SUCC Feature: In the sheds... With the big dogs

It’s the season of 2008/09, my first for the club. After a handful of games in second grade I am selected to make my debut (courtesy of the bracket, pun intended) in first grade, week 2 of the round against Gordon. I walk out to open the batting with Ed Cowan. Matt Nicholson will be bowling for Gordon. I look up as I walk onto University number 1 oval to see the unmistakable figure of Greg Matthews strolling toward me. He grabs my arm and says “You’re playing with the big boys now”.

Now Mo definitely said ‘big boys’, but a more commonly used phrase is ‘big dogs’. Urban dictionary defines ‘Big Dog’ as “one at the top of his game. Be it business man, doctor, sportsman, etc”. It’s safe to say that SUCC has had our share of Big Dogs grace the sheds.

MacGill, Clark, Casson, Cowan, Matthews, Mail, Henry, Cameron, Abbott, Carters, Moran…. You wouldn’t lose too many fixtures with that side… and that’s just since I joined the club.

In that list, they come no bigger than Stuart MacGill. One of Australia’s greatest spinners, he returned to the SUCC ranks in 2011/12 in an attempt to spark a T20 comeback. It has become an infamous event within the first grade side, but let me share a story of a time when I bit off far more than I could chew.

After an emphatic victory, the quorum of the first grade side slipped into the ritual ‘team tub’. Those who have been lucky enough to play at number 1 oval, will know the perils of arriving late to such an event. As the majority of us settled into our usual showers and soaping routines, we could hear Stuart rustling about with his towel on the periphery. Some knowing looks toward me indicated that the play was on. I reached for the one shower head that shoots in a powerful singular jet, and as he strolled through the opening he was meet with an intense stream of ice cold water to the midsection. Instantly seeing red at this show of disrespect, he headed back out to the sheds and swiftly scooped up my playing kit and dragged it toward the showers. The only thing that saved me from an expensive trip to Kingsgrove was the large naked frame of Ian Moran, as he blocked an increasingly agitated MacGill from throwing my kit under the shower.

In the ensuing minutes, amongst nervous laughter from the group and a hapless explanation by myself as to why I thought it was appropriate to take such action, I was firmly reminded by Stuart of exactly where I fit into the ‘SUCC hierarchy’.

Any new shed can be an intimidating place. A shed filled with Big Dogs even more so. But there is one thing you learn when you spend some time with these characters. They are just regular blokes, who happen to be very good cricketers. Once you find your place within the side, and settle into the team dynamic, you have an amazing opportunity to learn from guys who have been to the top levels of the game. The thing with Big Dogs is, their bark is worse than their bite.

The Uni Number 1 sheds are one of my favourite places. Some of the most valuable learning you can do at cricket is after stumps is called and you have a more relaxed opportunity to assess the day with your peers. Long may the traditions continue, and I hope to see you all in the sheds as we push for more success this season.

SUCC Feature: Five things we learned... Round 9

Monty Noble looks safe

One of the few long-standing batting records in Grade cricket belongs to Monty Noble, the Test captain whose career for Paddington spanned over thirty years.  In 1898-99 Noble achieved a batting average of 273, a mark which has never been bettered. For a few weeks before Christmas it looked as though St George batsman Damian Bourke might get close: after Round 7, his average was a monumental 528.  But of course statistics like this are anomalies- they depend on the batsman remaining not out more often than not (Noble was dismissed only twice in his record-breaking season).  Bourke's dismissal for 70 against Gordon reduced his average to a mere 202 - and, while he is in the form of his life, Noble's record seems safe for a while yet.

Jade Dernbach is back

It seems to be compulsory for English cricket fans to ridicule Jade Dernbach.  It's not quite clear why - it could be the ear-rings, the tattoos, the South African origins,  the theatrical wicket celebrations or the fact that more than a few times he's gone for plenty while bowling at the death.  But he's a nippy and resourceful bowler, good enough to play 58 times for England in short-form cricket.  Ten years ago, Dernbach turned out for Randwick-Petersham, but this season he has joined Sydney, and after a sluggish start against Northern District, he made an impression against Campbelltown-Camden, with two early wickets and an economical spell of 2-23 from his ten overs.  With the pitches starting to green up, his arrival gives the competition front-runners a useful boost.  Speaking of which...

The wickets are greening up

Sydney cricket seasons are usually divided in two - before Christmas the pitches are dry and flat and batsmen fill their boots; afterwards there's more grass on the decks and more moisture beneath the surface and bowlers get their revenge.  This is probably even more true in the lower grades, when bowlers can hope for some pitches to be poorly prepared and others to be badly covered.  And so it came to pass in Round Nine, when soaking rain was followed by team totals of 47 in Thirds (Wests routed Penrith), 46 in Fourths (Campbelltown crashed against Sydney) and 46 in Fifths (Sydney against Campbelltown).  About now is a good time to be a lower-grade seamer.

Todd O'Keefe is still with us

In that Fifth Grade match, Campbelltown's keeper-batsman Todd O'Keefe not only top-scored for the game but also (with 47) out scored the whole of his opposition.  The interesting thing about this is that O'Keefe has been playing with Campbelltown since 1985-86 - the club's first season in Grade cricket.  He has played well over 300 matches, appearing in every grade, and continues to set the benchmark for club loyalty.

And Daniel Jackson is no spring chicken either

Parramatta seamer Daniel Jackson hasn't been around quite as long as O'Keefe - he made his First Grade debut in 1990.  But although he passed his 44th birthday in November, he remains hard to get away, hits the bat harder than expected, and earns respect from First Grade batsmen.  His 2-37 from 10 overs was crucial in Parramatta's nail-biting eight run victory over University of NSW- and edged Jackson's career tally a touch closer to 650 wickets.

SUCC Feature: Milestone Monday

Tom Decent's 61 against Easts in Thirds was his highest score for the club.

Lawrence Neil-Smith (4-16) and Hugh Kermond (49) produced career-best Fourth Grade performances against Easts.

Ryan Holcroft's match winning effort in Fifth Grade against Easts included his highest score (42) and best bowling (3-14) for the club.

SUCC Feature: Five things we learned... Round 8

There are no clean sheets left

Two unbeaten teams went in to the final Grade round of 2015, and both suffered their first setback of the season.  Sydney University’s Third Grade side conceded 9-250 to Bankstown at St Paul’s Oval, which was more or less a par score, and looked to be moving towards another victory at 4 for 152 after Jack Holloway and captain Ash Cowan repaired an early collapse.  But Bankstown has Darren Etteridge, a player with plenty of First Grade experience, in its side, and he followed up a hard-hit 65 with the wickets of both Holloway and Cowan.  Bankstown ended up the clear winner by 41 runs.

In First Grade, Sydney needed some late swiping from Nick Govers to reach 209 from its 50 overs at the Village Green, which seemed inadequate until Tom Ortiz removed the in-form Charlie Wakim, and Nathan Sowter accounted for David Dawson.  Spinners Sowter and Ben Manenti choked the run-rate and the home side slumped to 4 for 46.  Ben Wakim – consistent and under-rated – compiled a tidy 52 to steady the innings.  The decisive knock, however, was played by Nicholas Walker, who has hovered between Firsts and Seconds for about five seasons without ever quite establishing himself in the top grade.  This season, he’s playing better than ever, and his unbeaten 79 gave University of NSW the points in the final over of the day.  So, a memorable day for Walker, and an excellent win for the Bees, but the way in which Sydney fought throughout the day was proof that its success this season has been no fluke.

And North Sydney has broken its duck

Someone was always going to come away happy from Pratten Park on Saturday, as both Western Suburbs and North Sydney went into the game in search of their first points of the season.  Kent batsman Fabian Cowdrey did all he could to get Wests across the line, stroking 72 from 91 balls and bowling his ten overs of left-arm darts for only 22 runs.  But the decisive blows were struck by Dave Guthrie, who followed his 3 for 34 by coming in at number ten with 13 runs needed and settling the issue by launching opening bowler Geoff Ashmore over the fence.

Mark Stoneman is in good touch

Over the last few seasons, Bankstown and Sydney University have been the two most successful 50-over teams in Sydney, andSaturday’s contest was as tight as expected.  The match-winner was Durham opener Mark Stoneman, who actually played two distinct innings on the day.  In the Powerplay, he essentially played baseball, squaring up and trying to cross-bat the ball into right field.  There were a couple of home runs, a fair few strikes, and from his first 35 deliveries, Stoneman carved 35 runs.  But then the unlucky Ben Joy and the excellent Will Somerville dragged University back into the game with some suffocating bowling, and Nigel Cowell and Tim Ley worked through the middle order.  Stoneman changed gear, occupying the crease and taking the responsibility of guiding his team home.  He ended up carrying his bat through the innings, facing 133 balls for his unbeaten 84, and clinching victory by two wickets.  With the First Grade table still congested, his innings was the difference between third place for Bankstown and a spot outside the top six. In his two innings for Bankstown this season, Stoneman has amassed 226 runs, and no-one has got him out yet.

This one’s unusual

On Saturday, Bankstown’s opener Ethan Leten hit a return catch to Tom Kierath. becoming the Sydney University spinner’s 200th victim in Second Grade.  What’s unusual about this is that Kierath also has 200 wickets to his name in First Grade.  He’s the first player to do this for Sydney University, and one of very few from any club to achieve it.  The reason why it’s rare is logical enough – anyone good enough to take 200 First Grade wickets doesn’t play all that much in Seconds unless something unusual happens.  It happened at Bankstown in the 1980s and 1990s when the club had three of the best left-arm spinners in Sydney.  Ken Hall had a mortgage on a First Grade place, so David Freedman and Paul (“Straws”) Talbot took turns to play Seconds, even though they both excelled in First Grade when they appeared there.  Freedman and Talbot both passed 200 wickets in each of the top two grades.  In Kierath’s case, he spent much of his time at University behind slow bowlers like Jamie Stewart, Greg Matthews, Stuart MacGill and Will Somerville.  It’s a feat that requires an unusual mixture of talent, endurance and – an increasingly unusual commodity - club loyalty.

Alan Hansen would hate Sutherland

Alan Hansen played football 26 times for Scotland, but he’s best known as the television pundit who announced, in 1995, that Manchester United could not expect to have a successful season because “you win nothing with kids”.  Those kids – who had names like Beckham, Scholes, Giggs and Neville – proceeded to win everything in sight over that year and the next few.  No-one seems to have told Sutherland that you win nothing with kids.  On Saturday, Green Shield batsman Luke Hawksworth made his First Grade debut against Campbelltown and compiled an invaluable 22 not out to lift Sutherland to 9 for 155.  That gave teenage spinners Devlin Malone (5-30) and Riley Ayre (2-38) enough runs to conjure up a 27-run victory. Sutherland has an unusually gifted crop of young players at the moment – it will be interesting to see what happens if they can hold them together.

SUCC Feature: Milestone Monday

Nick Larkin, during his 53 against Bankstown, became the tenth batsman to reach 6000 runs for the club in all grades.

Bankstown opener Ethan Leten became Tom Kierath's 200th wicket in Second Grade.  Tom becomes the first player in the club's history to pass this mark in both Firsts and Seconds.

Dugald Holloway's 5-39 against Bankstown in Seconds was his career-best return for the Club and his first five-wicket haul in any grade.

Ed Arnott's 89 not out against Bankstown was his highest Fourth Grade score.

SUCC Feature: You might not remember...

TIME HAS FORGOTTEN THEM

Dr John Alexander James, OBE, CBE, MB, ChM, FRCS, FRACS.

747 players have appeared for SUCC since Sydney Grade cricket began in 1893-94.

Many played just a few matches and then disappeared from the Club’s records and even from their teammates’ memories.

When survivors of those who had played for the Club before 1920 were interviewed almost 40 years ago, none of them – not even those with lucid memories and acute observations – even mentioned John Alexander James. But James played on and off for the Club over six seasons while studying Medicine. He played in a 1st Grade Premiership season (1909-10) and in the 2nd Grade Premiers of 1911-12. He was awarded Blues for both cricket and Rugby. Then he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in World War 1 in the Medical Corps and was mentioned in despatches for conspicuous gallantry. His devotion to duty in supervising the evacuation of the wounded at some of the momentous battles of 1918 (Mourlancourt, Villers Bretonneaux, Perrone) was outstanding as he repeatedly put himself in the line of heavy shell fire. After the war, he pursued further medical studies in England before being appointed Medical Superintendent of Canberra Hospital. He practised medicine until he was 75. He was awarded the OBE in 1951 and the CBE in 1959. There’s even a hospital in the suburb of Deakin in the ACT named after him (now called Calvary John James Hospital) and a charitable health care organisation (John James Memorial Foundation) named in his memory.

So what else did he have to do to be remembered?

How has he escaped the Club’s notice?

Perhaps an accumulation of circumstances.

He played only three 1st Grade games (see below), scoring 29 runs in 4 innings. He spent most of his life away from Sydney, growing up in Queensland (Brisbane Grammar), the son of a Presbyterian minister, Rev Charles James. He served overseas from 1915 until 1919 (Gallipoli, the Western Front), studied in England (1921-23) and then practised medicine for almost 40 years in Canberra. And as with so many Great War veterans, he returned to civilian life and simply got on with his profession, playing little more cricket.

So what did he do in 1st Grade?

It took him three years to break into the University 1st Grade side as the 109th 1st Grader. In the Club’s narrow loss to Cumberland in October 1909, batting at number 9, James made only a single after, curiously, bowling a few overs, the only time he was called to the bowling crease in 1st Grade. Selection in the 1st Grade side was quite an honour in those days, even when the Club was restricted to undergraduates. Of those who took the field in 1st Grade in 1909-10, Roy Minnett would become a Test cricketer and seven others played 1st class cricket (Eric McElhone, NG Ducker, Paddy Lane, Walter Stack, Clade Tozer, Clive Single and Eric Barbour).

Sent back to 2nd Grade, James answered the selectors in emphatic fashion when he scored 101 against Redfern in December but it was not until February that he was once again summoned to 1st Grade. By that stage, 1st Grade was in fourth place so this was a vital match at Waverley Oval. James contributed only 8 in University’s 161 but on the second day, Walter Stack’s 7 for 55 was decisive in bowling Waverley out for 104. Then, Paddy Lane sent James in first with the explosive Hugh Massie. Why? It’s only speculation but James must have had a reputation as a quick scorer. He hit 20 of the opening stand with Massie (45) and then watched Minnett (86no) and Single (24no) set up the declaration which, however, did not produce an outright. The next game, against second placed Petersham at the SCG was crucial. Petersham made a challenging 223 but Owen Williams, Eric Fisher and McElhone all fell before stumps and University was in trouble at 3 for 33. On the next Saturday, the slump continued. When James was out for 2, the scoreboard read 7 for 79. But, in less than two hours of fireworks, Massie (168no) and the future Polar explorer Andy Watson (40) put on 179, still the record 8th wicket partnership in University’s 1stGrade. This was John James’ last 1st Grade game. He went back to 2nd Grade who were runners up to North Sydney while 1st Grade won a nerve-jangling final with the last pair at the crease. Lisle Terrey ‘miss hit a ball that flew away to deep slip for four’ to give University the Premiership. Terrey and Watson had put on 29 for the last wicket! James continued to turn out for the Club until 1911-12 when he played in the 2nd Grade Premiership side with his younger brother, Edward Stewart James. Edward was himself a talented sportsman, a wicket keeper in 15 1st Grade games (1st Grader no 118), a 1st Grade Rugby half back, one of the first eight to graduate in Veterinary Science from Sydney University in 1914, a Major in the Veterinary Corps in France, mentioned in despatches, awarded the OBE in 1919. When he died in 1977, he was the last survivor of the Club’s 1911-12 2nd Grade Premiership side.

The James brothers: forgotten, not remembered…until now!

SUCC Feature: Top Ten

BATTING:

BOWLING: