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3 years ago
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
Founder
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
503 Likes
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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3 years ago
Wayne Holdsworth
Wayne Holdsworth
Business Development Manager
Sydney, Australia
17 Likes
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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3 years ago
Brad Bannister
Brad Bannister
Teacher
Corrowong, NSW, Australia
32 Likes
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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3 years ago
Andrew Jones
Andrew Jones
Sydney, Australia
8 Likes
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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3 years ago
Scott Atkinson
Scott Atkinson
TradesPerson
Gosford, Australia
62 Likes
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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3 years ago
Dennis Hourn
Dennis Hourn
Sydney, Australia
38 Likes
2 Followers

It's 1975 and Tony Greig, Waverley's captain, conspires with the players from the opposing team, Randwick, to play a trick on a fieldsman in the gloom of a Rothman’s Knock Out limited over match at Waverley Oval.
Tony bowls, the Randwick batsman Billy Knowles hooks and Tony screams to the visually challenged fieldsman who is fielding in the dark at deep fine leg, “Hournie Catch it, Catch it”. Hournie of course runs around in circles looking for the ball but it can’t be seen. At least by Hournie.
After an agonising twenty or so seconds and a fruitless search for the ball Hournie looks up and sees Greigy sitting on the pitch laughing his head off holding the ball up in the air.
The crowd and opposing team are also laughing because Greigy had cooked up a
scheme to bowl a “dummy” and for the batsman to play a ‘dummy’ hook shot. Everyone was in on the act except Hournie.
Tony dined out on that at many Waverley functions for years after.

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3 years ago
Daniel Horsley
Daniel Horsley
Property Developer
Middle Dural, Sydney, Australia
16 Likes
4 Followers

Western Suburbs First Grade in Sydney and we’re playing Manly at Manly Oval in the mid-90s, Wests captain Mike Swan was batting with Geoff Spotswood and we’re doing quite well but if you know Spotty, he’s a fierce competitor but struggles with running due to a long and glorious rugby league career.
Manly were down a player through injury and we offered a fielder to step in. I was sent on and positioned a fine leg. Swanny was on strike, he clips a ball to backward square. As they’ve set off for two runs, I’ve swept around to pick up and through not realising that Swanny was coming back for a third. Spotty was even more surprised and had already made camp at the non-striker’s end. I send the ball into the keeper with the usual enthusiasm, not checking to see if the guys were safely home.
As a result, the ball sailed nicely over the top of the bails for the Manly keeper to make an easy run out, with Mike halfway down the wicket…. I nearly ate his bat as he made his way past me to the pavilion. Still hasn’t forgiven me.

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3 years ago
Jim Robson
Jim Robson
Sydney, Australia
13 Likes
4 Followers

I was not good enough to be a first class player but in November 1979 I was fortunate to be chosen as captain of the Australian Universities team to play the England Test team at Adelaide Oval. It was a serious 4 day match as England were due to play Australia in the First Test a week later.

We were very weak “on paper” and I got a call from the Australian Cricket Board that the toss with Mike Brearley should be a “pretend “ toss and that England had to bat first no matter what. I assume they thought we would be dismissed for a very low score if I decided to bat first.

As captain I had a “secret weapon” in leg spinner Geoff Kirkwood. I knew him v well as he came from my club, University of NSW. He was a colourful personality. Kirky was outstanding at drinking, smoking and playing the piano. Whilst he had trouble holding down a first grade spot due to our NSW squad spinners Mark Ray, Paddy Grattan-Smith and Steve Campbell I knew he had the X factor. Yes he had a great top spinner and England were known to be very poor against leggies in that era.

Being aware of these factors I brought Kirkwood onto bowl very early. Our opening bowler Peter Clough had set it up by bowling quickly at Boycott and Brearley and I was confident when Kirky came on. My big decision as captain was to get him to bowl without anyone in the deep on the leg side.

Sure enough with no one in the deep batsmen such as Botham, Gooch and Randall attempted to slog him when he bowled too short. But they could not pick his top spinner….it skidded onto them too quickly and they just mishit his short ones to midwicket or square leg

Kirky finished with 5 wickets off 16 overs and we dismissed England for 179. In response Dirk Wellham batted superbly for us and we took a first innings lead. This was deservedly Kirky’s match and he was the lead story on the back page of every Australian newspaper. Brearley and I batted poorly in this match but I felt I “out captained” him due to my successful tactics with Kirky.

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3 years ago
Mark Patterson
Mark Patterson
Sydney, Australia
14 Likes
3 Followers

When captaining a cricket team, it is always very important to watch and take notice of the batters grip and the plane in which the bat comes down when they look to play either a defensive or attacking shot.
I remember watching a grade final at Coogee Oval and No 8 and 9 were batting and they needed 50 dd to win.
After watching the batsman hit every ball square and slashing a few behind point the captain and bowler decided to all the fielders on the off side much squarer and also put in a fly slip about 10m in from the boundary.
2 balls later ball was pitched up outside the off stump and the batter played a big slash and got a thick outside edge straight to into the hands of fly slip.
The fielding team went on to defend the score and win the premiership.
The message I took from watching what happened was always be thinking and backing yourself as captain

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3 years ago
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
Founder
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
503 Likes
513 Followers

I remember a one-day game at Hurstville Oval.
St George was batting first and one of our openers was a very attacking batter. In the early stage of his career, he liked to hit more boundaries than singles especially in a 50 over game.
The opposing captain set a 7/2 field in the first over including 2 slips, third man, point, deep cover, short cover and mid-off.
On the leg side was a mid-on and fine leg with plenty of open and inviting space.
The bowler played his role perfectly with the first ball being outside off stump through to the keeper. The second ball was well pitched up on off stump and our opener eyes lit up as he played across the line to the open space and was out LBW.
A clearly well thought out plan and terrific risk v reward captaincy.

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