Penrith Cricket Club season 1989-90: The Winning Fourths
Penrith Cricket Club | February 23, 2026
Pictured: Rod Evans
Season 1989/90 was a challenging year for Penrith Cricket Club’s men’s teams, with the Club occupying the lower rungs of the Club Championship ladder.
Led by senior players Ray Hudswell and Rod Evans and composed mostly of a talented and enthusiastic group of teenagers, Fourths was the best-performed team in the Club and the only one to make the semi-finals. At the time, Ray said, ‘Leading them onto the field in the semi-final against Balmain will always remain with me as a very proud moment’. What happened next hurt.
The match was at Ryde Oval – Balmain were the Minor Premiers – and the weather was ordinary. Penrith batted first and made 8/172 from their allotted overs, Andrew Crawford 66*, John Thomas 27 and Steve McKenzie 21. When rain stopped play, Balmain were 9/113. Craig ‘Boris’ (what else?) Becker took 5/38, Ray Hudswell 3/37 and Darren Morris 1/5. So, the match was drawn, Balmain progressed to the Final and were Premiers.
Despite the semi final loss, Fourth knew what it meant to win, and this no doubt owed much to the leadership of Ray and Rod. Motivation comes in many forms: a fist may be banged on a table; a quiet word had in an ear; a video viewed. But Ray and Rod, both dedicated schoolteachers, decided that a bit of culture would be the way to go. They adopted the words of an American poet, Nancye Sims. Hudswell, tongue-in-cheek, straight-faced, confided, ‘Ask any Fourth Grader and they would tell you they carried this poem in their cricket “coffins” at all times’.
The Fourths Poem of Season 89/90
Winners take chances. Like everyone else they fear failing, but they refuse to let fear control them.
Winners don’t give up. When life gets rough they hang in until the going gets better.
Winners are flexible. They realise there is more than one way and are willing to try others.
Winners know they are not perfect. They respect their weaknesses while making the most of their strengths.
Winners fall but they don’t stay down. They stubbornly refuse to let a fall keep them from climbing.
Winners don’t blame fate for their failures, nor luck for their success.
Winners accept responsibility for their lives.
Winners are positive thinkers who see good in all things, from the ordinary, they make the extraordinary.
Winners believe in the path they have chosen, even when it’s hard, even when others can’t see where they are going.
Winners are patient. They know a goal is only as worthy as the effort that’s required to achieve it.
Winners are people like you. They make this world a better place to be.
Brought to you by Kingsgrove Sports
