McDonald *
Keith Howarth *
G. Stone
Jim Myatt
John Crossman
Wayne Philpots
Alex Argentino
Phill Harris
Steven Leighton

* Deceased