Gordon were playing Randwick at Coogee. Our opening bowler, Mark Aldridge (‘Needle’) was bowling to the great Richard Chee Quee. Needle had a short run but could bowl a really nasty short ball, and he did clean-up one or two blokes over the years. On this day, he sent one whistling past Cheek’s helmet. Needle followed through and had a word to Cheeks – I was at fine-leg and couldn’t hear it (I could never really understand what Needle was talking about at the best of times) but I got the gist that he didn’t rate Cheeks. I’m pretty sure that’s how Cheeks heard it as well.

What Cheeks did next was magnificent. He spun round to the stand and called for his white floppy hat. We had to wait while someone ran it out, and then ran Cheek’s helmet off. Needle was steaming by this time, and charged in to bowl another bouncer – of course – which Cheeks smashed out of the ground near the pavilion. Brilliant.