Uni Bookworms with Wade Seccombe

University of Queensland Cricket Club | August 01, 2023

UQCC players have the distinction of most runs, most wickets and most dismissals for Queensland (Martin Love, Michael Kasprowicz and Wade Seccombe respectively). In this edition of Uni Bookworms we hear from Chuck Seccombe, one of legendary wicketkeepers that Uni have produced!

Your first memory of UQCC? 

Turning up to my very first training session and before I got out of the car I could hear WEP barking directions at the nets! 

Your best Uni cricket memory? 

Hard to nominate just one. Probably the end of season trips to Byron are up there along with the celebrations that followed our first grade win back in 92–93. 

Your best memory of WEP? 

Sitting in the Regatta having a team meeting when Buck first started coaching (before Buck, no one had a team meeting). If we couldn’t dissect an opposition player WEP could give a thorough assessment on his strengths & weaknesses, even if he was coming up from 2nd grade or youth cricket. He had a great knowledge of the game and the grade scene. 

Who was the best net bowler or batsman you ever saw? 

Graydon Atthow. Should have played Test cricket on his performances in the nets. 

What was the strangest dismissal you ever saw? 

When touring India with a cricket academy team, an opposition batter got injured and required a runner. One of our fielders noticed that the ‘runner’ was backing up ready for a run when standing at square leg. The plan was simple. We then bowled it wide of off stump, the injured batsman let it go & I casually took the bails off & claimed the stumping while the batter was well behind the crease – not realising that his ‘runner’ was moving out of his crease looking for a cheeky single. The spray that the injured batter gave his ‘runner’ was sensational!! 

Which old boy had the best success with the opposite success? 

None – we were an ugly bunch. 

Best away trip IV/country/tour? 

Playing a country game in Maryborough. We had to bus it up after cricket on Saturday to play on Sunday. The weather gods were kind to us, as it rained all the way up and for the entire evening. Every hour someone would go outside just to confirm it was raining so we could continue to have a drink and enjoy the night life (!!) of Maryborough. Morning broke to blazing sunshine and our coach Richard McInnes getting us in the pool for a recovery session. Luckily the covers were not great and a couple of wet patches (and the inclusion of Kaspa – fresh off a Test match) convinced the locals they would rather not play. We packed up and headed home. The game was rescheduled when Kaspa was playing the next Test. 

Funniest team mate? 

Andrew Symonds & Jimmy Maher, it was fantastic when they got on a roll together. 

Best bowler faced (Uni)? 

All of them. If they could hit a length outside off stump and keep it there for 6 in a row, I was no chance. Shaun Tait & Shoib Akhtar were the quickest I had faced and obviously Warnie was a genius. 

Best batsman bowled to (Uni)? 

Watched from behind the stumps as Tendulkar got an easy 60 against us at the Gabba. He was getting his batting practice in before the first test and when he had enough he got himself out. Made us look like kids the way he manipulated our fields. 

Biggest hit seen? 

I remember Brendan Julian from WA hitting a couple of big ones against us at the Gabba. After one big one, I said he should go again, and he did – it went further. I thought this can’t keep going so I said keep going. I think he got about 90 that day. I should have shut up. 

Best catch seen? 

Tank Barsby’s catch in the 96–97 Shield Final at short leg. He just stuck out his right hand and it stuck. 

Easiest catch you ever saw dropped? 

Funniest one was at St Lucia when Peter Taylor got the shits with our fielding effort and sent Murray Hankinson out of gully for dropping a chance and put himself there (he wasn’t even skipper), only to drop an easier one the next over. 

Toughest opponent on cricket field? 

Steve Waugh comes to mind. We tried not to engage him in the battle when playing NSW and often kept our chat very minimal around him as he was always a better batsman when he felt like he was competing. 

Who is your hero? 

It was AB when I was growing up 

Which six people would you want to have to dinner? 

No one famous - Just good friends. 

First car? 

Austin 1800 

First job? 

Working on Mum & Dad’s farm.