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last year
Anthony Barranca
Anthony Barranca
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
7 Likes
0 Followers



Anthony Barranca - my best captain

One of the best captains I had the pleasure of playing for and with, is a man by the name of Mark Hullet.

He had a great cricket brain, but it was how he managed the team and more so the individuals within the team, a real man manager.

I’ll never forget when we were playing in our first grand final and we were all in a tight circle and he made it clear that the 11 blokes that were going to take to the field that day could share in something very special together and that the odds of the same 11 guys to get the chance to do it again was extremely unlikely.

“This side will never be the same 11 ever again”!

It really made me think about the opportunity ahead and that I would do anything for the other 10 men taking the field. He was right, we won, and those same 11 blokes were never a team again even though we won 3 premierships in 4 years.

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last year
Mark Tranter
Mark Tranter
I.T Manager
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
13 Likes
0 Followers



Bob Black was awarded a Legend of Sydney Shires Cricket in 2009. Not only being a fantastic cricketer and baseballer himself, but Bob was also a leader and a great tactical captain across the top 2 grades in our club.

Playing under Bob in the 1980s and 90s he wasn’t big on announcing a batting line up prior to a game. He would rather chat at training or on the phone during the week, and it was clear what role you were to play. 1:1’s was important for an individual which assisted you buying into the team’s success.

Off the field, "Boston" (as we called him - a reference to Fenway Park) would let you know the real facts and sometimes you may get your nose out of joint for a short time but if you were smart, he was asking you to step up.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/886/mark-tranter/blog/1849/mark-tranter-my-best-captain
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last year
St George Cricket Club
St George Cricket Club
Sydney, Australia
53 Likes
54 Followers



In this “in between balls” St George District Cricket Club feature Nick Shurmer who made his first grade debut for the Dragons on 23 January 2021 against Western Suburbs. Nick is St George’s first grade player number 456.

What year you were born and where?

1991 Bathurst

Can you remember your first game of cricket?

Can’t remember the exact game but it was for Rugby Union Cricket Club probably playing at Learmonth Park or Police Paddock

Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?

Standard country kids cricket life. Juniors Saturday morning, Seniors Saturday afternoon, Representative cricket Sunday. Outside of School cricket. I’ve only really had 3 clubs. Rugby Union in Juniors, City Colts in Seniors then St George.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/275/st-george-cricket-club/blog/586/st-george-in-between-balls-with-nick-shurmer
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last year
Peter Procopis
Peter Procopis
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
27 Likes
5 Followers



Peter Procopis - my best captain

Craig Glassock (Manly Warringah) was the best captain I played with during my Grade Cricket career.
Everything Craig did during the cricket season was directed towards his team winning matches. He drove a team-first culture both on and off the field.

Players were expected to play whatever role was needed on the day. Team-focussed performances were rewarded via public acknowledgement and in selections and more 'selfish', statistical-based play was frequently challenged and counted against players in selections.

Craig was well ahead of his time insofar as the focus he placed on our fielding was concerned.

He led from the front as the best Keeper-batsman in NSW for a few years there.

We regularly completed long, hard, match-specific fielding sessions. Each player was also expected to do their own specific fielding practise in positions they usually fielded in during matches.

Like many others, I felt empowered as a player by Craig's encouragement. He was particularly good at helping players believe in their ability and back themselves when playing in his first grade side.

His own batting and keeping was always confident. He always looked to progress the game and we never played for draws.

That leadership made things very clear and simple for his players.

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last year
Cricket NSW
Cricket NSW
71 Likes
102 Followers



Week 13 – ‘The Opening Spell’

In this week's edition of 'The Opening Spell', we're re-opening the record books to once again highlight one of the competition's all-time greats and introduce some first-timers too!

Scott Rodgie raises the bat for the Rangers // Ian Bird Photography

First ball – 😄 (Eastern Suburbs and Manly Warringah coaching staff on Monday)

Eastern Suburbs produced a ‘Dolphwash’ in the men’s competition over the weekend, winning five out five fixtures against Sutherland, as well as their AW Green Shield opener against Fairfield-Liverpool.
Manly Warringah did the same in the women’s competition, claiming wins over Bankstown and Sydney University across their four grades.

https://www.cricketnsw.com.au/news/3827992/week-13-the-opening-spell
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last year
Dandenong Cricket Club
Dandenong Cricket Club
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
3 Likes
1 Followers



We are grateful to the Dandenong Star Journal who researched and published much of this article on 14 September 2017. A cartoon of Harry Shepley from the Dandenong Journal.

What’s In a Name delves into the fascinating stories and personalities behind some of the city’s best-known street names and locations. This week the Journal looks at Shepley Oval in Dandenong.

The sports oval at the top end of Pultney Street officially became the Harry Shepley Oval in March 1953.

Shep, as he was known, died suddenly on 7 August 1952 at age 57.

His death “robbed this district of one of its finest citizens, and leaves the whole community with a sense of deep personal loss”, the Journal reported at the time.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1378/dandenong-cricket-club/blog/1844/harry-shepley-engineer-worked-to-build-sports
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last year
Peter Clifford
Peter Clifford
Insurance Manager
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
104 Likes
32 Followers



Tuesday and especially Thursdays are the nights Valley train between 6 -8 pm and the coaches are brilliant and I have never seen a better well-disciplined club in terms of facilities and training and that’s from every grade.

Peter Drinnen, Grant Mitchell, and Matt Dy Payne work relentlessly to make sure players get what they need to be better.

My role is to help players with their game. By the time they get to me they can already play and I need to make sure they understand and can choose the best options to help them play better.

I will “tweak “ something I see and pass it onto the player to see if it works for them.

I have always liked to “build something” in a club and leave it in a better place.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/47/peter-clifford/blog/1843/hard-fair-and-transparent-cricket-coach-thatrsquos-me
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last year
Darren Wotherspoon
Darren Wotherspoon
Cricket Coach
Gosford, New South Wales, Australia
14 Likes
0 Followers



Skid only played a few more games before he retired and it was a huge regret that I didn't come to Sydney earlier to get more time playing as Skid as captain. He was always there for me and it was the chats with him that convinced me to go to Manly in 2005 to play under his brother-in-law, Shawn Bradstreet.

Skid was the only person whom I saw Scott Hookey couldn’t intimidate. Hook had absolute respect for Skid and Hook was very intense. Hook's sister said to me one day at work that Scott feels he owes his life to Skid. I worked with both of them, and the respect Hook had for Skid tells a big story about the man that Skid is.

In 2005 I left the Bears to go to Manly and play under the best captain I experienced, Shawn Bradstreet.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1001/darren-wotherspoon/blog/1842/darren-wotherspoon-my-best-captain
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last year
Prahran Cricket Club
Prahran Cricket Club
Melbourne, Australia
3 Likes
2 Followers



Neil Schlittler made his first grade debut for Prahran Cricket Club during the 1997/98 season and played 233 first grade games for the club.

At the time of publication Neil is the 4th highest first grade run scorer in the clubs history having scored 6,460 runs at an average of 27.84. His highest score was 178 and he hit 9 centuries and 34 half centuries. He also took 47 wickets with best figures of 3 for 16 and took 91 catches.

Neil was Prahran first grade captain in 58 games and he’s a two time winner of the Dav Whatmore Award for the Champion 1st XI Player of the Year.

In 2015 Neil Schlittler was inducted into the Prahran Cricket Club’s Hall of Fame.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/441/prahran-cricket-club/blog/439/neil-schlittler-true-blue
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