Look ma…no hands!
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | March 07, 2023
The three Sullivan brothers–John, Stephen and Christopher–were a competitive lot. All born at King George V Hospital, Camperdown and educated at De La Salle College, Marrickville, the boys developed an early interest in cricket which led to many hotly contested Test matches in the backyard of the local Frampton Avenue household. By the early 1980s, the three were a major force in the Petersham-Marrickville club. John was spearheading one of the most hostile 1st Grade attacks in the competition while Steve and Chris were becoming regulars in 2s.
Season 1983-84 saw the brothers in the same 1st Grade team– an extremely rare occurrence in Sydney Grade Cricket. It was also the first time the three of them had played Grade Cricket together in any grade. At the end of 1984-85 however, there was a major upheaval in their playing association with John announcing his retirement due to a move in residence to Campbelltown.
While decisive in his retirement plans, John experienced renewed enthusiasm when he discovered a team in his new locale had been granted 1st Grade status. His decision to turn out in 1985-86 with the new Campbelltown DCC was a move which was to bring him into conflict with his brothers when the clash against the Petes came up. And come up it did in round 11 at Petersham Oval. With Chris named in the Petes starting line-up as opening bat, he was facing his new-ball big brother for the first time since their backyard Test matches many years earlier.
Brother against brother meant little and within a short while John had struck Chris a painful blow on the hand forcing him to leave the field. A hospital X-Ray revealed Chris’ hand was broken. With nine down and 20 runs to get, Chris courageously returned to the crease only to be struck a second time by John–– but this time on the other hand. The result was that the match was lost by a few runs while Chris finished four not out and with two broken hands!
