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3 years ago
Peter Clifford
Peter Clifford
Insurance Manager
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
104 Likes
32 Followers



In the 1980s New South Wales used to stay at the Hilton Hotel in Melbourne during Sheffield Shield games against Victoria.

The Hilton Hotel is only walking distance to the MCG and being from Sydney we just needed to navigate the tram tracks that we weren’t obviously used to.

It was only my second game so I decided to walk back with Steve Rixon and another player so I could get to know them better.

This particular afternoon we were all knackered as we chased leather all days in the field

We walked across the tram tracks and halfway across Rixon yelled out “watch out (other players name) get off the tracks as you will be electrocuted “.

The other player responded “Don’t worry Stumper I’ve got rubber soled shoes on “.

Unfortunately he wasn’t joking and we pissed ourselves laughing!

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3 years ago
Shane Lee
Shane Lee
Founder
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
39 Likes
10 Followers



"Roll on with your head held high" - The first line to the Living End song 'Roll on' and a moment in Simon Cook's life he’d rather forget.

Simon Hewitt Cook the former Victorian and NSW fast bowler, made his Test debut against New Zealand in 1997 taking an amazing seven wickets for the match as Glenn McGrath’s replacement. What followed next is beyond belief!

Simon known to his mates as ‘Cooky' is a product of the Mornington Peninsula - Crib Point to be exact. And is probably the most laid back person ever to slowly walk the face of this earth. He is so laconic that it is often hard to know if he is asleep or awake sometimes.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/538/shane-lee/blog/889/cooky-you-just-electrocuted-me
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3 years ago
Brad Murphy
Brad Murphy
Cricket Coach
Brisbane, Australia
20 Likes
5 Followers



Damien Mackenzie was a fast bowler originally from Easts - Redlands who played for Australia in Under 19s alongside his great mate Nathan Hauritz. He played 5 First Class and 10 one day games for the Queensland Bulls. A very sharp right arm quick and powerful striker of the ball with a First Grade century to his name, his career was dogged by injury – significantly major knee and elbow surgeries curtailing his playing career, hence we never saw the best of him at the next level however across his 5 matches for Queensland he had the very creditable average of 23 with the ball.

He debuted for the Tigers whilst still in year 12 at Iona College and was also a decent rugby union footballer. In my first season as captain-coach of Redlands in 1998/99 we had the great fortune to have Macca along with a host of other fantastic young cricketers in Shane Watson, Matt Petrie, Danny Payne, Ryan Poole and Wes Aspeling so it augured well for the club into the future. Add to those young blokes Jimmy Maher, Matt Hayward, Paul Hutchison, Paul Stenhouse, Craig Stone and Steve Hood it is little wonder we grabbed the “One Day” title that season.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/173/brad-murphy/blog/848/damien-mackenzie-bowl-fast-hit-long
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3 years ago
Mark Bury
Mark Bury
Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia
1 Likes
0 Followers



Mark Bury – my best captain.

The best captain I played with was Tom Spencer at Manly Warringah District Cricket Club in Sydney.

Tom supported me no end as a bowler and had great faith in me. He instilled a lot of self-confidence in me and in return I did my very best to deliver for him and the team.

He gave us all a role and knew how to work his bowlers to help the team win.

I remember a great victory over St George when he knew before I did, I’d had enough in my first spell and said he needed me to come back for a 2nd spell to give ourselves a greater chance to win the game.

I learned so much about captaincy from Tom. The importance of communication, the roles players play and also the need to have a plan irrespective of whether your batting or bowling.

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3 years ago
In The Cordon Cricket Podcast
In The Cordon Cricket Podcast
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
9 Likes
0 Followers



Insight into running the Melbourne Stars with GM - Blair Crouch

Running a BBL club is not an easy thing to do. There is so much involved with a club behind the scenes and in the day-to-day operations of a club. Blair Crouch does exactly that for the Melbourne Stars in the Weber WBBL and BBL competitions.
Blair talks us through the challenges of list management and salary cap management, as well as the impacts of various rule changes on the BBL. He also tells us what to expect from Glenn Maxwell and the Melbourne Stars in BBL13.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1213/in-the-cordon-cricket-podcast/blog/1855/insight-into-running-the-melbourne-stars-with-gm-blair-crouch
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3 years ago
In The Cordon Cricket Podcast
In The Cordon Cricket Podcast
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
9 Likes
0 Followers



Deandra Dottin is a female cricketer from Barbados and has been a force in the women's game for a number of years. She made her debut for the West Indies at only 17 years of age. She had to make the difficult choice between athletics and cricket at a young age. After playing for her country for many years, Deandra now plays on the T20 circuit. Deandra is fighting for her fellow female cricketers to receive better pay for the high-quality entertainment they provide.

Thanks to Macron Sports Hub Adelaide for sponsoring this episode of the podcast. Big shout out to Rory and the team at PodBooth for filming and editing the episode.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1213/in-the-cordon-cricket-podcast/blog/1854/deandra-dottin-athletics-in-barbados-to-t20-powerhouse
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3 years ago
Andre Burger
Andre Burger
Cricket Coach
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
8 Likes
0 Followers



Hitting balls only in practice, while beneficial for honing technical batting skills, may not fully prepare a batter for performing under pressure. While technical skills are fundamental, they need to be complemented with mental, cognitive, and vision skills for a player to be well-rounded and successful in the dynamic and varied contexts of cricket.

1. Limited Adaptability: A player with excellent technical skills but lacking in cognitive and mental aspects may struggle to adapt to varying game conditions and situations.

2. Poor Decision-Making: Cricket involves quick decision-making, like choosing the right shot or ball, or making tactical field placements. Without strong cognitive skills, a player might repeatedly make poor choices, diminishing the effectiveness of their technical prowess.

3. Struggle Under Pressure: High-pressure situations are common in cricket, such as a close run chase or defending a low total. Players who have not developed mental toughness might falter in these scenarios, unable to perform to their technical potential.

4. Difficulty in Long Formats: In formats like Test cricket, mental endurance and focus are as important as technical skill. Players who haven’t developed these aspects might find it challenging to maintain concentration and consistency over prolonged periods.

5. Over-Reliance on Technique: There's a risk of becoming too mechanical or predictable. Opponents can easily strategize against a player who is technically sound but lacks the unpredictability that comes with strategic thinking and situational awareness.

6. Difficulty in Self-Improvement: Without cognitive and mental skills, players might find it hard to critically analyse their performance, learn from mistakes, and make necessary adjustments. This can hinder their growth and development as a cricketer.

7. Reduced Longevity in the Sport: Players who rely solely on technical skills might have a shorter peak period. As physical abilities decline with age, it’s often the mental and cognitive aspects that help experienced players maintain high-performance levels.

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3 years ago
Mark Van Epen
Mark Van Epen
Gosford, NSW, Australia
15 Likes
0 Followers



Mark Van Epen – my best captain

The best captain I played under was Keith Stimson at Balmain.

He was captain of the 3rd grade team at around 50 years of age. He played many years of first grade as a successful left hand bat and captained the 1st grade team for a number of seasons leading them to the 1st grade premiership in 1967/68. His oozed experience on the field and in the dressing shed.

He was always calm and read the game well, knowing when to attack, when to defend and when to try something different. He had the respect of the players through example and knew how to get the best out of his players.

Keith’s two best leadership qualities were reading the situation of the game and man management.

One specific example of his leadership was in a game against Uni of NSW in which we had 6 overs to get 55 runs to win outright. I wasn’t confident we could do it, but Keith was always positive and looking for a way to win.

I was an opening batsman and Keith batted 6. Keith said, “Mark you and I are opening, and we are going to get these runs”. After 5 and half overs we got the runs at 0-56, I was 5 not out and Keith was 51 not out.

Keith was a life member of the Balmain District Cricket Club and the new Sydney Cricket Club. He passed away in 2018, aged 92.

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3 years ago
Queensland Country Cricket
Queensland Country Cricket
Townsville, Australia
0 Likes
1 Followers



The Queensland Men’s and Women’s Country team have been selected to play in the Toyota Australian Country Championships in Newcastle, NSW In January 2024.

Teams from NSW, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland will play at grounds in the Newcastle area.

The men’s competition commences on Wednesday 3rd January and the Women’s competition on Thursday 4th January with both finishing on Wednesday 10th January.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/339/queensland-country-cricket/blog/1853/the-queensland-country-mens-and-womens-cricket-teams-to-play-in-the-australian-country-championships-in-january-2024-have-been-announced
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3 years ago
Joe Maiorana
Joe Maiorana
Sydney, Australia
40 Likes
2 Followers



Born in Gujarat, India, Hanif Mohammad - the original Little Master- was a batsman with yogic powers of concentration.
Hanif authored the longest ever Test innings in the history of Test cricket - a marathon 970-minute 337 for Pakistan against West Indies at Bridgetown, wherein he compiled century stands with four different players including his brother, Wazir. The hot steak continued as he made 499 for Karachi versus Bahawalpur before being ironically run-out whilst attempting the 500th run, the very next year in 1959. The record stood tall as the highest first-class individual score until Brain Lara eclipsed it in 1994. He also held the unique distinction of making a ton against all his Test opponents in 'away' conditions, which highlighted his adaptive abilities.
Interestingly, Hanif was ambidextrous with the ball and also served as an occasional keeper. Following his retirement, he ran the Pakistan International Airlines colts scheme before taking up the position of Pakistan's batting consultant in 2002.
Many other members of Hanif's family were also cricketers: his brothers Mushtaq, Sadiq and Wazir all played Tests for Pakistan, as did his son Shoaib. Another brother Raees was once twelfth man for Pakistan, and four nephews had first-class careers. His mother Ameer Bee was a national badminton champion in pre-independence British India.
He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013. He had been undergoing treatment for lung cancer in Karachi's Aga Khan Hospital. He passed away on 11th August 2016 at age 81.
In 2018, a Google Doodle was created to celebrate his 84th Birthday.
Hanif's triple-century against the West Indies team in 1957/58 made him a legend in the cricketing world. He was one of the original inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Pride of Performance Award in 1959 by the Government of Pakistan
Hanif Mohammad was born on this day 21 December in 1934

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3 years ago
Max Bonnell
Max Bonnell
Lawyer
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
10 Likes
0 Followers



Australian cricket used to built as a pyramid. It was widest at its base, where we all started, playing at school, or in the juniors in a local park. A few hundred stepped past that on to the next tier, joining a Grade club. From there, at least in theory, you could scale to the very top of the pyramid – the Australian team – if you were good enough.

Today, the pyramid is looked on as a clumsy, inefficient and amateurish method of talent selection. Bright young kids are handed State contracts after bossing around a bunch of seventeen year-olds in age-group tournaments. People are picked on the basis of what they can become, rather than on what they’ve done. And maybe that’s better. Except that the pyramid worked. If you were good enough, you reached the top, having earned every promotion along the way. And if you weren’t – well, the pyramid delivered that message, too

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/436/max-bonnell/blog/1037/scaling-the-pyramid
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3 years ago
Matt Ellis
Matt Ellis
Cricket Coach
Dubbo, NSW, Australia
59 Likes
7 Followers



The mood was bubbling with excitement as my family gathered together for a birthday celebration. Family members exchanged stories with an assortment of food and drinks to add to the merriment.

My mood on the other hand was somewhat tense as the Australians had their backs to the wall in the Boxing Day Test Match. I had just turned nine and I had a love of cricket that was deep in my veins, so while the family were outside enjoying the festivities, I found my way inside to witness one of my fondest Boxing Day Test Match memories.

It was 1987 and Michael Roy Whitney was in the middle of the MCG facing the music trying to defy Sir Richard Hadlee from taking the final wicket and win the Test Match for New Zealand. The larger than life fast bowler was not known for heroics with the willow joined Craig McDermott at the crease with the task of seeing out the remaining overs. To add to the challenge, he would be facing the man who would be awarded player of the series and who finished his distinguished career with 431 Test wickets.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/182/matt-ellis/blog/1146/23-minutes-that-had-me-hooked-on-cricket-for-life
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3 years ago
Cricket Australia Community
Cricket Australia Community
Melbourne, Australia
24 Likes
21 Followers



Australia and India are set to meet in their first Test on Indian soil in almost 40 years – so how do Alyssa Healy and Harmanpreet Kaur's sides stack up?

The openers
Australia will have the same opening combination from their previous Test at Trent Bridge in June, with Beth Mooney partnering fellow left-hander Phoebe Litchfield.

The pair put on stands of 35 and 99 in that Test against England, in what was their first red-ball game opening the batting together. Litchfield hit 23 and 46 on debut, while Mooney struck 33 and 85.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3830281/australia-india-test-mumbai-match-ups-healy-kaur-captains-women-perry-mooney-litchfield-mandhana-verma
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