Wedding Bells

We love to celebrate weddings and births of our Club members. Our latest celebration happened on Friday – Chris Williamson (B1) married the beautiful Alexa at Belgenny Farm, Camden. Chris debuted for us way back in 2004-05 and has scored just on 3,500 runs and taken 210 wickets. Chris also holds the Association C2 Grade record of 333 for the 1^st wicket partnership – Chris scored 76 with Russel Ingram (223) way back on 5 December 2009.

After they get back from their Honeymoon it is back to cricket for Chris and it will be great to see Alexa back to the games supporting the B1 charge to the Semi’s.

Photo: Chris and Alexa after being married.

The wheels of time

Connor Hindmarch (C2 Blue) attended many of the renowned Coaches’ Association school holiday Junior Cricket Clinics in his youth.

In 2015, the legendary Bruce Wood (HKHDCCA President) presented Connor with the prestigious Phillip Hughes Medal for his performance and contribution at the 3-day Clinic (see photo). Fast forward to February 2022 and Bruce, fresh from receiving an OAM award on Australia Day, has been appointed by one of  his old protégés (Daniel Anderson from CNSW) as a casual Community Cricket Officer to assist in running cricket activity programs in local schools.

Bruce will shortly partner with Connor in running a cricket program for Waitara PS at James Park, Hornsby, commencing in late February 2022.

The wheel has turned full circle with them now working together – 7 years after Bruce awarded Connor the Phillip Hughes Medal at a clinic at Mark Taylor Oval, Waitara. How good!

Photo: Connor receiving the Phill Hughes Medal from Bruce Wood (23 January 2015)

Blowfly Cricket – TV segment

We are proud to be the only Club in NSW to offer a Blowfly Cricket program as part of a Club. Blowfly cricket is targeted at all abilities young people typically with autism / special needs. The accompanying link is from a segment on ‘The Project’ (Channel Ten) during the week. This is from the James Park hub and features Maddie Jones. Maddie also plays at our Club Centre at James Henty Oval and is also one of our Junior Blaster’s Coaches at Edward Bennett Oval every Saturday morning. Check out the link – it is about 1.43 into the start – Blowfly segment

It’s all in a name

Avid readers of our Match Reports, and there are many hundreds each week from all over the world, will read the A1 Reports and be none the wiser about who is who with every player having a ‘nick-name’ that the Team also has printed on end of season shirts. So…to help everyone navigate around these names here they are and we reveal who these names relate to. Here goes:

Wu (c) – Phil Wurth

Jamaican (vc) – James Makin

Aaaaaaaasss – Ashane De Silva

BCG – Billy Gaunt

Effie – Josh Banner

Krang Gy Wangi – Cameron McBrien

Gandis – Luke Herzog

Gunnernance – Michael Gunn

Lichaaaaaa – Michael Richards

L-Mac – Lachlan McBrien

Sav – Sean Clarence

Tis – Tis Mistry

Whacko – Jackson Preedy

Photo: the A1 commemorative Team shirt 2022

Interesting jobs

While our PM (ScoMo) said a while ago that everyone with a job is essential some are more interesting than others.

Over the years our people have had amazing jobs from Prime Minister (John Howard), world renowned Astronomer & Vulcanologist (John Seach), personal Orthopaedic surgeon to Brian Lara (Aditya Khemka) and lots more…..

Scott Henderson has recently scored one of those amazing job opportunities. Hendo is one of our all-time greats who played in all 4 successive A1 Premiership wins between 2011/12 and 2014/15. Hendo was a fast bowler who took 258 wickets and scored 1,942 runs over a distinguished playing career.

After being the Events Manager at the SCG, Hendo went to England as the Events Manager at Wembley Stadium. Coming back to Australia to get away from the UK during Covid he got the Events Manager role at Quodos Bank Stadium at Homebush. Hendo has now got one of the plum jobs supporting the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 as General Manager for Venues. How good.

Photo: Scott Henderson celebrating the Roosters Vs Rabbitohs Final that drew a record crowd at Alliance Stadium – 22 September 2018

Umpires questions

Each month we ask a couple of Umpiring questions that will test your knowledge. Next week we provide the answers.

Question 1

You are umpiring a match where the bails have been dispensed with. The ball, missed by the striker, contacts a stump and the fielding side appeal for bowled. You answer the appeal not out. Before the next delivery, the striker turns to the wicket-keeper and admits the ball did touch the stump. The wicket-keeper immediately shouts to you, “The striker said that they were bowled”.

What is your decision?

Question 2

The striker advances down the pitch, missing the ball. The wicket-keeper fumbles the ball which then lodges in his pad. With the striker out of their ground, the wicket-keeper puts the wicket down with the same knee the ball is lodged against. There’s an appeal.

What’s the decision of the striker’s end umpire?

Answer’s next week.