It was a mixed campaign for Woodvale who didn't hit the heights of 2024 as they finished eighth in the Premiership. They did enjoy a run to the semi-final of the Challenge Cup, but didn't impress in the T20 Cup.

The batting was dominated by their big two with the ever-consistent Ruhan Pretorius scoring 939 runs at 44.71 (3 hundreds, 3 fifties), well ahead of overseas professional Ludwig Kaestner who hit six fities and a hundred in his 692 runs at 57.67.
Finn Restieaux came over to replace his brother Ronan and managed 449 runs at 26.41 (2 fifties), while Carl Robinson scored 329 runs at 29.91.
Skipper Harry Warke will have been disappointed with his return of 244 runs at just 13.56, while Stephen Bunting was sixth in their aggregates with 213 runs at 13.31.
Replacement pro Eddie Moore played just three times but scored 199 runs at a Bradmanesque 99.50 (1 hundred, 1 fifty).
The bowling unit was weak, lacking quality and variety, whihc meant they struggled to bowl teams out.
Pretorius managed to top the bowling too despite carrying an injury that meant a restricted run-up - his 31 wickets coming at 20.74.
No other bowler passed 20 wickets, with James Martin's 18 wickets at 36.94 next, just ahead of Ludwig Kaestner who claimed 17 at 24.94.
Three others managed double figures - Carl Robinson (15 at 33.40), Finn Restieaux 14 at 34.07, and Ashwin Shetty (10 at 38.60).
Woodvale have already dipped into the market, adding Patrick Tice to keep wicket, and you suspect there may be another signing or two over the winter if they are to get back to nearer the top of the table rather than the bottom.
WOODVALE BATTING
| # | Name | Club | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R Pretorius | Woodval | 23 | 22 | 1 | 939 | 163 | 44.71 | 800 | 117.38 | 3 | 3 | 93 | 52 |
| 2 | L Kaestner | Woodval | 16 | 16 | 4 | 692 | 112* | 57.67 | 745 | 92.89 | 1 | 6 | 69 | 27 |
| 3 | F Restieaux | Woodval | 22 | 21 | 4 | 449 | 56 | 26.41 | 521 | 86.18 | - | 2 | 46 | 10 |
| 4 | C Robinson | Woodval | 18 | 15 | 4 | 329 | 64 | 29.91 | 393 | 83.72 | - | 2 | 25 | 15 |
| 5 | Harry Warke | Woodval | 19 | 18 | - | 244 | 45 | 13.56 | 326 | 74.85 | - | - | 36 | 6 |
| 6 | S Bunting | Woodval | 17 | 17 | 1 | 213 | 31* | 13.31 | 397 | 53.65 | - | - | 27 | 4 |
| 7 | E Moore | Woodval | 3 | 3 | 1 | 199 | 128* | 99.50 | 161 | 123.60 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 13 |
| 8 | James Rose | Woodval | 21 | 17 | - | 161 | 27 | 9.47 | 276 | 58.33 | - | - | 16 | 1 |
| 9 | A Shetty | Woodval | 10 | 7 | 1 | 118 | 52 | 19.67 | 104 | 113.46 | - | 1 | 9 | 8 |
| 10 | James Martin | Woodval | 20 | 13 | 2 | 75 | 20* | 6.82 | 153 | 49.02 | - | - | 5 | 4 |
| 11 | J Gibson | Woodval | 15 | 10 | 2 | 73 | 21 | 9.12 | 115 | 63.48 | - | - | 6 | 1 |
| 12 | Zarar Khan | Woodval | 7 | 6 | 1 | 70 | 49* | 14.00 | 95 | 73.68 | - | - | 10 | 1 |
| 13 | M Maduwantha | Woodval | 1 | 1 | 1 | 47 | 47* | - | 61 | 77.05 | - | - | 7 | - |
| 14 | Ross Copeland | Woodval | 3 | 3 | 2 | 33 | 23* | 33.00 | 45 | 73.33 | - | - | 3 | 1 |
| 15 | M Peak | Woodval | 13 | 9 | 2 | 31 | 21 | 4.43 | 29 | 106.90 | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| 16 | C Donnelly | Woodval | 8 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 12 | 5.50 | 62 | 35.48 | - | - | 1 | - |
| 17 | D Thanivelil | Woodval | 10 | 7 | 4 | 22 | 10* | 7.33 | 38 | 57.89 | - | - | 2 | - |
| 18 | K Walsh | Woodval | 13 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 8* | 4.33 | 30 | 43.33 | - | - | - | - |
| 19 | Ryan Copeland | Woodval | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12* | - | 9 | 133.33 | - | - | 2 | - |
| 20 | L Boobyer | Woodval | 2 | 2 | - | 10 | 10 | 5.00 | 22 | 45.45 | - | - | 1 | - |
| 21 | D Chavara | Woodval | 2 | 2 | - | 8 | 7 | 4.00 | 16 | 50.00 | - | - | 1 | - |
| 22 | Anek Anil | Woodval | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3* | - | 3 | 100.00 | - | - | - | - |
| 23 | P Robinson | Woodval | 5 | 2 | - | 2 | 2 | 1.00 | 16 | 12.50 | - | - | - | - |
| 24 | Syed Huzaifa Khalid | Woodval | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 5 | 20.00 | - | - | - | - |
WOODVALE BOWLING
| # | Name | Club | Mat | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 5WI | wds | nbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R Pretorius | Woodval | 23 | 145.3 | 18 | 643 | 31 | 4-27 | 20.74 | 4.42 | 28.16 | - | 27 | 2 |
| 2 | James Martin | Woodval | 20 | 89.1 | 1 | 665 | 18 | 4-43 | 36.94 | 7.46 | 29.72 | - | 35 | 1 |
| 3 | L Kaestner | Woodval | 16 | 83.4 | 4 | 424 | 17 | 4-36 | 24.94 | 5.07 | 29.53 | - | 11 | - |
| 4 | C Robinson | Woodval | 18 | 90.1 | 3 | 501 | 15 | 4-27 | 33.40 | 5.56 | 36.07 | - | 17 | 1 |
| 5 | F Restieaux | Woodval | 22 | 60.1 | 1 | 477 | 14 | 4-69 | 34.07 | 7.93 | 25.79 | - | 9 | 4 |
| 6 | A Shetty | Woodval | 10 | 78 | 6 | 368 | 10 | 5-42 | 36.80 | 4.72 | 46.80 | 1 | 14 | 2 |
| 7 | K Walsh | Woodval | 13 | 57 | 1 | 390 | 9 | 3-42 | 43.33 | 6.84 | 38.00 | - | 14 | - |
| 8 | M Peak | Woodval | 13 | 18.1 | - | 174 | 5 | 2-6 | 34.80 | 9.58 | 21.80 | - | 20 | 4 |
| 9 | D Thanivelil | Woodval | 10 | 30.4 | - | 204 | 4 | 1-15 | 51.00 | 6.65 | 46.00 | - | 7 | - |
| 10 | S Bunting | Woodval | 17 | 25.4 | 1 | 208 | 3 | 2-22 | 69.33 | 8.10 | 51.33 | - | 15 | 1 |
| 11 | C Donnelly | Woodval | 8 | 4.5 | - | 30 | 2 | 1-12 | 15.00 | 6.21 | 14.50 | - | 5 | - |
| 12 | M Maduwantha | Woodval | 1 | 8.4 | 1 | 52 | 1 | 1-52 | 52.00 | 6.00 | 52.00 | - | 1 | - |
| 13 | P Robinson | Woodval | 5 | 34 | 2 | 131 | 1 | 1-40 | 131.00 | 3.85 | 204.00 | - | - | - |
| 14 | Syed Huzaifa Khalid | Woodval | 2 | 1 | - | 8 | - | 0-8 | - | 8.00 | - | - | - | - |
| 15 | James Rose | Woodval | 21 | 1 | - | 14 | - | 0-14 | - | 14.00 | - | - | - | 1 |
| 16 | E Moore | Woodval | 3 | 18 | - | 127 | - | 0-8 | - | 7.06 | - | - | 2 | - |





