Stories

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Tim Reynolds - never stop backing yourself

Tim Reynolds has scored over 3,000 First Grade runs in a one-club career which began in 2017/18 - and he's still only 25. He's a mainstay of the Bears top order, our PGs and Green Shield head coach, and a relentless trainer and fierce competitor. We sat down with Tim to hear about his favourite Bears memories, how he adapts across formats, and what it means to play First Grade alongside his brother, as well as the advice he'd give his 12-year-old self.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/380/uts-north-sydney-district-cricket-club/blog/3616/tim-reynolds-never-stop-backing-yourself

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3 months ago

Gordon District Cricket Club

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Manly 3rd Grade SF 1992/93 Season: A Season of Promise and Emerging Talent

The 1992/93 season saw the Manly 3rd Grade team reach the semi-finals, marking a campaign defined by both determination and the emergence of future club stars.

The squad featured several players who would go on to become club legends, including Brian Clemow, Peter Procopis, and Simon Couch, whose early performances hinted at the significant impact they would later have at higher levels.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/338/manly-warringah-district-cricket-club/blog/3583/3rd-grade-sf-199293-season-a-season-of-promise-and-emerging-talent

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3 months ago

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33 Followers

Beau Casson becomes Gordon's 19th Australian Test player

*A story on the Gordon website in 2007.

Beau joins list of great players including Charlie Macartney and Victor Trumper.

In what only can be called a meteoric rise to Test cricket Gordon's Beau Casson has been selected for Australia in the third test against the West Indies.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/297/gordon-district-cricket-club/blog/3605/beau-casson-becomes-gordons-19th-australian-test-player

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3 months ago

Gordon District Cricket Club

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22 Followers

Gavin Robertson: A Short but Impactful First-Class Career

In the early 1990s, Australian cricket witnessed the rise of a consistent and highly effective domestic performer in Gavin Robertson. Though his time at the elite level was relatively brief, his impact across three standout seasons firmly etched his name into the fabric of Australian domestic cricket.

Robertson’s three years at Manly came across the 1992/93, 1993/94, and 1994/95 seasons. During this three-season stretch, he claimed an impressive 88 wickets at an average of just 20

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/338/manly-warringah-district-cricket-club/blog/3581/gavin-robertson-a-short-but-impactful-first-class-career

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3 months ago

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33 Followers

A Stag for All Seasons: Farewell to Dave Monaghan

Some stories write themselves. Dave Monaghan’s is one of them; fifteen seasons, 220 matches, 3,979 runs, and 315 wickets for Gordon District Cricket Club. Not bad for a bloke who just wanted to enjoy his cricket.

When we marked Dave’s 200th game in January 2025, we called him the World’s Greatest Fifth Grader, and the title fitted perfectly. Dave had spent the better part of a decade cheerfully declining promotion, turning up every week in the lower grades, taking wickets, scoring runs, and making everyone around him better. Then, with characteristic timing, he went and spent his final season in 4th grade, just to keep us guessing.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/297/gordon-district-cricket-club/blog/3604/a-stag-for-all-seasons-farewell-to-dave-monaghan

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3 months ago

9 Likes
10 Followers

Tom Wood - give things your best shot

Born in 1948, Tom Wood’s cricket journey began in familiar fashion for many Australian cricketers of his generation. His first game came in 1957 for Blaxcell Street Primary School, played on a concrete pitch outside Lidcombe Oval. Even then he made an impression, taking a couple of wickets and discovering a game that would become a lifelong part of who he was.

From those early school days, Tom’s cricket progressed quickly. He continued playing throughout his time at Granville Boys High School, where his talent earned selection for the NSW Combined High Schools teams in 1964 and 1965. In 1964 he was awarded a Cricket Blue. Those school sides included several notable players of the era, among them Bruce Francis, Peter Leslie, Jack Wilson and Marshall Rosen.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/406/parramatta-district-cricket-club/blog/3603/tom-wood-give-things-your-best-shot

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3 months ago

St George Cricket Club

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St George DCC and its Rugby League Connections - Pt 3 - Ray Lindwall

Ray Lindwall was as much a prodigy at rugby league as cricket and, in 1938, garnered rave reviews while playing with the Dragons when studying at Darlinghurst Marist Brothers' High School. In 1942 he was considered the finest fullback in the game when he amassed 186 points - ninety goals and two tries.

All up he had 4 full seasons with The Dragons

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/275/st-george-cricket-club/blog/3601/st-george-dcc-and-its-rugby-league-connections-pt-3-ray-lindwall

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3 months ago

St George Cricket Club

Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs)

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St George DCC and its Rugby League Connections - Pt 2 - Reg Gasnier

In 1959-60 when thirty eight year-old Lindwall played his last Test match and took his record Australian total of wickets to 228, twenty year-old Gasnier announced his genius to the world with a dazzling display on the 1959-60 Kangaroos tour of England and France.

As critics sought new superlatives to describe his change of pace and uncanny anticipation and fans gave him the sobriquet of "Puff the Magic Dragon", his rich promise as a cricketer was all but forgotten.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/275/st-george-cricket-club/blog/3600/st-george-dcc-and-its-rugby-league-connections-pt-2-reg-gasnier

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3 months ago

Founder

Armidale, Australia

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There have been some close games in Waratahs CC of Armidale history, even in semis and Finals but none as close as this - Waratahs v Hillgrove, B Grade Final, 5th & 6th March 1977.
Tied at the end of the first two innings, both sides making 84. Waratahs made 83 in their second and Hillgrove scraped home on 8-84.
An outstanding feature of the game was that it came at the very start of an era that would prove to be one of Waratahs most successful becuase playing in the game were Michael Connolly (#393), Graham Frost (#333) and Tim Muldoon (#296), three players that would shape Waratahs successful 1st grade side in the 1980's.
https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/1223/armidale-waratahs-the-tahs/blog/3599/final-1977-b-grade-waratahs-v-hillgrove

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3 months ago

Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs)

Founder

Armidale, Australia

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Keith McIntyre (cap #129) played twelve seasons for Waratahs. It was career mirrored by many others for a club that has always prided itself on family, the desire by players to stay within the ranks and starting in the lowest grade as kids and ending in the highest as young men.
Starting in B grade in the second half of the 1950's and graduating as far as A grade by the early 1960's, it was in A-Reserves that he had his major successes, where his 2,639 runs were the most scored in that grade. In all, he made nearly 4,000 runs for the Club.
Despite his regular run getting - 514 runs 1960-61, 624 in 1968-69 and 447 in 1969-70 - it wasn't until the very end of his career with Waratahs that he scored his first and only hundred. His 101 not out v Armidale Teachers College, was made even more memorable as he had carried his bat, one of only nine players to do so in more than sixty years of competition and the only one to score a century in the process. In the second innings, he retired on 52, one of only six players to make at least 50 in both innings of a match.
Like most handy cricketers, there was more to McIntyre than his batting. As a keeper, he made 53 dismissals and he had 6-20 as a part time trundler!
After he left Waratahs, he made a second legend at Centrals CC of Armidale, being one of the architects of their rise from easy beats of the late 1970's to 1st grade Premiers in 1985-86, beating ... you guessed it, the red hot favourites, Waratahs!

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3 months ago

Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs)

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Jamie Heath: A Career Built on Consistency and Class

From dominant seasons in Sydney grade cricket to representing his state and continuing his love of the game back home, Jamie Heath’s cricket journey is one defined by commitment, performance, and longevity.

Heath made his mark between 1996 and 2004 with Manly Warringah District Cricket Club, where he established himself as one of the competition’s most reliable and dangerous bowlers. During that period, he claimed an outstanding 300 wickets at an average of just 18

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/338/manly-warringah-district-cricket-club/blog/3580/jamie-heath-a-career-built-on-consistency-and-class

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3 months ago

Founder

Armidale, Australia

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Bob Barwick - cap #234 - The Tahs second lowest cap number, was born on this day, 4th of March, back in the days when Noah was just a lad who was keen on animals.
A keen mathematician and therefore a dreaded teacher in secondary schooling, Bob is one of Waratahs most revered members. Playing his first game in the 1970-71 season after previously playing for Easts CC in Armidale, he soon developed a reputation as a shrewd thinker on the game and a sharp card player. He also became one of the clubs most accurate scorers.
Often opening the batting, his record with the bat is a handy 2,277 runs in exactly 100 completed innings (of course). He was involved in 4 century partnerships in his 15 seasons, the highest being 140 with a teenage Angus Martyn (#416) for 3rd grade in 1983. He won two Premierships with Waratahs, both in 2nd grade, one as a young man and one as a veteran.
Bob was also a more than useful leggie with 102 wickets at 14.74 and a best of 7-30 against his former club. In fact, only Mark Charter (#515) has taken more wickets breaking them from leg with his wrist. Throw in 59 catches and a deadly throwing arm and you can see how much he offered Waratahs lower grades.
Those 15 seasons weren't played consecutively, with interuptions from teaching, a business career in furniture - selling not sitting - and his kids, one of which, Adam, became probably the finest Waratahs fieldsman of all time. Bob's last played in 1992-93, so his influence at Waratahs was sustained.
Still mad on his cricket, you'll find Bobby Barwick at the Gabba every year watching Australia go round in Tests and quoting stats to bemuse, confuse and enthuse. Great Tahs man.

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3 months ago

Penrith Cricket Club

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20 Followers

Annabel Batty - Penrith Cricket Club - Life Goes On

Annabel Batty in Penrith Cricket Club Women's first grade cap number 80. Let's find out more about Annabel's journey in the game

I started playing junior cricket at Glenbrook-Blaxland Cricket Club in U8s, and I played for Penrith Junior Cricket Club throughout junior reps. I have played for Penrith Cricket Club in senior cricket ever since, for five seasons now. I’ve also played for Sydney West in primary school and high school cricket over the years.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/330/penrith-cricket-club/blog/3577/annabel-batty-penrith-cricket-club-life-goes-on

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3 months ago

St George Cricket Club

UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club

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St George DCC and its Rugby League Connections

With the pointy end of the cricket season upon us at the same time one of the great Rugby League rivalries played out last week-end in Las Vegas we begin a series of articles looking at the players of yesteryear who managed to compete at First Grade level in both sports.

Here is an extract from our Centenary book A Century of Achievement – The Players and People of the St George District Cricket Club by Mike Coward

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/275/st-george-cricket-club/blog/3591/st-george-dcc-and-its-rugby-league-connections

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3 months ago

12 Likes
19 Followers

Finn Nixon-Tomko. - runs, hooligans, mates and memories

Finn Nixon-Tomko broke into the UTS North Sydney First Grade side off the back of a phenomenal 207* against Gordon in Second Grade at the start 2024/25 and has made a spot at the top of the order his own this season. Read all about Finn’s cricketing background, what he learned from his dad, and what he loves about being a Bear – as well as how he felt during that innings, of course.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/380/uts-north-sydney-district-cricket-club/blog/3585/finn-nixon-tomko-runs-hooligans-mates-and-memories

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3 months ago

33 Likes
22 Followers

Manly Cricket - The St Pius Crew

Although St Pius X College is situated in the heart of Chatswood, just a short walk from Chatswood Oval and close to Gordon District Cricket Club, few could have predicted the influence four of its students would later have at Manly Warringah District Cricket Club.

Emerging in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Cameron Merchant, Luke Cameron, and brothers Shane and Mitch Cleary each went on to enjoy distinguished careers, leaving a lasting legacy at the club.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/338/manly-warringah-district-cricket-club/blog/3579/manly-cricket-the-st-pius-crew

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3 months ago

Gordon District Cricket Club

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Trent Marsh – The Stroke Maker

The Parramatta District Cricket Club has fielded teams in the renowned A.W. Green Shield (Under 16) competition – the competition namesake was a long-term delegate and former secretary of the Parramatta Club - since 1937/38.

In that time outstanding cricketers such as Richie and John Benaud, Greg Matthews, Sean Abbott, Gavin Robertson, Nick Bertus, and Usman Khawaja have all represented the two-blues in that competition but to date no batsman has matched the deeds of Trent Marsh in the 1997/98 season.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/406/parramatta-district-cricket-club/blog/3588/trent-marsh-ndash-the-stroke-maker

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3 months ago

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33 Followers

Tym Crawford reflects on playing at Chatswood Oval

Match: 2020-21 T20 Cup Gordon v Manly Warringah @ Chatswood Oval

Result: Gordon 7-175 (N Doyle 45, D Hunter 40, O Davies 3-15) defeated Manly 128 (C Merchant 40, J Saggers 3-17, R Meppem 3-32)

Cricket is a team sport and although I have many great individual memories, reminiscing about outstanding team wins brings the greatest enjoyment.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/297/gordon-district-cricket-club/blog/3578/tym-crawford-reflects-on-playing-at-chatswood-oval

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4 months ago

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Bruce Ferguson was a tough, determined and wholehearted cricketer, and long-term worker for the Parramatta District Cricket Club. He is a member of a family that made ‘their mark’ in the club’s historic story, his brothers Kel and Brad playing lower grades, whilst Father Dave was Club President for fifteen years, and Brad occupied the top executive’s chair for two years – both Bruce and Dave were made Life Members for their service to the Parramatta club.

Bruce was a throw-back to the older style of cricketer, he played it hard on the field and enjoyed the social conviviality offered by the game off the field.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/406/parramatta-district-cricket-club/blog/3576/bruce-ferguson-ndash-a-pugnacious-cricketer

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4 months ago