Andy Farley - Queensland Veterans Cricket

Queensland Veterans Cricket | March 16, 2023

Andy Farley played grade cricket in Sydney for the club previously known as Sydney. A batsman from the bush he played his first 2 games in 3rd grade and scored 50 in the first and 75 in the second. In his third game for the club he was promoted to second grade and scored 79. He was then picked in first grade.

In his first 3rd Grade he opened the batting against Gordon and their opening bowler was Gordon Rorke who’d played test cricket for Australia only 2 season previous. Andy remembers thinking, “what am I doing in Sydney?”

At the time Sydney had Frank Misson, Rick McCosker and Trevor Boyd all playing for NSW.

The next season there was some chat about Andy being in the train on squad for NSW. When he enquired about the opportunity he found out he would only get $5.00 per day plus accommodation if selected. As he was married with their first child, he told the powers to be that he could go back to the country and earn $100-00 a day shearing sheep.

After moving back home Andy had the good fortune of being selected as vice-captain for NSW Country for a tour of New Zealand and had some good success playing against several test players. His best score on tour was 82 and he was also the wicket keeper for the tour.

In Andy last representative match he was chosen in the NSW Country side to play the West Indies in Orange NSW. The first ball from Marshall hit him on the shoulder and he says the bruise did not go away for 6 weeks. Andy was out bowled by Marshall on the last ball of the first over for 0. Maybe at 37 years of age, it was a bit much.

?Q&A Interview

What year you were born?

1946

What was your most memorable in junior cricket?

I was a member of the first junior competition to be played in the Mudgee junior cricket, year 1958.

Do you have a particular routine before a game?

Put my cricket gear on, most players do!!!!!!!

What do you like to do on your days off?

Work on the competition garden we have.

How do you amuse yourself on a plane flight?

Talk to as many people who wish to talk with me, my wife sleeps most of the time,

Which singer/band would you like to see perform live?

Slim Dusty

Who is the king of selfies at your club?

Mike Nowlan

Who has been your funniest team mate?

Jeff Evans

Who has been your most annoying team mate?

Nev Moroske.

If you won the lottery, what would you buy first?

Donate most of it to the royal flying doctor service.

What is your favourite city in the world to visit?

London 

Who was your childhood hero?

My father. He lost his mother when he was three and only had four years of schooling, he survived the Spanish flu in 1919 and married in 1932 in the middle of the Great Depression. He was a very good tennis player but never played cricket until he was 45. He really enjoyed it and went on to play until he was 72. His farming operation was a credit to him considering his upbringing. Unfortunately a bushfire in 1979 saw us shooting sheep and renewing 50 kms of fencing. He was a hardworking man and still lived until his passing aged 87.

Who is the fastest bowler you’ve played against?

Malcolm Marshall. I did face Thompson and Pascoe in Sydney Grade Cricket and they only wanted to bruise you.

Who is the best spinner you’ve played against?

Kerry O’Keeffe because I hit him twice in the first over he bowled to me into the grandstand.

Who are the next two batsman to make their debut for the Queensland Bulls in Shield cricket?

The ones who make the most runs.

Who are the two opponents in Queensland Veterans Cricket you admire most in terms of skills and competitive spirit?

Ian Petherick and Graham Bichel.

What has been your most memorable moment in cricket?

Scoring over 150 runs in the semi-final, final and grand final of the Western District Council in the late 1960s

What are the three things you’re looking forward to doing outside cricket?

Win 3 more garden competitions.