Geoff Wood - keep hitting the ball along the ground

UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club | April 11, 2023

Geoff Wood grew up on the family farm in Uralla on the Northern Tablelands of NSW.

A very talented cricketer in his junior years and selected in the Northern NSW Emus Geoff left Uralla to play grade cricket in Sydney with North Sydney.

He made his first grade debut for the Bears against Western Suburbs during the 1973/74 season. Geoff is North Sydney first grade player number 439

At the age of 26 he returned to Uralla and continued to play in the Armidale competition with great distinction in local and representative cricket.

Let’s find out more about Geoff journey in the game

 

What year you were born?

1953

Can you remember you first game of cricket?

I think in my last year in primary school the team was short one Saturday and I was asked to fill in. My only recollection was that I volunteered to be the wicket keeper, my first and last time.

Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?

I played junior cricket for Uralla (my home town) before moving into senior cricket. I played my first A grade game when I was 15. Incidentally Walter Taylor who had a piece written about him on ‘stump to stump’ scored his last century and I scored my first in the same match in my second season in A grade in the Armidale District Cricket Association competition.

I then played in various representative games including trips to Tasmania and New Zealand with the Northern NSW Colts (Emus) before representing NSW Country 1sts v’s City on 2 occasions at the SCG.

I started with North Sydney in the 1973/74 season. Along the way I made 2 overseas trips with the Emu Club, one to Malaysia/Singapore and a World Tour in 1974.

I returned to Uralla in 1979 and except for a few seasons with the Armidale club Hillgrove I finished my career where I started.

I played a number of representative country zone matches after returning home including a game against the touring New Zealand side involved in the infamous underarm incident. A couple of years later I played a game against their ”A “side which included a number from that match (they were still wearing their one day uniforms) plus fringe Test players. I managed to scramble 60 odd against them and was reminded of sportsmanship on more than one occasion.

Geoff Wood batting against Tasmanian Colts team

When you moved to Sydney you chose to play with North Sydney Cricket Club. Why did you choose North Sydney?

Ro Shelton, who I knew through the Northern NSW Emu Club and who I played against in the City v Country games as well as Ken Shine (also an Emu) were at North Sydney and were a good country connection. Fellow Emus Tim Wooster and Billy Crane from Tamworth came to North Sydney the year after.

At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket in Sydney?

I was fortunate to be selected in first Grade when I came to Sydney from the country. I was 20 and still eligible for Poidevin Gray under 21 competition.

What can you remember about your debut and can you recall how you performed?

I remember getting an inside edge of Gary Gilmour for not many, single figures. Other recollections were Peter Toohey scoring 80 or 90 wearing rubber spiked batting gloves and Gary Gilmour hitting Kerry O’Keefe for a couple of sixes out of the ground. We had to leg someone over the fence to retrieve the ball and then realised he would have to pay to get back into the ground as you had to pay to watch grade cricket in 1973.

Peter Toohey

In the next couple of games I scored a couple of 30’s and then a 60 odd against a strong Balmain side containing Dave Renneberg ,Tony Steele as well as a number of state representatives.

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

Essentially a batsman until I returned to the country when I bowled a bit of straight off spin.

What were your strengths as a player?

All my early cricket was pre helmet (not much hooking) and generally as an opening bat. Most quicks (especially Sydney) tended to bowl short of a length outside off-quite often without mid-off and mid-on and fairly square fields. So the square cut was often used even though you hung in there hoping for a ball to drive.

What was your highest score in senior cricket?

I scored 152 for Northern NSW Colts against Tasmanian Colts in Hobart.

What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?

I recall taking 7 for about 26 in a country inter council match-big wicket hauls were few and far between most of the time for me. However in a Tooheys Cup match (promotional country matches which included several state or Australian reps.) I managed to get the 3 international opposition players out.

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

I was fortunate to play against all the NSW based international players in the 70’s including Len Pascoe, Dave Colley, Geoff Lawson and Dave Renneberg.

Every batsman had a Thommo story through that period. In one game we had managed to beat Bankstown on the first innings however Jeff Thomson needed to prove his fitness before the selectors after injury. Our captain Ross Collins decided that I would benefit from a hit out at the top of the order. Thommo wound it up a few knots from the first innings and somehow I survived his 6 or 7 overs with plenty of encouragement from the Bankstown fieldsmen. (I’m sure they were closer to the boundary fence than the wicket). Just after he was taken off I managed to get run out at the bowlers end with a throw from fine leg.

On another occasion we were scheduled to play Andy Roberts (Sutherland) however the match was washed out…disappointing!

Jeff thomson

Who were the best spinners you have played with or against? 

All the NSW based spinners that played for Australia in the 1980’s I played against in Grade cricket. However the one I thought deserved higher honours that I played against in the 70’s was David Hourn. In a Country v City match on a slightly damp SCG pitch he was almost unplayable.

Kerry O’Keefe was the incumbent State and Australian spinner and I only played with him on a few occasions(I managed to run him out at Rushcutters on one of his rare appearances for Norths). I was always impressed by our 2 spinners at North Sydney, Ro Shelton and Tim Wooster.

Dennis Hourn

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

I was fortunate to play against all the NSW based test players through the seventies. Also this time coincided with World Series Cricket so there were a few extra stars playing grade at that time. This included 3 Test captains(plus a couple of English- Mike Gatting and Tony Greig)

I had a lot of respect for Rick McCosker as he came from the same country area and I played with and against him on a number of occasions.

There was newspaper article written criticising some of the Test players performances in grade so Alan Turner came out on the following Saturday against us and got 99.

However the batsman I enjoyed playing against and watching bat was John Benaud. It wasn’t just his batting style but the overall way he played his cricket, I was almost disappointed when he was dismissed.

John Benaud

Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?

I batted with Mark Hope at Bankstown Oval and against a great attack including Jeff Thomson he scored an 80. I was amazed how easy he made it look

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

For reasons I could not work out I had trouble batting against Mick O’Sullivan –a left hand spinner from Sydney Uni.

Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used to in grade cricket and you really had to knuckle down to survive? 

There are 2 occasions. Firstly I went to Brisbane when I was a raw sixteen year old to play in the Qld Country week. In one game I came up against the 2 opening bowlers and really struggled with the pace and swinging ball. I was to learn after that the bowlers were Ross Taylor who had opened the bowling for NSW and Geoff Dymock who went on to represent Qld and Australia.

The second occasion and probably a little on reflection were the two City v Country games.

Five players from those games went on to represent Australia and many more for NSW and Qld. Jeff Thomson managed to half volley the second or third ball into the sight screen in the first match then David Hourn weaved his magic on a slightly damp wicket. While we were beaten soundly in the first match the second was pretty competitive. I managed a 40 the first year and a 50 odd the second.

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

I played with Steve Rixon in a Country v City match and then a few times in the Tooheys country matches and he deserved his international recognition. Two others who I thought were great keepers that I played Colts cricket with were Michael Cox who played for Gordon in Sydney then onto the WA shield team and Alan Campbell was the other who had a long distinguished career in Sydney Grade with a couple of clubs.

 

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

Ross Collins and Ro Shelton were my 2 first grade captains at Norths and both did an admirable job. I played a season with Doug Cole and we won a second grade premiership against Manly, 2 teams that were essentially first grade teams.

Doug’s only “blemish” for the season was when we were playing Gordon at North Sydney and were dismissed for a paltry 140.

Gordon were 2 for 130 and Doug decided that it was time for me to try my leg spinners which I dabbled with in the nets.

Mick Falk, who’d scored a brilliant 100 against our Emu side in England playing for Sevenoaks was my first victim and I got another in that over.

I was getting ready for my second and Doug took me off and brought back our frontline bowlers who cleaned up the rest for an amazing victory. In the season statistics I was mentioned as also bowled 1 over, 1 maiden, 2 wickets for no runs.

Who was the umpire you had admiration for? 

In my second last match in Sydney our opponents were Waverly played at Waverly. They batted first and scored a reasonable total, around 300. After a hot dry week we turned up the following Saturday to a fairly wet track. There was a friendly rivalry between the state squad members to the outcome of the match.

Throughout the afternoon I chatted to umpire Tom Brooks, the former Test umpire. We discovered through the course of events that he knew my hometown Uralla very well and had indeed spent considerable time on a neighbouring property to ours in an army camp through WW2. Billy Crane and I managed a sizable partnership and we won the match.

When I reached three figures he quietly congratulated me which I was very chuffed about.

Who has been your funniest team mate?

I probably couldn’t go past my Country teammate Jeff Thatcher. We mostly played against each other in country zone matches and these games went over a couple of days requiring an overnight or two stay. It was not unusual to book into a pub or motel and find someone had tampered with the bookings and find yourself stuck with the opposition party animal’s intent of ensuring you got minimum sleep.

In a Country v City match Thatch and I roomed with a young player from the Riverina. On the morning of the second day we got up and had breakfast and the cabs had arrived to take us to the SCG.

We grabbed our gear, got to the ground and warmed up and realised we had left our roommate asleep back at the motel. We tried the phone in the dressing room and only managed to get the scoreboard. I was to learn a couple of years later that our roommate decided to follow an AFL career and won a couple of Premierships in Melbourne.

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

My Emu teammate Bill Hutchinson was very frustrated in a match I played against him when I managed to hit some boundaries past a couple of strategically placed fieldsman. He turned to me and said “you’ve got more arse than a toilet seat”. I generally tried to ignore any sledging.

What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?

In my last match in Sydney against the old Sydney Club at Rushcutters I managed to be dismissed three times on no balls. When eventually dismissed in unusual circumstances I mentioned to the bowler, who’d also been involved in the no balls, (I think Dave Chardon), as I left the field that you couldn’t help bad luck. His reply was unprintable.

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

Serena Williams, Tiger Woods and Virat Kohli.

Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?

I’m showing my age but Alan MacGilvray. I grew up listening to him and he remained my favourite.

Alan McGilvray

What was your favourite ground to play at?

I always had a bit of success at Manly. I watched a couple of games there when I was a kid and thought it would be great to play there. Manly had good bowling attacks, Jeff Macpherson (who took 9 for one day) ,Graeme Beard, Mick Pawley, Terry Lee and Brian Kinsey and I was lucky enough to get a 100 there in the second grade grand final. I was fortunate to play at both the SCG and SCG No2 a fair bit when North Sydney Oval was being redeveloped.

Geoff Wood batting at Manly Oval

 

What’s have been some of your funniest moments in cricket?

There are three that come to mind.

On the Emu World tour playing in Bahrain in the desert opening batsman Lindsay Mulligan called for drinks before he faced a ball. (It was 50 degrees plus and sand for as far as you could see.)

Playing Northern District at North Sydney, Neil Marks decided to answer the call of nature at a drinks break. Someone “accidently” locked the gates to the dressing sheds while he was gone and while all (including umpires) found it amusing Marksy didn’t see the funny side.

In a country zone match which are often used as a stepping stone to higher honours, the same applies to umpires. In one particular match we had a Canberra based umpire appointed. At the conclusion of the match he congratulated us on a very competitive match but played in amazingly good spirit and asked could he join us for a drink afterwards.

It turned out that not only did he make a few extra dollars umpiring but was a part time magician. As the night wore on the tricks were coming thick and fast and David Jurd (ex Petersham) was a master (or tried to be) of one up manship. Our umpire friend procured from the bar person a broom and ordered a schooner. He took a couple of drinks and proceeded to balance the glass on the broomstick (much to the trepidation of the barperson) and raised it to the ceiling where he asked Jurdy to hold it while he prepared for the second part of the trick. He promptly left and Jurdy was left holding the stick not game to move. He did come back to the relief of Jurdy and the bar person.

     

                                                               

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

Probably our second grade premiership win against Manly. I was able to get some runs to contribute plus I had a good season overall run wise. Towards the end of Manly’s innings chasing our score, captain Doug Cole had 10 vice captains offering advice

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

The first two people I met when I went to North Sydney were Chris Elder and Reg Reber. Over the next few seasons they introduced a naïve country kid to the bright city lights.

John Moran and I went to college together in Armidale. While he was affectionately called Jack at Northern Districts his nickname at college was “knuckles” and I had a lot of trouble convincing his mother that it wasn’t because of his fighting ability.

In a game we played against each other Pete Villama bowled me a half tracker and I hit it like a rocket at John/Jack at short gully. He hit the deck however to the relief/disappointment of myself and relief/joy of his teammates he managed to get his hand in front of his face and the ball stuck.

Sydney Grade Cricket scoreboard - Geoff Wood 106 for North Sydney against Waverley

What are your hobbies?

Like many ex cricketers –golf. I try to play at least once a week.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

My grandfather told me “not many people get caught out hitting the ball along the ground”.

What is your occupation?

When I left Sydney I came back to the family farm which has grown a bit over the years. My two sons now run the property and I help out occasionally. At present, together with a few neighbours we’re involved in the development of a large scale solar farm-720 mega-watt (New England Solar Farm) being constructed by UPC/AC Renewables.

Are you still involved in cricket? 

I played a bit of veterans/vintage/golden oldies cricket and was lucky enough to go on 5 overseas tours to various carnivals/competitions. These trips were to Sri Lanka, England/Scotland, South Africa, South America and India/Nepal/ Malaysia. You can meet some interesting people on the cricket field, Head of the British Inland Revenue, Bobby Charlton the English world cup soccer star, David Tenant (Dr Who) umpired a game and in Columbo we played a Kiwi team made up of ex All Black Rugby players. A couple of knee replacements has put an end to this.

If you were running a State Cricket Association what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field? 

I’ve been out of the loop too long to offer any constructive suggestions. However from observation the exposure of playing with and against the Test and State players at grade level is no longer there and I believe cricket to be poorer for it. I understand the demands on the elite players across all formats of the game and am not sure if there is any ready solution.