My Best Grade team - Shane Duff 1989 to 2002
Shane Duff | July 26, 2023
I have selected the best grade team of players I played with. I did not consider my first 6 games at Sutherland in 1989/90 which included players such as Glenn McGrath, John Dyson, Rod Davison, Justin Kenny or players that I played a handful of games with later such as Steve Waugh, Stuart McGill, Stuart Clark, Daniel McLauchlan and Daryl Tuffey.
I also left out my 5th grade game with a 15-year-old kid named Steve Smith that yielded a 280 run partnership!
In batting order:
1. Phil Jaques (Sutherland)
Run machine for Sutherland. He convinced me to let him open the batting for Sutherland when I was Captain. I wasn’t overly keen as I wanted to protect him from the new ball, but he was right and the rest is history as he went on to open the batting for Australia with outstanding success! A key part of our 1 day Premiership team in 2002/03
2. Matthew Bradley (Sutherland)
A fantastic talent that piled on the runs in the 2nd half of his career at Sutherland. Part of our 1 day Premiership team in 2002/03
3. Corey Richards (Bankstown)
A technically beautiful player to watch and a huge part of our 1st grade Premiership win in 1999/2000
4. Kevin Roberts (Bankstown) Captain
A great leader, strategist and dynamic batsman. Captain of our 1st grade Premiership in 1999/2000 and Captain of this team
5. Jason Young (Sutherland)
Another great leader and a prolific run scorer. Part of our 1 day Premiership team in 2002/03
6. ***Nathan Pilon wicket keeper (St George)
As a wicketkeeper, I couldn’t select myself! Nathan was an opponent that I respected both as a player and a person. He was a great competitor and highly skilled with both gloves and bat in hand. We had a number of memorable games in opposition
7. Scott Thompson (Bankstown) Vice-Captain
Scott could win a game on his own with bat, ball or both. An incredible competitor and another outstanding leader. Vice-Captain of this team
8. Grant Roden (Sutherland)
Grant had a massive year taking 55 wickets when we won the 1 day premiership in 2002/03. He had terrific pace with decent shape and could hit a very long ball
9. Nathan Bracken (Bankstown)
Nathan was instrumental in our 1st grade premiership in 1999/2000. In the Final, his run out of Nathan Catalano off his own bowling and his dismissal of Paul Ryan turned the game in our favour
10. David Freedman (Bankstown)
A wicket-taker, hard competitor, great team man, and a match winner. A pleasure to keep wickets to
11. Wayne Holdsworth (Bankstown)
Wayne was wholehearted, fast, skilled and had a great cricket brain. Though, in the 1999/2000 Final, I was sceptical of his cricket brain as he kept bouncing Brett Van Deinsen who repeatedly deposited him onto Chapel Rd! Ken Hall at 1st slip and I were kicking the dirt, praying he might pitch one up and use the new ball more wisely. Cracker finally thought the same and decided to pitch it up but changed his mind halfway through his run up and went for 1 more bouncer. VD miss cued it and holed out to Corey Richards to end one of the most entertaining 20 minutes of grade cricket you would ever see! Cracker then got Graeme Rummans to snick one 1st ball and we were rolling.
12. Ken Hall (Bankstown)
One of the all-time great grade cricketers. Hard as nails with both ball and bat and an outstanding 1st slip fieldsman.
