It's just not cricket....
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | December 10, 2024
Randwick’s 1909-10 season was notable for reasons other than cricket. The 2nd Grade team ran foul of the NSW Cricket Association’s Grade Committee with damaging results. In an incident which strangely is not mentioned in any way in the club’s annual report of that season, an umpire reported adversely on the behaviour of certain unnamed players in the side.
It was reported in The Sydney Morning Herald of 22 February 1910 that umpire Mr. Newman, who stood in the match Randwick v North Sydney on 11 and 18 December 1909, was the subject of “insinuating remarks” and continued “harping” from the whole of the Randwick team (except the captain Charles Patrick) during the remainder of the match after he had given a batsman out.
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The result of the Grade Committee’s deliberations and the club’s reaction to its decision is best summed up in a letter, which the then Hon Secretary Percy Beveridge, sent to the Association and which was re-produced on page 4 of The Sydney Morning Herald on 11 March 1910. The newspaper’s article follows:
THE RANDWlCK CLUB AND THE ASSOCIATION.
At a recent meeting of the NSW Cricket Association, it was decided to censure 10 players of the Randwick club for “uncricket-like” conduct towards the umpire in a grade match. Mr. Perce Beveridge, the Hon. Secretary of the Randwick club, has forwarded the following letter to the NSW Cricket Association: -
“I am in receipt of your letter of the 23rd ult., and note contents. I am directed by my committee to respectfully advise you of the following resolution passed unanimously at our last meeting:— That the censure motion passed by the New South Wales Cricket Association on 10 players of the Randwick District Cricket Club be not entertained, as the report of the umpire before the meeting only mentioned two players (who were called to give evidence); therefore eight members of the Randwick District Cricket Club have been judged and found guilty of misconduct for which they were never reported. You will notice from your letter under reply that the grade committee report 'having gone into umpire Newman's report and fully considered the matter.'
Asking two men out of eleven to give evidence does not need much comment as to the 'full consideration' that the matter was supposed to have received. My committee is of the opinion that the grade committee exceeded its jurisdiction in dealing with the whole team without giving it a chance to reply to charges. As a matter of fact, no charge was made against the team, but against two individual members, who were called upon to give evidence. Had the 'award' of the grade committee been confined to those individuals only, it would have been bad enough, but to include another eight without giving them a chance to defend themselves transcends all ideas of justice”.
Lyall Gardner
Hon. Historian
Randwick Petersham Cricket
