NSW Premier Cricket - The record partnerships from 1893 to 2023 - the fourth wicket record
Lyall Gardner | July 31, 2023
RECORD: 370*runs in 2015-16 by Damian Bourke (170*) / Ashton May (203*) for St George 3-391 declared against Sydney 8-393 at Hurstville Oval in round 4, 24-31 October 2015.
Both the St George and Sydney clubs had won their first three matches that 2015-16 summer, to be equal leaders with Bankstown. Saints skipper, Trent Copeland, won the toss and elected to bat in perfect conditions on their home ground. But early inroads saw star bats Stewart McCabe, Steven Cazzulino and Kurtis Patterson, who would go on to become the leading bat for NSW that season, back in the shed with just 21 runs on the board. That brought Damian Bourke and Ashton May together. Over the following 280 minutes, they would write their names into the NSW Premier Cricket history books.
For the 4th wicket, the pair put on a massive unconquered 370 runs to enable Copeland to declare at 3-391. The wickets of both batters remained intact with Bourke making 170* off 285 balls hitting 18 fours and two sixes, while May smashed 203* off 223 balls with 22 fours and four sixes.
Bourke made the headlines nearing Christmas that season as he had scored 528 runs in seven rounds while being dismissed on only one occasion. With two centuries and two half-centuries he had a Bradman-like average of 528 which was claimed to be the highest ever recorded in Sydney 1st Grade cricket. He finished the season with 838 runs at 55.87, just in advance of Ashton May who scored 724 at 42.59.
The huge partnership by the pair was a record-breaking 1st Grade performance that surpassed the previous top mark of 366 set just six seasons earlier in 2009-10. Remarkably, that former record also belonged to St George and even more remarkably, was achieved by 1st Grade season debutant, Ashton May in company with Steven Cazzulino.
Steve Cazzulino
In that latter match, a semi-final against Northern District at Hurstville Oval, May faced 297 balls making 204* with 26 fours and six sixes while Cazzulino batted for an amazing 511 minutes to finish with 204 off 428 balls hitting 18 fours. They came together at 3-104 and the 366 they put on, was a major part of a monstrous final tally of 4-486 off 141 overs. The match was drawn, enabling St George to go on and take out the premiership the following weekend against Sutherland at Bankstown Memorial Oval. In that game, Trent Copeland was the hero with 8-58 in the first innings. Steve Cazzulino went on to play 13 first-class matches for Tasmania between 2010-14 scoring a century and four half-centuries.
Sometimes enough is not enough
And while the Bourke-May partnership remains the highest ever recorded for the 4th wicket in the history of Sydney 1st Grade cricket, it did not have a positive outcome for the St George team that sunny day, as Sydney won the match. In a round that produced 13 scores of 300 or more, Sydney ran down the 3-391 target to finish 8-393 which included 50 fours and eight sixes from 97.5 overs. Sydney skipper Daniel Smith ended with 111*.
Record holds for 80 years
Dr. Reg Bettington
The 366 runs Cazzulino-May partnership broke a Sydney Cricket Association record which had stood for a little over 80 years. In a match at Hampden Park in 1929, Dr Reg Bettington and Arthur Wells, both first-class cricketers for NSW playing with Paddington, smashed the North Sydney attack to the tune of 329 for the 4th wicket in 141 minutes. Bettington belted 33 fours in his 280 while Wells hit 16 in his 139. Each put three over the fence as well. The final score of 9-496 didn’t bring home victory as Norths ended with 6-369, mainly due to Norman Phillips’ 243*. The Cazzulino-May partnership also broke the St George 4th wicket partnership record of 247* set by Ray Flockton (138*) and Don Buchanan (121*) against Paddington in 1960-61. St George won the premiership that season.
The double centuries by Ashton May in those record partnerships put him in good company, as he is just one of three players who have scored two 200s for St George, the others being Don Bradman and Warren Saunders.
Batting charge ends short of long-term record
Just four months prior to the Cazzulino-May partnership, there was a possibility that the Bettington-Wells record could go to Sydney University pair, Greg Mail and David Miller. Playing Northern District at University Oval in round 7, they were in full flight with a partnership of 310 before Mail was bowled by Andrew McLean, leaving them a tantalising 20 runs short of a new mark. Mail made 212 that day with 28 fours and three sixes. Just two rounds earlier, he had recorded his highest Premier Cricket score of 214* against Randwick Petersham. Mail made 1,266 runs in all 1st Grade formats that season. Miller scored 120*.
Trumper mauls Waverley bowlers
There have only been the four partnerships of 300 runs or more for the 4th wicket in the 1st Grade competition. The record in 1908-09 was however, very close––299. It was a match where the great Victor Trumper thrashed the Waverley attack at Waverley Oval to the tune of 280 in 210 minutes hitting 20 fours and 10 sixes. He was joined by Paddington team-mate William McCloy with the score 3-104. When McCloy was bowled by Syd Gregory for 110
including 12 fours 100 minutes later, the tally had reached 403. Newspaper reports indicate that Trumper’s innings was quite carefree with four catches from him going down–all on the boundary fence. His second century came in 45
minutes. Nineteen years earlier in 1890, Trumper had taken to the Waverley attack at the same ground, scoring 260.
Massive innings total still a record
M A (Monty Noble)
One of the earliest 4th wicket records was established during the course of what turned out to be the highest team innings in the history of the Sydney 1st Grade competition. It was a partnership of 194 between M A (Monty) Noble and Harry Alderson in a match between Paddington and Burwood at the SCG over three Saturdays leading up to Christmas in 1895. Each batsman made 113, although Alderson retired his innings.
Burwood won the toss and batted on what was described as a “first-rate” wicket. However, they were all out for 161 after Noble had taken 6-50 off 30 overs which included 15 maidens. In reply, the first Paddington wicket fell at 94 with the second not until 326 runs were on the board, courtesy of a then-record 232 runs partnership between Alick Bannerman (122) and Alick Mackenzie (155). The 3rd wicket produced only 35 but when Noble and Alderson completed their record 194 runs partnership for the 4th, the score had climbed to 4-555. More runs flowed and when stumps were drawn, Paddington’s innings stood at a commanding 5-726. There had been five centuries.
While Burwood fielded a man short throughout the Paddington innings on the third day, all nine bowlers used took a hammering. The wicket-takers were E Rogers with 2-168 off 40 overs and W McLeod who took 2-176 from 37. A total of 159 overs were bowled, of which, surprisingly, 15 were maidens.
The two closest scores to that mammoth Paddington tally were also by Paddington. In 1902-03, they scored 9-618 against Redfern while in 1918-19 they rattled up 6-636 playing Central Cumberland at Parramatta off just 63 overs.
Bradman being Bradman
Don Bradman
In the list of 4th wicket partnerships in excess of 200 runs, the great Don Bradman appears twice. Playing Gordon in 1931-32 at Chatswood Oval in front of over 3,500 excited spectators, “The Don” smashed 201 which included 27 fours and two sixes. He was well supported by Jim Palme who made 85. The pair put on 221 for the 4th wicket in Saints’ total of 356. That effort, however, didn’t bring them the win which may have given St George the premiership, as the second day was a complete washout. Interestingly, the season finished on 23 April 1932—well into the football season.
Almost 12 months later, Don Bradman (134) and Albert Scanes (106) put on 197 for the 4th wicket playing Balmain at Birchgrove Oval. Chasing the Tiger’s 397, Saints were 7-358 when rain washed-out play, ending the match in a draw. Bradman was particularly severe on 47-year-old former Australian leg-spinner, Arthur Mailey, who finished with 0-76.
‘Keepers in the runs
Although the Association’s list of 200 runs plus 4th wicket partnerships includes many famous cricketing names, no less than four Australian wicket-keepers are featured. In 1947-48, Marrickville opening bat Jack Moroney (148*) and ‘keeper Ron Saggers (82) rattled up 205 in 124 minutes for the 4th in a total of 4-315 declared against Northern District (8-271). A few months later, both were named in Bradman’s Invincibles Ashes team to tour England. The pair had also put on 199 against St George two years earlier with Saggers the century-maker, scoring 144. Saggers debuted as wicket-keeper for Australia on the Invincibles tour at Leeds.
In 1962-63, Brian Taber (105*) and Sid Carroll (114) made 192 for the 4th wicket out of a tally of 5-270 playing North Sydney at North Sydney Oval. The second day’s play was washed out. Three years later, Taber made his debut as the Australian Test wicket-keeper playing South Africa in Johannesburg. He completed seven catches and a stumping in that match.
Steve Rixon (130) and NSW opening bat Rodney Davison (141) put on a club record 247 in 192 minutes for Sutherland (6-454 dec.) against Penrith (121) in 1988. Six years earlier, he and Paul Clark (109) combined with 163 for the 4th playing Central Cumberland. Rixon made 94 on that occasion for the Sharks. Rixon had debuted for Australia in 1977-78 after the incumbent ‘keeper, Rodney Marsh, defected to World Series Cricket.
In 1991-92, 20-year-old Adam Gilchrist, who was run out for 98 and Mark O’Neill who made 96, put on 176 for Gordon at Killara playing Penrith in a one-day match. The game was rained out with the Panthers 2-3 chasing 7-250 declared. Eight years later, wicket-keeper Gilchrist played the first of his 96 Test Matches against Pakistan in Brisbane.
