Todd Greenberg - pressure is a privilege

Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | May 01, 2023

Todd Greenberg grade cricket career started in the 1987/88 season for Randwick Cricket Club and in 9 seasons from 5th grade to first grade Todd scored 3,627 runs at an average of 30.23 and hit 7 hundreds and 14 half centuries.

He made his first grade debut in Round 6 of the 1992/93 season and scored 652 runs in first grade in 31 innings including two centuries.

Todd is a proud member of the Randwick Petersham Cricket Club legends society and is now the CEO of Australian Cricketers Association

Let’s find out more about his journey in the game.

 

What year you were born?

1971

Can you remember you first game of cricket? How old and do you remember how you went?

Yes. I was 7 years old playing in the Under 10’s. I remember being surrounded by my friends and all the parents. It was all about fun and mateship. I have no memory if I scored any runs or took any wickets.

Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey? Where you’ve played, clubs you’ve played for?

My cricket journey started from a very young age in the backyard. I am the eldest of 4 boys so my younger brothers and I had many great ‘test match’ battles in the backyard with a tennis ball with electrical tape on one side.

I played my first junior cricket for Maccabi in the Eastern Suburbs junior competition and also played in the junior rep teams through Cawsey shield, Moore Shield and then Green Shield teams. I then played all my Club cricket at Randwick CC.

Todd Greenberg - front row, second from the left. Richard Chee Quee - back row, fourth from the left.

In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?

I debuted as a 15 year old in 5th grade for Randwick against Manly at Balgowlah oval. I played in the juniors in the morning and then with the men in the afternoon.

We had a good win, I scored a few runs in the middle order, took a couple of wickets and remember sitting in the change rooms watching all the grown men have a few beers after the game whilst my mum and dad waited outside to drive me home.

At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?

I debuted in first grade at age 21. We played Mosman at Coogee Oval on a difficult wicket. I batted at six and scored a stylish 2. Played and missed more times than I made contact and wondered if I would ever get selected in the top grade again.

If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer? 

I started as an all-rounder but the higher up the grades I played the less I bowled.

What were your strengths as a player?

I was a diligent trainer & I always enjoyed the post-match hours in the dressing room as much as the game itself.

What was your highest score in senior cricket? For which club and where

I scored 119 for Randwick playing against Hawkesbury in a first grade game at Bensons Lane.

The flies were bigger than your fist and it was 40 degrees in the shade.

The wicket was very flat and my great Randwick team mate Paul Toole and I batted for several hours together and both scored hundreds.

Paul Toole batting

What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?

As a 16 year old, I took 6-23 in a fifth grade game for Randwick against Balmain at ELS hall. We bowled them out in a session and I remember our legendary captain Alan ‘Corky’ Cripps chipping me after getting a wicket that my shoes were too dirty and that I should make sure that I polished them at the next drinks break because he was a stickler for making sure we all played the game in the right spirit and that included how we dressed. I used to always clean my spikes before every game with Alan was my Captain.  

Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?

Wayne Holdsworth was frighteningly fast. He got me out LBW at Coogee one day and I didn’t look up for the umpire’s decision, I knew it was hitting middle stump and I was happy to get off the field in one piece.

Brett Lee was also incredibly fast & you only ever felt safe at the non-strikers end.

Andrew ‘Milton’ Jones was quick and nasty. He was a left armer and came from wide of the wicket and would be really hard to face. Great bloke off the field too!

Wayne Holdsmworth

Who were the best three spinners you have played against? 

David ‘Freddie’ Freedman was always impossible to pick. I had no idea what was happening when I faced Freddie and many of his Bankstown team mates would provide plenty of banter to remind me that I had no idea at the time either.

Trevor Jay was a club legend at Randwick and always knocked me over in the practice nets. He could land the ball on a 5 cent piece with his left arm darts and he was also very competitive on the field. 

I was fortunate to play a few games against Greg Mathews and always enjoyed the challenge. He was a great bowler and loved getting all the ‘angles’ right with his field placements. He was a special cricketer with a fierce determination to succeed and it was always a tough assignment to face Mo.

David Freedman

Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?

Steve Small at Bankstown was awesome. His bat looked about three feet wide on some days. He was powerful and aggressive and dominated the crease. He was great to watch.

Justin Quint played for St George and also at Randwick in his later years and he was a very elegant batsman. He was tall and lean and made the game look easy. He scored some runs against us a few times and I always admired his skill on the cricket field.

Geoff Spotswood was a player that everyone feared in Sydney grade cricket. He played for Wests and was a tough competitor who would regularly throw the ball back to the keeper to keep you on your toes. After coping one in the back from one of his throws, I was taught a very valuable lesson to never turn my back on the cricket field again! Spotty was a tough and hardened cricketer and coach and loved to be feared, but once you got to know him away from the field he was a true gentleman and a quality bloke.

Steve Small

Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against? And if you could add a few words as to why

Richard Chee Quee scored a hundred for Randwick one afternoon in a late innings run chase to get us into a semi-final the following week. I don’t remember all the details of the match but I do remember Cheeq’s smashing them all over the place and us getting the win. He was a very talented player and great to watch in full flight.

Was there any bowler in particular who whatever reason always you to cause you a few problems?

Every bowler caused headaches for me so it’s hard to nominate only one.

A left arm fast bowler from Victoria always caused me a few headaches. His name was Dean Kino. He was fast and crazy and was always at you no matter the situation of the game. I was fortunate to score a few runs against him but he was always a handful and always fast.

Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used to and you really had to knuckle down to survive? If you could add a few words as to the experience

My first game in first grade was certainly a big test.

The fast bowling was a level above what I had experienced before and I felt out of my depth when I debuted. It was a good life lesson that sometimes you will get opportunities that you might not think you are ready for ….but with the solid support of your teammates and a good dose of self-belief you can do anything if you set your mind to it.

Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?

I enjoyed playing with and against a number of great wicket keepers.

Richard Bennison who played for a few different clubs including Randwick was a brilliant wicket keeper and always very competitive. Daryl Parmenter was also a great glove man and broke several records as a wicket keeper at Randwick.

But the best keeper was Andrew ‘Spike’ Millican. Spike was a great glove man and also a great skipper. He always had time behind the stumps. He made it look easy.

Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?

Richard Chee Quee and I played together through all of our junior cricket rep teams and I loved watching him bat. He was incredibly self-assured at the crease and no bowler could intimidate him when he was on. He was pure class and great fun to bat with. Watching him rip into the opposition from the non-strikers end was always a brilliant experience. He did it when we were 10 years old and he kept doing it throughout his career.

Dave Carroll and I also played all of our junior cricket together and also at Randwick. Dave was a world class leg spin bowler and a left handed batsman. He bowled some incredible spells in the early part of his career in first grade and I thought he would go on and play 100 Test matches for Australia. We played many games together at Randwick and he was a great team mate. Ultimately he went onto study law at university so that was probably a more sensible path to follow. 

Richard Chee Quee

Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?

My favourite captain was a bloke named Greg Doyle. Doylie played plenty of first grade for Randwick as an opening batsman but I enjoyed playing under him in second grade where we had plenty of success. He was a champion bloke who took an old school approach to the game and he was a great tactician on the field. Sadly he passed away a few years back but he taught many of us some great lessons about the game.

Who has been your funniest team mate?

There are plenty to consider in this category! Randwick CC was fortunate to have some of the funniest blokes to ever grace a cricket field. Long days in the field were always made more enjoyable by the dry wit and humour of many legendary Randwick team mates.

First prize goes to Mark ‘Jack’ Sundin. He was the best team mate and also the funniest team mate.

He played cricket in the right spirit and was always excited for the post-match activities and the banter. Fielding alongside Jack close to the wicket or in the slips cordon was always a funny experience.

Another Randwick team mate, Bruce ‘shafter’ Young was also a very funny team mate. He was one of the greatest sledgers and nigglers that I have ever seen, but he was also the first bloke into the opposition’s dressing room after the game to share a beer. Youngie was hilarious to play with.

Honourable mentions must go to Paul Rigoni, Greg Davidson, Steve Zantides, Adam Warren, Paul Toole and many more. These guys were the reason that playing cricket at Randwick CC was so much fun!

Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?

In a second grade game at Coogee oval I was batting with my Captain Greg Doyle. It was a very hot day and the wicket was flat and the opposition were getting very frustrated at not being able to get a wicket.

Doylie was steadfast in defence and did not give a chance. The short leg fieldsman was trying to niggle him but he wouldn’t respond. The short leg fieldsman then noticed that Doylie had his old leather wallet in the back pocket of his cricket trousers. It was very thick and had all his credit cards and receipts and cash. It was clearly visibly and was sticking out the back of his pants.

The opposition players thought it was hilarious that he had forgotten to take it out before he went out to bat and were giving it to him about it after each ball.

At the end of the over, I walked down the wicket and suggested that he call out the 12th man to give his wallet to him ….and Doylie said….”I don’t know what these blokes are talking about, I always bat with my wallet in my pocket, I never trust the valuables bag!”

He went on and scored a great hundred and when he reached three figures he raised his bat and also pulled out his wallet and raised that as well. It was one of the great sights on a cricket field and it still brings a smile to my face when I think about that day.

Todd Greenberg - cut shot

Who was your childhood hero?

My parents

Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?

Mohammed Ali, Pele and Tiger Woods

Mohammed Ali

Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?

Richie Benaud was my favourite commentator. His voice was magic and his ‘less is more’ approach to commentary was sensational.

Michael Slater and Adam Gilchrist are my favourite modern day commentators. Authentic and they both call it as they see it.

What was your favourite ground to play at?

Our home ground at Coogee Oval was always the best ground in Sydney to play. Opposition players would always check the draw at the start of the year hoping they could play at Coogee. The wicket was very ordinary back in my playing days but the after match activities and the local scenery made up for it. 

What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?

I always enjoyed our battles with Sutherland CC. We had some great matches against each other including the Poidevin Gray Under 21 final at Caringbah Oval where they beat us in a tight finish in front of a big crowd to claim the trophy.

I also always wanted to play against North Sydney and the only reason was to play at their home ground at North Sydney Oval. It was always such a brilliant place to play cricket.

What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?

Getting a golden pair against Manly at Coogee oval still brings a tear to the eye.

What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?

I was fortunate to play in some great teams with some very talented players and enjoyed plenty of good times on the cricket field.

In my last year at school in 1988, we won the Alan Davidson Shield (the best school XI in NSW). It was very competitive and plenty of good players around the state played for their respective schools. The legendary Alan Davidson presented the trophy to us after we won the final and I still recall our celebrations afterwards. It was a great finish to my time at school.

Winning a gold medal at the Maccabiah games and beating South Africa in the final was a real standout and was made even more special because many of my best mates from my childhood played in that team. It was a memorable experience. 

Winning the first grade limited over competition at Randwick was also a highlight and great fun.

Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?

Hard to get this list down to just three but I will only invite my Randwick team mates.

Mike Whitney for his story telling plus Richard Chee Quee for his musical talents and my old junior team mate Paul Platus because not only is he a great bloke, but he’s also an amazing cook so the BBQ will be in good hands!

Mike Whitney

What are your hobbies?

Golf and family 

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Pressure is a privilege

Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?

After almost 15 years working in Rugby League, I'm now the CEO of the ACA (Australian Cricketers Association). This is an organisation that provides the collective voice of past and present domestic and international male and female cricketers in Australia.

I am really excited to be working in cricket and particularly excited to be working alongside the players to grow the game. I know all the players place enormous value on the pathways and the grass roots structures of modern day cricket and this will be a particular focus in our discussions with the State Associations and Cricket Australia.

I am also a passionate advocate for grade cricket and ensuring that this part of the development pathway through into the Sheffield Shield format is strong and well administered. It is a critical part of the sport and I recognise the importance of developing high quality grade cricketers into first class players will ultimately ensure that Australian cricket is strong and prosperous.