| Questions and Answers

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33 Followers

Players of Note in the Shadows (Part 1)

When the Gordon District Cricket Club entered the Sydney Grade cricket competition in the 1905-06 season it was the 20th club in the competition and the 16th in First Grade. There was obviously a level of expectation and a sense of anticipation that the club would develop, as it was the only club on the North Shore after the North Sydney DCC.

In those formative years there were cricketers who had already made their mark. Dr Gother Clarke and Bob Hickson needed no introduction. Clarke, a left-arm slow bowler, and Hickson, an opening bat, had both played for New South Wales. During the season Frank Iredale, a former Australian player, along with Keith McPhillamy and Gordon Black, both former NSW players, joined the club.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/297/gordon-district-cricket-club/blog/2992/players-of-note-in-the-shadows-part-1

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last year

Cricket Insights

3 Likes
59 Followers

Zac Beveridge on seizing his 2nd XI Opportunity – A CricConnect Conversation

In this conversation, we wanted to hear directly from a player who’s made the most of that opportunity.

Zac Beveridge is a talented off-spin bowler who began his journey in Queensland before relocating to Canberra. After joining Queanbeyan District Cricket Club, Zac quickly became a standout performer in ACT Premier Cricket, earning selection in the ACT Second XI—a testament to his ability and dedication.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1684/cricket-conversations/blog/2993/zac-beveridge-on-seizing-his-2nd-xi-opportunity-ndash-a-cricconnect-conversation

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last year

Penrith Cricket Club

Belmont District Cricket Club

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20 Followers

Pocket Profile - Ray Dent - Penrith Cricket Club

I started my junior career playing for Glenmore Park in (U8’s), where I played 8 seasons for the Redbacks. In (U15’s) I then started my senior career for Glenmore park playing alongside my dad and uncle. I then moved to Panthers cricket club to continue playing seniors with my dad and uncle. During this time I also played representative cricket for the Penrith Junior Cricket Association from U12’s to U15’s and U17’s where I was given the privilege to captain in my final junior rep season. I also represented Penrith in various cricket carnivals including Ballina, Newcastle, Orange and Canberra. I made my Grade debut for Penrith on the 13th of November in 2021 against Gordon in the Metro cup. This is now my third year of Grade cricket with the club after missing last year to an acl reconstruction. I had surgery in February and was cleared to return halfway through this season in November and enjoyed every second of it with the club.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/330/penrith-cricket-club/blog/2991/pocket-profile-ray-dent-penrith-cricket-club

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last year

Newcastle, Australia

16 Likes
10 Followers

Pocket Profile - Thor Harradine - Belmont District Cricket Club

Tell us about your cricket journey.

I started at Yamba cricket club at the age of 6 playing in an under 8s comp then when we moved to Newcastle I’ve played at Belmont ever since.

If you can share with our readers how you would describe yourself as a cricketer?

I would describe myself as a batting all rounder who bowls mean offies.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1608/belmont-district-cricket-club/blog/2988/pocket-profile-thor-harradine-belmont-district-cricket-club

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last year

UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club

Gordon District Cricket Club

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19 Followers

From The Vault: Norths defeat Gordon late on Sunday in December 2023

The first Saturday / Sunday 2-day game of the 2023-24 season also brought the first home game at Bon Andrews Oval. With a few injuries and rep duty, there were a few changes to the side, with Nihal Desai (695) and Callum Hill (696) making their debuts and Jamieson Hedges and Harri Lee-Young also coming into the team for their first red ball First Grade fixture of the season.

Another loss at the coin flip saw the Bears sent in again. Gordon bowlers started well and used the conditions nicely to take 2 early wickets, but Mares and Reynolds steadied the ship to get us to 2/80 and set the platform for the rest of the day

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/380/uts-north-sydney-district-cricket-club/blog/2984/from-the-vault-norths-defeat-gordon-late-on-sunday-in-december-2023

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last year

UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club

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With the growth of club cricket in Sydney suitable grounds and adequate seating accommodation were issues facing all clubs. The Gordon DCC was not alone in the matter with the original pavilion that was built in 1902 and 1903 proving inadequate by 1913. It was around this time that the club began investigating with the Municipality of Willoughby the building of a new pavilion.1 Preliminary steps were undertaken but the outbreak of war in 1914 halted any progress.

On 15 December 1920, a public meeting, presided over by the Mayor of Willoughby, Alderman RT Forsyth, was held in the Willoughby Town Hall at Chatswood. The meeting heard that the objectives were “the improvement of the oval and the erection of a more modern pavilion”.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/297/gordon-district-cricket-club/blog/2990/the-building-of-the-trumper-pavilion

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last year

Belmont District Cricket Club

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19 Followers

On track to his five wicket haul against Parramatta in round 12, James Campbell became only the eighth player to take 300 first grade wickets for the Bears. To date, Jimmy has claimed 302 wickets at 26.06 in the top flight with 11 five-wicket innings and a best of 6/24 against Sydney University this season. Now a veteran of 187 first grade matches, Jimmy is ageing like a fine wine, with 27 wickets at 19.07 this season.

A Bear to his bootstraps, James has played for the club for as long as he has owned whites, coming through our juniors to make his AW Green Shield debut in 2006/07.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/380/uts-north-sydney-district-cricket-club/blog/2986/flashback-and-gallery-campbell-takes-his-300th-wicket

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last year

Newcastle, Australia

16 Likes
10 Followers

Pocket Profile - Nathan Roskell - Belmont District Cricket Club

Tell us about your cricket journey.

I played juniors for Belmont for about 4 season. I didn't play for roughly 10 years before I came back and played a season of suburban districts for the mighty Valentine Reds. Came back to Belmont last year to play.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1608/belmont-district-cricket-club/blog/2980/pocket-profile-nathan-roskell-belmont-district-cricket-club

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last year

Belmont District Cricket Club

Newcastle, Australia

16 Likes
10 Followers

Pocket Profile - Pat Halligan - Belmont District Cricket Club

Tell us about your cricket journey.

I started playing cricket for 2016 with the kotara tigers, before playing 5 seasons with Valentine and then 1 session with the Lake Macquarie 6sers. My first season with Belmont was 21/22 and have played here ever since

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1608/belmont-district-cricket-club/blog/2979/pocket-profile-pat-halligan-belmont-district-cricket-club

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last year

Sutherland District Cricket Club

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10 Followers

Wally was a Life Member of Parramatta District Cricket Club, a genuine ‘Club Legend’, a real stalwart both on and off the playing field. He was born at Waverley on 1/1/1921 and died at Mollymook aged 86 years on 20/11/2007.

At an early age his family moved back to England, where he grew up and saw active service in the Royal Navy in World War II. After the War he played County Cricket for Leicestershire C.C.C. and in 1948 represented that club in a match against the famous Don Bradman’s Invincibles.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/406/parramatta-district-cricket-club/blog/2978/wally-cornock-ndash-a-true-blue-cricketer

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last year

Sylvania, Australia

29 Likes
22 Followers

Chris Williams made Life Member of Sutherland DCC - July 2022

Chris Williams first played for Sutherland in 5th Grade and AW Green Shield in 2001-02. The team reports said “Chris Williams from Green Shield exhibited huge talent” (5ths) and “Chris Williams, a first year boy, showed himself to be a fine all-round cricketer, topping off some fine performances with a hat-trick against North Sydney” (AWG). The following season, the AWG report said he scored “a fine ton against Parramatta” and he “will have benefited from a full season of grade cricket and can look forward to a bright future with the Club”. He steadily worked his way through the grades over the next three seasons before, on 14 October 2006, he became 1st Grade player #219. A highlight for him that season was sharing an opening partnership of 72 with Phil Jaques at North Sydney Oval the day that Phil scored 321!

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/294/sutherland-district-cricket-club/blog/2977/chris-williams-made-life-member-of-sutherland-dcc-july-2022

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last year

St George Cricket Club

56 Likes
54 Followers

100 Moments in 100 Years of St George First Grade - 2001/02 - 2011/12

2001-02 – 2010-11

1. Nathan Pilon compiles 1193 runs across the season to eclipse the record for most first grade runs in one season. His double century against UNSW (201*) is the first for St George in 34 seasons. (2002-03)

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/275/st-george-cricket-club/blog/2976/100-moments-in-100-years-of-st-george-first-grade-200102-201112

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last year

9 Likes
10 Followers

Originally from Blacktown Wilfrid Ewens was yet another young cricketer to come to Cumberland from the Parramatta High School nursery – he started his journey with the Cumberland in A.W. Green Shield team in 1946/47.

1948/49 4th Grade captain Bill Irwin had this to say about the young Wilf in the Annual Report – “An excellent prospect with the bat; in him Cumberland appear to have unearthed a young player of exceptional promise. Has any amount of confidence. He was promoted to 3rd grade mid-way through the season.”

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/406/parramatta-district-cricket-club/blog/2975/the-sweeper-wilfrid-ewens

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last year

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10 Followers

Ray Rowe won universal recognition as a ‘cricketing gentleman’ who played the game with a strong sense of fair play and respect for its traditions. He was a dyed-in-the wool Parramatta Man from the tip of his ‘bumble-bee’ cap to studs on his boots – born in Harris Park on the 9th of December 1913, educated at Parramatta High School and lived most of his life in Northmead

A modest and friendly man he was widely respected for his outstanding cricket talent, his personal demeanour and his dedicated service to the Central Cumberland District Cricket Club. Firstly, as a brilliant attacking batsman, and later as a committed Administrator – which was evidenced by his long tenure as Club President (1962/63 – 1968/69) and Treasurer (1956/57 – 1967/68), for a significant portion of this time he managed these important portfolios concurrently. He was honoured with Life Membership of the Club.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/406/parramatta-district-cricket-club/blog/2974/raymond-curtis-rowe-ndash-the-gentleman

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last year

Cricket Insights

3 Likes
59 Followers

CricConnect conversation with Jono Dean and Mark Higgs – why Cricket ACT is a genuine pathway for aspiring cricketers

While Canberra doesn’t have a first-class team, the ACT compete in the Australian 2nd XI competition — a national platform that can open doors for aspiring cricketers. For young players chasing their first-class dreams, ACT Cricket presents a genuine and exciting pathway.

To unpack what that opportunity looks like, we’re joined by Cricket ACT head coach Jonathan Dean and ACT selector Mark Higgs.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1684/cricket-conversations/blog/2973/cricconnect-conversation-with-jono-dean-and-mark-higgs-ndash-why-cricket-act-is-a-genuine-pathway-for-aspiring-cricketers

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last year

Sutherland District Cricket Club

9 Likes
10 Followers

The Parramatta District Cricket Club foundation member of the inaugural NSW Premier Cricket’s First grade competition in 1893/94 enjoyed a ‘Golden Summer’ in 2024/25, highlighted by the winning of the coveted Club Championship for only the third time. It had been a long frustrating wait for the ‘Two-Blues’ – the previous wins were way back in 1969/70 and 1972/74 – backed by near misses in 2017/18 and 2022/23.

What a season 2024/25 turned out to be, rivalling 1973/74 the greatest seasons the historic club has produced. 2024/25 – Parramatta’s achievements were:

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/406/parramatta-district-cricket-club/blog/2972/a-golden-summer-2024-25-parramatta-district-cricket-club

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last year

Sylvania, Australia

29 Likes
22 Followers

Steve Smith had a remarkable season in 2014-15, stretching from the tour of UAE that involved internationals in all three formats against Pakistan in October 2014 to the 2 Test tour of West Indies in June 2015.

In summary, between 5.10.2014 and 14.6.2015, Steve played:

8 Tests, scoring 1226 runs at an average of 102.16, with 5 centuries and 5 half centuries – he won 3 Player of the Match Awards & 1 Player of the Series Award.

20 One Day Internationals, scoring 1072 runs at an average of 71.47, with 4 centuries and 7 half centuries – he won 5 Player of the Match Awards and 2 Player of the Series Awards.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/294/sutherland-district-cricket-club/blog/2970/steve-smith-10th-anniversary-of-a-remarkable-season

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last year

Randwick Petersham Cricket Club

40 Likes
44 Followers

In memory of our fallen heroes and those many members of the founding clubs of Randwick Petersham who served their country in World War I, a wreath was laid at the Coogee Dawn Service on Anzac Day, 25 April 2025. It was warming to note that the club’s tribute was captured by the Channel 9 news that evening, as the picture above displays.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/258/randwick-petersham-cricket-club/blog/2969/anzac-day-tribute-2025-randwick-petersham-cricket-club

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last year