Cricket: Kamo mates rake in titles

The Kamo High School winning cricket team, from left, of Baylan Connelly, Troy Davis, Reagen Mackenzie, Ben Turner, Matt Pene, Sam Walker, Mark Turton, Shane Burton, Roger Turner, Jarred Johnston. Absent: Dylan Lynch, Shane Williamson, Ashton Patterden, Brendon Hamer, Keeley Johnson. Photo/Michael Cunningham

Kamo High School's cricket team describe themselves as a bunch of mates as well as a bunch of cricketers, and they've had a season to remember.

The side - eight students and three adults - were near unstoppable as they won the reserve grade one-day title and the 50/40 declaration competition while finishing runner-up in the helter skelter of the Twenty 20 competition.

Captain Ben Turner said that after only losing three games in the season one win would stay with him beyond 2014. He said the one-day final was when he realised his side was onto something special.

"It was pretty good," the teenager explained, adding he had another year with Kamo High. "We bowled first and bowled them for 141, and then we were one for 130 and chased it down in the end. It showed how strong we were as a team."

Player coach Sam Walker said the side looked as though they had potential right from the start.

"It's a great young side and there was lots of potential, but they hadn't won anything before, not this group of boys.

"Although they had the potential the winning wasn't embedded in them," Walker said. "Luckily we got on a roll and all the boys felt as though they'd done something and we just went from there really."

However, while showered in success throughout the season Kamo never set went out to set the world on fire.

Instead, the key to the team's success was getting into the winning habit early, and a great team spirit.

"We started winning early and got on a roll, and the boys just wanted to keep winning," Walker said.

"Everyone chipped in ... if someone wasn't having a good day, someone else stepped up.

"My main thing was as long as the boys have fun then great, they learn something, and they have fun. As it happens they've all learnt something, performed well, and as a team the atmosphere and feel between them is great and that has helped.

"As a team they were exceptional, and they all revelled in each other's success."

Throughout the season Walker was a consistent performer as he scored 650 runs along with Turner, scoring 320-plus, and Ashton Patterden, 300-plus, contributing heavily.

The wickets were shared among the bowlers, with right arm off spinner Walker grabbing 34, left arm seamer Turner 28 and right arm seamer Dylan Lynch 20-plus.