Cosi to the rescue. Penrith Cricket Club 3rd Grade premiership: 2002/2003
Penrith Cricket Club | August 27, 2025
Sunday, 6th April, 2003 will go down as a monumental day in the Club's 30-year history. On that day, we were to become, for the first time, the custodians of the WH Mitchell Cup. The headlines should have read WH Mitchell Cup finally reaches the west!" We had achieved what many before had been unable to do - our first Third Grade Competition. The Club had won the last piece of silverware on offer by the Sydney Cricket Association. A team of Champions? No, a champion team!
The club entrusted me at the start of the season with the onerous task of developing some of its young emerging talents. Four of the side initially graded were members of the victorious Green Shield squad from the 2002/03 season - Matthew Milgate, Greg Clarence, Ahillen Beadle and Daniel Lindsay. Although Matthew didn't stay for long, another member of that squad, Grant Sampson, joined the team for good in round 5 after making his debut in round 3. A further two under-19s players, Sean Clarence and Cosikan Beadle, joined us in round 2 and in all, there was a lot of development to be done!
The first half of the season, up until Christmas, was both trial and tribulation as the young players tried to find their feet in the more competitive Third Grade arena. In this period, we performed creditably on most occasions, winning four of the eight matches. The highlight during this period was the Grade and at the time, a new Club record 4th wicket partnership of 247 between 16-year-old Ahillen Beadle and Greg Clarence in round 4 against the University of NSW. Those present at Cook Park that day witnessed the coming of age of these two cricketers as they plundered the attack. Greg subsequently earned promotion to Second Grade in round 7 on the back of 304 runs at an average of 50.7 (including two centuries). Ahillen Beadle followed suit in round 11 after accumulating 326 runs at 40.7 (including that massive 181 not out against the hapless Uni of NSW). They were destined not to play in Third Grade again.
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The match against the lowly placed Western Suburbs in a one-day game immediately after Christmas provided a rude awakening. We turned up not ready to play, and West's capitalised and posted a score of 252. After being 2 for 122 at one stage our batting faltered and we were dismissed for 205. As a uni, we did some soul searching and the momentum shift. We were not to lose another game.
The run home to the semi-finals was both exciting and nerve-racking at times. There were solid first innings wins against Bankstown, North Sydney and Northern District. There was also a comprehensive first innings win against Blacktown in round 14, which also included a belated rush by us for outright points. Bowling Blacktown out a second time, the task was to chase an imposing 193 off a mere 27 overs at 7.1 runs per over. Responding to us being 2 for 3, Sean Clarence almost single-handedly made a dash for victory, scoring 80 runs in 67 minutes. He was supported by Stephen Kennaugh with 58, and we were to fall 26 runs short of the outright target.
Perhaps the pivotal moments in our run for the semi-finals were the matches against Mosman and Randwick-Petersham. In round 11 last year's finalists, Mosman, were in control late on day two at 8 for 255, requiring two runs for victory when Cosikan Beadle took the last two wickets to fall in fading light. We were to win by 1 run with the last wicket, resulting in pandemonium in the middle of the pitch. There was no doubting that a fighting team spirit had been born. Round 13 saw us lose badly to Randwick-Petersham in the first innings. After being 9-78, we finished with a total of 117 runs, and the Randwick-Petersham captain granted us no favours. They passed our meagre total with ease and were coasting at 2 for 155. Our season seemed to be slipping away when Daniel Dent produced one of the better bowling performances of the season in capturing 5 for 20, and Randwick-Petersham were dismissed for 199. We started our second innings very positively as we pushed for a very unlikely outright victory. Stuart Kinsella and Cosikan Beadle comfortably wiped out the first innings deficit of 82 runs and went on to post 113 runs for the first wicket, our highest opening stand of the season. In our chase for quick runs, the wickets tumble, and a declaration was made with the score on 8 for 198. Randwick were set an unimposing 116 runs for outright victory with 24 overs at their disposal. After being 2 for 50 and 7 for 109, they were bundled out for 109 with an over to spare.
We completed the preliminary rounds in 5th place on 60 points. In the latter rounds, Second Grader David Johnson (from round 10), Geoff Sullivan (from round 12) and Stephen Kennaugh (rounds 14 and 15 ) all found themselves contributing towards the Third Grade effort. However, it was not all plain sailing. The Sydney Cricket Association, rightly or wrongly, was to ruled that Geoff had not qualified for the Finals series. After the initial disappointment, he accepted the position of 12th man for the Finals series, and his input was greatly appreciated. So too were the contributions of our 13th man, Tim Spain, who deputised in the wicket-keeping role for the injured Daniel Lindsay in the Qualifying Final against Balmain. Tim was to ultimately sit out of the semi-final and Final, but together, Geoff attended all finals matches and worked with Geoff to provide a steadying influence when required. Thank you, gentlemen.
And what of those Finals matches? To sum them up in one word - extraordinary. Our efforts were even more commendable, bearing in mind that the toss of the coin fell unfavourably for us in all six matches. The Qualifying Final against UTS-Balmain at Drummoyne Oval illustrated our fighting spirit. After being sent in to bat, we were found wanting and were teetering on the brink of disaster at 5 for 28. Grant Sampson (69) joined Daniel Dent (104) at the crease and they forged a 141-run partnership, the highest sixth-wicket partnership of the season. It was decisive also in that it was Daniel's first ever century for the Club. A seventh wicket partnership of 103 was to follow between Grant and David Johnson (66), and this ensured we reached a competitive total of 299. Our higher-placed opponents went about their task with gusto. At one stage, they were 2 for 18,9, but two wickets in an inspiring spell from Mark Graham gave us renewed hope before they recovered to be 5 for 267 at tea, 33 runs shy of their objective. What was to transpire after tea was almost unimaginable. Applying the pressure to their lower order in a last-ditch effort, the remaining 5 wickets fell for 27 runs in 12 overs. Amazingly, a win to the Panthers by 5 runs.
The Semi-Final was played against North Sydney at North Sydney Oval No.2. Winning the toss and batting, North Sydney appeared to struggle all the way against our tight bowling and aggressive fielding. With North's precariously balanced at 5 for 105, Mark Graham returned the ball to the bowler's end where the run out of North's top scorer for 50 was effected. Mark then captured the last four wickets of the innings in his ensuing four overs, and Norths were bundled out for 130 in 56 overs. Taking to the crease, we found ourselves in early trouble for the second game in a row. At 6 for 62, things again seemed to be slipping away. You guessed it, though. That fighting spirit was never far away. As in the previous game against UTS-Balmain, a partnership was to ensue between Grant Sampson (69) and David Johnson (108). On that first afternoon, they combined to pass North Sydney's total and the next morning went on to post a memorable partnership of 156, the highest seventh-wicket partnership of the season. David had followed in Danny Dent's footsteps from the previous match and scored his maiden grade century for the club. Danial Lindsay (46) also enjoyed his stint at the crease, and we were eventually bundled out for 298. For only the second time in the club's 30-year history, we were headed to the final!
The Final. Our opponents in the Final were UTS-Balmain. By virtue of our win against them in the Qualifying Final, the positions were reversed, and we were now the higher-placed team. Howell Oval was the third-ranked ground in Sydney and there we were, playing in not too unfamiliar conditions. The weather turned out to be magnificent, and the winner of the title was to be the team that performed better over the weekend's play. UTS-Balmain won the toss and decided to bat. Conditions were favourable to the bowlers early, and at one stage our opponents were 4 for 82. They progressed their score steadily before Cosikan Beadle took two wickets in one over with the score on 150. We felt we were again in the ascendancy, but our task became more difficult as the ball became older and the pitch increasingly batter-friendly. This, combined with the increasing confidence of their captain as our bowlieing faltered, resulted in their seventh wicket partnership of 161. But we never gave up, and we summoned the courage. Their score was to reach 311 before we were to strike again. Deciding to take the new ball with the score on 295, David Johnson was to capture 4 wickets in the space of 8 balls to wrap up the innings. Astonishingly, he was to bowl their captain for 132 runs and proceed to bowl the remaining three batsmen as well. Their innings were wrapped up with the score on 324. We took to the crease and survived the 8 overs bowled to be 0 wickets for 12 at the close of the first day's play.
The next day was full of Panther grit and determination as we resumed our innings. After having lost an early wicket, Cosikan Beadle and Shane Renneberg (59) combined to record a partnership of 106 runs, the highest second-wicket partnership of the season. They batted with great concentration and a good deal of patience. When this partnership was broken, we progressed steadily against some accurate bowling from the UTS-Balmain bowlers, and wickets fell at regular intervals. After the fifth wicket fell during the 78th over with the score on 192, that man, Cosikan Beadle, was joined by Grant Sampson (49). Grant showed a positive intent and struck 9 boundaries to all parts of the ground. Cosikan joined in, and the partnership yielded 84 runs in better than even time. During this partnership, Cosikan followed in the footsteps of Danny Dent and David Johnson and reached his maiden century for the club. Truly remarkable. When Grant lost his wicket with the score on 276, our innings lost a little momentum. Ultimately, we were to draw the match, finishing at 7 for 307, only 18 runs short of the target. Nevertheless, being the higher placed team, the Title was ours and we were proclaimed Premiers.
The outstanding feature of the Final was the performance of Cosikan Beadle. In the remaining 121 not out at the conclusion of the match, he had batted through the entire innings of 108 overs and in doing so had spent every minute of the Final on the ground. It was truly of heroic proportions. Cosi, you showed concentration and determination that belied your inexperienced years and set an example for others to aspire to. Well done on a fantastic match-winning effort.
Clip from the Captains Circle on BeaconPoint Cricket with Paul Ryan - setting the field for left arm swing bowlers
