UnLtd Big Clash Raises $160k; tech and creative win in Sydney, media owners rule Melbourne

The 6th annual Big Clash cricket tournament was the biggest and most competitive yet with over 100 companies across media, tech, creative and agencies taking part.

The 2020 event took place on 27 February in Sydney and Melbourne and raised $160,000 for children at risk, bringing the total raised by the event to over $500,000.

Following the launch of the Ladyballers game in 2019, this year saw the women’s teams double. The first women’s round in Sydney saw creatives beat media agencies and tech beating media owners in a super over. In the women’s final, it was tech narrowly beating creatives in a tightly fought match.

In Melbourne, it was once again media owners who ruled the day with media owners winning the Women’s trophy and later Men’s media owners beating agencies in the final by a score of 91 to 73.

In Sydney, it was a repeat of the women’s game in the men’s final with creative going head to head with Tech. The Men’s final in Sydney saw a competitive game leading to the first ever win for the creative team, captained by Joseph Harris from The Monkeys.

In Melbourne, Bonnie Lethlean and Michael Prendergast were crowned the Player of the Day thanks to their excellent batting and fielding. In Sydney, Isabelle Barrera and Imran Masood took home the award for their overall excellence on the field.

Says Fiona Roberts, Team Captain for Ladyballers Tech in Sydney: “What a great afternoon! I’m so proud of my team for taking home the trophy but even more proud of our industry coming together for a good cause. We’ll be back next year to defend our trophy!”

The Big Clash tournament sees all sides of the industry come together for a competitive and fun afternoon of cricket, drinks, music and auctions, to make a positive difference in the lives of young people at risk. This year, the auctions across Sydney and Melbourne supported UnLtd’s Bushfire appeal raising over $25,000 to help children impacted by the bushfires. Next month, the Big Clash event will also be launching in Perth.

Says Chris Freel, CEO of UnLtd and co-founder of the Big Clash: “What a day! Once again our industry showed what an incredible difference we can make when we all come together. It’s fantastic to see the event grow every year and we loved seeing the extra Ladyballers on the field this year. Thank you to our sponsors, supporters and everyone who played, donated auction items and came along to cheer their teams to victory! We can’t wait to launch the event in Perth in March!

The event was sponsored by ACM, JCDecaux and Seven West Media and supported by over 100 companies from the media, marketing, tech and creative industry.

Says Nicole Bence, network digital sales director, Seven West Media: “We’re delighted to support the Big Clash – giving back is a key value to us at Seven, and we also love some healthy sporting competition as the home of cricket! We’re already looking forward to next year – hopefully next year Media Owners also get to lift the trophy!”