From never having played a game of cricket to lifting the trophy after 8 straight wins. That’s the incredible journey of the LPC GameDay Warriors!

Imagine going from never having played a match of cricket to winning 8/8 games to take the crown of your local youth league! That was the GameDay Warrior’s journey.

Under the guidance of Corne Dry, LPC’s Head GameDay Coach, took a squad of 15 kids in New Jersey learned every aspect of the game, building skills, teamwork, and confidence along the way. Competing in the U13 Division B of their local league, they went unbeaten, with several players dominating the statistics board, getting 50’s and hat tricks.

This is a huge milestone for Liam Plunkett Cricket, showing just how transformative quality coaching can be, taking children from complete beginners to confident players who know how to compete… and win.

The Story Behind 8/8

Let’s take a closer look at the gameday warriors season and just how they achieved this tremendous feat. On May 11th they played their first game against StarSports Knights, ironically the same opponents they would later face in the final, winning comfortably by 8 wickets as they chased a total of 95. With one win under their belt, The Warrior played their second game, they set a fantastic score of 134, as their opponents RRA SuperStars began to get close to their total, Gameday got them all out, with superstar Niramay George taking a magnificent fifer. Moving into match number three and Gameday managed to bowl the DreamCricket Cheetahs out for just 67 runs, meaning they could take their time on the offense and reached the total in 21 overs to take a third victory.

Midway through the season

Progressing into the midpoint of gameday’s season, on the 6th June the Warriors faced the Drona Troopers, having set a giant total of 184 in the first innings, the opponents struggled to get close, finishing the match on 116. The Warriors win again, this time by 68 runs. The star of the match was undoubtedly Arjun Kumar getting 97 runs in just 63 balls, giving him a strike rate of 153!

The Warriors were on fire at this point and there was no sign of their momentum slowing down, their next target? RRA SuperRadients, who bowled first. The Warriors got them all out for 84, with 3 wickets coming from Angad Hans and Aahan Saxena and 2 coming from Arjun Singh and Abhinav Reddy. They then successfully chased the total in just 9 overs, impressive.

In what would be the final league game of the season and definitely the closest, the Warriors were just one win away from going undefeated in the regular season. The team in their way was the Jersey Titans Gladiators, who set a score of 156 with two players getting their 50’s, however the Warriors didn’t let this phase them, reaching the total in 26 overs, with 4 to spare. A well rounded batting performance from the Warriors, as they shared out the runs between them

The Playoffs

The first difficulty for the Warriors would be the fact that the playoff started just under a month since they played their final league game, this would not hinder them though as they got back to their brilliant best in the playoff quarter finals against CricMax Cheetahs Angad Hans had a masterclass with the ball, taking two wickets and after bowling 6 overs, gave away just 9 runs, giving him an economy of just 1.50.

This was it, the Warriors were just one game away from the final, with the Jersey Titans standing in their way. Looking back to their previous encounter just a few games ago, the Warriors had struggled to chase a big total, but this time they came prepared. Adjusting their bowling strategy, they tore through the Titans’ lineup, dismissing them for just 100 runs. Every bowler who delivered more than five overs kept their economy under 3.5, an outstanding effort.

With still a big total ahead of them, the Warriors wasted no time, but managed it in just 23 overs. They had done it, the Warriors were through to the final.

The Final

Confidence was at an all-time high for the Warriors, over the past two months they had built a strong foundation based on teamwork, discipline, and relentless practice. Every player knew their role, communication on and off the field was seamless, and each match had strengthened their belief in what they could achieve together. The momentum was on their side, and as they prepared for the final, there was a sense that nothing could stand in their way.

They batted first, and after Jason Budhram’s 50 off 81 balls, the Warriors were in a strong position, building steady partnerships and keeping the scoreboard ticking. After setting a score of 106, they came out to field. Unbelievably, even in the pressure of the final, Angad Hans managed a magnificent 6 wickets, including a hattrick! They had broken the Knight’s spirit and got them all out for 46, a great way to end the season. 

Congratulations to Corne and Liam, and everyone that was involved in coaching these kids to this massive feat! A fantastic story for Gameday and LPC in showing that consistent and quality coaching can go a long way for the next generation of cricket!