• Players
   - D. Tipton (c)
   - R. McInerney (vc)
   - G. Baker
   - J. Billings (+)
   - C. Booth
   - M. Deane
   - R. Deane
   - T. Harris
   - D. Henry
   - H. Izmirlian
   - A. Murphy
   - B. Stapleton
   - D. Stapleton
• Batting Statistics
• Partnerships
• Bowling Statistics
• Fielding Statistics
• Players' Player

Captain's Report by Darren Tipton

Well, another season draws to a close and once again we find ourselves one place out of the finals. Still, if everyone enjoyed themselves on the field as much as I did then a successful season was achieved, maybe not on the scoreboard but in the spirit of the game. Once again this season, we persisted with our policy of sharing the batting and bowling duties throughout the side whenever possible. This may not always lead to crushing victories, but in terms of keeping enjoyment and spirit levels up, I believe its importance cannot be overestimated. Obviously no one likes to bat at number eleven, especially every match. So by shuffling the order around a bit, it gives everyone a chance to show their wares with the willow. Yet stability in the batting order is vitally important, so as you can imagine, finding the perfect middle ground is nigh on impossible. So I wish to thank everyone for their patience and understanding in that area.

Season 1996-97 saw the departure of a few familiar faces, and with it, the arrival of a few new ones. Legend has it there are ancient Aboriginal cave paintings deep in the heart of northern Tasmania that reveal when Troy Burton first picked up the bat for North Rocks. But all good things come to an end, with Troy moving to England to start a new life with Irish girlfriend, Moira. Jim Harris and John Young left due to work commitments, while Brett Stapleton's involvement was restricted to just two matches, also due to work. The departure of these players as well as Martin Harris left plenty of vacancies in the side, particularly in the top order. So it was with open arms that we welcomed Roger Deane, a fiery young allrounder; Graham Baker, a big hitting opening batsman; and Andrew Murphy, a wily lower order batsman and outstanding fieldsman. All these players fitted into the side with great ease and made significant contributions to the team's results as well as showing they will be essential players for a long time to come.

Anyway, congratulations to everyone on another terrific season of cricket. And special thanks once again to Cameron and Richard for the hard work and long hours they have put into making our yearbooks. No other side at Baulkham Hills has anything close to this as far as I am aware, so we can consider ourselves extremely fortunate. Also to Richard for organising our end of season trip. I'm sure you'll agree he leaves no stone unturned in organising these sorts of trips and has done an outstanding job.

Well, that about covers everything I wanted to say. Thanks to everyone for their support throughout the season, and I'll see you all out on the field again in seven short months.

Darren Tipton (Captain)