Col Cooke - wickets, Sir Don and a mix up
Queensland Veterans Cricket | May 08, 2023
By Col Cooke
A game that was special for me was a Sheffield Shield game against South Australia, in Adelaide in January 1977.
The first day was stinking hot. We lost the toss and had to bowl on a "road". I bowled the first over of the match and took two wickets in two balls, which meant I was on a hat trick in the first over. John Nash was the new batsman. The Hat trick ball missed both the outside edge and the off bail by the proverbial bees’ dick, and everyone went up in an appeal. Umpire Robin Baillache said, “nice try fellas, not out".
Geoff Dymock (QLD Veterans Patron) bowled the next over and when I got the ball for the start of the third over, it had a chunk the size of a ten-cent piece ripped out of it. I thought "this could be a long day". Geoff took a wicket, which had them 3 for 12, then David Hookes spoiled the day by scoring 180.
In South Australia's second innings, I again took two wickets in an over, then Hookes came in and scored 110. It was part of a sequence of five hundreds he scored in five innings, all at Adelaide, leading to his selection in the famous Centenary Test.
On the last afternoon, during our second innings, Sir Donald Bradman came into our dressing room and sat beside me. We had a nice chat. While we were chatting, Queensland was cruising to a win, with only two runs required to win off the last over and three wickets in hand.
With the scores tied, Phil Carlson ran himself out. I had to excuse myself from my chat with Sir Donald to go and pad up just in case I had to bat.
Malcolm Francke was struck on the pad and Geoff Dymock called him through for the winning run. Instead of running, Malcolm was looking to see where the ball went. Geoff kept running, with the result being Malcolm was run out.
I walked to the wicket with two balls remaining in the match and Geoff on strike.
He said to me "what do you reckon". I said that if it was on the stumps to block it and if it was wide, let it go. Either way, I was going to run. Geoff said OK.
As soon as the ball left the bowler's hand, I took off for the run. It was on middle and leg. Geoff hit it in the middle straight to midwicket and called NO. By this time I was halfway down the wicket. I stopped, turned and ran back, only for the throw from Peter Sleep which was right over the stumps at the bowler's end to be taken by the bowler, Geoff Attenborough, who removed the bails with me six inches short of the crease.
There was chaos for a while, with everyone unsure of the result, until it sunk in that the result was a tie.
This was only the second tied match in Sheffield Shield history, so both teams felt we were part of something special. We celebrated long into the night.
For me, this was a special match, as I was on a hat trick in the opening over, I met Sir Donald and I was the last man out, resulting in the tied match.
About Col
Col Cooke played 5 first class games for Queensland in 1976/77 taking 17 wickets at an average 30.35 and his best figures was 4 for 59. Col has represented Queensland Veterans Cricket in Over 60s and 70s and is QLD Veterans #7
The run out
