PJ Reds Go Back to Back at State Over 60s
Back: Vince Ungvary, Graham Lawrence, Ash Perrot, Stuart Ridge, Graham Turner, Angus Kingsmill, David Bennetts Front: Maurice Ford, Stephen Rose, Darren Smith, John Adamson(c), Allan Willmore
Port Jackson entered two teams into this year's Over 60 State Championships at Maitland with both sides competing for the Division 1 - Peter Richardson Trophy won last year by the Reds.
Skipper John Adamson sums up the Red's week....
As the defending champions from 2025, word on the street was that PJ Red would be the hunted team this year, with a large target firmly on our backs.
Selections were tough, and we decided to go into this year's carnival with several new faces stepping up from the 55s. Unfortunately, David Craig went down with injury prior to the carnival and we called up Vince Ungvary to also make his 1s debut. As captain, all I asked was that we play for each other and give it a red-hot crack at defending our title.
Not knowing the finer details of the opposition squads, we approached each game with the same mindset: break the 45 overs into three separate 15-over contests. Assess at the end of each period, refocus, and go again.
Game 1 – Far North Coast
We got off to a great start with a convincing win over Far North Coast. A disciplined bowling and fielding performance restricted FNC to 10/86.
The standout performer was David Bennetts with an outstanding 3/4 from his allotted eight overs, while Graham Turner (GT), playing his first PJs 60s game, bowled brilliantly to finish with 1/17 from six overs.
PJs chased down the target comfortably in just 21 overs, finishing at 4/87.
PJs Man of the Match: David Bennetts
Game 2 – Greater Illawarra
Game two saw us take on our old rivals, Greater Illawarra, led by the champion TP and featuring a talented lineup including fellow Australian representatives Murphy and Muggleton.
Last year's meeting came down to the final over, so we knew we were in for a challenge.
Batting first, Illawarra got away to a solid start before Ridgey claimed the prized wicket of Murphy, adding another Australian representative scalp to his growing list. Jim Arsovski (29 not out) and Siggy (20) then steadied the innings with a strong partnership, helping Illawarra finish on 7/132 from their 45 overs.
PJs responded with a strong all-round batting performance. Smith retired on 50, Ford contributed 24, and GT finished unbeaten on 25, guiding us to victory at 2/133.
Another 50 to Darren Smith
PJs Man of the Match: Graham Turner
Game 3 – Central Coast Cyclones
Our final pool game was against the Central Coast Cyclones, a side packed with talent across the park. The equation was simple: the winner would progress to the big dance.
JA finally won the toss, and it was time to have a bat. Interestingly, four of our regular batters had yet to make it to the crease in the tournament, so this was an opportunity for everyone to spend some time in the middle.
Several players produced standout performances. Ford made 29, GT scored 30, Kingsmill retired on 51, Perrott smashed an incredible 52 retired from just 30 balls, Willmore added 23, and Bennetts blasted 18 from only seven deliveries.
Angus and Ash with quickfire 50s
PJs posted our highest score of the carnival, finishing at 6/254.
With the Cyclones boasting a star-studded batting lineup, we knew the key was to start strongly with the ball and defend the target through the opening 15 overs.
As captain, I couldn't have asked for a better start. At the first drinks break after 15 overs, the Cyclones were 0/30 and well behind the required rate.
After drinks, wickets began to fall before NSW representatives O'Sullivan (24) and Glasson (40) demonstrated their batting prowess. However, disciplined stump-to-stump bowling continued, and by the 30-over mark the required run rate had climbed beyond 10 an over. They were never able to claw it back.
The Cyclones finished on 7/175 from their 45 overs, giving PJs a 79-run victory.
PJs Man of the Match: Ridgey
And now, on to the big dance to defend our title against the Hunter Taverners.
Grand Final Day
Unfortunately, we play a game that can never control the weather, and the rain gods had other ideas. Rain fell throughout Wednesday night and well into Thursday morning, resulting in all carnival games being called off.
The premiership decision was handed to the Carnival Committee. With the highest Net Run Rate (NRR), JA received a call from Hunter Taverners skipper Mark Tranter advising that the title would be awarded to PJs based on those standings. He also passed on his congratulations.
It was a call that was greatly appreciated and reflected the true values of Mark and his team, as well as the mutual respect we all share while playing a game we love.
Back-to-back champions
A fantastic team effort from every player who wore the PJs cap. While individual performances helped win key moments, it was our commitment to playing for each other that ultimately delivered another NSW Masters 60s title for PJ Red.
Port Jackson Blue
Port Jackson Blue also competed in Division 1 and fought hard in a competition which gets tougher every year...
L-R: Edward Gray, Greg Allsop, Jeremy Berenger, Ed Cross, Mark Wilson, Michael Downey, Paul Adams, Peter O'Reilly(c), Michael Weaver, Peter Willis, Ross Greenwood, Mark Ridge
Results and ladders
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