Dean Tuckwell

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Q: As the son and grandson of Wallabies, Phil Mooney was destined to be a rugby player. That he was also an accomplished first grade batsman with Western Suburbs was testament to his prodigious sporting talent and he fortunately played in an era where he was able to juggle both sports without having to choose one over the other.

A skilled and intelligent fly half or fullback with Wests in the Brisbane Premier competition, many judges believe that Phil would have played Super Rugby in the modern era but with Australian rugby only having 2 provinces and players of the calibre of Michael Lynagh, Brian Smith, Greg Martin & Rod Latham standing in his way, he never played for Queensland at senior level.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/2178/phil-mooney-this-sporting-life

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Phil Mooney - this sporting life

As the son and grandson of Wallabies, Phil Mooney was destined to be a rugby player. That he was also an accomplished first grade batsman with Western Suburbs was testament to his prodigious sport ...

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Q: Who is the one player from Brisbane Grade Cricket who played between 1980 and 2000 you’d want as the first player selected if you had the opportunity to start your own Queensland Premier first grade cricket team?

A: Tough question. Sorry that I can’t narrow it down but….
Sandgate were clearly the team to beat for much of that time & though they had many fine, tough players, Gav Fitness & Brendan Creevey stood out as the driving forces.

Another dominant personality who brought success to a club without too many superstars was Peter Clifford. Oh - and he averaged over 60 with the bat when some shield batsmen averaged in the 30s

There were plenty of good fast bowlers running around but none were more feared than Greg Rowell. World class.

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Q: Life is rarely black and white and there are few saints and Dave Warner is clearly no saint but he has reformed and Australian cricket is far richer for his career even if it contains lots of grey.

He does so many things right on a cricket field. Hands down he is the best runner between wickets I have ever seen. He always runs hard and looks to put the fielder under pressure, never turning blind (unlike Dean Jones) and always holds his bat in the correct hand. This coupled with his aggressive stroke play means that things can get away from the bowling side very quickly indeed.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/1892/david-warner-just-a-suburban-boy

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David Warner - just a suburban boy

Terrific article Peter - ...

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Q: We have been having a bit of fun lately with the greatest ever Qld XII and it has been very interesting speaking to a few old Queensland legends about their thoughts. For my XII I haven't picked any international imports (Wes Hall, Majid Khan, Viv Richards, Ian Botham, Graham Hick) as the players selected must have had significant careers for the state. Also despite mighty international statistics I have not chosen Mitchell Johnson and Marnus Labuschagne for the same reason.

The abundance of fast bowling talent means that some great bowlers miss out. Thomson & McDermott both had great Queensland & Australian careers so are first picked. Also how could you go wrong with one of Rackemann, Kasprowicz and Bichel?

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/372/dean-tuckwell-my-greatest-ever-queensland-cricket-team

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Q: What’s your most memorable moment from the Boxing Day Test Match?

A: DK Lillee bowling Viv off the last ball of the day (after Kim Hughes scored one of the greatest 100s in history) will be almost impossible to beat. I was lucky enough to be there for Warne's 700th wicket

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Q: Paul Henricks was an integral member of the Sunshine Coast Scorchers teams in the club’s first 7 seasons. Having been a dominant player in the strong Sunshine Coast competition for many years he soon adapted his game and found his niche in Brisbane Premier Cricket. Eternally positive & upbeat he could always be relied upon to lift the team’s spirits with a brilliant piece of fielding, a tight spell or vital breakthrough or even tripping over in the outfield or being dismissed in a farcical manner.

Beneath this easygoing exterior however lurked a serious competitor who was not averse to gamesmanship. Perhaps most notable was the night before an away game at Graceville, the Wests captain was forced to search Brisbane’s inner Western suburbs until 3am, Henricks cynically having fallen asleep in a garden near the Toowong restaurant at which they had been dining earlier in the evening. Having been suspected of consuming alcohol, Henricks later claimed to have been weary after having unpacked an unusually large shipment of Grippo earlier in the day.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/1820/paul-henricks-reverse-sweeping-and-picking-fights

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Paul Henricks - reverse sweeping and picking fights

Paul Henricks was an integral member of the Sunshine Coast Scorchers teams in the club’s first 7 seasons. Having been a dominant player in the strong Sunshine Coast competition for many years he ...

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Q: Ask any Queensland cricket fan of a certain age and they will tell you that Carl Rackemann took the catch that ended the 1994/95 Sheffield Shield final. They may or may not recall that left arm spinner Paul Jackson bowled the ball that sealed Queensland's first ever Sheffield Shield and having known Jacko for 30 years think that may be the way he prefers it. Whilst comfortable out of the limelight, Jackson was always determined to contribute to his teams' successes on and off the field but it would be wrong to call him quiet as anyone who has had (or tried to have) a cricket conversation with him would attest.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/124/paul-jackson-quotwith-your-physique-you-should-consider-bowling-spinquot

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Q: John Loxton virtually had two careers - one up until July 1969 and one after. In the former he was a hard-hitting opening batsman for Queensland who scored 100 in his first Shield innings against a test-strength Western Australian attack in 1966. He scored a second in 1968 against a NSW side brimming with test players but was then struck a devastating blow to the head whilst batting in a match at Old Trafford the following year. That he was able to work his way back into the Queensland side for another 5 matches is testament to his skill & determination

The near-death experience prompted John to reassess his priorities and whilst he continued playing first grade until 1978, cricket never had quite the same importance as he focussed on family and forging a successful business career. His is a great story from a time before helmets & big pay-packets.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/388/john-loxton-hundreds-are-worth-fighting-for

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Q: “Legend” is a term too easily bestowed on sports people but I don’t think too many would argue with Gavin Brown being described as a Legend of Brisbane Club Cricket having scored over 16,700 runs for Valleys. He may not have been the best batsman going around but he could well be the most aggressive with his stroke play a combination of Kim Hughes, Collis King & Freddy Kreuger.

Some of his feats are well...legendary. In the era before turbo-charged bats he once hit 112 in a second grade game with 106 in boundaries and scored 120 in a first grade one-day game where fellow opener Dean Reeves was on 5 when Browny brought up his hundred. Unfamiliar with the terms “circumspect” or “playing yourself in” he was also sometimes accused of not thinking about the game sufficiently, such as the occasion in a 6-a-side match in Singapore when he danced down the wicket to Sylvester Clarke’s first ball and hit him for six over cover seemingly oblivious to the fact that neither he nor any of his teammates had packed helmets for the trip.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/208/gavin-brown-ndash-make-sure-you-get-home-before-daylight

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Q: Queensland were sitting pretty at the halfway mark of the final of the 1997/98 Mercantile Mutual Cup (didn’t the name of that competition just roll off the tongue?). The bowlers were putting their feet up after a job well done having bowled NSW out for 166, Scott Prestwidge taking the final wicket in the 50th over to finish with 3/25. That relaxed sense of satisfaction didn’t last long as Queensland soon lost Maher at 13, Hayden 1 run later and who were quickly followed by Love, Law & Foley to have the dressing room scrambling, players who had expected to play no further part in the game fumbling to find their batting gear. Prestwidge joined Andrew Symonds with the score on 5/40 facing the very real threat of not just defeat but embarrassment. The ship is steadied somewhat but when Symonds falls with the score on 72, there is a long, long way to go before Queensland can allow themselves to think about lifting the trophy.

Keeping their nerve in a performance that would make Billy Moore & Annastacia Palaszczuk gush with pride, Prestwidge, Wade Seccombe & Andy Bichel inch their way towards the target with Presto hitting the winning runs in the 48th over. His personal achievement as much a reward for strength of character & perseverance as the result was a triumph of good over evil.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/110/scott-prestwidge-love-and-respect

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Q: Lachlan Stevens was a gritty opening batsman and useful left-arm orthodox bowler who played for South Australia & Queensland.

In 2005-06 he scored his maiden first class century against Western Australia and contributed 66 in Queensland’s victory in the Pura Cup final.

A keen student and lover of the game, since retiring from playing, Lachlan has forged a successful coaching career, as coordinator of high performance at The Cricket Academy in Brisbane and later guiding Western Australia to the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League in South Africa.

He has also coached in Tasmania & is currently assistant coach of the Victorian Sheffield Shield side and coach of the Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/651/lachlan-stevens-ndash-student-and-teacher

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Q: Kepler Wessels - “Make the bowler earn your wicket and be ruthless when you get a start.”

Speak to Greg Chappell Cricket Centre CEO Greg Tibbits for any longer than 10 minutes and you will hear about the day he knocked over Kepler Wessels, Allan Border and Greg Ritchie in quick succession in a Brisbane 1st grade game for Colts against a star-studded Valleys side. “Chad” and I were teammates that year and didn’t win too many games but may have won that one if Kepler hadn’t already scored 140.

Kepler’s hundred that day just seemed so….inevitable. His Duncan Fearnley Magnum may have taken a unique and circuitous route to meet the ball but once it did it seemed 10 inches wide. It was a flawless display of concentration, shot selection and placement yet I doubt he even remembers it. That it appeared like he was working on a few shots in a throw down session illustrated just how his professionalism and single-mindedness reaped almost 25,000 first class runs at an average of 50 including 66 hundreds, 6 of them in Test matches.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/489/kepler-wessels-ldquomake-the-bowler-earn-your-wicket-and-be-ruthless-when-you-get-a-startrdquo

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Q: Stroll around the Brisbane bayside suburb of Deagon and you may come across a game of cricket being played at Kirsten Pike Oval, proudly named in honour of Sandgate/Redcliffe’s first women’s test cricketer. Kirsten was an accurate medium pacer who represented her country 37 times achieving great success in One Day Internationals where she took 34 wickets @ 23. A distinguished playing career is just part of her story as she is the first woman to be elected deputy chair of the Queensland Cricket board, fulfilling her fiduciary duties around a busy work life as a partner of major Australian corporate law firm Thomson Geer.

Pike was Queensland Fire player of the year in 2006/07 and toiled hard for 13 seasons finishing her career as Queensland’s all-time leading wicket taker. She was an integral member of the first Queensland team to win a national title, taking most wickets in the 2013/14 T-20 competition. She retired after the final against the ACT citing that there could be no better time and that she was sick of giving free conveyancing advice to her teammates.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/207/kirsten-pike-cricket-nuffy

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Q: Steve Magoffin Sheffield Shield record is also excellent - he is among Western Australia's top 10 leading wicket takers despite only playing 6 seasons with 190 wickets @27.08 and belatedly played one season for Queensland taking 23 wickets @ 16.6 from only 6 games. Perhaps he took more wickets in England because the cricket wasn't as intense or perhaps, like a fine wine Magoffin simply got better with age. Remembering how keen he was to learn and improve I'm going to say that there was a fair bit of the latter. In the history of Australian cricket there can't be many quick bowlers with better records who haven't played test cricket. There is always talk of the terrific batsmen like Law, Siddons, Love and Hodge who couldn't crack the Australian team, conceivably Mags is their fast bowling equivalent?

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/140/steve-magoffin-the-top-of-off-never-moves

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Q: Garry Moore - my best Valley District Cricket Club team

As a young bloke growing up in Cairns, Garry Moore aspired to be more Charlie Watts than Dennis Lillee. It wasn't cricket but his role as drummer for The Jelly Roll Big Band that brought him to Brisbane

A chance meeting with Valleys legend Keith Dudgeon who saw him playing Warehouse cricket took him to Ashgrove where he started in 4th grade before making his 1st grade debut in the last game of the 1972/73 season taking 4 wickets.

Over the course of the next 22 years he won 2 second grade premierships, a first grade one day title and the 1984/85 A-grade premiership before retiring with 282 first grade wickets from 158 games.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/279/garry-moore-my-best-valley-district-cricket-club-team

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Q: Brisbane Grammar School First XI cricket team - 1982

Back Row – Michael Keddy, Andrew Carter, Julian Gardner, Gavin Brown, John Xavier, Christian Schatz, Angus Blackwood (team scorer)

Front Row – David Harding-Smith, Andrew Hammelmann, Phil Mooney (Captain), Ron Cochrane Esc (Coach), Scott Keddy, Richard Williamson, David Littler

The Brisbane Grammar School First XI of 1982 contained some multi-talented sportsmen:

Michael Keddy - 1st grade wicketkeeper for Souths
Andrew Carter - 1st grade batsman for Wests
Julian Gardner – rugby union flanker who played 4 rugby Tests for Australia and 20 for Italy and former coach of the Australian Sevens team
Gavin Brown - first grade batsman for Valleys and first grade rugby league winger for Wests
Christian Schatz - received a tennis scholarship from Oklahoma State University where he achieved a psychology degree and played in Queensland junior representative teams for cricket, tennis and rugby.
Andrew Hammelman - fast bowler who played Sheffield Shield for Queensland and was a Peter Burge Medallist for the best and fairest in Brisbane Grade cricket
Phil Mooney - 1st grade batsman for Western Suburbs and Wests rugby fly half and former coach of the Queensland Reds
Scott Keddy - 1st grade batsman for University of Queensland and Queensland hockey captain

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Q: Australian Test player number 390 gives a very modest account of his career.

Perhaps Nathan Hauritz was destined to be a cricketer having been delivered into the world by Carl Rackemann’s mother “Dragon” at The Wondai Base Hospital in 1981.

He certainly impressed as a young player representing Queensland at under 17 and 19 levels and touring England and Sri Lanka with the Australian under 19 side before attending the Cricket Academy in Adelaide.

A batting all-rounder in his early days, it was his tidy off-spin bowling that propelled him to the Queensland side in 2001 and by weight of his obvious potential and solid performances he was ultimately rewarded with an Australian one-day cap in 2002, aged 20.

An injury to Shane Warne gave Nathan a break for his Test debut in 2004 in Mumbai where he took 5 wickets in a famous victory. Test opportunities for spin bowlers were difficult to come by in the Warne and McGill era but upon McGill’s retirement in 2008 he was regularly Australia’s first choice slow bowler for a 2 year period playing his last Test in Mumbai in 2010.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/1302/nathan-hauritz-ldquoricky-ponting-always-found-a-way-to-instill-belief-in-me-even-when-i-didnrsquotrdquo

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Nathan Hauritz - “Ricky Ponting always found a way to instill belief in me, even when I didn’t.”

Australian Test player number 390 gives a very modest account of his career.Perhaps Nathan Hauritz was destined to be a cricketer having been delivered into the world by Carl Rackemann’s m ...

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Q: What’s your Australian Test team for the 4th Ashes test at Old Trafford.

Here’s mine

Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Head
Marsh
Green
Carey
Neser
Cummins
Starc
Murphy

Warner has been a wonderful player, but his time has come. He has been lucky that he is playing in an era where there are no Australian batsmen outside the top 6 who average 40 in first class cricket.

I would consider opening with Green as I’m conscious Justin Langer started opening in similar circumstances and other players who were pushed up the order through necessity and opportunity include David Boon, Shane Watson, Simon Katich and Usman Khawaja. I would keep Head and Marsh in the middle order.

I would hope Green doesn’t listen to his captain and coach if they tell him to bowl 6 short balls an over.

Hazelwood is unlucky but Neser’s form is irresistible.

I think Murphy is a great prospect but if he is not effective at Old Trafford I would consider drafting in Maxwell for The Oval.

What’s your team?

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Q: Joe Dawes - don’t spend your life looking over your shoulder as you will never move forward

There is a lot of debate these days about the merit of selecting players more on their junior pedigree rather than on weight of performance. No one could ever accuse Joe Dawes of getting an armchair ride. He didn’t even play grade cricket until he was 21 and he forced his way into a very strong Queensland fast bowling attack by taking a mountain of grade wickets. In all he took 257 first grade wickets for Valleys at an average of 15.

I first encountered Joe when he was toiling away for Sandgate/Redcliffe on a flat wicket at Deagon – he must have been about 22 and I would describe him as a very accurate, very medium, medium pacer. Within 3 years he transformed himself into a world class fast bowler through sheer will and hard work.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/1257/joe-dawes-donrsquot-spend-your-life-looking-over-your-shoulder-as-you-will-never-move-forward

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Joe Dawes - don’t spend your life looking over your shoulder as you will never move forward

There is a lot of debate these days about the merit of selecting players more on their junior pedigree rather than on weight of performance. No one could ever accuse Jo ...

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Q: If there was one rule you could change in cricket what would it be?

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Q: Carey stumps Bairstow and the Spirit of Cricket

In almost every game of cricket at any level around the world, you will see a wicket keeper standing back to the fast and medium pace bowlers. At some stage during an innings, the wicket keeper will take the ball the batter either let's go or misses and, in the same motion under arm it back towards the stumps in the hope the batter is out of their crease.

It's been happening since the game began and every wicket keeper, including all our favourite test keepers, have done it at some stage.

Why now, when Alex Carey, in the same motion, does it in a test match for Australia against England and Jonny Bairstow strangely walks out of his crease and is run out are some people so upset and screaming from the rooftops?

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/32/paul-ryan/blog/1241/carey-stumps-bairstow-and-the-spirit-of-cricket

A: Well said Paul. Bairstow wandering out of his crease was just the most notable example of dumb cricket in this most "dumbest" of tests. Dumb plans, dumb captaincy, dumb bowling & dumb batting - it just fitted nicely.

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Q: Melissa Bulow played 23 internationals for Australia including 2 tests after her debut at the age of 22. She was a powerful batsman who dominated Brisbane Grade cricket for many years with Wests and is one of Queensland’s most successful women’s cricketers including been named the WNCL player of the year in 2006/07.

Now married with 2 children, Melissa is the Chief Operating Officer of Binnicle Training. A keen traveller – she is looking forward to the end of Covid so she can return to the French Alps to look for the hiking boots that she threw into the Arve River.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/1209/melissa-bulow-keep-it-simple

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Melissa Bulow - keep it simple

Melissa Bulow played 23 internationals for Australia including 2 tests after her debut at the age of 22. She was a powerful batsman who dominated Brisbane Grade cricket for many years with Wests a ...

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Q: Chris Torrisi was a dashing top order batsman for Wests & University in the 1990s & 2000s. Always a solid contributor his game really clicked after joining UQCC and was unlucky not to have received higher honours after a series of high scores including coming agonisingly close to a rare first grade double century.

Chris also spent 3 seasons in England to improve his cricket and 4 in Ireland to further his appreciation of Guinness & Morris Dancing. Having held off getting a full-time job as long as he could the real world finally caught up with Tossa who is now married with 2 children and an Australian Border Force agent in Brisbane.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/1165/chris-torrisi-playing-and-coaching-cricket-has-taken-me-all-over-the-world

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Chris Torrisi - playing and coaching cricket has taken me all over the world

Chris Torrisi was a dashing top order batsman for Wests & University in the 1990s & 2000s. Always a solid contributor his game really clicked after joining UQCC and was unlucky not to have receive ...

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Q: I'd like to ask how Australia could even consider leaving Scott Boland out of the first test of the ashes?

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Q: Julia Price - A touch of class

A world class wicketkeeper and useful batter, Julia Price represented Australia in 94 internationals between 1996 and 2005 and whilst there have been plenty of women’s cricketers before her, Julia Price is a trailblazer in that she used her prowess and love of the game to create a life and livelihood from cricket, playing and coaching around the world working in England, Ireland, Scotland and The Netherlands. Following a successful playing career with Queensland she was asked to guide a young Tasmanian side as a player and subsequently became head coach of Women’s cricket in the island state. A true student of the game she was also the first female coach in the men’s BBL becoming Darren Lehmann’s assistant at The Brisbane Heat in 2019/20.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/116/julia-price-a-touch-of-class

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Q: Scarborough Cricket Festival 1990 - Michael Parkinson President World XI v India

Back Row – Rob Proscon (Manager), David Bairstow - England, Mike Whitney – Australia, Mudussa Nazar – Pakistan, Peter Sleep – Australia, Ezra Moseley – West Indies, Roger Harper – West Indies, Dean Tuckwell – Australia
Front Row – Richie Richardson – West Indies, Chetan Sharma – India, Gordon Greenidge – West Indies, Mark Greatbatch – New Zealand, Chris Pringle – New Zealand

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Q: The most stunning settings of cricket grounds that I have seen around the world:

After seeing a photo of this ground I decided to head to Dharamsala for the 4th (& subsequently deciding) test of Australia's 2017 tour to India. It proved to be a great decision with the series locked at 1-1 after Australia won the first test (Steve O'Keefe match figures of 12-70) & India the second (despite Nathan Lyon's 8-50) providing a chance to witness a rare series victory in India and attend the inaugural test at one of the World's most stunning cricket grounds. I convinced my mate Knucklehead to join me and it would be fair to say that he and I had a more enjoyable time than the Australian team (if that isn't the case it may help explain why India won.)

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/69/dean-tuckwell/blog/159/my-most-stunning-cricket-grounds

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Geoff Foley - enjoy the journey and make the most of your opportunities

Geoff Foley was a popular and valued member of Queensland’s First Class & limited overs teams of the 1990s and played in 2 winning Sheffield Shield finals in 1996/97 & 1999/2000. He burst ...

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Scarborough Cricket Festival 1990 - Michael Parkinson President World XI v India

Back Row – Rob Proscon (Manager), David Bairstow - England, Mike Whitney – Australia, Mudussa Nazar – Pakistan, Peter Sleep – Australia, Ezra Moseley – West Indies, Roger Harper – West ...

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Q: The best three fast bowlers I played against?
Carl Rackemann was quick of course but it was his bounce and accuracy made him so difficult to play.
I opened the batting against Michael Holding (with Ezra Moseley at the other end) in a benefit game in England. Every ball hit the seam and if he wasn’t beating the outside edge he was cutting me in half. I don’t remember hitting a ball so he obviously didn’t bowl at the stumps.
You had to be on your game when facing Adam Dale as he put you under pressure every ball. He had a beautiful outswinger and always just short of a driving length. Although you could pick his inswinger it was always on the money as was his bouncer which was a yard quicker than his stock ball.
If Chippin wasn’t quick enough for this list I’ll throw in Joe Dawes – accurate and bowled a heavy ball at a nasty length.

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John Maclean - my greatest ever Queensland cricket team

Wicketkeeper John Maclean captained Queensland 30 times in an 86 game career from 1968 until 1979. He played in teams that agonisingly finished second 4 times in the quest for their first Sheffi ...

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Lachlan Stevens – student and teacher

Lachlan Stevens was a gritty opening batsman and useful left-arm orthodox bowler who played for South Australia & Queensland. In 2005-06 he scored his maiden first class century against Wes ...

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International Wanderers Cricket Tour of Rhodesia in 1972

Back Row - Glenn Turner ( Worcester New Zealand opening batsman), Merv Kitchen (Somerset opening batsman & Test umpire), David Green (Gloucester opening batsman), Tony Greig, Bruce Francis, John J ...

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David Falkenmire - NSW Colts v Queensland Colts 1969

David Falkenmire is an icon of sports journalism. Unable to secure a job in Sydney after completing a newspaper cadetship in his home town of Tamworth, he moved to Brisbane late in 1971 as The Aus ...

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Q: BBL. I’m really confused how Cameron White missed out on the Melbourne Stars coaching job and it was given to Peter Moore who twice coached England. Am I the only one?

A: Yes, a little odd Damien

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Q: My son is 12 and his hands are wide apart when he grips the bat. He’s a left hander and it looks awkward and I want to help but don’t have any real idea.
Is there some advice I can get to help him?

A: It’s important to let your son continue to have fun, score runs and let his game develop.
If you are worried about this grip here’s a little exercise that’s guided many batters over the years
Place the bat face down on the ground with the back of the back facing upwards. Ask your son to pick the bat up with the palm of hands face down and the ‘v’ between the thumb and index finger on both hands facing down the spine of the bat.
If it feels natural with his hands close together that’s a good sign. If at his age he’d prefer to have a little gap between his bottom and top hand that’s ok as well as he can develop as he gets older and stronger.
I come across this piece of advice Don Bradman offered Greg Chappell early in his career.

“He showed me his grip with the ‘V’ of the thumb and forefinger down the splice of the bat, slightly to the off side of neutral. He said, ‘This will feel a bit strange because you haven’t done it before, but I recommend that you persevere because it will improve your off-side play’.

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Kepler Wessels - “Make the bowler earn your wicket and be ruthless when you get a start.”

Speak to Greg Chappell Cricket Centre CEO Greg Tibbits for any longer than 10 minutes and you will hear about the day he knocked over Kepler Wessels, Allan Border and Greg Ritchie in quick successi ...

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Q: Two batters selected in a squad of 13 players but only one will play.

In the previous week and Batter A scored 165 in the first innings and 105 in the 2nd innings while in a different game Batter B scored 12 in the first innings and 50 not out in the 2nd innings.

Do you select Batter A or B to play in the XI?

A: Batter A two centuries would suggest they're the player in form. Batter A for me

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Q: I’m new to umpiring and have become quite fascinated about the psychology of the different guards’ batters choose when they come out to bat.
Batters ask for middle stump, leg stump, middle to leg, one leg, leg stump to off stump and other variations. Can I ask what you choose and the reason why?

A: I always batted on centre with my feet level until I was around 20 then I was bowled around my legs sweeping twice in a match by former Qld spinner John Hill.

Our coach John Bell suggested I take 2 legs which I continued for the rest of my career

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John Loxton - Hundreds are worth fighting for

John Loxton virtually had two careers - one up until July 1969 and one after. In the former he was a hard-hitting opening batsman for Queensland who scored 10 ...

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Dean Tuckwell - my greatest ever Queensland cricket team

We have been having a bit of fun lately with the greatest ever Qld XII and it has been very interesting speaking to a few old Queensland legends about their thoughts. For my XII I haven't picked a ...

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Martin Kent - what may have been

Martin Kent was a serious player.Tall and imperious, he dismantled bowling attacks with copybook, powerful drives cuts and pulls. He was destined for big things when he scored 140 on debut ...

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Garry Moore - my best Valley District Cricket Club team

As a young bloke growing up in Cairns, Garry Moore aspired to be more Charlie Wat ...

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John Dyson - Jannali to Jamaica via Johannesburg

John Dyson was a determined opening batsman for NSW & Australia playing 30 Tests between 1977 & 1984 – not the ideal era in which to be opening the batting. 5 of his tests were against the West ...

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Gavin Brown – Make sure you get home before daylight

“Legend” is a term too easily bestowed on sports people but I don’t think too many would argue with Gavin Brown being described as a Legend of Brisbane Club Cricket having scored over 16,700 ...

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Kirsten Pike - cricket nuffy

Stroll around the Brisbane bayside suburb of Deagon and you may come across a game of cricket being played at Kirsten Pike Oval, proudly named in honour of Sandgate/Redcliffe’s first women’s te ...

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Q: What’s the one piece of advice you’d offer a teenage cricketer who’s looking to make their way in the game?

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My most stunning cricket grounds

The most stunning settings of cricket grounds that I have seen around the world:Dharamsala ...

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Steve Magoffin - the top of off never moves

I was fortunate enough to play for Wests when we had some amazing fast bowling attacks - ridiculous really. I recall watching Australia bowling in a test on TV during lunch in a club game - Merv H ...

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Paul Jackson - "with your physique you should consider bowling spin"

Ask any Queensland cricket fan of a certain age and they will tell you that Carl Rackemann took the catch that ended the 1994/95 Sheffield Shield final. They may or may not recall that left arm sp ...

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Julia Price - A touch of class

“You Aussie piece of shit.” My hearing isn’t great and it was a pretty noisy bar but I heard that loud and clear. The bar was in Hua Hin, Thailand, just one of the far flung places in the w ...

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Brisbane Grammar School First XI cricket team - 1982

Back Row – Michael Keddy, Andrew Carter, Julian Gardner, Gavin Brown, John Xavier, Christian Schatz, Angus Blackwood (team scorer)Front Row – David Harding-Smith, Andrew Hammelmann, Phil ...

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Scott Prestwidge - love and respect

Queensland were sitting pretty at the halfway mark of the final of the 1997/98 Mercantile Mutual Cup (didn’t the name of that competition just roll off the tongue?). The bowlers were putting the ...

answered

Q: Can you remember how you first fell in love with cricket?

A: My most cherished memories are going to the old Cricketers’ Club at the Gabba with my father Graham. Dad instilled in me his love of the game.

I do remember some of the great Queensland players of the era: Chappell & Thomson of course but also Martin Kent, David Ogilvie, Phil Carlson & Geoff Dymock.

My first cricketing memory is an odd one. The only thing I recall of the famed 1974/75 Ashes tour was John Edrich having his rib broken by Dennis Lillee in Sydney. I distinctly remember being at Sea World of all places when I heard it on the ABC.

During my early years Greg Chappell and Dennis Lillee were the standouts for Australia and Viv Richards’ batting cemented him as my all-time favourite batsman.

Our individual cricket journeys start with our earliest memories, and I feel very lucky to have grown up watching such a golden age of cricket.

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My first cricket memories

My first cricketing memory is an odd one. The only thing I recall of the famed 1974/75 Ashes tour was John Edrich having his rib broken by Dennis Lillee in Sydney. I distinctly remember being at ...

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