A champion emerges - Pat Cummins

Dennis Hourn | August 31, 2024

It is very evident to the trained eye when you know you are watching a special talent. It happened as such for players and followers of Eastern Suburbs (Waverley) Cricket Club on one overcast afternoon in February 2010 at Waverley Oval in a second grade round 13 fixture between Eastern Suburbs and Penrith.

Its day one of a two day match and Penrith win the toss and elect to bat. There are only a handful of spectators, typical of a grade game. Penrith are bundled out for 181. There is sbout an hour to go when Easts come into bat in gloomy and windy conditions. There is also a slight drizzle, challenging for both the batting and fielding side, but particularly so for the batsmen.

Easts opening batsmen are the very experienced Lee Kirk, second leader run scorer for Easts in the club's long history and Angus Robson an accomplished bat who was to have a distinguished career with Leicestershire. Lee has over 10,000 grade runs including more than 5,000 in first grade to his name. Angus is to score more than 1,000 runs a season twice including two centuries and 29 half centuries in County Cricket. They make for a formidable opening pair.

The tall young Penrith opening bowler marks his run up which stretches nearly to the southern practice wickets. At the other end the keeper is also a long way back near the northern practice wickets. The field placements are reminiscent and bring back memories of Jeff Thomson in the early 70's at Waverley Oval.

The bowler steams in from the Birrell Street end with the wind behind him. His very energetic and rhythmical approach is matched by his classic delivery stride with a full side on action. The quintessential fast bowler's run up and delivery. The first ball thuds into the keepers gloves some 25 metres or more back. The spectators immediately sit bolt upright, incredulous at the pace. Nods of approval take place.

I race over to our scorer and immediately inquire "Who is this kid?". The nearby Penrith scorer obliges and says "That's Patrick Cummins. He's quick isn't he". That was a statement of the obvious.

The second ball thunders into Lee Kirk's pad. Lee had barely time to raise his bat and must have been perilously close to be given out. But he survives. Much to the annoyance of the fielding side from whom he cops a bit of a spray. But Patrick doesn't say a word of dissent. Just goes about his business. Bowling fast.

After that second ball I ring my brother David Hourn who is on the Woollahra golf course. I tell "Dave come by the Oval on your way home. You'll see something really special" Dave says "Please explain". I respond "I'm watching the quickest bowler I've seen at Waverley Oval since Thommo skittled us back in 73". I think Dave thought I was exaggerating because he didn't drop in. Over the years he has however formed a different view.

Lee and Angus have to weather the storm that is Patrick Cummins. They could be excused for thinking that seconds would be a relief from the pressure of first grade not expecting anything as challenging as a rampant express bowler. But the fact is neither had ever faced someone of this pace. 

They stared down a firestorm for 15 overs in very difficult conditions. The deck is skittish and Cummins has a stiff southerly behind him. They were peppered for the full hour or so with plenty of short stuff dished up but managed to remain not out at stumps. It was due to the quality of their batting and experience. Anything less and Cummins could have cut a swathe through Easts.

They had this to say about that hour:

Lee Kirk

"The quickest I ever faced. Without doubt. Took some adjusting. In week two he hit me on the head. Let's just say in this day and age I'd be ruled out with concussion"

"Honestly. No exaggeration the fastest bowler I ever saw at Waverley"

"I'm 35 at the tail end of a long career. Hoping to contribute and give something back to the club in my last year. And here I am facing the quickest bowler I encountered in nearly twenty years of grade cricket. It was the last thing I expected and very challenging"

Angus Robson

 

"Definitely the fastest spell I have ever faced. Scary. He was only 16 at the time but his pace was incredible"

"That particular spell just left such an imprint on all our team. It was very special and clearly a world beyond the level that the rest if us were at. It was very obvious he was destined for much higher honours"

To their credit both openers were not out at stumps. But that one hour in the fading light of Waverley left an indelible mark on both and the spectators. Never to be forgotten and talked about often.

After stumps I went into the dressing room to see a somewhat frazzled Lee Kirk sitting on the bench still with his pads on. I said to him "I bet you didn't expect to see that in second grade". Lee didn't say a word. Just gave a wry smile. That said it all.

That evening I send an email around to many of my cricket friends. I tell them what I told my brother adding that Cummins is a player to watch and has a full body "Waqar Younis" type action. Which of course he did. Classic side on. Now modified through necessity to much more front on. As Angus was to tell me " I agree with you he was at his quickest at this point. He bowled absolute rockets when he was young. The clear standout in all of the U17 and U19 squads I played in".

That afternoon Patrick Cummins was indeed the prince of pace. I have no doubt he was regularly 150+ kph and yes as fast as he has ever bowled despite his youth.

His talent was obvious to all who were privileged to be at Waverley Oval that day. It was definitely an "I was there" experience. And as they say the rest is history. In less than a year Cummins debuts for NSW and in eighteen months for Australia.

It's one reason why I really enjoy watching grade/premier cricket. Expect the unexpected which certainly happened that afternoon.

Dennis Hourn

Life Member

Eastern Suburbs (Waverley) Cricket Club