Reflections on Playing at Chatswood Oval - Jim Cattlin

Gordon District Cricket Club | October 19, 2025

Jim Cattlin – First Grade opening bat in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ian Davis joined Gordon in the 1973-74 season. In his first match he and Marshall Rosen had an opening partnership of 193. The next week Ian and I opened and partnered for 261 – Davis 170, Cattlin 88. Ian timed the ball so well and hit it so hard the umpire and I at the bowler’s end took several steps back to avoid being hit by his drives. I was happy for him to have the strike.

One September Saturday morning probably in 1957 I came from the nets to see my father sitting in the seats at the northern end of the ground. We chatted and he looked around and recognised Charlie Macartney sitting leisurely eating an ice-cream. My father knew Charlie and said, “Let’s go and say hello.” I followed and shook hands with the great man who had one piece of advice for me as a young opening bat: “First chance you get, hit the bowler back over his head, just to show who’s in charge.” This went against all the advice of my father to stay in to take the shine off the ball. I wish I had taken Charlie’s advice!

As a young teenager I accompanied my father to watch Gordon play at Chatswood Oval one Saturday afternoon. We paid our entrance fee and walked in to see about 5000 spectators inside the ground, which President Paul Harrison ensured had canvas all around the back fence so people would pay to watch. Soon after Sid Carroll hit his favourite hook shot out of the ground and into a passing ‘red rattler’ on its way up the North Shore train line. The man beside us said, “They can recover that ball at Hornsby!”

The art of captaincy with Kevin Roberts. Creating a scenario that challenges the mindset of players – click to unlock the full conversation.