My best grade team - Greg Hartshorne 1969 to 1999
Greg Hartshorne | May 07, 2023
I played almost all my cricket for Petersham, then Randwick Petersham apart for a brief stint with Sydney Cricket Club in the 70’s.
This is my all-time best grade team from players I played with or against excluding internationals
1. Steve Small – Penrith, Bankstown
My type of batsman, aggressive, powerful and dominant
2. Bronco D’jura – Petersham and Wicket Keeper
Beautiful soft hands, a great deflector of the ball, and lots of time
3. Les Johns – Bankstown, Petersham, St George, Sutherland
Similar player to Bronco, could caress the ball to all parts. Best slipper I played with. Could make the side on his lame jokes alone
4. Rod Bower – Bankstown, Penrith, Balmain
Another dominating player who could score big hundreds
5. Graeme Hughes - Petersham
6. Brian Riley – Petersham and captain
Very talented batsman, on his day could punish any attack
7. Kerry Mackay – Northern District, Manly
The prefect allrounder. His technique was unconventional, but he just knew how to score runs and take wickets. Great slipper.
8. Mike Pawley – Sydney University, Manly
Left arm orthodox spinner
9. Steve Bernard – Northern District, St George
Fast bowler
10. Dave Chardon – Petersham
Fast bowler
11. Wayne Mulherin – Balmain, Petersham
Right arm off spinner
12. Greg Hartshorne – to carry drinks and keep the peace as there are few in this side that didn’t get Riles!
Managers – John Connell, Alan Nelson
Scorer - Richard McCord
Other close contenders:
Batsmen – Trevor Bayliss, Greg Bush. These guys should have made the side, but my love for aggressive dominate players left them out
Spinners – Ken Hall (a true legend of the game and played for as long as I did), Steve Whitfield (a prolific wicket taker and very good putter)
Quicks - Phil Alley (troubled me but didn’t take enough wickets to make the side) and Steve Taylor (the fastest bowler I ever faced – but only for about 4 overs!)
