Mark Faraday - success thrives on teamwork
Sydney University Cricket Club | January 27, 2023
Mark Faraday played NSW Premier Cricket from 2001 to 2016 and in first grade scored 5,383 runs at an average of 24.46.
In this Q&A Mark shares many of his experiences and as you’ll see he continues to make a valuable contribution to the game and his club.
Let’s find out a bit more about his journey
Welcome Mark
Firstly, what year were your born?
1983
Where did you go the high school?
I did years 7 to 11 at my local school, Warners Bay High.
I did a bit of year 11 and year 12 at Merewether High, the selective school in Newcastle. This really helped me to stay on track while I had a lot of cricket to play. I think I ended up missing a few months’ worth of the HSC, playing in CHS carnivals, playing with the Australian U/17 side and going to the Cricket Academy part time but I still managed to get a decent HSC result.
Do you remember your first ever game of cricket? How old and how did you go?
I had one season of juniors in which we got to bat for two overs with a partner, which was great. The last match of that season was a proper match. I made 77 not out and we won. It was all down-hill from there!
Where did you play your junior cricket?
Newcastle.
Which clubs have you played for?
In Newcastle: Warner’s Bay juniors and University of Newcastle.
In Sydney: Manly Warringah and Sydney University.
How old were you when you first played grade cricket, what grade and for which club?
In Newcastle: 13 or 14. I started in seconds at University of Newcastle and made it into firsts pretty quickly.
In Sydney: 18. I started in first grade with Manly Warringah.
What age did you make your first grade debut?
In Newcastle: 13 or 14.
In Sydney: 18.
What was the reason to leave Manly Warringah to play at Sydney University?
I was travelling down from Newcastle to play for Manly-Warringah. This was a really hard slog and pretty dangerous with all of the time driving whilst tired on the freeway. I was also putting too much pressure on myself to perform, which was counter-productive.
The opportunity to play for Sydney University allowed me to combine study, cricket and living at St Andrew’s College all in one place. I found a better life balance when I moved over to Sydney University and my involvement with the club set me up for life. I’m now a very proud Life Member.
Mark becomes a Life Member of Sydney University Cricket Club. Presented by his great mate Adam Theobald
What is your highest score in first grade? Who against and which ground
147 not out against Fairfield at Rosedale.
Who played the best innings you’ve seen in first grade cricket? If you could add a few words as to why and the game situation
Scott Henry’s 132 in the first grade Grand Final in 2010/2011. We were 5 for 100 at one point. We ended up making 282 and winning by about 50 against a Randwick-Petersham side with 2 Test batsmen.
Who were the three players you admired most in grade cricket in terms of skills and competitive spirit?
Greg Mail, Tom Kierath and Adam Theobald. 3 Sydney Uni legends. At a guess, they would have more than 20 premierships between them. They just knew how to win. They all had a knack of getting the best out of their teammates and they were all great captains.
Who were the three batsman who you thought were the best going around during your time in first grade?
Greg Mail. His record speaks for itself. The most mentally strong cricketer I came across.
Brad Haddin was the purest striker of a ball I saw in first grade.
Matt Phelps was another guy I saw a lot of who was such a complete player.
Who were the three bowlers who challenged you’re the most?
One finals series Fairfield – Liverpool turned out Doug Bollinger, Don Nash and Grant Lambert in one attack. So that would arguably be the three, especially when they were all together.
Otherwise, Mark Cameron bowled the fastest spell I ever faced in grade cricket. He was scary on a good day, but thankfully we mostly played together.
Who was the fastest bowler you came up against?
Mark Cameron and Mitchell Johnson, the latter in a State Colts match. I also faced Brett Lee in the SCG indoor nets when I was 17. He was doing a fitness test for the 2001 Ashes series. That was a fantastic, albeit a little scary, experience.
Mark Cameron
Who was the best spinner?
I never played against Stu MacGill but I saw a lot of his work from in the field. He would regularly bounce the ball chest high. Unbelievable.
I also had great trouble with Greg Matthews one day when I tried to play him defensively. The next time I played him I slogged and it went much better. I was lucky to play a little with Mo, too, and he was such an awesome cricketer.
Which two umpires did you respect most?
Hard to pick just 2! Tony Wilds and Greg Davidson would umpire the Grand Final if it were up to me. Gerard Aboud would be the third umpire (if there were one) and Darren Goodger would be match referee. How’s that?
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket??
The 2013/14 Grand Final. Greg Mail was our captain all year and he was unavailable for the Grand Final for personal reasons. We still managed to beat a Bankstown team that contained a number of my old mates. We won outright after being bowled out for 37 in the first innings (the lowest ever score in a first grade Grand Final, I believe). I was part of a fairly critical partnership on the last day with Tim Ley, one of my best mates.
Who’s been the biggest influence in your cricket career?
Dad.
One day Mum went shopping and when she came back, Dad had cemented a cricket pitch into the back yard and put up netting. He bowled to me every day for 10 years; swing, spin, left handed, right handed and even with golf balls when I got a bit older. Dad was an incredible talent. He took heaps of wickets in Newcastle first grade cricket and even took the most wickets up there when he was 49 years old (49 wickets in a 12 match season from memory). My brother Rob played in that side too. He made the most runs in the comp and Dad took the most wickets. We really had some fun. Recently Dad and Kerry O’Keeffe have been swapping notes on how Dad bowled finger spin. He had a similar style to Johnny Gleeson. Last year I organised a game of golf with Dad and Kerry at St Michael’s. After the round, Dad and Kerry bowled to each other on the practice green. I can’t believe they weren’t kicked out! It was cool to see two passionate old cricketers sharing the love. Kerry was great fun on the golf course. At one point he made a 15-footer and declared: “That’s what a 24-Test veteran thinks of pressure!”
Who was the funniest cricketing team mate?
Ian Moran. Ian was the best Mad Monday exponent of all time. In fairness, he did get some practice!
Is there a particular moment in a game that still makes you laugh? If you could describe why
One season we were in second place going into the last round. UNSW were first. We played the match with 10 players due to a very late, unexpected drop out. In the last over of the match, UNSW needed 36 to tie. Much to Stuart Clark’s chagrin, Maily decided it would be funny if I bowled the last over. He handed me the ball and said (loudly): “Mate, if you f*ck this up, it will be worth it”. For some reason the first pie I served up was blocked. The second ball went straight down Scott Henry’s throat at long on. He dropped it. It would have been my only wicket in first grade. I can’t work out whether one first grade wicket would have been better than having the story over Scooter for life.
Mark batting for Sydney University against Oxford University at The Parks in 2015
Who is your favourite all time cricketer?
Michael Slater was my idol growing up.
What was the best win you were involved in?
The 2013/14 Grand Final. See above.
What did you enjoy most about playing Premier/Grade Cricket in Sydney?
The beer after play. Good day or bad day on the field, that was always a highlight of the week.
If you’re in the middle seat of the middle row of Qantas QF1 flight to London which team mates would you choose to on your left and right?
Pick two from of Adam Theobald, Tommy Kierath, Greg Mail or my brother in-law Ash Cowan. We would drink Qantas out of their red wine supplies. I still catch up with those guys all the time and our families have become close.
Come to think of it, Maily and Ash would leave more room for the guy in the middle seat…
Did you have any cricketing superstitions?
I had heaps as a kid. I ditched all of them in my 20s. Wish I did it earlier. They were inhibiting.
Which ground in Sydney club cricket did you enjoy playing at the most?
Sydney Uni No. 1.
What’s the best advice you ever received?
Shane Stanton encouraged me to embrace starting in 2nds at Sydney Uni and not go up to 1sts until I had made a hundred. By doing it this way (not that it was really my choice), I made double the mates in my first month at the club and no-one begrudged my taking a spot in 1sts when I earned it.
Are you still involved in Cricket and if so, in what capacity?
Yes, my law firm sponsors Sydney University Cricket Club. I am also on the board of directors of Sydney University Sport Limited, the company that oversees all sport and fitness at Sydney University. I am also Board Secretary of the Bradman Foundation, which has an incredible board and does great work in the cricket community.
What advice would you offer a young 18 year old who has the ambition of playing test cricket?
For a batsman, open the batting. Batting at the top of the order just forces you to get a good defence and be patient. You also get to set the tone of the match. I did it a bit in my mid to late 20s and improved for the first time in over a decade.
For a bowler, look elsewhere for advice!
What are your hobbies?
I am obsessed with golf. I’m a member of The Lakes and have dragged a few cricket mates out there. It is a great level of competition without some of the stresses and time pressures of cricket. Tim Freeburn, who played for Sutherland and Bankstown, is also a member. Tim and I played cricket against each other for 30 years. It took us one round of golf to strike up a great friendship.
What’s you favorite sports movie of documentary?
The highlights of the 2013 Masters win by Adam Scott. Still makes my spine tingle seeing those putts drop.
What is your occupation?
Lawyer. I specialise in commercial litigation and corporate restructuring.
You may as well give your employer a plug, who do you work for?
I have my own firm, Henry William, which I founded in 2016. We now have over 30 lawyers. It has been an incredible ride.
We are also now lucky enough to call former SUCC Chairman Max Bonnell one of our own. Max is regarded as one of the best international arbitrators and litigators in the Asia Pacific region. Cricket connections at work again!
Are there any lessons from your time in cricket that you take into work or life in general?
Absolutely! Success is always best enjoyed in a team.
