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2 years ago
Peter Nicholson
Peter Nicholson
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
11 Likes
0 Followers



My best Grade Cricket team - Peter Nicholson, Brisbane and Sydney 1973 - 1993

The best grade team of players I played Grade cricket with in Brisbane and Sydney.

To paint the picture of the players I can choose from I made my debut for Norths in Brisbane in 1973/74 and transferred to Valley the next season where I played 1974/75 and 1975/76.

I then moved to Toombul for the 1976/77 season and played the 6 seasons before moving to Sydney to play for St George.

At St George I was the First Grade keeper in seasons 1982/83 and 83/84. I continued to play and filed in on occasions in Firsts and from 1990 – 1993 I enjoyed captaining the 3rd Grade team whilst perched at Short Leg.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/116/peter-nicholson/blog/1101/my-best-grade-cricket-team-peter-nicholson-brisbane-and-sydney-1973-1993
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2 years ago
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club
Sydney, Australia
40 Likes
43 Followers



Bill Alley - Randwick Petersham Cricket Club - Heroes of the Ages

Bill Alley was a “legend” as a cricketer.

In his first season in 1943-44 with Petersham he scored 1,413 runs a Sydney 1st Grade record for 63 years. He scored six centuries that season including tons against University (141*), North Sydney (119), Wests (100) and Mosman (111*) in successive matches—rounds 19, 20, 21 and 22. His best score was against Randwick when he hit 230* including 12 sixes and 21 fours with his first 100 coming in 59 minutes and then with the ball claimed 6-52. Against Mosman that same summer at the Sydney Cricket Ground he hit 111* and took 5-35 to record yet another outstanding all-round performance. Apart from topping the Petersham and competition batting that season he also took out the club bowling honours with 57 wickets at an average of 15.12 with 6-39 against Waverley his best performance.
Over the following four seasons Bill totalled another 1,485 runs with five centuries and five fifties for Petersham and played 12 times for the State scoring three centuries as an opening batsman, although they were war time matches which did not count as first-class games at that time (they have now been so recognised). When his wife died tragically and he missed selection in Bradman’s 1948 Ashes “Invincibles” team, he moved to England and played in the Lancashire League with Colne Cricket Club for the following five years where he topped 1,000 runs each season, had an average of less than 107 on only one occasion while scoring 20 centuries and taking 179 wickets.
In 1957 at age 38, he debuted for Somerset and 11 years later at age 49, he had scored 19,612 runs and taken 768 wickets with 31 centuries and 92 half centuries. Aged 42 he scored 3,019 runs in the English season (his testimonial year after only four seasons with Somerset) while a year earlier he had bowled 14 successive maiden overs in an innings taking 4-17 off 27 overs with 21 maidens.
In 1969, Bill turned to umpiring after rejecting Somerset’s offer of a contract for one day matches only. Within five years he umpired the first of his 10 Test matches when Australia played England at Nottingham.

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2 years ago
Andre Maddocks
Andre Maddocks
Business Advisor
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
5 Likes
1 Followers



The Second Spinner – A Story of Cricket and Mental Health

On the surface, I had a fortunate grade career. A couple of games in 1st grade, a handful in 2s, but generally speaking a middle to lower grader who was just happy to be out on the field, desperately trying to contribute. I wasn’t a great player, but I absolutely busted my gut. I attended every training session for seasons on end, and bowled for hours, put cricket before everything. I wanted to be a guy that others wanted to play with.

All the while though, when you live with anxiety – and many do, more than we realise – there is that little voice inside you that tells you that you aren’t good enough, you will get found out, your teammates don’t rate you, or even like you, and it is all going to fall away as quickly as it became important to you because that is what you deserve. You become pretty convincing, even though hindsight shows that the anxiety is only you talking to yourself.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/166/andre-maddocks/blog/993/the-second-spinner-ndash-a-story-of-cricket-and-mental-health
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2 years ago
Brad Murphy
Brad Murphy
Cricket Coach
Brisbane, Australia
20 Likes
5 Followers



As we got closer I recognised the lad as one of the members of the Qld Blind Cricket Club whom I have had a fair bit to do with over the past decade or so. They are a great club and so passionate about the game.

Now none of this is particularly unusual I guess – no nets available for us – but what happened from there was a lesson in perspective for all three of us.

The lad, 21 year old Jock Young who lives close by at Macgregor immediately offered to vacate the net to allow us to use it and advised that he would happily move to the centre wicket to practice. This would mean he’d be bowling on an open field and then running at least 80 metres to fetch his plastic blind cricket ball, every single time.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/173/brad-murphy/blog/763/there-can-always-be-a-light
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2 years ago
Cricket NSW
Cricket NSW
71 Likes
102 Followers



NSW 1982-83 Sheffield Shield Champions - 40 year reunion

Back Row - Mike Whitney, Mark O'Neill, Peter Toohey, John Skilbeck, John Dyson, Murray Bennett, Dirk Wellham
Front Row - Greg Matthews, Steve Rixon, Rick McCosker, Trevor Chappell

The 1982/83 Sheffield Shield Cricket season was the first season the Shield Final was introduced to decide the winner of the Sheffield Shield competition.

For 90 years the Sheffield Shield competition which began in 1892/93, the winner of the Australian domestic competition was the team who had accumulated the most points during the season. First past the post as they say.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/154/cricket-nsw/blog/72/nsw-1982-83-sheffield-shield-champions-40-year-reunion
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2 years ago
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
Founder
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
503 Likes
513 Followers



On the 5 April 2023 at Cricket NSW Steve Waugh Medal Awards night Steve Rixon was inducted into the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame. A terrific and richly deserved accolade.

Steve Rixon was the driver of culture and standards in NSW Cricket for the best part of 30 years

Let's find out more about Steve Rixon, the man, mate, player, coach, mentor and his influence.

Tributes from David Hourn, Rick McCosker, John Dyson, Dirk Wellham, Murray Bennett, Kepler Wessels, Steve Small, Phil Marks, Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, Phil Emery, Brad McNamara, Shane Lee, Stuart MacGill

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/32/paul-ryan/blog/755/steve-rixon-inducted-into-cricket-nsw-hall-of-fame
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2 years ago
Jim Tucker
Jim Tucker
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
1 Likes
0 Followers



Sports writer Jim Tucker – My top 10 sporting moments

Cracking the West Indian cricket hoodoo...Kingston in 1995

Steve Waugh’s superb 200 at Sabina Park was the final feat that made it possible to beat the mighty West Indies in the Caribbean for the first time in 22 years.

I was lucky enough to be seated in the grandstand near the then-retired Allan Border for the climax and the sheer satisfaction in his face said it all.

This was a crescendo experience over weeks because so many contributed big moments to the end result.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1005/jim-tucker/blog/1090/sports-writer-jim-tucker-ndash-my-top-10-sporting-moments
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2 years ago
John Fryer
John Fryer
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
1 Likes
0 Followers



Victor Trumper, my brother

Victor Trumper, my brother, takes the reader on a journey from country New South Wales to Surry Hills in inner Sydney to the battlefields of the Boer War and World War 1 and details the life and times of this great Australian cricketer. This factual novel about a true hero of Australian cricket is told through the eyes of his twin brother … a relationship that neither of them knew about until it was too late.

The author has interwoven the events in the decades either side of the Federation of the Australian States to immerse the reader in the conflicts which beset common folk, sportsmen, administrators, business entrepreneurs and governments

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1004/john-fryer/blog/1089/victor-trumper-my-brother
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2 years ago
Spirit of Cricket
Spirit of Cricket
3 Likes
3 Followers



Anthony Telfer in The Clubhouse with Phillip Melville and Will Harding - Northern Districts Special Olympics Program

Phillip Melville, a current NSW O50’s player and representative of Australia at O50’s level, leads this remarkable program. We'll explore how the Northern District Cricket Club has been fostering a love for the game among individuals with intellectual disabilities since 2008, in partnership with Special Olympics.

But that's not all! We're thrilled to have Will Harding, a passionate attendee of the Special Olympics at the Mark Taylor Oval for the past 10 years, join us too. Will's enthusiasm for cricket knows no bounds! Not only is he the current Manager for Manly Seconds Premier Club, which clinched last season's Premiers title in the Sydney Premier Cricket Association

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/125/spirit-of-cricket/blog/1088/anthony-telfer-in-the-clubhouse-with-phillip-melville-and-will-harding-northern-districts-special-olympics-program
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2 years ago
Peter Procopis
Peter Procopis
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
27 Likes
5 Followers



Shubman the Magnificent- an emerging master craftsman

It was an innings for the ages. Shubman Gill’s match-winning century for the Gujarat Titans in the recent IPL Qualifying Final was electrifying. The young superstar was unstoppable as he set up his side’s victory and consequent place in the Final. His imperious 129 off a mere 60 balls was the highlight of a magnificent IPL campaign for India’s latest master batsman.

Gill’s footwork was nimble and his placement precise. But it was his timing that mesmerised those of us fortunate enough to watch his masterclass. It was sublime. Time and time again he struck the ball at the sweetest of spots in that superb bat swing of his. The cricket ball pinged off his bat as if it was a golf ball being launched from the tee by Rory McIlroy.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/946/peter-procopis/blog/1087/shubman-the-magnificent-an-emerging-master-craftsman
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2 years ago
Kevin Pike
Kevin Pike
Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
6 Likes
4 Followers



In 1975/1976, my first season at St Peters, the A Grade players formed a formidable squad combining a group of seasoned players, with a selection of younger fellows being” blooded” for future experience.

All the Club’s records and score-books have gone missing ,apart from an incomplete minute book, so to my best recollection the A Grade team that represented the club throughout that season comprised, Stephen Mc Mahon, who was thrust into the captaincy, based on “Sydney- experience”, Bede Ryan, Ian Watts , who I have referred to previously, Stuart McDowell, David Mitchell, Keith Smith ( wicket-keeper), David Armitage ( Snr), Luke Foster, John Thompson, Mark McCann and youngsters, Stuart Hutton, Brian Bower and David’s sons, David (Jnr) and James Armitage.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/443/kevin-pike/blog/1086/the-70s-a-story-of-premierships-and-club-spirit-at-st-peters-cricket-club
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2 years ago
Penrith Cricket Club
Penrith Cricket Club
Sydney, Australia
18 Likes
20 Followers



Greg Douglas, newly-wed and seeking affordable housing, came to Penrith from the inner-city Club Western Suburbs, one famous for a tradition of uncompromising toughness practised by such names as Simpson and Wellham, Rixon and Toohey. When ‘Dougo’ arrived in the 1990/91 season he had been brushing shoulders with Dirk Wellham, once a successful NSW captain and Test batsman, and a cricketer notable for encouraging his team mates to engage opponents with a cold, steely eye, and, when appropriate, place a foot on the throat until condition is terminal. Dougo admired the philosophy, but applied it with more personality than his mentor.

He was instantly likeable, with twinkling eyes and a booming laugh, and built like a small tank, arms like hams, although when it became common knowledge that he sold Cadburys chocolates for a living a braver team mate called him “roly-poly”. He once confessed to eating so much chocolate it gave him a headache. In an Annual Report the President thanked him “for his efforts in organising soft drinks and confectionery for the canteen“.

Not too keen on this image—upon arrival, after half a season in Firsts, he had been appointed Second Grade captain and announced that “players need to take a long hard look at themselves, their cricket and their training”—Dougo went on a diet and dropped heaps of weight. “I’ve never eaten so many buckwheat pancakes in my life,” he told Tim Sullivan.

He brought a hard edge to the Seconds. Pre-season, he committed to wintry Sunday morning training sessions at Nepean High School. He worked individually with players, tweaked their games. Accordingly, his players loved playing with him and for him. He drove the team because he was always in the action. From beyond the boundary you’d hear ‘DOWN!’ in a bass roar from the slips as a drive scudded towards a fielder. Or, ‘CATCH!’ when it was in the air. He was an outstanding fielder anywhere, and possessed a flat, hard, accurate throw.

At three Clubs, Wests, Penrith and Balmain, from 1981/82 through 17 seasons, his career in First Grade was somewhat stuttering, perhaps one of those players selectors see as “never quite ‘there’”. Ironically his best First Grade season at Wests was 1989/90, the one previous to coming to Penrith, when he scored 487 runs @ 34.78. At Penrith, when he captained the Seconds for three seasons from 1991/92, he scored 1424 runs @ 31.64, and took 30 catches.

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