• Fueling conversations and igniting meaningful experiences for cricket fans around the world
  • Fueling conversations, igniting experiences

Stories

Recent Activity

18 hours ago



Two bold Premiership victories in 1974 and 1984.
In 1974, A-Res grade won on the back of a MOM performance by the veteran John Russell, who bamboozled a Hillgrove with future stars Peter Schaefer and Gavin Morgan in their ranks. Russell had match figures of 10-69, including a match defining 6-33 in Hillgrove's first innings. In 1984 Waratahs beat Easts in an epic 1st grade Final, despite losing skipper and opening bowler Wes Davis on the eve of the game. After a strong opening stand, Tony Marquardt cut Waratahs down. In reply, Steve Reading, making only his second appearance in 1sts for the season, quickly removed the top three and then Joe Harrison spun a web around the rest for a remarkable win. Centrals outgunned 2nds in their Final.
The top three grades played Semis in 1990. 1sts bowled brilliantly but only just fell over the line against Hillgrove, but both lower grades surrendered against Easts. Jeremy Roach (6-41 - pictured) kept 2nds in the game until the batsmen threw it away and 3rds were demolished by Williams of Easts.

Read More
1 days ago



A cassette in our collection contains brief remarks from Don Bradman, in which he selected his best St George Cricket Club XI from all the cricketers he had seen playing for the club. He said: “Alan Fairfax and I became the club’s first international representatives in 1928. In the ensuing years many fine players gravitated through the St. George ranks; and I have taken the liberty of choosing a St George team which I would be happy to captain and challenge the best that could be chosen from any other club in Australia.

Here is my side in batting order: Arthur Morris, Les Favell, myself at first wicket, Norman O’Neill, Brian Booth, all-rounder Alan Fairfax, to keep wicket Ernie Laidler, to open the bowling Ray Lindwall and Harry Theak, and then the spinners Frank Ward and Bill O’Reilly, the greatest of them all. I am aware that Ernie Laidler and Harry Theak did not represent their country, but both were good enough to have done so. That is a beautifully balanced and attractive side.

Read More

Partner Sponsors

1 days ago



Some heroic deeds were performed on this day - 23rd March - for Waratahs, despite all of the games being losses. Two Finals were lost when 1st grade (1974 & 1991) were raging hot favourites. In 1996, 2nds and 5ths lost their Preliminary Finals, after battling into and through the semis. 1985 produced two epic matches in the top two grades. Ist grade were facing a hiding after four Easts players made half centuries in getting 6-301. The openers made a good start, adding 70, but four wickets fell for 28 before Roger Sattler stood tall and led a sterling fight back that eventually fell 26 runs short. It was a carbon copy in 2nds, Uralla making 286 on the Saturday and Waratahs collapsing to 5-71 before Merv Philp, Peter Langston and Graham Patterson batted them back into the game. In the end, an illegal catch and a bowler with a damaged back ended their valour just 7 runs short.

Read More

Partner Sponsors

2 days ago



Waratahs played in four Finals on the 23rd March, with unfortunately, only one positive result: 2nd grade of 1985-86, when MATT CAMPBELL (#363) made a steady, match winning unbeaten half century batting at five. In 1st grade, Waratahs were the red hot favourites with a star-studded side but were out muscled in a bitter and angry Final by Centrals. Eleven years earlier, the top two grades lost to Ex Services and Hillgrove respectively. Brian Connolly's 80 was the highest score every made in a top grade Final but Ex Services won after being 6 down and a hundred behind. A-Res had been undefeated coming into the decider against Hillgrove but collapsed when chasing a moderate Hillgrove total.
In other finals games on this date, B grade won their semi outright against Tadcoop in 1963, GEOFF MARSHALL (#156) and GEOFF MacDONALD (#168) both staring with bat and ball. In 1968, A grade gave Churches a 157 run hiding thanks to TOM COOKE's (#197) 6-64 and JOHN ROBERTS's (#115) 73 not out. In Preliminary Finals of 1996, 2nd grade lost to Uralla and 5ths lost to Norths, despite STEVE DAVIS (#751) taking 7-36.

Read More
2 days ago

Waratahs played in four Finals on the 23rd March, with unfortunately, only one positive result: 2nd grade of 1985-86, when MATT CAMPBELL (#363) made a steady, match winning unbeaten half century half century batting at five. In 1st grade, Waratahs were the red hot favourites with a star-studded side but were out muscled in a bitter and angry Final by Centrals. Eleven years earlier, the top two grades lost to Ex Services and Hillgrove respectively. Brian Connolly's 80 was the highest score every made in a top grade Final but Ex Services won after being 6 down and a hundred behind. A-Res had been undefeated coming into the decider against Hillgrove but collapsed when chasing a moderate Hillgrove total.
In other finals games on this date, B grade won their semi outright against Tadcoop in 1963, GEOFF MARSHALL (#156) and GEOFF MacDONALD (#168) both staring with bat and ball. In 1968, A grade gave Churches a 157 run hiding thanks to TOM COOKE's (#197) 6-64 and JOHN ROBERTS's (#115) 73 not out. In Preliminary Finals of 1996, 2nd grade lost to Uralla and 5ths lost to Norths, despite STEVE DAVIS (#751) taking 7-36.

Read More
3 days ago



There were some stunning performances over 40 years by Waratahs in Semi and Preliminary Finals on the 22nd March. In 1959, Nigel Richardson (5-43) bowled the Minor Premiers Hillgrove out for 99 before his batsmen failed. In 1981, Waratahs had four sides in the semis: 1st scraped home against Hillgrove thanks to Michael Connolly carrying his bat; both sides in A-Res grade won through to an all Waratahs Final; and B grade lost despite John Williamson's bowling (6-34). In 1987, Brian Rhodes made a classic hundred for 1sts to win and 5th almost won outright. In 1992, Danny Ryan's bowling (6-16) wasn't enough for 1sts to beat Easts but in 1998, Gavin Finlayson in 3rds and Lindsay McIntyre in 4ths dominated Waratahs victories.

Read More

Partner Sponsors

Partner Sponsors

6 days ago



ADCA Semi-Finals and Preliminary Finals from five different seasons, nearly thirty years apart happened on this day for Waratahs.
In 1966, A grade missed out the final when rained robbed them and University of a positive result after Waratahs dominated the first day. A-Res grade snuck home by a wicket. In 1971, fortune was reversed, with A grade hanging on for a draw against St Peters and A-Res grade being done. In 1983, rain stopped 1sts from chasing 400 against Easts and a draw kept them from the Final, while 2nds were done despite a glorious first day hundred from Graham Johnson. In 1988, 1sts were Minor Premiers but lost in a shock to Hillgrove with a batting lineup which could afford Graham Frost at #8 and 3rds lost by 21 chasing 236 after being 3-0. In 1994, 4th grade, losing the Minor Premiership on percentages, were bundled out in straight losses in the final series.

Read More
6 days ago



Justin Rodgie is from a long line of Sydney First Graders, and the Rodgie influence runs thick through the DNA of the UTS North Sydney Cricket Club.

Justin is the third generation of Rodgie to play in Sydney’s top flight for the club and is the proud owner of First Grade Cap 689.

The Wahroonga junior was a consistent bowler who prided himself on challenging the stumps and being tough to score off. The King’s product has also earned two First Grade caps for Gordon in the Shute Shield to compliment his 37 in Second Grade.

Read More

Partner Sponsors

6 days ago



On Saturday 1st March, Sutherland 1st Grade player #26 Barry Pratt was inducted into the NSW Baseball Hall of Fame. He was selected for the Hall of Fame by virtue of being a member of the NSW 75th Diamond Anniversary All Star Claxton Shield Team selected in 2009.

Barry played for Sutherland DCC from 1966-67 (when he made his 1st Grade debut) to 1972-73, playing 100 matches across 1st to 4th Grades and scoring 1915 runs at an average of 19.5 with a highest score of 112 not out in 3rds in 1969-70. He captained 3rds in 1969-70, 2nds in 1970-71 & 1971-72 and 1sts in 1972-73 – a total of 63 matches.

Read More

Partner Sponsors

last week



The Early Days of Chatswood Oval and the Gordon DCC

Back in the late 1890s Chatswood Oval was a Chinese market garden with a well in the centre of the ground. Footballers who have played on the ground in the winter and cricketers in the summer would argue that the ‘well’ is still there below the surface of the grass on the oval. In mid-1898 the New South Wales Government gave ministerial approval to the Municipality of Willoughby for the acquisition of five acres of land adjoining the Chatswood Railway Station. The area was to become Chatswood Park.

Read More

Partner Sponsors

More