Pollies lord over Press in Cricket NSW charity match, third year in a row

In its 2025 edition, the annual Pollies vs Press match turned out to be a fun day with a purpose, the star-studded lineup on both sides batting themselves out to fund a unique Cricket NSW program for Western Sydney and regional NSW schools.   

Played on January 31 at the SCG, the Pollies were captained by NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper, and featured the NSW Premier, Chris Minns, as an opening batter. Meanwhile, the Press team was led by Sydney Morning Hearld’s state political reporter Max Maddison and included a number of political journalists in its lineup. Venues NSW Chair David Gallop opened the bowling.  The Pollies won the match, as they have for the last two editions. 

The Pollies vs Press match is organised by Cricket NSW with the support of Venues NSW every year for a specific good cause, and a generous donation of $10,000 is made by Clubs NSW Your local club to the Cricket NSW Foundation to be used towards taking cricket to those that can’t access it easily.  

Previous fixtures have often involved notable elite cricketers such as Stuart Clark, Phoebe Litchfield, Hannah Darlington and Hannah Trethewy. This year’s lineup featured wicketkeeper Jay Lenton. 

This is the third consecutive cricket season the match has been played. During the last season, the match was played in November 2023, where the NSW Pollies, captained by Steve Kamper, clinched victory. The 2022 edition was captained by then Treasurer Matt Kean and also saw a Pollies victory with funds raised from that match supporting women escaping domestic and family violence.  

Last year, the donation was used to fund the first ever NSW women’s deaf team that went to the National Cricket Inclusion Championships. This year, the funds will go towards organising Breakfast Blast programs in Western Sydney and locations in country NSW, to help encourage healthy lifestyles and promote higher rates of school attendance.  

Cara Doyle, Professional Delivery Lead, Community Cricket Experience, Cricket NSW, said:   

 “Our Breakfast Blast offering allows us to provide students a nutritional breakfast and the opportunity to be active and develop their cricket skills, and all before the school bell.  

“We prioritise communities, schools and students who face socioeconomic hardships, where it can often be a challenge to provide nutritious breakfasts as well as encourage school attendance. Breakfast Blast allows us to bridge this gap. 

“Our program promotes healthy lifestyles by emphasising the importance of good nutrition, regular physical activity, and positive habits, while engaging participants in fun cricket activities that prioritise well-being from the start of the day. 

“We would like to thank the CNSW Foundation for organising this match every year for causes that are close to our hearts. We also express our gratitude to Clubs NSW for their generous donation. A little help goes a long way and we thank you for joining us to inspire everyone to play and love cricket.” 

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