Bankstown District Cricket Club First Grade Grand Final team 1982-83

Back Row - Les Andrews, Rod Bower, David Thompson, Tim Sullivan, Brett McKirdy, Gary Crowfoot, Trevor McDonald.

Front Row - Mark Wiley, Paul Talbot, Steve Smith, Bob Vidler, Mark Waugh, Arthur Couper (Scorer)

A great team and great fellers to play with. One of the most enjoyable things about playing at Bankstown was the togetherness of the Club from top to bottom. We played that season with fun and enjoying each other's success. Bobby Vidler was a terrific skipper who never let the game float--he was always trying things and you always felt you were in the game. We were a bit blessed by weather in the semi against Petersham. I am sure the Petes boys would say we were kissed on the you know what by a leprechaun! But into the final we went vs a terrific Penrith team. We did well to keep them to 184 on day 1 but we lost a couple of key wickets late in the day. We had a BBQ at Paul 'Straws' Talbot's parent's place that night and we felt we were a real good show the next day. But the game turned on a miracle catch by Mal Cobcroft at short leg to dismiss Gary Crowfoot and after that we kept losing wickets steadily and fell 30-odd runs short. Bobby Vidler kept us in the game--top scored with 45 no. I was privileged to spend a bit of time in the middle with him. He was so encouraging and matter of fact I believed we could win it. Penrith's left arm quick Graeme Pitty bowled the best spell of sustained fast bowling I ever saw or experienced in the top grade. Bobby's skill and bravery in that innings was unforgettable--I never saw anything better. He used Pitty's pace to deflect and work the ball, and his driving and cutting of their spinners Hall, Beard, and Donlan was superb. I got out to Beardy's doosra--I'd never seen anything like it before--and that was the end of our innings. Bobby never looked like getting out.