Mitchell Woods - Cocky and a Ram's Head

Guyra Cricket Club | April 14, 2024

Mitchell Woods has lived most of his life in Guyra, a small country town on the Northern Tablelands of NSW about 520 kilometres north of Sydney.

A sheep and cattle cocky, a bat maker and a fast bowling all-rounder who has played the games consistently for 40 years.

He’s been a representative players in Northern NSW for many years and plays Over 50s cricket for NSW. Let’s find out more about Mitchell’s journey in the game

 

What year you were born? 

2nd January, 1970.

Can you remember your first game of cricket? 

I think it was for Bald Blair Junior Cricket Club and I was about 10 playing in the U14s or U16s. Didn’t get much of a go and can’t really remember how I went.

Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?

Junior cricket started at Bald Blair Cricket Club in Guyra

School cricket in Lismore for Woodlawn and South Lismore Juniors

Grade Cricket for Lismore Workers

Wongwibinda A Grade, Guyra Competition

Ollera B Grade, Guyra Competition

Bald Blair A Grade, Guyra Competition

Armidale Ex-Servies 1st Grade

Guyra 1st Grade

Dorrigo 1st Grade, Coffs Harbour Competition

Various age rep sides in Lismore, Armidale, Central North and Emus. Now NSW Over 50s

What is your occupation?

Sheep and cattle cocky. Glenella White Suffolk Stud - for all who may need a ram.

Cricket bat maker - Ram’s Head Bats. Aussie grown and made, taught by Ian Callen.

5% of sale proceeds go to Garvan Institute for cancer research, and another 5% goes to JDRF to try to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. That is why our stickers are pink and blue; my wife had breast cancer and one of our sons has Type 1 diabetes, both diagnosed in 2013.

In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?

Played Lismore Workers Reserve Grade when I was 15. Didn’t get a bowl, but batted and got a few not out. Lismore had 1sts, Reserves, 2nds, 3rds, 4ths and I think 5ths as well. It was 1985.

At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?

Probably the same year but at home on school holidays, for Wongwibinda 1st Grade in Guyra. Guyra had two grades then. There were 6 sides in each. No idea how I went, not a big stats man…plus…old age.

If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?

I open the bowling and batting now for Guyra 1st Grade in the Armidale comp and no, I’m not the captain….but I do field in the slips.

Mitchell Woods

What were your strengths as a player?

I’ve always been able to move the ball a bit, at a lively pace. A strong arm (when I was younger) and score runs at a fair pace.

What was your highest score in senior cricket?

100-odd for Ex-Services Cricket club in Armidale, not sure where or when. Also scored a few 60s and 70s not out. Last season it was 94 off 18 overs, when we were in trouble and we won the game.

The Bat Cave

What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?

I got a few 6 and 7 wicket hauls. Like I said, not a stats man. There’s been times I’ve bowled half the overs in a game, bowled well and have less than half the runs scored off me, but not picked up many wickets to show for it.

Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?

Andrew Starr, Dave Piddington and Craig Trindall. All about equal with different skills.

Starry; left arm, went across you, mainly off the wicket. Piddo; tall and fast, a lot of bounce and being a Daffodil (Armidale Easts), he loved bouncing you. Trigger; had skills and always had that saved pace when he needed it…but cruised most of the time.

Some other notables: Peter Hickey at Wongwibinda and Peter Hickey at Centrals Cricket Club, Daniel Horsley who played a Sheffield Shield game for NSW, Adam Marjoribanks, Kane Younghusband, Chet Simms

Who were the best three spinners you have played against? 

Billy Newell, Andrew Newling and Graham Rose.

Big Billy Newell; left arm orthodox, tall man, lot of bounce, had a very fast change up. Newlo; off spinner, tight and cunning with enough turn. Rosie; leggy, turned it a mile, had us tied in knots at school.

Graham was the 1stXI coach at Woodlawn and then the Manager for the Northern NSW Emus.

Some others of note; Neil ‘Nobby’ Baillie, Darren Herbert. A couple of up-and-coming leggies; Zac Craig and Lachy Carlyle and Anthony Kershler tells me he can turn it too.

Mitchell Woods takes a wicket

Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?

Alex Byrne, Tim Welsford and Peter ‘Bummy’ Browning.

Byrnsie - freakish talent, score quickly, bat for a long time when he wanted to.

Tim Welsford played first class cricket for Victoria Tim; Shield all-rounder for Vic, lovely bloke and played the game well.

Peter Browning - another freak, had so much time.

Other notables: Mark ‘Prawns’ Curry, Craig ‘Flea’ Howarth, Warwick Brown, Lach Falloon, Matt Phelps and, team mates Greg Johnson, Darren ‘Dasha’ Lennon, Justin Gilbert, Grant Ryan and Mark Haydon.

Was there any bowler in particular who whatever reason always you to cause you a few problems? 

Graham Rose at training. Never played him in a game but could not pick him then. Hopefully I watch the ball better now than when I was a teenager.

Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against? 

Matt Kelly, David ‘Duke’ Marshall, Mick ‘Juice’ O’Neill, Alex Byrne and Tom Groff.

Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played? 

Tim Welsford - played the game as it should be played, and talented.

Peter Browning - talent. Could’ve, should’ve, lived life and partied.

Tim Welsford

Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?

Greg Johnson - intense on the field, you wanted to play well for him. Could be a little scary for a young new recruit though. Off the field, completely different. Prawns Curry and Warwick Brown were also good, but I only played with them occasionally.

Who has been your funniest team mate?

Ian Reeves and Peter ‘PJ’ Jackson. Reevsie for his carry-on on the field, always in good spirit; PJ because he’s always got a joke

Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today? 

Possibly not laugh…but a memorable comeback.

I was bowling to Lach Falloon and Adam Green and was a little fired up and as fast bowler’s do, I was bowling a fair bit of short stuff and the body blows were adding up. I bowled one ball to Lach, not short, that beat him all ends up and Greenie at the non-strikers said to me “It does a bit when you pitch it up.”

So next ball Lach hits it back to me and I kick it away and they run a single. Then I bowl a bouncer to Greenie and hit him in the head and come back with “It does a bit more when you bowl it short.”

Who was your childhood hero?

Sir Richard Hadlee and Dennis Lillee

Richard Hadlee

Who’s your favourite cricket commentator? 

Skull (Kerry O’Keeffe)

What was your favourite ground to play at? 

Guyra’s ground is probably the best in the Armidale competition. Coffs Harbour had some good fields and the balls moves a lot on the coast.

What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?

Touring and making friends. The games start to blend in, but the memories of places and friends are why we play.

You’re now playing over 50s cricket, what the best part of playing veterans cricket and what advice would you offer anyone over 50 who is thinking about playing again?

The best part are the friends you make, like all my NSW Wombats team mates from Perth.

 12 fellas that didn’t know each other and now have fond memories of our time together in Perth.

My advice would be just give it a go, it’s fun but also competitive and played in the right spirit. Chance of travel, making new friends and catching up with old ones.

Mitchell Woods bowling in Veterans Cricket

What are your hobbies?

Sport. Like everyone our age, we gave most things a try. Cricket in summer and either League or Union in winter, with a bit of tennis and golf thrown in.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Peter Hickey - now deceased, from my early Wongwibinda days, told me not to try to bowl all my deliveries in one over, save them up. Bowl your stock ball and have occasional changes, not six different balls every over.

Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?

Still playing 1st Grade for Guyra, coaching a bit (Level 2 coach) for Northern Inland and Central North as well as playing Veterans cricket.

If you were running a state cricket association what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?

1. Facilities in the bush;

2. Age sports in schools again. It seems non-existent in country schools, except for the private ones.

3. Intertown competition as well as Pathways for player selections. A lot of kids don’t participate in the Pathway system for some reason, be it parental time or cost. We don’t see the talent that we should.

4. We are losing kids at the age of 15 and not getting them back. The keen ones stay but we lose the majority. We need to re-engage them.

5. 7 day a week trading is killing communities and local sport. 5 ½ days was, and should be, the norm. Surely we can survive 1 ½ days without shopping.