NSW Premier Cricket - The record partnerships from 1893 to 2023 - the third wicket record
Lyall Gardner | July 23, 2023
RECORD: 326* runs in 1986-87 by Mark O’Neill (200*) / Phil Emery (127*) for Gordon 2-353 declared against Fairfield-Liverpool 110 & 1-125 at Chatswood Oval in round 10 on 17-24 January 1987.
Gordon’s NSW Sheffield Shield star Mark O’Neill and batter/wicket-keeper Phil Emery came together with the score 2-27, after Fairfield-Liverpool new ball bowler, Greg Clarke, had disposed of both openers. But that was the last of the good news for the new competition entrants, as the experienced pair broke a club and Premier Cricket record as they piled on a massive undefeated 326 in 273 minutes. The hard-hitting O’Neill, son of the legendary Australian batting star Norman O’Neill, smashed 27 boundaries and two sixes in his neat 200* while Emery hit 16 fours and a six in his unconquered 127*.
Declaring at 2-353, Gordon dismissed the Lions for a paltry 110 to win by a massive 243 runs.
Emery joined O’Neill in the NSW team in 1987-88, going on to become one of the State’s most dependable batter- ‘keepers. He also played a Test match for Australia in Pakistan in 1994-95. In first-class cricket, he completed 384 dismissals while scoring 3,292 runs. O’Neill’s career in first-class cricket continued until 1990-91 when he retired as the scorer of 3,729 runs including nine centuries.
Two records broken
The O’Neill-Emery partnership eclipsed the 3rd wicket Gordon record of 279 which had stood to the credit of Fred Cummins and Frank Fordham since 1935. It was also the highest 1st Grade competition partnership for that wicket since Wally Pite and G Jackson put on an unconquered 288* for South Sydney against Leichhardt-Balmain in a declared total of 2-316 in 1899-1900 at SCG 2. On that occasion, Pite hit 23 fours, a five and a six in his total of 202* which was the only double century in 1st Grade that season. Jackson was 95* when stumps were drawn on the first day.
Two Steve’s on fire
There have been only three other 3rd wicket partnerships of 300 or more in Sydney 1st Grade. The first of those was on 5 March 1988, just a little over a year after the O’Neill-Emery record. In a star-studded line-up, two of the States’ best bats, Steve Barry Smith and Steve Small, playing for Bankstown at Bankstown Memorial Oval, piled on an undefeated 314* against Western Suburbs. Smith scored 181* in 285 minutes with 19 fours and a six while Small played a support role in scoring 129* with eight fours and two sixes in 311 minutes. With 2-337 on the board, the Bulldogs were able to dismiss Wests for 188 despite a batting line-up containing Dirk Welham, Greg Dyer, Brad McNamara and Greg Matthews. The bowling hero for Bankstown was opening bowler Steve Waugh who took 5-87 off 25 successive overs. Bankstown went on to win the Belvidere Cup premiership that season.
Steve Barry Smith first played 1st Grade for Bankstown when he was just 17. He made the NSW side in 1981-82 and two years later played the first of three Test matches for Australia against West Indies in the West Indies. The following season he toured South Africa with an unofficial Australian “rebel” team. He was also an excellent limited overs batter. When he retired in 1991, he had scored over 8,000 runs in first-class and limited overs cricket with 15 centuries.
Six sixes in an over but partnership record remains
While the record of 326 has remained intact this past 36 years, there was a time just seven years after it was posted, that a partnership came to an end only two runs shy of that figure. And while it didn’t take that mark, it was historic for another record-breaking reason.
The match was between Randwick and Petersham- Marrickville at Petersham Oval in 1993-94. Batting first, Randwick skipper Andrew Millican joined Martin Haywood with the score 2-21. The pair took to the attack and by mid-afternoon the total had reached 2- 329 with Haywood well set on 168. But NSW Premier Cricket history was about to be made as the punishing bat launched into off-spinner Wayne Mulherin, hitting each ball of his 18th over out of the ground for six! It was six sixes in the over and the first time it had been achieved in the Sydney 1st Grade competition.
With 36 runs off the over, Haywood’s score raced to 204* and the total to 2-365, at which point Millican (107*) declared the innings closed. The unconquered partnership of 324*--just two short of the record--was made in 246 minutes. Mulherin finished with 0-138 while The Petes’ made just 159 to go down by 206 runs.
Martin Haywood
The only good score is a winning score
The fourth and most recent 300 runs-plus 3rd wicket partnership was in 2006-07 when Tim Cruickshank (175) and Cameron Merchant (125) put on 301 for Manly- Warringah at Manly Oval against Sydney University. They came together at 2-112 and took the score to 3-413 when Merchant was bowled by Mark Cameron. Two runs later, Cameron had Cruickshank caught behind. Manly declared at 5-428 off 87 overs. Test cricketers Stuart Clark and Stuart Macgill finished with 0-29 and 0-101 respectively. Cameron took 3-112 from 18 overs. But it wasn’t enough, as Uni. put together some outstanding partnerships of their own to record an unlikely victory.
University was quickly behind the eight-ball with champion run-getter Greg Mail bowled for just 5. This left Australian Test opening bat Ed Cowan to combine with Shane Stanton (59) in a partnership of 163 for the 2nd wicket and with Ian Moran (71) to put on another 195 for the 3rd. Cowan was eventually out for 253, equalling the club’s highest score record established by Johnny Taylor in 1923-24. The final score of 7-429 was achieved in 90 overs.
Ed Cowan
Two records in one
Interestingly, the Johnny Taylor record of 253 was also part of a record-breaking 3rd wicket partnership. Playing defending premiers at University Oval, Taylor, the Uni. captain, won the toss and batted on a good, fast wicket on a hot day in front of a large crowd. At 2-115, right-hander Taylor was joined by left-hander James Garner. According to The Referee mid-week sporting newspaper, Taylor batted “with the brilliancy of a Trumper” in making a club record 253 in 180 minutes. He hit 35 fours and three sixes and when he departed, he was cheered by the fieldsmen as well as the spectators. At the other end, Garner had also batted well, being eventually dismissed for 114. For the 3rd wicket, the pair put on 291–three runs more than the Pite-Jackson record of 288. And while University had totalled a massive 4-434 declared, it didn’t collect the win points with Waverley’s 4-367 bringing about a drawn result.
Captains led the way
The Association 3rd wicket partnership records include the names of many Australian captains along with other well performed first-class cricketers. Skippers such as Monty Noble, Syd Gregory, Don Bradman, Warren Bardsley, Frank Iredale, Arthur Morris, Ray Lindwall, Brian Booth, Richie Benaud, Neil Harvey, Bobby Simpson, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Michael Clarke all feature prominently in partnerships over 150 runs. Other top players include Victor Trumper, Doug Walters, Mark Waugh, Michael Slater, Dirk Wellham, Jim Burke, Sid Barnes, Usman Khawaja among many others.
Of those, Steve Waugh (182) in a partnership of 285 with Kevin Roberts (134*) for Bankstown in 1995-96 was the highest, while brother Mark Waugh (136) and Corey Richards (162*), put on 266 for the same club in 2003-04. Don Bradman was a century-maker in three partnerships for St George while Michael Slater appears four times for University of NSW. Michael Clarke is listed twice, both with NSW limited overs high score record holder, Daniel Smith in partnerships of 244* and 235.
Steve and Mark Waugh
Trumping Trumper
The highest individual scorer in a 3rd wicket partnership was Sean Pope who made 275 for Bankstown against Hawkesbury in 1994. He and Kevin Roberts (81) put on 271. Pope’s score was the highest since Victor Trumper made 260* for Paddington in a partnership of 183 against Redfern with Alick Bannerman (62) in 1899, some 95 years earlier.
Batting brothers
There have been six instances of brothers scoring centuries in the same innings in Sydney 1st Grade cricket. Two of those involved 3rd wicket partnerships. The first was the Gregory brothers, Charles and Sydney in 1901-02. Playing for Waverley against Redfern at Redfern Oval, they put on 224 in a score of 6-364 declared with Charles making 150 and Syd 123. Redfern made 138.
And 22 years later in 1923-24, it was the turn of the Bardsley brothers, Warren, who made 200* including 19 fours and a six, and Mick who scored 105 for Western Suburbs against Central Cumberland at Parramatta Oval. The pair batted for only 130 minutes in scoring 256* in Wests’ 2-405 declared, while the Parramatta side made just 221.
First-class record for the 3rd wicket
While it bears no comparison or relevance to Sydney 1st Grade Cricket, it is of interest to know that the world first-class cricket 3rd wicket partnership record is the highest for any wicket. That figure is 624 runs by Kumar Sangakkara (287) and Mahela Jayawardene (374) for Sri Lanka in the First Test against South Africa in Colombo in 2006.
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene
Chasing South Africa’s 169 in the first innings, Sri Lanka was in trouble after fast-bowler Dale Steyn had skittled both openers for a 2- 14 scoreline. The next wicket was Sangakkara at 3-638 with Jayawardene going at the declared score of 5-756. Sangakkara had batted for 675 minutes (10.25 hours) hitting 35 fours off 457 balls. Jayawardene faced 572 balls in his stay of 752 minutes (12 hours 32 minutes) hitting 43 fours but just one six.
The opposition attack was a formidable one with Steyn, rated one of the fastest bowlers in the world, supported by Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel and Nicky Boje. South Africa made 434 in the second innings to lose the match by an innings and 153 runs. Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan took 10 wickets in the match.
