Thanks to mum I got to watch my heroes

Matt Ellis | August 09, 2023

Those that know me well, would understand that I am a stickler for the rules and generally ‘swim between the flags’ with my life choices. My decisions were usually based around doing the right thing and keeping others happy.

This theory was severely challenged in February 1992 when it was announced that NSW would be taking on an Australian XI in a 50 over warm up game for the 1992 World Cup that was on the horizon. Going to the game was a magnificent idea, the problem however, it was on a school day…..

Somehow, and it still baffles me that my older brother and I got this one across the line, we convinced my Mother that our time would be better spent at North Sydney Oval than at the school swimming carnival that was scheduled for the same day.

I kept telling myself that it would be okay and that no one would find out I was heaven forbid in the wrong place at the wrong time on a school day.

All these concerns disappeared instantly as we found our seats two rows in front of the Australian team viewing area and started securing the signatures of our favourite players.

For a school day, there seemed to be a lot of people with a similar idea to ours, in fact they think there were over 7000 people in attendance, surely some of them had jobs or schools to go to. As David Boon was getting into his work scoring freely on his way to a century, my heart rate goes up a few notches as we notice the Principal of our school settle in to the seats three rows in front of us. What are the chances that the school Principal would have time to catch a few overs of the cricket on swimming carnival day?

My brother and I kept a low profile, well at least we tried to, as not to draw attention to the fact that we probably should have been somewhere else. An announcement comes over the loudspeaker that legendary figure Doug Walters would be showcasing a new cricket bat that had been designed with an S shaped handle to help batters play the ball along the ground.

A group of us all crowd around to hear what the fuss is about and before I know it, Doug singles me out and asks if I want to test out the bat in the luncheon interval. My heart is racing due to the excitement of the offer and the sheer fear of being found in the wrong place at the wrong time on swimming carnival day.

Australia finish at 4-277 off their fifty overs with Brad McNamara doing the damage with the ball finishing with 4-33 off his ten overs. Boonie top scores for the Aussies with 104 and Tom Moody cashes in with 63 off 44 balls in a highly entertaining knock.

A crowd of camera crews converge on the field as the players leave the ground for some lunch and Doug Walters and I step onto the turf to showcase the bat with the S shaped handle. It feels like a dream, the legendary KD Walters sending down some throw downs for me to caress along the bowling green like surface on the hallowed turf of the North Sydney Oval. All the while I am quietly hoping no one will be wondering why the kid out on the field isn’t at his schools scheduled swimming carnival.

I make sure I secure Doug’s autograph before retreating to the stands to take in the action and watch Steve Small put on a batting masterclass. The left-handed opening batsman from Bankstown was at his best plundering 101 off 102 balls before being lured out of his crease by Peter Taylor and not returning before Ian Healy whipped the bails off.

Some solid middle order batting from Bayliss who made 40 off 41 balls and Stephen Waugh who chimed in with 61 saw NSW on track toward the victory target. GRJ Matthews looked like he had NSW across the line dispatching a couple over the fence and reducing the target to two required off the final over.

Steve Waugh

At this point the school swimming carnival was the furthest thing from my mind as Bruce Reid would have his death bowling put to the test. Matthews takes a single off the second delivery to tie the scores leaving Brad McNamara on strike.

Four balls to go, one run to win.

Dot ball!

Three balls to go, one run to win.

Could Bruce Reid find something special?

Would Brad McNamara be the hero?

Who should I be going for?

So many questions.

Next ball, McNamara is caught behind, the crowd going crazy, I don’t think any of us knew who to cheer for, but we were all engrossed in this magnificent finish to a game of cricket.

Reid follows this up with a lesson in how to execute the yorker at the death knocking Phil Emery over first rock. Lawson is now on strike for the final delivery, he and Matthews attempt a single but the smart work of Ian Healy has him run out with the scored tied!

What a finish, a tie! I had never been to a game that had finished as a tie before, nor have I been at one since.

The following day, I returned to school, handing in a note which simply read “Matthew was absent from school with my permission. HL Ellis”

I feel a lot more comfortable now, 28 years on, revealing the real reason I was absent from school on Tuesday February 18, 1992.

Thank you, Mum, for allowing me this opportunity to grow my love of the game. Thank you to the players for putting on a wonderful show and thank you KD Walters for giving me some throw downs. Memories I will always treasure.