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3 years ago
Asquith Rugby League Cricket Club
Asquith Rugby League Cricket Club
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
2 Likes
0 Followers



Michael Hall - hard work creates opportunity

I’m lucky enough to have played a few years with Gary Bensley at Epping after he finished his grade career. Gary’s batting, bowling, fielding and captaincy were second to none. His competitiveness was there to see and whenever a game was on the line he could always make that difference. I also learnt that dropping a catch of Gary’s bowling wasn’t a good thing, especially if he was driving you home after cricket.

Jack Moran who was my 2nd Grade Captain at ND’s was a relatively quiet character but taught me to never give my wicket away cheaply and to think about your shot selection. By looking at him you knew whether you had done well or not – he didn’t need to say anything. Watching him work hard in the tough times with the bat created the respect he had from his team.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1016/asquith-rugby-league-cricket-club/blog/1123/michael-hall-hard-work-creates-opportunity
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3 years ago
Sheldon Stackpoole
Sheldon Stackpoole
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
7 Likes
0 Followers



The Gabba - Australia v West Indies Tied Test in 1960

As my dad rummaged through his study recently, we came across the scorebook he maintained as a young 14-year old. As a cricket tragic you could imagine my surprise and delight to find one of the games in the scorebook was the tied test match between Australia and the West Indies at the Gabba in 1960-61.

Dads dad, my grandad, Jack Stackpoole was on the executive for Toombul Cricket Club and he had received passes to the game. Dad, John Stackpoole sat in the delegate’s area next to the Queensland Cricketers' Club, a fine vantage point at the Gabba and watched the game diligently - taking score each over. Here’s a replica of dad’s scorecards:

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/268/sheldon-stackpoole/blog/1121/the-gabba-australia-v-west-indies-tied-test-in-1960
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3 years ago
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
Founder
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
503 Likes
513 Followers



Growing up in Armidale Northern NSW in the 1970s I was like many youngsters playing backyard cricket at every opportunity and emulating my cricket heroes Ian and Greg Chappell, Rod Marsh, and Dennis Lillee.
In January 1980 at the age of 12 I was on a family holiday in Sydney and dad, and I went to the SCG to watch Australia and England in our first day night 50 over game. We sat high up in the old Sheridan Stand.
Australia batted first and scored 163. Under lights Dennis Lillee bowled first change after Jeff Thomson and Geoff Dymock and the England openers put on around 30 when Lilee came on the bowl.
He took 3 quick wickets and looking back at the old scorecard England had lost 3 for 9 and were 3 for 40 and then 4 for 51.
The crowd was going crazy chanting the famous "Lillee, Lillee, Lillee.." and he ended up taking 4 for 12 off his 10 overs before England scrapped home 8 down for 164 off 48.5 overs.
It was an incredible first up experience. I loved it.
Fast forward 12 or so years later and Lillee was doing one of his fast bowling clinics for young NSW fast bowlers at the SCG.
As a wicket keeper batter in Sydney Grade Cricket, I was invited to come along and after having a hit in the nets the fast bowlers ventured out for a centre wicket session. I did some keeping for an hour or so and then had an opportunity for another hit.
Lillee was working with the fast bowling group and after a couple of minutes batting he must've wanted to show them something and to my surprise grabbed a ball (he must’ve been 43/44 years of age), stood at the top of his mark and started running in to bowl.
It was a strange sensation. All of a sudden here I was facing up to a childhood hero bowling from the same end he was back in 1980 when the entire crowd was chanting “Lillee, Lillee, Lillee”. So surreal

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3 years ago
Armidale District Cricket Association
Armidale District Cricket Association
10 Likes
8 Followers



Mike Porter has made a lifetime and invaluable contribution to cricket in Armidale in Northern NSW.

Firstly as a player and then as an administrator. Mike has been the President of Armidale District Cricket Association for 34 years and his journey of contribution epitomises everything good about the game of cricket.

As a player Mike played his entire club cricket career for Easts. Easts were arguably the most dominant teams of the late 1970s and 80s with most of their team also in the Armidale District Cricket representative team.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/237/armidale-district-cricket-association/blog/112/mike-porter-play-hard-but-always-be-fair
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3 years ago
St George Cricket Club
St George Cricket Club
Sydney, Australia
53 Likes
54 Followers



Murray Bennett is Australia’s Test Cricketer 327 and played 3 Tests and took 6 wickets as a left arm off spinner.

His first class career spanned from 1982/83 to 1987/1988 where he played 67 first class games and took 157 wickets at an average of 30.92. His best figures were 6 for 32 and he took 5 wickets in an innings on 5 occasions.

In Sydney Grade Cricket Murray played from 1973 to 1992 and took 485 wickets at an average of 17.62 and scored 3,973 runs at an average of 24.07.

Murray was a NSW State Selector for many years and a former President of his beloved St George Cricket Club. He’s a Life Member of St George and was selected in the St George Team of the Century in 2011.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/275/st-george-cricket-club/blog/533/murray-bennett-viv-and-that-ball
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3 years ago
Manly Warringah District Cricket Club
Manly Warringah District Cricket Club
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
33 Likes
22 Followers



David Gainsford joined Manly Warringah District Cricket Club in 1985 and became player number 1038.

From 1985 to 1997 David took 262 wickets at an impressive average of 23.31 and scored 2,453 runs at 22.27 including one hundred and 7 half centuries.

David also played first grade cricket for North Sydney and is player number 551 making his first grade debut for the bears against Randwick in the 1998/99 seasons.

David is a very proud Life Member of MWDCC and continues to make a tremendous and most valuable contribution to the club as Deputy President and Director of Cricket.

A country boy at heart, let’s find out more about David’s journey in the game

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/338/manly-warringah-district-cricket-club/blog/211/david-gainsford-narromine-to-the-beaches
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3 years ago
Wolston Park Centenary Cricket Club
Wolston Park Centenary Cricket Club
Brisbane, Australia
1 Likes
0 Followers



Greg White - do groundsman drive mustangs

Greg White is one of a kind. A former First Grade Premiership winning opening batsman for Easts in a very good era, he faced the high quality Queensland bowlers of those years including the great Jeff Thomson and collected a century along the way (not in that game!).

A proud Easts man, BUT when the club moved and became Easts/Redlands and went out to its new facilities at Redlands Whitey began a long association with the Wolston Park Cricket Club in the Sub- Districts competition where he is now (we think) the only curator in world cricket who owns a Mustang!

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/473/wolston-park-centenary-cricket-club/blog/416/greg-white-do-groundsman-drive-mustangs
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3 years ago
Pat Culpan
Pat Culpan
Business and Research Analyst
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
7 Likes
0 Followers



My Best Grade team - Pat Culpan 2000 to 2020

I have been lucky enough to sit in the best seat in the house for Valley District Cricket Club for the last 23 years. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly but enjoyed every moment of watching every ball. Here is my VDCC team of the 21st century:

1. Lachlan Pfeffer (Wicket Keeper)

Pfeffy fills the role of opener and wicket keeper. Good enough to play for Queensland in either role. VDCC 1st Grade career 3745 runs @ 34.68 with 10 centuries, 151 catches and 10 stumping’s.

2. Matthew Hayden

Haydos was a country boy and went to Marist Brothers College in Ashgrove, a quick walk down the hill and he was playing for Valley. Scored big for VDCC as well as he did for Queensland and Australia

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/859/pat-culpan/blog/1116/my-best-grade-team-pat-culpan-2000-to-2020
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3 years ago
Dean Tuckwell
Dean Tuckwell
Travel Agent
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
70 Likes
20 Followers



Julia Price - A touch of class

A world class wicketkeeper and useful batter, Julia Price represented Australia in 94 internationals between 1996 and 2005 and whilst there have been plenty of women’s cricketers before her, Julia Price is a trailblazer in that she used her prowess and love of the game to create a life and livelihood from cricket, playing and coaching around the world working in England, Ireland, Scotland and The Netherlands. Following a successful playing career with Queensland she was asked to guide a young Tasmanian side as a player and subsequently became head coach of Women’s cricket in the island state. A true student of the game she was also the first female coach in the men’s BBL becoming Darren Lehmann’s assistant at The Brisbane Heat in 2019/20.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/116/julia-price-a-touch-of-class
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3 years ago
Ken Jacobs
Ken Jacobs
Business Advisor
13 Likes
4 Followers



Neil Harvey - 254 for Fitzroy v St Kilda

Ashley Mallet’s book, ‘The Last Invincible’, about Neil Harvey provides a pertinent reminder of just how good a player he was at both state and national levels .However he also recorded some wonderful performances at club level and perhaps none better than in 1951/52 as a 23 year old for his first club Fitzroy in a semi- final against a strong St Kilda Cricket Club team.

Neil scored 254 in the first innings and remarkably scored the runs in even time!

He followed this up with another century in the second innings scoring 126 as Fitzroy comfortably defeated the Saints.

This however was not the first time Neil had scored a century in each innings for Fitzroy- ten years earlier as a 13 year old he scored 101 and 141no for the Club’s third eleven.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/126/ken-jacobs/blog/104/neil-harvey-254-for-fitzroy-v-st-kilda
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3 years ago
Ronald Cardwell
Ronald Cardwell
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
0 Likes
0 Followers



Desmond Anthony Mullarkey – The promising batsman

Aged 22, Desmond Anthony Mullarkey was the second youngest player for St George in their first season in first grade. The Mullarkey family story is somewhat sad, reflective of the times and the devastation and tragedy that families felt following the Great War. There were seven boys and two girls in the family and following the outbreak of the war five enlisted for active service, with three paying the ultimate sacrifice.What made it harder was that Frederick Mullarkey, Elizabeth’s husband, had died in August 1911, leaving her to care and raise the children who were still at home. It was tough but Elizabeth always “presented a bright face to the world”.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1011/ronald-cardwell/blog/1115/desmond-anthony-mullarkey-ndash-the-promising-batsman
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