1st Grade:
Sydney University 10/340 (R Carters 113, E Cowan 58, May 48, M Crane 4/112) Def Gordon 10/249 (M Crane 80, M Junk 61, D Malone 5/78, B Joy 2/46)
A full strength Students outfit arrived at Chatswood to take on the undefeated Gordon, hoping Nick Larkin could get first use of the batting facilities on offer. A successful call had the bowlers putting the feet up and searching for the morning papers. With Larkin starting with a sublime cover drive first ball and two less convincing boundaries inside the first over, it was clear we would need to post a decent total to pick up the six points.
The pitch had just enough variable bounce and seam in it to make the batsmen work hard for their runs. Fortunately, Cowan and Carters possessed both the technique and temperament for the task, grafting their way to lunch against some high quality seam bowling from Stobo and leg spin from the English import Crane.
Cowan’s departure for 58 in the middle session brought Mortimer to the crease, who continued his recent good form. Carters and Mortimer added 87 for the third wicket before Mortimer got one that bounced sharply off a length and was caught behind. Carters reached his maiden century for SUCC, an invaluable 113 given the bowling and pitch conditions. The chase for quick runs and some terrible running saw wickets fall rapidly in the last hour. We were bowled out in the last over for 340.
Ben Joy stepped up to take the new ball in Rogers’ absence with immediate effect, removing Eccles caught at the wicket by BTJ. A stunning run out from Mortimer removed the in-form Kahlin and Gordon were reduced to 2-24. Disciplined bowling from Ley and Elley kept the scoring rate down and pressure on the batsmen, but no further progress in the wicket column for an hour or so. Enter Devlin Malone with about half an hour to lunch. Half an hour the later the game was as good as over, with Malone ripping through the Gordon line up. He did all the work himself too, three bowled and two caught-and-bowled. The list of batsman not able to pick him has moved to an electronic platform for ease of storage. Seven down at lunch has us thinking of a potential outright win, but the Gordon tail well and truly wagged and we had to wait until the second new ball to finally claim six points. Cold cans of Asahi tasted very good after a hard fought win.
1ST Grade Kingsgrove T20 Cup: Sydney University 145 (D Mortimer 45, B Trevor-Jones 25) Def by ACT Comets 1/149 (A Blizzard 97*)
Game three off the Kingsgrove T20 Cup saw the students travel down to the nations capital to take on the ACT Comets. Losing the toss, the ACT sent us in and we started well with Nick Larkin cruising to 20 off 12 balls, to have the students 0/33 after 3 before some disciplined bowling saw us lose 4/20 to be reeling at 4/56. Damien Mortimer (45 off 45) and James Larkin (21 off 17) batted with controlled aggression to add some respectability to the score, before some late hitting from Ben Trevor-Jones (25 off 17) saw us post a defendable 145.
Despite Ben Joy taking an early wicket, we were unable to plug the flow of runs from Aiden blizzard’s bat, fresh from his 81* in the morning game, he was exceptional posting 97 off just 52 balls. Tim Ley was the standout with the ball going for just 12 runs in his three overs well supported by Liam Robertson 0/18 off his 3.1 overs.
A second straight loss in the Kingsgrove T20 Cup has us sitting outside the top four, however with a slim chance of progressing through to the final series.
2nd Grade:
Gordon 270 (S O’Brien 56, D Smith 44, K Elley 4/80, L Whitaker 3/50) Def Sydney Uni 10/196 (J Crowley 53, D Miller 42, S Baker 4/38)
Day one against Gordon saw the students arrive to yet another belter at University number 1. Unsurprisingly after winning the toss Gordon didn’t hesitate to bat, getting off to a reasonable start sitting at 0/40 before Kieran Elley made the first breakthrough bowling ex-student Cam New for 14.
Wickets continued to fall at a pleasing rate for the students, with Elley being the chief destroyer, burgling four wickets while Dugald Holloway bowled with great pace and little luck to finish with 2/32 off 20. Liam Whitaker also bowled with fantastic control and varied his pace well claiming 3/50 in his 24 overs.
Just after tea, the students had Gordon at 7/190 with the hope of chasing a little more than 200, unfortunately some late order doggedness saw the Stags post 270 at the close of play.
Heading into Day 2 the Students required 271 to claim a vital six points to establish themselves in the top half of the ladder. A bright start to the day ensued with ‘Old’ winning a scrappy game of Nash to the tone of 2-0.
Jack Holloway and Will Hay began the chase in watchful fashion, Gordon pestering away with early swing and seam movement. Holloway after receiving a barrage of feedback on his technique from the fielding side departed, leaving Miller and Hay to remain resolute until lunch at 1-59.
Proceedings resumed with the Uni boys beginning to the find the gaps in the blanket like in-field. However, the game took a turn for the worst with a collapse of 3 for 4 left the students teetering at 4-88. This was further compounded half an hour later with the loss of the fifth wicket with the score at 107.
Newly induced Cardinal Nicky Craze and James Crowley set about righting the ship, battling against the older reverse swinging Gordon attack. It was not to be however, with the students were dismissed in the end for 196. Crowley was the standout with a fighting knock of 53 adding to his recent run of good form with the bat.
Next Round sees the Sydney Uni up against the fifth place Mosman at Allan Border Oval, the scoobydoos looking for nothing less than a win as it begins the important period heading into the Christmas Break.
3rd Grade:
Gordon 10/108 & 7/274 Def by Sydney Uni 2/309 (H Kerr 129*, C Litchfield 109*, T Kierath 49).
It was some rare shrapnel success from skipper Ash Cowan which set the tone for one of the most all-around dominant days in recent memory on Day 1 for the Students.
The decision to take first opportunity on a lively Killara deck was immediately vindicated as a ruthless bowling and fielding performance saw consistent breakthroughs mostly shared amongst the bowlers, with Kieran Tate the chef destroy taking 4 wickets for the second successive round. The Stags eventually dismissed for 108 in just over 30 overs.
It was from here that the day got better for the Nerds. A confident opening stand saw Tom Kierath increase his season aggregate by 700%, an aggressive 49 laying the platform for the afternoon fireworks. Enter Charles “Mr WorldWide” Litchfield and Hayden Kerr. The pair put on 235 off 205 balls; just 12 shy of the clubs all time 3rd grade highest partnership. No suburban yard was off limits as twin, unbeaten, maiden 3rd grade hundreds saw Uni reach 2-309 at days end.
After coming off maximum points last round, an overnight declaration had the bowlers licking their lips at the prospect of back-to-back 10 pointers. The Stags dug in with renewed resolve, however, and despite enthusiastic efforts with the ball Lady Luck had changed allegiances from week 1. 70 overs returned just 7 Gordon wickets, a feisty Ryan Kurtz the most damaging with 3. An opportunity missed perhaps, but 3 wins on the bounce has 3rd grade firmly seated in the top six just 3 points from first placed Mosman who arrive to fortress Pauls this week!
4th Grade:
Gordon 138 & 7/138 Def By Sydney Uni 4/147 dec (A Shaw 40*, H Kermond 29 J Hill 28*)
The 4s boys came out with a point to prove against a strong performing Gordon outfit. Looking at the table Gordon would have felt ready for the Uni boys given the form to date. However with the injection of some top 6 mercenaries (julios) there was an air of confidence in what we might be able to achieve at Pauls. Unfortunately this air of confidence carried onto the nashball field and the nuffies were again handed the cannon fodder status for another week.
With a 50/50 decision at the toss, the skipper knowing full well he was the bowling clique for the game and silly season was only days away felt the conditions may favour those that stood the seam up. Some run-hungry batsmen queried the call but gathered themselves to swan around in the grippers (armchairs). The stags started well against the new ball and they navigated their way through the first 15 overs for no loss. However from here they lost their way and wickets began to fall steadily throughout the afternoon. The four bowlers worked hard and were well rewarded with the final result of the stags being all out for 138 with 25 overs still to bat.
Amongst the group the feeling was that 138 shouldn't be enough but a good young bowling attack would be a test. The exam started early losing Denzel (Suda) without scoring. With the opportunity for some brackets to be utilised, Shawry was pushed up the order and had a telling impact on the game. Shawry with the support of Kev Jacobs moved the total on and by the end of the day we maintained the honours at 3/70.
Returning the next Saturday we were pleasing greeted by a flatter, drier wicket that would make the stags task all the harder. Add a determined Hilly to the mix and the SUCC chase proceeded well to the needed total. 6 points bagged prior to tea. With the opportunity for some weekend hustling, we sought a little "let's make a game of this" with the opposition.
Initially met with interest the Gordon guys came out offering the idea of some runs, wickets and maximum points. However, Aidan Peek (junior Toyer) went about denting any possible confidence the stags had and the students gallantly pursued taking all 10 wickets. Aidan grabbed Michelle. However, I mentioned it was flat and silly season had now begun, so the wind came out of the sails after an early surge. Stags finished 7 down for 120 odd with no time left.
Great result for the 4s and the goal will be to continue to claim points into Xmas
5th Grade:
Gordon 9/308dec (D Monaghan 66, J Doolan 50, A Cusack 3/75) Def Sydney Uni 10/256 (J Day 103, L Hughes 57, L Stewart 5/43)
It was a game of missed opportunities for the students in fives, having reduced Gordon to 7/165 to let them off the hook to end up with an imposing 308. Angus Cusack bowled with great pace on debut for the club to end as the pick of the bowlers with three wickets. He was well supported by Sameer Murthy (2/36) and Natesh Yoganand (2/20). An aggressive declaration from the Gordon skipper saw the Uni boys with two overs to face on the evening of day 1. Unfortunately losing a wicket in the first over meant we arrived day two with a difficult challenge ahead.
Early wickets again on day two meant we were behind the eight ball right from the start. Until Jake Day (103) and Liam Hughes (57 combined for a 124 run partnership to give us some hope. Jake Day was outstanding, scoring his debut hundred for the club, and worked hard to get the students close to Gordon’s total. Despite some late hitting from A Cusack (25) and Skipper Mike Harris (20) we ultimately fell 50 runs short.
Moving into next week the boys will have to capitalise on all opportunities to ensure the 6 points.
Metro Cup:
Sydney University 9/315 (B Frost 97, A Wilkinson 71, N Fitzgerald 51, MY Ali 5/103) Def Mosman 10/241 (C Barkat 82, MY Ali 45, L Hughes 3/31, TJ Drace 3/39)
The Metro Cup team delivered their second win of the season after a long day in the field - bowling Mosman out in the penultimate over of the day.
Chasing 316 for victory Mosman had successfully batted through 18 overs at the end of the first day to resume at 0/54. It was a promising start in the students' defence as Tom Draca collected 2 wickets in just the second over - on an uncommonly green St Andrews surface. Exceptional fielding and disciplined bowling prevented any attempts to score and at 4/75 (still 8 overs before the first drinks break) the signal came from the Mosman camp to play for the draw. Persistent defence to attacking bowling would mean only one Uni breakthrough for the next 57 overs as the pitch reverted to its typical flatness. However, the arrival of the second new ball injected new life into the students' attack to clean up the tail and claim the final wicket with just 10 balls remaining.
Sydney University opening batsman, Ed Cowan, passed 9000 runs in first-class cricket during the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania in Hobart this afternoon.
Despite a first innings lead of 286, New South Wales batted a second time, and Cowan played with power and freedom, cutting and driving with plenty of authority. He reached his half-century from 63 deliveries, during an over in which he hammered three boundaries from the bowling of Hamish Kingston - a late cut, a square cut and a fierce drive past cover. He passed 9000 runs when he took his score to 66 by walking across his stumps and clipping left-armer James Faulkner behind square leg for 4.
Cowan is playing in his 131st first-class match, having made his debut in 2003 for Oxford University CCE against Middlesex. Over 4000 of his first-class runs were scored for his opponents today, Tasmania.
A short time ago, New South Wales declared at one for 128, a lead of 414. Cowan was unbeaten on 66, which gives him 9002 career runs at 40.36, of which he has scored 211 at 42.20 in three matches this season.
Nick Larkin’s dominant 210 for NSW against ACT in the Futures League was his first double century in the Futures League, and his fourth century in the competition. He also passed 1000 career Futures League runs during the innings. To round off the week, he became the first batsman to reach 500 runs for Sydney University this season during his innings in the Twenty20 match against ACT at Manuka Oval on Sunday.
In the same Futures League match, but playing for the ACT, Tom Rogers hit his highest Futures League score (82).
Devlin Malone’s matchwinning 5-78 against Gordon was his second five-wicket return for the Club, and the fourth in his First Grade career. In the process, he passed Sydney's Nic Bills to become the leading wicket-taker in the First Grade competition after Round 6.
When he dismissed Gordon’s Tym Crawford, Kieran Elley collected his first wicket for Sydney University in First Grade (after taking 50 for Fairfield-Liverpool).
During his 42 against Gordon, David Miller passed 1500 runs in Second Grade.
Charlie Litchfield completed a memorable match against Gordon in Third Grade by taking his first wickets for the Club.
In Fourth Grade against Gordon, Aidan Peek (5-47) claimed his first five-wicket haul for the Club.
Jake Day’s 103 against Gordon in Fifth Grade was his first century for the Club; in his 19 previous innings for the Club, his highest score had been 33 not out.
Liam Hughes (57 against Gordon) hit his first half-century in Fifth Grade.
And one we missed last week: the seventh wicket partnership of 170 between Brodie Frost (94) and Andrew Wilkinson (71) against Mosman set a new Club record for the Metropolitan Cup competition.
Sydney University captain Nick Larkin delivered a timely reminder to the NSW Blues selectors yesterday, smashing his second double century of the season in the Futures League match against ACT in Wollongong.
After trailing by 240 on the first innings, NSW was set the implausible target of 480 on the final day, but Larkin's innings made victory a distinct possibility. He began by sharing an opening stand of 76 with Hawkesbury's Josh Clarke, which ended when University's Tom Rogers broke through Clarke's defences. By lunch, NSW had reached one for 95, with Larkin 55, and another 180 runs were added in the second session. At tea, Larkin was 134, and NSW still required 205 to win, with eight wickets in hand. Larkin and the experienced Ben Rohrer attacked the target aggressively, and Larkin reached his double century with six overs remaining in the day and 47 runs still required. Tom Rogers returned to bowl Larkin for 210, and when the final over began, NSW needed 14 runs with two wickets remaining. Arjun Nair and Daniel Sams managed only eight runs from the last six balls, and the match ended in that strangest of conditions, a thrilling draw.
Larkin, last year's player of the tournament in the Futures League, proved again that he's equipped to play at higher levels. But until his epic performance on the last day, he'd been overshadowed in the match by his club team-mate Tom Rogers, who followed a furious innings of 82 (with ten fours and three sixes) with an incisive opening spell in the NSW first innings, in which he bowled Larkin first ball and also dismissed Ed Cowan.
Paul Gresham (later known as Tony Maher), died on 14 October 2016 from the effects of liver cancer.
Paul entered Sydney University in 1972 after completing his Higher School Certificate at St Joseph's College. He enrolled in Arts/Law and joined both the cricket club and the Rugby club. He played only a few seasons in the lower grades for the cricket club as a medium pacer but enjoyed a long and productive career with the Rugby club. Playing on the wing or as a centre, he reached First Grade in 1977 and played (mostly in Seconds and Thirds) until a broken ankle ended his career in 1985. He was flamboyant and extroverted: he seemed to know everyone involved in University sport, and his insistence on wearing bow ties and his University blazer made him an instantly recognisable figure in the Grandstand. Although his cricket career with University was brief, he played for many years for the Nondescripts in the City and Suburban competition.
The Club extends its condolences to Paul's family, especially his wife, Susanneh.
First, the Mailstones.
When he reached 18 against Gordon on Saturday, Greg Mail became the first player ever to record 10,000 First Grade runs for Sydney University.
Mail carried his tally to 10,013 runs, at an average of 51.35. To give some idea of the scope of his achievement, the next highest run-scorer for University in Firsts is Ian Moran, with 8695 runs at an average of 35. Nine other players have scored 10,000 First Grade runs for a single club. They are:
Tommy Andrews (Petersham), 11,719
Grant Lambert (Fairfield), 11,413
Sid Carroll (Gordon), 11,322
Warren Saunders (St George), 10,952
Brian Booth (St George), 10,674
Jack Chegwyn (Randwick), 10,455
Anthony Clark (Fairfield-Liverpool), 10,423
Greg Hayne (UTS-Balmain), 10,285
Monty Noble (paddington), 10,277
In addition, Richard Chee Quee scored 11,886 First Grade runs without changing clubs, but a few thousand were scored after Randwick amalgamated with Petersham-Marrickville to create a new club, Randwick-Petersham.
When Mail's score against Gordon reached 23, he became the first player in the history of NSW Premier Cricket to reach 15,000 runs in First Grade. His total (for Parramatta, Hawkesbury, Balmain and Sydney University) is now 15,008 at 46.75. He is almost 3000 runs clear of the next highest scorer, his one-time opening partner at UTS-Balmain, Greg Hayne (12,354).
Ryan Carters' excellent 113 in First Grade against Gordon was his first century for the Club.
Ed Cowan also notched two significant landmarks in First Grade's match with Gordon. His polished 58 was his 50th score above fifty in First Grade (including 12 centuries). And it carried him past 6500 First Grade runs.
Hayden Kerr's unbeaten 129 against Gordon was his highest score for the Club, and his first century in Third Grade.
Charlie Litchfield also played a role in Third Grade's demolition of Gordon: his 109 not out was his first century for the Club.
Angus Cusack made his debut for the Club in Fifth Grade against Gordon, and captured his first wickets, taking 3-75.