Anecdotes – Round 4
Space Cadet nomination
We have been fortunate to have some great nominations already this season. We welcome Stu Fiedler (C2 Red Vice Captain) to this esteemed group this week. Stu is a young bloke, one of our future leaders and is a real student of the game who gives great thought to tactics. Going out to field Stu shared with the boys one that we had the opposition 3 down chasing our massive 343. We actually had them 5 down.
Rampaging families
There has now been 455 tons scored by Senior players in our history. Our greatest batsman, Laurie Tuckerman (A1 Grade, 1951/52) holds the record for the most number of centuries – 7 all scored in the one season! But which family has been the most dominant in our history? The families are:
- 8 – Fiedler family (Greg with 3, Andrew 2, Daniel 2 & James 1) –1981/82 to current
- 6 – Banner’s (Michael 5 & Josh 1) – 1997/98 to current
- 6 – Gunn’s (Michael 4 & Ryan 2) – 2012/13 to current
- 6 – Connell’s (Alex 6 & Tim 0) – 2000/01 to current
- 5 – Lee family (Sid 4 & David 1) – 1951/52 to 1960/61.
With the top 4 families all still playing it is game on to see which family finishes as our most prolific century scoring family.
An interesting insight is that Michael Fiedler has now been dismissed for 2 scores in to 90’s (92 and 98 last weekend). This could so easily have given the Fiedler’s 10.
Next week we will look at our most prolific bowling family.
Commitment
Robbie Knapman (C2 Red Skipper) is one of those quiet achievers. Early on Saturday morning there was a big storm that dropped a lot of rain and especially at Holland Road. Rob went down to the Oval at 8.00 am and it was flooded and unplayable. Rob then spent the next 90 minutes sweeping the pitch, aerating large puddles in the outfield and getting sand to absorb the water. By the time everyone arrived the conditions were perfect. The boys got on and won the match – thanks to the quiet achiever behind the scenes.
Carrying his bat
Chris Williamson (B2) achieved one of those rare feats – carrying his bat for 81.1 overs to be 93* in extreme conditions and against an Opposition that set 7 / 2 fields with off stump negative bowling. This is one of those rare achievements that isn’t that well documented. We will do some checking through the week to see where this ranks in our history. Well done Chris.
De Costi’s
Last Saturday, Phil Wurth (A1 and of Seniors Presentation MC Night fame), just happened to buy a couple of bags of frozen fish gut that just happened to find its way into the bottom of Lachie Vile’s kit bag. Lachie isn’t the type of player to take his kit out of the car and let the gear dry so there the kit bag stayed…and stayed in 30 plus degree heat. Early in the week Lachie knew something was wrong and thought a rat had died in the air conditioning system but stoically continued to drive around each day. By Wednesday the cause was found. While some of the boys were having dinner at the Club Lachie was explaining the rotting mess, the maggots and the dry wrenching in cleaning it up. Retribution will come – it is called the A1 End of Season (EOS).
From Glenn McGrath to Don Bradman
Alex Chidgey (C2 Red) has had an amazing start to the season. Better known as an opening bowler (76 wickets @ 18.3) than as a batsman (career 413 runs @ 11.8) Something has happened this year that has turned this on its head. Alex started the season batting at 9, then moved to 8 and is currently 6 and has now scored 174 runs in 6 innings without being dismissed with a top score of 58*.Once Alex is dismissed he will have the best average within the Seniors.
“And they won’t give me a bowl?”
Ray Khamis (C1) had been making plenty of noises in the last few weeks about being a useful bowler. He even asked his Captain to watch him bowl 3 balls before play to show that he could at least hit the pitch (which they kind of did – though it would have been touch & go if there was enough on any of them to knock a bail off). Mid way through the day, Matty Marsden (our 6th bowler for the day) bowled one of those balls that slipped from his hand and sailed over the head of the cover fieldsman. Never one to miss an opportunity, Ray chirped – “…and they won’t give me a bowl?!” Ray eventually got a bowl and took 3/1 off 2.5 overs and won the game.
Where’s the drink container?
We all have loads of drink containers at home that always seem to build up and up. Nick Sparkes (U15 Blues) had a novel solution – just keep them in your kit bag. Andrew Morris was explaining how, during the morning game, the boys were after a can of Aeroguard. Out of the kit came 7 water containers and finally explanation the family was after – where the supply of containers had gone.
Just good friends
Tarun Lath (C3 Skipper) and Perry Waldron (Ginger Warrior) have built a strong relationship this season in C3’s. In fact after not getting a breakthrough with their bowling in the first session Tarun gave Perry a trundle and the big fella took 6 wickets to win the match. Tarun was so thrilled with Perry’s contribution that he was overheard having a chat to Perry along the lines of…”Give it to me and I will rub it for you”. It is best we don’t know any further details.
Family feud
Zac Morris (U15 Blue and C2 Red) scored an impressive 58 in his Junior game on the weekend. With a bit of family banter big odds were placed on his dad (Andrew) bettering this score – the stakes were high – a $2 family fine for the loser. Andrew then got to 59 and got out.
Space Cadets (or “Sharp as a Bowling Ball Awards”)
We have two worthy winners this weekend. Here goes:
Rick Turner (B2 Captain)
Rick (at left) is one of our outstanding Captains and players but he had a moment on the weekend that has rocketed him into Space Cadet status. Making the toss at the start of the match Rick lost the toss but still decided that we would bowl first. Anyway, the boys did their warm-up and started to take the field until the Opposition Captain reminded Rick that we were actually batting and not bowling.
Zac Morris (C2 Red)
During the C2 game Zac was scoring and discussion went to International cricket and Bangladesh in particular. From out of no-where Zac asked “Are there are any trees in Bangladesh”.
“It’s nothing”
Taki Manolelis (B1) works and lives at Singleton in the Hunter Valley. How about this for commitment – Taki has a 4-hour round trip to get to the game and then home. When asked about the about of travelling Taki just shrugged his shoulders and said …”It’s nothing”. Great commitment Taki.
The David Warner ball
For those who listened to the Test match commentary during the week who can forget Mark Nicholas comment the ball before David Warner was out that he had never been out in the 90’s. Fast forward to the weekend and Mikey Fiedler (C1) was powering towards 100. Mikey has yet to score a ton but has got a previous 90. His father, Andrew wanted to capture the moment and came out to square leg Umpire. Andrew had his iPhone camera and got a great photo of the one ball be saw – bowled for 98.
Tons galore
What a start to the Seniors season. Day 1 of Round 4 saw 4 tons scored on the one day! So far this season we have scored 10 tons compared to 13 all last season. We now have in our sights the record of 23 tons scored in 2012/13. Add to this 2 scores in the 90s we could have clocked up a record 6 tons in a single day!
Now that is a wide
Nathaniel Chidgey (C2 Red) is one of our emerging young star opening bowlers. Last weekend though he bowled a ball that went straight to 2nd slip (Ian Paterson) on the full as a gentle lob. While this was a memorable ball it isn’t the worst ball bowled in our history. This goes to Andrew Driscoll (A2, 2004/05 @ Warrina Street Oval Berowra) who bowled a ball that landed first bounce at fine leg.
“Should we call the game off?”
Bill Peterkin was relaying a story during the week from a “keen” Kanga parent who did a long-range weather forecast up until February 2017. This person mentioned that one of the weekends in February was predicted to be wet and asked if we should cancel that weekend’s play!