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2 years ago

Hawkesbury Cricket Club

Hawkesbury Cricket Club

Sydney, Australia

10 Likes
8 Followers

Craig Bayldon made his first grade debut at the age of 17 for Parramatta District Cricket club on 15 February 1986 against Western Suburbs at Pratten Park.

What a debut it was as Craig skittled Western Suburbs to take 6 for 32 and Western Suburbs were bowled out for 56.

In a career from 1985/86 to 2002/03 Craig Bayldon played for Parramatta and Hawkesbury Cricket Club and took 432 first grade wickets at an average of 26.47. Craig took 5 or more wickets in an innings on 14 occasions.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/466/hawkesbury-cricket-club/blog/467/craig-bayldon-never-give-up

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2 years ago

Carlton Cricket Club

Carlton Cricket Club

Melbourne, Australia

2 Likes
3 Followers

Sam Morris - Champion of Carlton Cricket Club

Born – 22 June 1855
Died - 20.September 1931
Played 1885/6 (1st Carlton CC Premiership)
Carlton Cap No. 98
Victorian Cap No. 152
Australian Cap No. 35

On June 22, 1855 Sam Morris was born in Hobart, or Hobart Town, Van Diemen’s Land as it was then, to West Indian parents who had travelled from Barbados to Tasmania at the time of the gold-rush, and in the hope of a better life. (Van Diemen’s Land was granted self-government and became Tasmania in 1856).

Morris became the first coloured Test cricketer, and the first coloured man to play cricket for Australia following his selection as an opening batsman for the 1884/5 2nd Test match against England at the MCG from January 1-5, 1885

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/398/carlton-cricket-club/blog/351/sam-morris-champion-of-carlton-cricket-club

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2 years ago

Mosman Cricket Club

Mosman Cricket Club

Sydney, Australia

15 Likes
28 Followers

Whales chasing more than their tail - Mosman Cricket Club 7 October 2001

Mosman Cricket Club chased a lot of leather on the weekend and in most grades they’ll need to bat way above expectations if they’re to take the points this Saturday.

However, one team brimming with confidence at the moment is the First XI, who completed their third victory of the season in a one-day match against Eastern Suburbs on Sunday.

Leading the charge was skipper Martin Haywood, who celebrated his birthday by guiding his team to victory with an imposing innings of 79 not out.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/340/mosman-cricket-club/blog/1445/whales-chasing-more-than-their-tail-mosman-cricket-club-7-october-2001

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2 years ago

Manly Warringah District Cricket Club

Manly Warringah District Cricket Club

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

33 Likes
21 Followers

We are pleased to have Craig Glassock as our first Howzat Building Waratah in History for the 2023/24 season.
Craig captained 1st grade for 5 years, starting in 1996/1997 season and continued through to the 2000/01 season. He captained 1st Grade to a premiership in the Limited overs competition in 2000/01 and was a big part of our club in the late 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s.
Craig returned to play 2nd grade in 2001/02 after suffering from a bout of chronic fatigue syndrome. He came back strong and that year in the semi-final at Manly Oval he scored his highest ever grade score of 261 breaking several club records along the way. Unfortunately, a 2nd grade premiership did not eventuate in a tight final battle!

https://manlycricket.com/waratahs-in-history-craig-glassock
/

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2 years ago

South Brisbane District Cricket Club

South Brisbane District Cricket Club

Brisbane, Australia

5 Likes
3 Followers

Jarrod Bird made his first grade debut for south Brisbane District Cricket Club during the 1997/98 cricket season to become the clubs first grade player number 556.

He took 148 first grade wickets at an average of 27.15 and was a valuable member of the clubs 2000-01 first grade premiership winning team.

Jarrod involvement in the game continued after his playing days as he was the head curator of Allan Border Oval for 13 years. He contracts to various organisations to support and offer guidance to groundsman at various venues around the country

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/317/south-brisbane-district-cricket-club/blog/186/jarrod-bird-turf-boss

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2 years ago

Sutherland District Cricket Club

Sutherland District Cricket Club

Sylvania, Australia

29 Likes
22 Followers

Daniel Rixon became Sutherland first grade cap number 207 when he made his first grade debut on 21 December 2003 at the age of just 17.

In a tremendous career Daniel now holds the wicket keeping record for the most number of dismissals in first grade and the club overall.

In 273 first grade games Daniel took 441 dismissals including 359 catches and 81 stumping’s. For the club he played 339 games and took 498 dismissals, 396 catches and 102 stumping’s.

With the bat in hand he scored 3,576 first grade runs at 20.2 with his highest score 98. For the club he scored 5,873 runs at 25 including 2 centuries and 33 half centuries.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/294/sutherland-district-cricket-club/blog/166/daniel-rixon-set-the-example

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2 years ago

Neil Marks

Sydney, Australia

10 Likes
1 Followers

In November 18 2011, a group of elderly NSW cricketers gathered for lunch to reminisce, as they do every year. It was here that they heard of the passing of Ray ''Flocko'' Flockton, one of NSW cricket's best loved characters.

Flocko had been ill for some time so the news was not unexpected, yet there was no noticeable sadness in the group - only thankfulness that Flocko had come into their lives. A toast was raised and Flocko stories flowed, as did the drinks, for the rest of the afternoon.

Apart from cricket, Flockton was one of Sydney's most recognisable people, for in his working life he was a traffic cop and did point duty on some of the city's most difficult corners. For years, Monday evenings would find Flocko directing traffic outside Rushcutters Bay Stadium for ''fight night''. He knew them all, from the fighters to the pensioners in the bleachers, and even the drivers that he had held up would wave as they went by.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/542/neil-marks/blog/548/ray-flocko-flockton-cricketing-wag-was-a-team-favourite

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2 years ago

UNSW Cricket Club

UNSW Cricket Club

9 Likes
9 Followers

Jamie Baker made his first grade debut for UNSW during the 1981/82 season and went on to score 4,180 first grade runs at an average of 31.91 including 7 centuries and 14 half centuries. In all grades at UNSW Jamie scored 5,171 runs.

Jamie moved to Adelaide in 1991 and continued playing Grade/Premier Cricket.

Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?

I really admired the older guys who even after long careers were still striving every ball and had their tricks. Mick O’Sullivan (RIP MoS, such a great bloke and canny flight bowler), Ken Hall, Dave Chardon, Greg Hartshorne and Greg Matthews.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/230/unsw-cricket-club/blog/654/jamie-baker-be-patient-bat-all-day

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2 years ago

Gordon District Cricket Club

Gordon District Cricket Club

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

13 Likes
27 Followers

Brendan McDonald joined Gordon District Cricket Club for the 2005/06 season after making his first grade debut for UTS North Sydney against Randwick during the 2003/04 season.

A talented leg spinner Brendan took 172 first grade wickets for Gordon with best figures of 6 for 65.

He was more than handy with the bat scoring 1,849 first grade runs with 8 half centuries and a highest score of 98 against Bankstown.

Brendan travelled to Adelaide and played for Woodville in 2010/11 where he tool 24 first grade wickets and then to Hobart the following season to play for Lindisfarne and took 21 wickets.

He returned for one more season at Gordon in 2012/13.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/297/gordon-district-cricket-club/blog/497/brendan-mcdonald-enjoy-your-team-mates-success

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2 years ago

Penrith Cricket Club

Penrith Cricket Club

Sydney, Australia

18 Likes
20 Followers

Greg Sheens is Penrith first grade player number 88 after making his first grade debut against North Sydney.

A local junior Greg came through the grades at Penrith and has a wonderful historical connection to the club.

In 1983/84 Greg was awarded the Penrith Rookie of the Year award. In 1987/88 he was the clubs Poidevin Gray Player of the Year and in 1989/90 he won Penrith most outstanding all-rounder.

Greg took 226 wickets for Penrith across all grades.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/330/penrith-cricket-club/blog/1442/greg-sheens-at-least-look-like-a-cricketer

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2 years ago

Penrith Cricket Club

Penrith Cricket Club

Sydney, Australia

18 Likes
20 Followers

Paul Goldsmith is Penrith First Grade cap number 116 and he took 452 wickets at an average of 22.58 including 13 five wickets hauls. In all grades for Penrith he took 572 wickets at 22.43.

In 2018/19 Paul was awarded the Perce Hargraves Club Person of the Year Award and continues to make a significant contribution as President of Penrith Cricket Club.

Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?

Easy one, Trevor Bayliss. It’s fairly obvious based on what he has achieved as a coach but he has such a great cricket mind and was always a step ahead of the batsman. He was big on getting players to think about their own game and made everyone a better player.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/330/penrith-cricket-club/blog/197/paul-goldsmith-understand-your-own-game

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2 years ago

Lyall Gardner

Sydney, Australia

31 Likes
9 Followers

RECORD: 222runs in 1939-40 by Alan Barnes (104) / John “Ginty” Lush (113*) for Mosman 7-441 declared against Paddington 322 at Mosman Oval (now Allan Border Oval) on 3 February 1940.

Batting first in that match, Mosman were away to a good start at 7-219. The only real disappointment for the Whales was that their “big gun”, Stan McCabe, made just 29. But that setback quickly turned to amazement as the club record books were re-written in the space of only 106 minutes. That’s how long it took for numbers 7 and 9 in the batting order, Alan Barnes and John “Ginty” Lush, to smash an unfinished 222 for the 8th wicket. It was the highest score for any partnership across all grades for Mosman, breaking the previous mark of 216 for the 1st wicket by Hammy Love and Charlie Andrews against St George in 1929-30.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/227/lyall-gardner/blog/1441/nsw-premier-cricket-the-record-partnerships-from-1893-to-2023-the-eighth-wicket-record

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2 years ago

Dean Tuckwell

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

70 Likes
20 Followers

Kepler Wessels - “Make the bowler earn your wicket and be ruthless when you get a start.”

Speak to Greg Chappell Cricket Centre CEO Greg Tibbits for any longer than 10 minutes and you will hear about the day he knocked over Kepler Wessels, Allan Border and Greg Ritchie in quick succession in a Brisbane 1st grade game for Colts against a star-studded Valleys side. “Chad” and I were teammates that year and didn’t win too many games but may have won that one if Kepler hadn’t already scored 140.

Kepler’s hundred that day just seemed so….inevitable. His Duncan Fearnley Magnum may have taken a unique and circuitous route to meet the ball but once it did it seemed 10 inches wide. It was a flawless display of concentration, shot selection and placement yet I doubt he even remembers it. That it appeared like he was working on a few shots in a throw down session illustrated just how his professionalism and single-mindedness reaped almost 25,000 first class runs at an average of 50 including 66 hundreds, 6 of them in Test matches.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/489/kepler-wessels-ldquomake-the-bowler-earn-your-wicket-and-be-ruthless-when-you-get-a-startrdquo

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2 years ago

St George Cricket Club

St George Cricket Club

Sydney, Australia

53 Likes
54 Followers

Ray Davies - A genuine all-rounder

Big, strong, barrel-chested, Ray Davies slipped seamlessly into the role of leg-spinning all-rounder left by the retiring Vic Cristofani. Ray loved to thump the ball when batting, fielded athletically and enthusiastically, and was always a happy presence in the dressing room.

He took 19 wickets in 1969-70, his first full season, 26 in the second and 36 in Warren Saunders’ last year. Mostly he bowled in a support role, reaping the benefits of quality bowlers around him.

Bereft of Saunders, Watson, O’Keeffe, Leslie and Osborne in the next summer (1972-73), Ray struggled. Hopes he would become the No 1 spinner who could both attack and bowl tightly were not fulfilled. And in a sense it didn’t look right when the burly Ray tweaked his leggies delicately. Towards the end of the net sessions he would revert to bowling pace, and had batsman ducking and weaving. Eventually he was tried as a pace bowler in the firsts and proved much more effective with a haul of 6-56 an excellent effort. For the next 10 years he bowled pace in first grade and finished with 245 first grade wickets and 451 in all grades for the club.

Ray loved St George and has stayed involved as a long-term chairman of selectors, a link with pat players, and the doer of good things around the club. In particular his mentor/caring role with Rod Luckman over 30 years does him enormous credit.

The story was originally published in John Rogers book 'Mr St George' - Warren Saunders and the culture he inspired

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2 years ago

Paul Ryan

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

503 Likes
513 Followers

David Dillon grew up in the bush in NSW and followed his father’s footsteps to play for Western Suburbs in Sydney Grade Cricket.

He’s cricketing journey has had many travels and as one of his team mates from Bathurst has said, “In another life, he would’ve been a great author. The often humorous and much-loved team man, David Dillon.

What was the best thing about growing in Bathurst and playing senior cricket against the older guys?

I remember playing 6th Grade in Bathurst against men when I was 13 on ant-bed pitches with coir matting at the Showground. Blokes like Scotchy Armstrong, Snags O’Conner and on our side, we had the dynamic pair of Barry Quigs and Ronny Croucher, who had their own version of caught Marsh bowled Lillie. After initially being terrified, by these were big physically imposing blokes, you soon realised that you could compete and that was the bit I loved the most. Competing against the men gave you a huge amount of confidence when you went back to juniors. The sound of a big loud “Howzaat” from men was so different to the squeaky U13 version, so you feel the extra pressure and men play smarter.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/32/paul-ryan/blog/1439/david-dillon-a-little-humour-carries-you-a-long-way

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2 years ago

Redlands Tigers Cricket Club

Redlands Tigers Cricket Club

Brisbane, Australia

6 Likes
4 Followers

The latest instalment in our first grade captain’s series is a cricketing journeyman who was earmarked for big things from a young age. Alex Kemp announced himself on the club scene in his Taverners year with a huge season including a double ton. From there he steadily rose through the grades with buckets of runs at both club and representative level.

Tell me about some of the clubs and rep teams you’ve played with.

I played for BEARS Junior Cricket and went through the various QLD underage teams as a kid (U15-U19’s). I played all my grade cricket in Brisbane for Redlands before moving to Sydney to play with Randwick Petersham Cricket Club. I was also lucky enough to be a part of the Bulls squad for 5 years.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/404/redlands-tigers-cricket-club/blog/595/tigers-tales-1st-grade-captain-alex-kemp-cap-617

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2 years ago

Townsville Cricket

Townsville Cricket

Townsville, QLD, Australia

1 Likes
0 Followers

Sam Scuderi was a truly gifted batsman and cricket prodigy who grew up in the sports hungry North Queensland.

At the age of 13 he was playing A Grade cricket with and against men for Ingham Centrals. At 16 he was playing A Grade for Wanderers in Townsville.

Whilst still a teenager he was selected in the Queensland Country team and many eyes of Queensland cricket were shining brightly at Sam’s run scoring capabilities and talent.

The Scuderi family ran a sugar farm in North Queensland and sadly Sam’s father passed away when he was 16. Sam was to run the sugar farm to help provide for his mother and brother Joe.

"I would have loved to have gone to Brisbane earlier, but it couldn't be done," Sam said.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/385/townsville-cricket/blog/260/sam-scuderi-the-sun-will-come-up-tomorrow

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2 years ago

Country Cricket NSW

Country Cricket NSW

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

8 Likes
41 Followers

Touted as Gloucester’s finest cricket product and most decorated player, Eric Higgins began his cricket career as a Gloucester junior - Gloucester Sports Committee

In 1974 he was selected to attend a NSW country coaching clinic in Sydney, where he scored an unbeaten 101 runs against a combined Green Shield team at the SCG.

Eric played a leading role in the Gloucester team’s win against Manning, Hastings and Macleay in the Mid North Coast inter-district First XI competition in 1975/86.

Eric was a Northern NSW Emu representative where he is listed as the all-time highest century maker, scoring a record four centuries.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/284/country-cricket-nsw/blog/1438/eric-higgins-gloucesterrsquos-finest-cricket-product

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2 years ago

Stockton and Northern Districts Cricket Club

Stockton and Northern Districts Cricket Club

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

7 Likes
1 Followers

Mark Kelaher had a much travelled cricket journey that took him from the Far South Coast of New South Wales, to Sydney, the North of England, Scotland, Newcastle and the Gold Coast.

A talented all-rounder who is NSW Country Cricket player number 31.

Mark played for Petersham Marrickville in Sydney and when he joined Stockton & Northern Districts Cricket Club he was the catalyst and arranged the first annual pre-season weekend when Petersham (now Randwick Petersham) travelled to Newcastle to play Stockton & Northern Districts. The tradition has continued since 1988.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/477/stockton-and-northern-districts-cricket-club/blog/1437/mark-kelaher-eye-opener-for-a-boy-from-the-bush

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2 years ago

Joe Maiorana

Sydney, Australia

40 Likes
2 Followers

Interviewer: Was your decision to quit a premature one?

Dean Jones: Well. it's one of the biggest decisions of my life and it was not taken lightly. The public did not like it and there were a lot of sympathisers. I suppose I have always been brought up to play Test cricket... one-day cricket is a lot of fun. It generates a chance for the players to show their skills. Well, they dropped me for the last one-dayers (against South Africa) and I thought that was the last straw.

Particularly I thought it was not warranted... I had two bad decisions in the last three innings and they still dropped me. There were a few guys who were playing in the side whose records are nowhere near mine. So I thought the selectors are looking for new avenues. I have been one of the senior players in the Australian team for nine years. It's pretty hard just sitting around and playing the odd one-day game. You see, they did not pick me for the first half of the World Series at home and I did not play the Test matches (against South Africa). They selected me for the last half of the one-dayers at home and I did very well. I topped the averages there and went to South Africa.

I told my wife during the tour that I may retire from international cricket. I am still the captain of Victoria and I am captaining the world team against South Africa this August in the Scarborough Festival. So it's funny... I am picked to play for the world team, but not picked to play for Australia.

Interviewer: Would you say the selectors have denied you opportunities in spite of your impressive record?

Dean Jones: Well, in the last eight Test innings I averaged about 85. So it's a bit hard to understand what's going on. But one has to understand the team balance as well... I don't have any hassles with the selectors. When you have two fast bowlers and two spinners. No. 5 and 6 batsmen have to bowl a bit. So they tend to go for the Waughs who bowl. That's where the team balance comes in.

Interviewer: Would you say you could have carried on for some more time?

Dean Jones: I thought I could have... for three or four more years. I think it comes down to whether or not you want to continue. of you are going to train hard and do all those things, you can play as long as possible. I think my game is still very solid and I am still beating the young kids in running between wickets and chasing the ball to the boundaries. But I thought I got them before they got me.

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