Blog

My Best Grade team – Steve Paulsen 1998 to 2020

Steve Paulsen | November 06, 2023

I started playing 1st Grade for Western Suburbs as a 17 year-old in 1998 and still playing today in the shorter forms of the game. I have been lucky enough to play in a number finals and win a few over the years as well.

Over the past 21 seasons I have been lucky enough to play with some great players and it was extremely hard to come up with my Best Grade team but here goes.

In batting order:

1. Andrew Bailey

Left hand batter who scored in different areas and was very disciplined when he trained and batted in the middle

2. Sam Truloff

Extremely talented, hardworking, makes batting look easy and was hungry to score runs. A great runner between wickets and great square of the wicket fielder.

3. Aaron Nye (Captain)

A great record for the club, scored big runs and loved batting time and cashing in in the last session. A massive competitor and someone you want in your corner. Very handy with his off spin and will play the spinning role in this team, if he was needed.

4. Matthew Lane

Stylish batter, scored plenty of tough runs. A great slip fieldsman and somehow never seem to sweat and or ever get his whites dirty.

5. Dean Tuckwell

A hard hitting batter that could destroy all bowlers on any day. Loved hitting bowlers over mid-off and cover. Third most runs ever for Wests and was a great team man – loved organising the team meals!

6. Ross Lupton

A tall elegant all-rounder who could bat anywhere and tendered to score tough runs. A great bowler as well who could play a number of different roles with the ball from enforcer to holding up an end.

7. Geoff Paulsen

Another all-rounder, and a player for all circumstances and bats well with the tail. A great batter to bat when you are in trouble. Could bowl some handy swingers as well.

8. Cameron McLeod – Wicket Keeper

Great team man as most keepers are, very tidy behind the stumps, never seemed to notice him behind the stumps which is always good to never notice your keeper.

9. Greg Rowell

The best bowler I ever played with, fast, bouncy, relentless in line and length and loved being in a contest. Always gave 110%, loved playing club cricket and loved the club. Played for Qld, NSW, Tasmania and Australia A

10. Steve Magoffin

A fantastic tall, inswing bowler, relentless line and length and would get out any left hander out for fun. Would go on to get 597 first class wickets for Western Australia, Queensland, Surrey, Sussex and Worcestershire.