Recent Activity
2 years ago
The best three fast bowlers I played against?
Dean Tuckwell
Travel Agent
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
70 Likes
20 Followers
20 Followers
The best three fast bowlers I played against?
Carl Rackemann was quick of course but it was his bounce and accuracy made him so difficult to play.
I opened the batting against Michael Holding (with Ezra Moseley at the other end) in a benefit game in England. Every ball hit the seam and if he wasn’t beating the outside edge he was cutting me in half. I don’t remember hitting a ball so he obviously didn’t bowl at the stumps.
You had to be on your game when facing Adam Dale as he put you under pressure every ball. He had a beautiful outswinger and always just short of a driving length. Although you could pick his inswinger it was always on the money as was his bouncer which was a yard quicker than his stock ball.
If Chippin wasn’t quick enough for this list I’ll throw in Joe Dawes – accurate and bowled a heavy ball at a nasty length.
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2 years ago
Stephen Conroy
Christchurch, New Zealand
1 Likes
0 Followers
0 Followers
We have a promising 17-year-old batter at our club and we’ve noticed he’s picking the bat up towards leg slip as the bowler is running into bowl. What’s the best way to help and is there a preference to how he should pick the bat up?
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2 years ago
Next summer I will be coaching Valley District Cricket Club First Grade in Queensland Premier Cricket (Red Ball only).
Peter Clifford
Insurance Manager
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
104 Likes
32 Followers
32 Followers
Next summer I will be coaching Valley District Cricket Club First Grade in Queensland Premier Cricket (Red Ball only).
It will be great helping talented, keen, and focused young men.
We have a blend of experience and youth backed up by a smart forward-thinking Board.
To help win a Premiership is my goal.
August can’t come quick enough!
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2 years ago
Who am I?
CricConnect Stories
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
191 Likes
257 Followers
257 Followers
Who am I?
I made my first-class debut in 1952/53 and played for 2 states in Australia
• 60 first class hundreds
• 62 Test matches for Australia
• passed 50 in 37 innings in Test Cricket for Australia
• took 349 first class wickets
• took 383 catches in first class cricket
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2 years ago
I read this article about Str8bat and wanted to ask cricket coaches what their opinion is of the new technology.
Damien Trott
Student
Melbourne, Australia
49 Likes
7 Followers
7 Followers
I read this article about Str8bat and wanted to ask cricket coaches what their opinion is of the new technology.
It's a sensor that's attached to your bat and the article suggests it helps improve batting techniques.
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/str8bat-cricket-technology-batting-360-view-sensor-real-time-analysis-players-coaches-buttler-zampa/2023-04-18
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2 years ago
Luki Soeradinata
Business Development Manager
Singapore, Singapore
45 Likes
2 Followers
2 Followers
Hi, all. I am just new in this forum. I hope to provide some input as I go. I hope it is all useful. I am just a grass roots cricketer, born in Indonesia and grew up in country Victoria. There was no reason for me to play the game due to my background. To cut a long story short, I have played and/or been involved with cricket for 40 years and have enjoyed every bit of it. All my kids played and 2 of them are still playing with a sub District Club in Melbourne. My passion is grass roots and I believe that sports offers many things for kids. I grew up in clubs and I remember the weekends where we talked all the day about nothing and everything. Some of the best memories have been on a Saturday in and around cricket clubs. Recent times, it has saved my mind during tough times also. Its a great place to be. I now coach at the Singapore Cricket Club and spend most of my time there. I also am working with sports clubs internationally to improve efficiencies in clubland! Thats the short version...till my next post...cee ya.
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2 years ago
My most surreal moment in cricket
Greg Briggs
Gosford, NSW, Australia
31 Likes
1 Followers
1 Followers
My most surreal moment in cricket
I was 19 and working my way through the grades and into 1st Grade at Northern District when returning from a tour to Pakistan with the Australian Under 19’s I was selected in the NSW Shield Squad to start training in the July. After playing against the likes of Salim Malik and Rameez Raja at stadiums in Karachi and Lahore of Pakistan and then a few months later to be included in the NSW Squad to start training with people like Doug Walters, Len Pascoe, Ian Davis, Peter Toohey and the like cricketers I’d watched on TV growing up and admired and now I’m rubbing shoulders with them it was something I’ll never forget.
A far cry from my junior cricket days a few years earlier as a skinny kid playing for Gosford on the Central Coast.
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2 years ago
Few men had a greater love of the Randwick District Cricket Club than Wally Byrne. He began as a player and finished as President of the club, a position he held for seven years between 1952 and 1958.
Lyall Gardner
Sydney, Australia
31 Likes
9 Followers
9 Followers
Few men had a greater love of the Randwick District Cricket Club than Wally Byrne. He began as a player and finished as President of the club, a position he held for seven years between 1952 and 1958.
In 1932-33, Wally Byrne was captain of the Randwick First XI. In the four years he skippered the side, it finished 2nd, 3rd, 3rd and 2nd. It was an amazing effort and only bad luck prevented the team not taking out a premiership or two during that period.
An indication of his dedication to Randwick and the game he loved was illustrated by an incident during the course of a 1st Grade match at Kensington Oval in October 1933. A member of the Randwick team was Dr. William McCristal, a fine left-hand bat and later captain of the team. However, on this occasion, Wally was in charge of the side and was a little upset to learn that the Doc had to leave the ground to deliver a baby. Once the delivery was complete, Dr McCristal returned to the game although Wally’s enquiry of the details of the birth did not eventuate until the fall of the next wicket. This was an amazing display of patience and restraint by the skipper as the baby Dr McCristal delivered, was in fact Wally’s daughter, Judy!!
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2 years ago
When I first moved to Sydney (1985/86) I opened the batting with our skipper Steve Janz, Western Suburbs v Manly at Pratten Park.
Paul Ryan
Founder
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
503 Likes
513 Followers
513 Followers
When I first moved to Sydney (1985/86) I opened the batting with our skipper Steve Janz, Western Suburbs v Manly at Pratten Park.
Manly had David Lawrence who went on to open the bowling for England a few years later in their team.
Lawrence was bowling from the bowling club end and a few overs he had Janzy dropped at first slip from the 4th ball of the over. The next ball Janzy edged straight to first slip, and he was dropped again.
The 6th ball of the over was uneventful as was the next over from the other end.
The first ball of Lawrence’s next over Janzy edged it straight to first slip again and for the 3rd time in 4 balls the catch went down. First slip was hitting the ground with his hand whilst everyone else turned and looked away while smiling politely.
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2 years ago
Dave Gibson
9 Likes
0 Followers
0 Followers
How often should a junior (let’s say 11-14) practice their skills during the week?
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2 years ago
Steven Young
1 Likes
0 Followers
0 Followers
What are captains looking for in the pitch when they have to decide to bat or bowl first if they win the toss?
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2 years ago
In relation to the Mankad issue and its increased regularity especially in T20 cricket.
Wayne Holdsworth
Business Development Manager
Sydney, Australia
17 Likes
2 Followers
2 Followers
In relation to the Mankad issue and its increased regularity especially in T20 cricket.
Bowlers are penalised for going 1mm over the crease for a no ball and it cost the team one run plus a free hit which could mean the penalty is 7 runs if the free hit is hit for 6. Bowlers are also penalised if they’re stray outside the markers and the ball is called a wide and it could also cost their team 7 runs if the additional bowl is hit for 6. That’s all fine because it’s in the rules.
The Mankad is in the rules but it’s not a good look and creates tension amongst the players so with all the technology involved in the game what if a penalty is introduced to the batting team if the batter leaves the crease before the ball is bowled.
The technology and penalty take the pressure off the bowlers and the umpires and like the bowler’s penalties means the batters have to stick to the rules of the game.
Is 2 or 3 runs too much of a penalty, keen to get your thoughts.
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2 years ago
Brad Bannister
Teacher
Corrowong, NSW, Australia
32 Likes
3 Followers
3 Followers
A great tale from my time at the Gold Coast Dolphins in Queensland Premier Cricket. Apparently, as the story goes, back in 1994/95 the boys were playing Valleys and the Valleys team consisted of Stuart Law, Matthew Hayden, Allan Border et al. A rare time where there was no Shield or International matches over a two-week period. The Dolphins skip figured that the best option for a positive result was to win the toss and bat the entire two days. All went to plan and the boys did win the toss and duly batted for the two days, with opener Ian Redpath (not of test match fame) posting an unbeaten 194 not out. Suffice to say the boys from Valleys were none too impressed to having to field for two days with no chance of a stick of their own. After the match, as Border was heading to the car, a young third grader Dolphins lad (who went onto have a good first class career of his own) went up to Border and asked “excuse me Mr Border, can I have your autograph please?” to which Border replied “do you play for the Gold Coast son?”, “yes “said the bright eyed young fella, Border continued walking and said succinctly “no thank you” ... well maybe a little stronger
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2 years ago
Peter Fitzgerald
Property Developer
Auckland, New Zealand
16 Likes
4 Followers
4 Followers
What makes a good cricket captain?
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2 years ago
Charles Perrignon
Financial Services Executive
Sydney, Australia
7 Likes
0 Followers
0 Followers
Playing for Gordon Green Shield in '81 versus Mosman at Allan Border Oval, we were fielding. Ball struck towards boundary, two guys chase the ball, and the first guy picks up the ball and without looking, picks up the ball, pivots beautifully and throws the ball at 246km/h - straight into the head of Tony Cable, the other fielder. The ball bounced off Tony's head and over the fence on the full. Debate raged whether it was a 6 or a 4, whilst poor old Tony lay prostrate near the mid wicket boundary........ fyi Tony did recover.........
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2 years ago
I was given a few tastes of first grade at the age of 17 and was captained by former NSW and Australian 2nd X1 batsman Tony Steele. Tony was a hard man but a very fair man for those that got to know him. Tony was a perfectionist in every venture he undertook, socially and in his business life. If it was a game of tiddly winks, tennis or golf Tony would want to win and find a way to take the cash every time.
Andrew Jones
Sydney, Australia
8 Likes
3 Followers
3 Followers
I was given a few tastes of first grade at the age of 17 and was captained by former NSW and Australian 2nd X1 batsman Tony Steele. Tony was a hard man but a very fair man for those that got to know him. Tony was a perfectionist in every venture he undertook, socially and in his business life. If it was a game of tiddly winks, tennis or golf Tony would want to win and find a way to take the cash every time.
My first-grade introduction was a baptism of fire and some of the best learning experiences ever. I was now playing with grown men who were duelling it out like there was no tomorrow which I took parts of into my future cricket career.
One of those early games was played at Manly Oval on a flat track of rolled baked mud recovering from the rugby season. When Tony gestured me up from fine leg for a bowl and placed the ball in my hand, he looked me in the eyes and said, “nothing short to this bloke. His name is Peter Toohey, and he is one of the best hookers and pullers in the game and doesn’t own a baggy green cap for nothing.”
Tony set the field for a flat deck accordingly. Yeah right, I thought. I used most of the first over to loosen up and said to myself it’s time to test this bloke out. The next ball was a rank half tracker that didn’t gut up above waist height that Peter pulled in front of square hard and flat. The ball didn’t go above head height and hit the mesh on top of the brick wall on the bowling club side of Manly oval.
After that over Tony called out Andy, got a sec. Tony’s summary and advice post my first over was ……. “If you bowl another short ball to Rats in this session, I will not bowl you again and you will be running from fine leg to fine leg for the rest of the game.”
My next over and contrary to Tony’s advice ……. I tried the old 3 card trick on the 5th or 6th ball with everything I had and was dispatched high and long into the top of the Slaggy Miller stand that backs on to Sydney Road. All be it over fine leg. I bowled 2 overs that game and true to his word Tony had me running from fine leg to fine leg till the close of play. Valuable lesson learnt. Don’t wear speedos under your creams.
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2 years ago
Many years ago when I was a youngster playing in Condobolin (450km West of Sydney) on drought ravaged ovals, sand soaked artificial wickets and doing your own umpiring from both ends I meet Robert Reed.
Scott Atkinson
TradesPerson
Gosford, Australia
62 Likes
24 Followers
24 Followers
Many years ago when I was a youngster playing in Condobolin (450km West of Sydney) on drought ravaged ovals, sand soaked artificial wickets and doing your own umpiring from both ends I meet Robert Reed.
Reedy was a well-built aboriginal cricketer who bowled some serious left arm fast wheels.
Robbie played for us at the disapproval of the only aboriginal team in Condo, the Boomerangs.
Needless to say he would cop his fair share of sledging (only ever off the field and never on game day).
On this typical 40 odd degree day at the Association ground in the middle of a race track with no grass to be seen for 3 kilometres, we were playing the Boomerangs.
We lost the toss and in the field. Robbie was extra fired up to and keen to extract some pay back to his mob.
Robbie measures out his run up, throws his hat on the ground and country cricketers do and politely explains to me I should give myself a few more steps back than my usual crouch as the keeper.
Boomerangs opening batsman Normy Smith is at the strikers end, looking a little nervous.
“Centre please Albert”… Albert is the umpire.
First ball - Reedy is gaining pace with every delivery stride and for every one of his steps Norm is moving one step closer to the square leg umpire… whooosh, it’s a short ball and goes over Norm’s head by a foot and over my 5’ 8” frame… one bounce and over the boundary line.
Its clear self-preservation is the only thing on Norm’s.
Second ball and Reedy smelling blood.
It’s short again and slams straight into Norm’s gloves right in front of his nose, up in the air and into my gloves.
‘Hoowwsss that?” Robbie screams ……. And there’s a long lag, before the umpire says “Not Out’
“Not Out” screams Robbie “It came off his glove”
Albert the umpire says “not out, it came off his elbow”
Silence moves across the ground… and then Norm breaks the silence “nah nah Albert definitely of the glove mate… I’m outta here”
Well bowled Robbie
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