From a Sausage Roll to Commentating History

Dave McDonald | July 10, 2023

Sometimes cricket provides experiences you never expect. This is one of those stories.

After going in for an interview to Community Radio Station Alive 90.5fm (Parramatta, Cumberland, The Hills) as North West Sydney Hurricanes DCC Club President in 2014, I was offered an opportunity to become a permanent member of the station’s sports show Sunday Sports Roundup.

From there I have got to know Parramatta DCC President Greg Monaghan well which also helped establish a pathway between Parramatta and North West Sydney. Greg had been part of the show previously and in a way, handed the cricket baton over to me on the show. We give weekly updates on the club’s results and regularly have players pop into the studio for a chat.

The introduction of the Kingsgrove T20 competition gave us a wonderful opportunity to commentate live NSW Premier Cricket matches within our Sunday afternoon timeslot. This opportunity we took with both hands, which also led us calling both Parramatta and Blacktown home matches.

Moving forward a few years onto the 2018 April long weekend.

There was a massive buzz about the season the Parramatta club had so far. Their AW Green Shield side won the competition for the first time in ten years and the 1st Grade side made the One Day Competition final, defeated by Sydney University. The 1st Grade side featured many players that featured in that Green Shield win 10 years ago. But for the season finale, the Two Blues had a chance to break a 53-year hoodoo after making the 1st Grade Belvidere Cup final against, funnily enough, a very strong Sydney University side.

Day 1 of the final was on Good Friday. I spent most of the day at home doing chores whilst having the Cricket NSW live stream playing so I could keep updated, knowing I was heading down to Bankstown Oval on Saturday to watch.

Parramatta won the toss and elected to bat. I made sure I tuned in for the start to see Tim Ward bat. Wardy turned up to North West Sydney as a 15-year-old and without doubt, is the most talented batsman to come through that club I have seen. Unfortunately, he lost his poles early to Lawrence Neil-Smith so I decided to get onto my chores, hoping that Nick Bertus would be still in when I looked back.

I could hear that David Gavin from Cricket NSW was commentating but to be honest, was only listening in patches not realising he was doing it solo. Commentating sport solo can have its’ challenges but doing three days of cricket on your own is like doing marathons three days in a row.

Parra did a good job with the bat on Day 1 but as we all know with finals cricket, anything can happen. They finished 7/268 after the run machine Nick Bertus’ 85 and another blistering display by Sean Abbott with 62 off 77 balls. Will Affleck, Luke Dempsey and Brenton Cherry all chipped in with 20s leaving at the crease Adam Turrell on 19 and Scott Copperfield was 9. A good morning Day 2 could see them in pole position.

Day 2 comes along, and I am pretty pumped. Was looking forward to a great day’s quality cricket, some sausage rolls and ale or two while catching up with all the Parramatta supporters and other mates going down to watch. I make my way to Bankstown and arrive about halfway through the first session. Turrell and Copperfield still batting, not many more runs but good signs.

Lunchtime comes around, which allowed me to do the rounds on my way to the Bankstown Oval canteen for the sausage roll and ale I was so keen for. I make my way back to the stands where I bump into an old Hurricanes mate, Ron ‘Tiger’ Woods (now Penrith 1st Grade Women’s Coach). Tiger is a man I have huge respect for and we could have chatted all afternoon.

Tiger and I are chatting away and out of the corner of my eye, I can see SCA Competitions Manager Roy Formica heading our way. I have had many dealings with Roy as a Club President but now, I would seek permission through Roy for Alive 90.5fm to broadcast Premier Cricket matches.

Roy was just on his way back to the pavilion when I grabbed his attention and he acknowledged.

“G’day Dave, what are you doing?’’ I pointed to the Parramatta logo on my shirt and showed him my beer and sausage roll. Of course, implying I am there to watch and support Parramatta.

“No, no what are you doing?” Now I was a bit puzzled. He was now in a bit of a huff.

“Do you want to commentate? David Gavin is doing all three days on his own, would you like to join?”

Without hesitation I downed the food and next minute, I am up in the commentary box sitting alongside David Gavin. One of the most important aspects of commentary is preparation. I had done zero preparation apart from reading the canteen menu so was a little nervous. But on with the show.

Parramatta is dismissed for 334 thanks to Turrell with 55, Copperfield and Englishman Jack White all contributing down the order. Would that be enough against a formidable batting line up including Cowan, Larkin, Mortimer, Cummins and Co?

I’m a bit more settled in now working with David as Sydney University have their turn to bat.

This next session could ultimately help decide the match which as history shows, it certainly did. At the end of Day 2, Sydney University was in deep trouble at 7/168 after some wonderful fast bowling from Abbott, Copperfield, White and Ben Martin. Only 3 wickets in hand and still 168 runs behind. It was incredible to have the view from the box right behind the wicket as it gave us such a great insight as to how well Parra bowled that afternoon against that formidable line-up.

Instead of going for a few beers on Saturday night, I hit the computer to do some preparation on the Sydney Uni guys for Day 3, knowing that I could well witness history the next day. The game could still go anywhere so needed to be prepared for anything.

Sunday arrives, I get to Bankstown Oval and immediately I could sense a different atmosphere from the day before. From cheering and excitement to nervousness and anticipation, the Parramatta faithful were certainly not jumping the gun. There were still 3 hard wickets to potentially get their hands on the trophy. That was proven with some stubborn resistance from Sydney Uni’s lower order, but Parra remained patient.

Then it came. That moment that would not only break a 55-year hoodoo but highlight the resurgence of Parramatta as an NSW Premier Cricket force.

Scott Copperfield takes a wicket on his way to being announced as the Man of the match and Benuad Medalist

All I can remember pandemonium and David saying that it was all over, then he crossed to me. I think it may have taken 3-4 seconds for words to come out of my mouth. I was simply frozen out of joy for the club and also realising that I had just been a part of cricket history that will forever go down in Parramatta folklore.

But it was what was to come after that, I will remember more fondly.

Seeing what this meant to so many people who have dedicated many years to a club such as their great Secretary, Ron Wright OAM was awe-inspiring. Ron planned ahead and brought along a Parramatta club flag, but he did not have it for long! Apart from Captain Bertus lifting the trophy, the one great memories of the day for me is of Ben Abbott. Asking if Benny is a character or not is like asking if the Pope is Catholic or not. Ben was draped in that flag for the next 2 hours and did not want to let it go, like a baby letting go of a teddy.

But of course, the day wasn’t going to end there. Off to the historical and sadly now demolished Royal Oak Hotel at Parramatta they go. It was where the faithful and yours truly stayed until close. It is here where I witnessed one of the most moving moments I have ever seen in sport.

This was the club’s fourth 1st Grade title after winning in 1899/00, 1932/3 and 1964/5 as Central Cumberland. That team of 1964/5 contained the likes of legends Richie Benaud, John Benaud and Doug Walters. I had had the pleasure of having a few beers with Doug and some of the Parra guys a few times and I knew how much he loves this club.

So as everyone arrives at the Royal Oak, there is the great K.D Walters to join the celebrations. I am wandering around on the chat as I again see Doug at the bar but this time with his arm around Nick Bertus. I look over again to see Doug is welled up and there are tears as he is chatting to Bert.

What came out of that chat and why the great man was so emotional was because of his fear that Central Cumberland would not be able to continue as a club towards the late 60s. To see what the club is today and achieving a feat he thought he would never see meant the world to him. As word got around as to what prompted that emotion from the great man, the pride that filled that room amongst everyone was unforgettable.

Doug Walters is reunited with Parramatta Premiership winning Captain Nick Bertus