2026 Nudeballers Goldfield Ashes
Analysis by #pooinsink
… and other pre-weekend observations
Welcome to season 2026, Nudeballers.
Firstly, I would just like to say how good it is to be back for the 2026 season. I can’t believe it’s been 12 months already, only feels like a year.
We welcomed in a new member $1.10 last year and sadly he has decided not to return this year, along with Bonfire and Half-A-Night who is having a baby instead, should be very interesting looking. Don’t’ fear as we have the return of Cliché, 3 Questions and The Soiler, hopefully we don’t play any ladies.
2026 we will see the Nudeballers face 3 new teams. It will also see us return to the airport, Mossman park and a Sunday drive down a long road looking for a new field, all feels right in the world again.
Important to note: 2026 season all B2 games have been changed to T20s. Start times will be 8am (Not 3am) I still need to check that. This will have great impacts on the ability to beat our previous records but will also dramatically decrease the chances of chafe. Well maybe only one of those.
2025 Nudeballers. Finished: 6th 3 Wins - 937 Runs - 25 Wickets
2024 Nudeballers. Finished: 27th 2 Wins – 729 Runs – 23 Wickets
2023 Nudeballers. Finished: 2nd 3 Wins – 1008 Runs – 25 Wickets
FRIDAY 16/01/2026
HERE FOR THE BEER, FIELD 34 (AIRPORT RESERVE)
2025 Results – Finished 75th, 1 Win, 493 Runs & 26 Wickets.
2024 Results – Finished 62nd, 1 Win, 508 Runs & 26 Wickets.
2023 Results – Finished 44th, 2 Wins, 532 Runs & 27 Wickets.
This side might look like its going backwards if you focus on the results, but I see a very different story. This is a side who is extremely reliable and its best and worst games are inches apart. Day 1 last year started extremely dusty and while we got the chocolates in the end the 2026 T20 format will not allow a slow start and Here For The Beer look to be a team who knows exactly what levels they can achieve and will stick to those and do them well. They take more wickets than us on average, so we need to be ready and start 2026 with a bang and not just be here for the beer.
SATURDAY 17/01/2026
STIFF MEMBERS, FIELD 15 (MOSSMAN PARK)
2025 Results – Finished 101st, 1 Win, 332 Runs & 13 Wickets.
2024 Results – Finished 111th, 0 Wins, 361 Runs & 15 Wickets.
2023 Results – Finished 24th, 3 Wins, 468 Runs & 24 Wickets.
Day 2 we have a few big guns arriving in 3 questions and The Soiler. I can see what everyone is thinking, oh good we will win this game easily just have a look at previous results and even when they finished 24th they only scored 468 runs. WRONG! This is exactly what Stiff members want us to think, I guarantee they will have this mindset written down in the pre-game analysis they are doing about us. I would also like to move a motion we send in Anal to open and see how they play it. I say it every year but day 2 is when we are most likely to drop a game and a team like Stiff members would love to pull our pants down. I honestly believe they would like to win the game as well so let’s have a day 3 mindset on day 2 and show them how stiff we can be, to beat.
SUNDAY 18/01/2026
THE EXPENDABALLS, FIELD 65 (DOWN A ROAD SOMEWHERE OUT BACK)
2025 Results – Finished 30th, 2 Wins, 742 Runs & 23 Wickets.
2024 Results – Finished 6th, 3 Wins, 813 Runs & 26 Wickets.
2023 Results – Finished 30th, 2 Wins, 664 Runs & 25 Wickets.
Why do they always leave the best for last? This side is on track to finish 6th this year going on previous pattern and we are not going to be the side that lets them do that. Day 3 out of town and playing a good side, what could go wrong? What this team has been building all weekend with chafe, sunburn, stomach pains and the overwhelming thoughts of missing this for another 12 months or 1 year will come into play on Sunday for a very strong 3rd win and we will be on our way to Red Rooster. We don’t want to be driving home after a loss. We will need a good night’s sleep on Saturday or I’m fearful it won’t change anything on Sunday but let’s just try it.
Game 1 (Match 48) v Here for the Beer
Match Report
The One where Bear became Friday!
16 January 2025 at CT Airport Reserve 34
Batting first, Here for the Beer 8/107; 20.0 overs. Nudeballers 7/137; 20.0 overs
Nudeballers win by 5 wickets in 16.2 overs.
It was Friday and therefore the day of the Bear.
After featuring in a magnificent chase to haul in Neville’s Nomads a year earlier, Bear stood up again after some early drama in the Nudies innings.
The Airport was lush and boundaries on this field were a rarity. Despite 4 dropped catches, Here for the Beer managed just 7 just 107 with only 7 boundaries. Wickets were shared with Vulture’s 1/6 the standout by a whisker.
In the chase, Nudeballers lost Stinky and STFU for ducks in the first two overs; Vulture and Bear left to revive the carcass. A 75 run partnership from 56 balls was just what was needed; taking the score to 82 with 9 overs to go. Kenty and Cider added 6 between them before Skipper, #pooinsink, stepped up to steady the ship, Partnering with Bear for 30 to take Nudeballers past the total in the 17th over. Bear retired an over later and although he was not “held aloft” immediately, he got plenty of that at the pub later in the weekend.
Orange Cap: Bear Purple Cap: Vulture Pink Cap: Chief King
The Eagle Trophy: Bear 50 from 47; 0/6 from 2 overs.
Ladder Position: 40
Game 2 (Match 49) v Stiff Members
Match Report
The One that wasn’t the 50th
17 January 2025 at Mossman Juniors 15
Batting first, Stiff Members 93; 15.5 overs; Nudeballers 7/185; 20.0 overs.
Nudeballers win by 6 wkts in 14.1 overs
Despite a wicket to Bear in the 3rd, Stiff Members recovered to be 1/53 at the start of the 9th; thanks mainly to some poor catching by the Nudeballers, but then something clicked. In the space of 4 overs, it was 6/80 with wickets to Cliche, Trust Me and 3/3 to Kenty. #pooinsink, 3 Questions, Trust Me and Stinky held onto catches, Furstin threw truly for a run out and Anal knocked over a couple at the death to restrict Stiff Members to just 93.
In the chase, partnerships of 58 (32) between Anal and Kenty for the 3rd wicket and 53 (28) between Vulture and 3 Questions catapulted Nudeballers to a win in 14.1 overs and an eventual 184 from 20.
Orange Cap: Vulture Purple Cap: Kenny Pink Cap: Chief King/Trust Me
The Eagle Trophy: Kenty 40 (19) ; 3/3 from 2 overs.
Ladder Position: 15
Game 3 (Match 50) v The Expendaballs
Match Report
The One with Harley Michael Cook
18 January 2025 at AFCG 65
Batting first, Nudeballers 8/156; 20 overs. Expendaballs 5/128; 20 overs
Nudeballers win by 28 runs.
The Bills were playing the Broncos, Nudeballers 50th Goldfield Ashes match and the news that the latest in the future generation of Nudeballers - Harley Michael Cook - was born to our Half-A-Night and his lovely wife Georgia.
Nudeballers lost the toss and were sent in. Slow outfield notwithstanding, Nudeballers started well, taking 40 off the first 5. The loss of Kenty to one of two brilliant catches by Braydon, slowed the run rate a little and at the 10 over mark, Nudeballers were 2/68. Then a disastrous 11th over with #pooinsink (21), STFU (0) and Vulture (0) all dismissed with the score on 72. Enter Chief King. 52 from 17 balls with 6 sixes turned a 120 score to 156 (a competitive total).
In the chase, Expendaballs struggled to 4/39 at the half way mark. At the 15 over mark, 88 were needed off the final 5 overs and although Brandon and Stubbsy went at 12 an over off the last 5, it wasn’t enough. Their partnership of 83 from 59 in the middle of the innings fell just 2 short of the best ever v Nudeballers. Brandon going on to bring up a 50 in the last over.
Orange Cap Winner: Vulture (72 runs) Purple Cap Winner: Kenny (4/31, 6 overs) Pink Cap Winner: Chief King (1 catch, I run out, 0 drops)
The Eagle Trophy: Chief King 52 (17)
Final Ladder Position: 17
Nudestatz
By The Numbers….
3.7
The average number of overs bowled per dropped catch is the worst ever by Nudeballers (2023 4.3 was the previous worst)
36 & 0.6
The No of wides bowled and the average no of wides per over bowled is the worst ever by Nudeballers
4
The Number of ducks is the most by Nudeballers. (Equal with 2009, 13, 14)
477
The lowest number of runs since Nudeballers first year, 2009 (459)..probably function of T20s played.
22
The least number of wickets taken by Nudeballers (T20s again)
2.5
Wkts per overs bowled (2.4 2009; 2.5 2014; highest 3.9 2016)
8.1
Runs per Over faced not too bad (lowest 5.7 2009; highest 9.9 2023)
17
11th top 20 finish in 17 seasons.
10,393
Runs (off the bat; 597 w/n; 278 b/l. TOTAL 11,268)
2 x 50s
(Bear/Friday and Chief King) was the fewest 50s scored (equal with 2013)
72
Most runs by orange cap without scoring a 50
0
Vulture's 🦆 in Nudeballers' 50th match was the 30th duck by a Nudeballer.
The most frequent score by Nudeballers. This has happened 34 times; 4 of which are not outs
50
is the next most frequent score (32 times)
31 and 37
Scores which Nudeballers have NOT scored
9
The number of times Nudeballers have achieved the maximum score of 55 (3 each to Chief King and #pooinsink; 1 each to STFU, Rum Pig and Anal)
176
The number of times Nudeballers have been dismissed Caught. (Bowled 140 times, run out 13, stumped 12, hit wkt 1).
216
The number of times Nudeballers have taken a catch. (Bowled 187, C&B (included in Caught) 14, stumped 6 and Hit Wkt 1)
16
The number of run outs effected by Nudeballers. (4 of these in 2026)
7
The fewest catches taken by Nudeballers in an Ashes campaign.
