About Me
Neil Evans
Current Rating: 5 / 5
Sydney, Australia
Played NSW Premier Cricket for North Sydney
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Q: Flashback to a North Sydney Cricket function
Bevan White, Graham Spring, Darren Taylor, Neil Evans
Bevan White, Graham Spring, Darren Taylor, Neil Evans
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Q: Who is the one player from Sydney Grade Cricket who played between 1980 and 2000 you’d want as the first player selected if you had the opportunity to start your own NSW Premier first grade cricket team?
A: Graham Spring, enough said. Bat, ball and field
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Q: Can you name the three first grade premiership winning Life Members of Eastern Suburbs District Cricket Club?
A: Yep Patto Chook and KT ... good blokes!! #Waverly
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Q: Neston Cricket Club 1989 - Cheshire-Liverpool League UK
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Q: My top 6 performances from opposition players in Sydney grade Cricket – Neil Evans
As a 1st grade top order player for North Sydney from 1987 to 1994, here's the 6 stand-out performances from opposition players that still stick in my mind...
Michael Bevan (Campbelltown)
His first game in Sydney for Campbelltown in 1990/9. We won the game, but he made 70 with his eyes shut. If we hadn't run him out with a direct hit, he would have made 370.
Dean Waugh (Bankstown)
Early season game at Bankstown in 1988/89 Dean made 99 and nothing missed the middle of the bat. It was so majestic that in a team with many good players that made runs that day, his innings was easily the best.
Glenn McGrath (Sutherland)
You know it, off the fence under bad light with a southerly buster at his back he was ruthless and quick. In 1991/92 season he took a bag of 7 wickets. For a moment I thought I was on top reaching 30 until the middle pole was sent cartwheeling
Graeme Smith (St George)
We had them struggling at Hurstville in 1990/91 until Smithy peeled off a delightful tonne batting 6
Ron Davis (Fairfield)
I had some great battles with Ronny, and it was probably all square at the end but one early season clash at home he bowled the most delightful spell of aggressive fast medium seam stuff. He only ended up with 2 or 3 wickets, but he deserved 7 for that day
Paul Pritchard (Waverley
We had them 2 down for nothing until PP carved out a wonderful 170. Shots to every point in the ground but we did drop him on 11.
As a 1st grade top order player for North Sydney from 1987 to 1994, here's the 6 stand-out performances from opposition players that still stick in my mind...
Michael Bevan (Campbelltown)
His first game in Sydney for Campbelltown in 1990/9. We won the game, but he made 70 with his eyes shut. If we hadn't run him out with a direct hit, he would have made 370.
Dean Waugh (Bankstown)
Early season game at Bankstown in 1988/89 Dean made 99 and nothing missed the middle of the bat. It was so majestic that in a team with many good players that made runs that day, his innings was easily the best.
Glenn McGrath (Sutherland)
You know it, off the fence under bad light with a southerly buster at his back he was ruthless and quick. In 1991/92 season he took a bag of 7 wickets. For a moment I thought I was on top reaching 30 until the middle pole was sent cartwheeling
Graeme Smith (St George)
We had them struggling at Hurstville in 1990/91 until Smithy peeled off a delightful tonne batting 6
Ron Davis (Fairfield)
I had some great battles with Ronny, and it was probably all square at the end but one early season clash at home he bowled the most delightful spell of aggressive fast medium seam stuff. He only ended up with 2 or 3 wickets, but he deserved 7 for that day
Paul Pritchard (Waverley
We had them 2 down for nothing until PP carved out a wonderful 170. Shots to every point in the ground but we did drop him on 11.
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Q: Greg Beacroft’s World Record Six Hitting Innings for Yass
In January 1979, Greg Beacroft playing for Yass first grade against Williamsdale in the Sunday competition scored 268 runs in 92 minutes at the O’Connor concrete pitch in Canberra.
The 21-year-old Beacroft, who played first grade for Western Districts in the Saturday competition, hit an amazing 29 sixes in his innings, which at the time, was reported to be an official world record.
Unfortunately, balls faced were not recorded in those days and I was told by a good mate who was playing in the match, that the innings would have been much quicker in time as some deliveries were deposited on to the bitumen surface of Barry Drive which runs past the oval. This meant that the fielder retrieving the ball had to scale a six-foot-high wire fence that bordered the road, significantly adding to the time that Beacroft batted for.
Peter O’Reilly, who was an ACT representative played in this match as well and the following is his recollection of Greg Beacroft’s innings.
“Greg was a bit dusty at the beginning of his innings as a few of his early sixes only just cleared the boundary. He was hung over from his 21st Birthday party the night before. He partnered mostly with a Yass guy by the name of Donny Douglass who played the perfect foil for Greg. Donny scored 29 singles in his score of 29 feeding Greg the strike. 29 sixes and 11 fours by Greg. There was a church service beginning across the road where Greg landed one nearly hitting a combi van on the way in and 50 minutes later again on the way out of the church grounds. It was an unbelievable innings and remember waking up the next morning to hear it on the national news with Keith Miller calling for Greg to be added to the Australian team against England.”
Sadly, Greg passed away a few years ago from cancer, however, his innings briefly made him a cricketing celebrity, with radio interviews locally and internationally, while his record stood till October of 2017, when Josh Dunstan hit forty sixes and nine fours in his innings of 307 for West Augusta against Central Stirling in the Port Augusta cricket association.
In January 1979, Greg Beacroft playing for Yass first grade against Williamsdale in the Sunday competition scored 268 runs in 92 minutes at the O’Connor concrete pitch in Canberra.
The 21-year-old Beacroft, who played first grade for Western Districts in the Saturday competition, hit an amazing 29 sixes in his innings, which at the time, was reported to be an official world record.
Unfortunately, balls faced were not recorded in those days and I was told by a good mate who was playing in the match, that the innings would have been much quicker in time as some deliveries were deposited on to the bitumen surface of Barry Drive which runs past the oval. This meant that the fielder retrieving the ball had to scale a six-foot-high wire fence that bordered the road, significantly adding to the time that Beacroft batted for.
Peter O’Reilly, who was an ACT representative played in this match as well and the following is his recollection of Greg Beacroft’s innings.
“Greg was a bit dusty at the beginning of his innings as a few of his early sixes only just cleared the boundary. He was hung over from his 21st Birthday party the night before. He partnered mostly with a Yass guy by the name of Donny Douglass who played the perfect foil for Greg. Donny scored 29 singles in his score of 29 feeding Greg the strike. 29 sixes and 11 fours by Greg. There was a church service beginning across the road where Greg landed one nearly hitting a combi van on the way in and 50 minutes later again on the way out of the church grounds. It was an unbelievable innings and remember waking up the next morning to hear it on the national news with Keith Miller calling for Greg to be added to the Australian team against England.”
Sadly, Greg passed away a few years ago from cancer, however, his innings briefly made him a cricketing celebrity, with radio interviews locally and internationally, while his record stood till October of 2017, when Josh Dunstan hit forty sixes and nine fours in his innings of 307 for West Augusta against Central Stirling in the Port Augusta cricket association.
A: Seriously I remember it.. I was 14 at the time .. broke all sorts of records .. from vague memory I think it was at Wests home ground at O'Connor which was very small
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Q: In relation to the Mankad issue and its increased regularity especially in T20 cricket.
Bowlers are penalised for going 1mm over the crease for a no ball and it cost the team one run plus a free hit which could mean the penalty is 7 runs if the free hit is hit for 6. Bowlers are also penalised if they’re stray outside the markers and the ball is called a wide and it could also cost their team 7 runs if the additional bowl is hit for 6. That’s all fine because it’s in the rules.
The Mankad is in the rules but it’s not a good look and creates tension amongst the players so with all the technology involved in the game what if a penalty is introduced to the batting team if the batter leaves the crease before the ball is bowled.
The technology and penalty take the pressure off the bowlers and the umpires and like the bowler’s penalties means the batters have to stick to the rules of the game.
Is 2 or 3 runs too much of a penalty, keen to get your thoughts.
Bowlers are penalised for going 1mm over the crease for a no ball and it cost the team one run plus a free hit which could mean the penalty is 7 runs if the free hit is hit for 6. Bowlers are also penalised if they’re stray outside the markers and the ball is called a wide and it could also cost their team 7 runs if the additional bowl is hit for 6. That’s all fine because it’s in the rules.
The Mankad is in the rules but it’s not a good look and creates tension amongst the players so with all the technology involved in the game what if a penalty is introduced to the batting team if the batter leaves the crease before the ball is bowled.
The technology and penalty take the pressure off the bowlers and the umpires and like the bowler’s penalties means the batters have to stick to the rules of the game.
Is 2 or 3 runs too much of a penalty, keen to get your thoughts.
A: Mankads should be eliminated permanently from any form of the game... to counter that (especially in T20 and ODIs) - create a small 90deg line is painted either side of the pitch at 3 feet out from the popping crease and that is the legal max zone a player can back up at all times .. 2 offences and you're out!
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Q: What’s the one piece of advice you’d offer a teenage cricketer who’s looking to make their way in the game?
A: Make hay while the sun shines! .. there'll be plenty of days when luck isn't with you; or you're on the wrong end of a bad decision, so when you're rolling & well set make every second of it count ... and the best way to do that is by constantly re-setting or recalculating ! Yes it's easier said than done when you're on top of the bowling and feeling Invincible; but that's when it hurts the most when you suddenly give it all away ... so, when you're unbeaten on 50.. go back to 20 .. when 75 go back to 30 and when 90 go back to 40.. that's when you can make a really big score..
