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With most sides going deep into the finals last year and a top 5 finish in the club championship, the club is looking forward to another strong season in 2019-20.

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This was an exceptionally good fun night - magnificently organised by Virginia and Peter Klemt and their committee.  We had two brilliant MC’s in Paddy Effeney and Ed (Hoppa) Howitt, plus the video vision was done to perfection again by Tim Cubbage and the PowerPoint by Paul Stephenson. 

Player of the Year Harry Evans

Unfortunately the photographer had his SD stolen on the night and as such I had to dig deep for all these shots. We were a little scarce on winning titles this season, with only the Colts taking home the flag for us. This was after looking as though we would have perhaps 5 sides in to the semis, right up until the last round - with only the 4’s and Colts then qualifying. Now to the most important part of the night and that was naturally the awards:

Player of the Year (decided by team players on a 3:2:1 basis): This was a really close contest right up to the last round, where we saw Harry Evans triumph by 1 point. Ed kept us informed at intervals throughout the night with his updates on an intriguing contest. Harry won on 14 points with 4 others on 13. Harry scored 807 runs at 38 av, to take his Club aggregate number of runs to 10,481 at 39 av, which is a superlative effort. He has scored 12 centuries and 47 half centuries and has added a sneaky 119 wickets @ 23. 

I remember Marshall Rosen telling me when I returned to the fold many years ago – “Tiddles whatever you do, we must never play favourites”. Of course I strictly adhered to his advice throughout my official duties – BUT – how could I possibly ignore Harold after his efforts for Gordon over all these years. He came to our Club to play Greenies in the 2004-5 season with Hamish Angus (yes sorry Marsh perhaps another favourite) and averaged 40 in his 2nd season. 

Equal runner up Manus Chauhan

He played the last 4 games in Colts that season under the guidance of a returning David Gray (Tweetie) and yes they won the comp. They also had a very handy side with Hamish, James Kennedy and Adam Cubbage amongst a really talented team. Harry played his initial first grade game in 2008 and hasn’t looked back since - despite wishing to stay as a keeper for quite a few seasons. He was regularly scoring between 700 to 900 runs per season, yet for some obscure reason he was overlooked by the NSW selectors and was lured to Tassie for 2 seasons from 2015-16. Despite scoring over 1,000 runs in each of those two seasons he was still overlooked by the State selectors. He returned to Gordon for the 2017-18 season and this POY is a reward for another wonderful season - well done Harold. 

Player of the year runner-up’s: we had 4 on 13 points:
Tym Crawford: (467 runs @ 29 plus 22w 2 25); 
Manus Chauhan: (29w @ 16 plus 241 runs @ 30);
Fraser Wilson: ( 299 runs @ 21 plus 28 catches and 1 stumping)
Glenn Winsor: (321 runs@25 plus 25w@24)then came on 12 points 
Prahlad Iyer: (25w@16) and on 11 points
Jaiden Gray ( 445 runs@34) 

Merit Team Award

I believe this is a very important team award that is selected on merit and stats by Ed Howitt.
The team is:
No 1 - Axel Cahlin, who scored 643 1st grade runs@30 (plus 93 in PG’s) including 3 tons up to early Nov. and 
No 2 - Cameron Eccles – 513 @ 34av with 6 half centuries and what a performer he has been for us with 6535 runs @ 30av. 
No 3 - Steve Colley, with 671 runs @ 32;  (career 7979@31) and of course 
No 4 - Harry Evans with 807@38. 
No 5 - Lachlan Barnsley, with 520 runs @ 47 (plus 165 in PG’s @ 24). Lachie is only 18 and another real talent from the bush – watch him next season. 
No 6 - Tym Crawford, with 467runs @ 29av plus 22w @ 25.
NB: It is not merely a coincidence that our top 6 here are regular visitors to the batting coaching of Mark O’Neill. 
No 7 - Fraser Wilson (Keeper), 299 runs @ 21 (opening) plus 28 catches and 1 stumping. Fraser improved dramatically as the season progressed and is off to the UK to again play 1st grade for Rowledge in the Hampshire League. This should be the defining moment in this 19yo’s career and it was interesting to hear Matt Wright compliment him by saying there was no harder trainer than Fraser at practice. 
No 8 - Manus Chauhan, 29w @16 plus 241 runs @ 30 – another to watch for next season.
No 9 - Dylan Hood, 28w @ 15 and when fit probably one of the most explosive quicks in the Club. 
No 10 - Callum Bladen, 25w @ the amazing av of 6, plus 4w@21 in Greenies. When fit this 16yo is an amazing talent as a genuine quick.
No 11 - Rohan Watson, 33w @ 9av in Grade , plus 8w @ 13av in Greenies, for an excellent season total of 41w @ 10av. Rohan is another exciting young leggie with another year of Greenies left.  

The Colts side - 2018-19 Premiers: 

Charles Mitchell

For a full match report on their exciting win please go to the second story on the website. There are many in this team that will soon be playing higher grades and it was a really mature innings from the youngster Jaiden Gray to ensure their win – he is player to watch. Well done Austyn Nugent for agreeing to skipper them whilst recovering from injury and we must also thank Josh Rigon for leading them in the early rounds.

The next award was the Phil Emery Green Shield award won by Charles Mitchell:
Charles had a magnificent Green Shield season for us, with 218 runs @ 55av plus 15w @ only 9av with his LA orthodox. He then went on to play last week in the U16 State Challenge for NSW Country to score 143 runs @ 71. Charles is another bushie courtesy of Bob Thomas and what a future this 15yo youngster has.

Now to the Ratesetter Player of the Year awards for the individual grades. 

Callum Bladen and Rohan Watson

The Dick Guy Award for the U21 player of the year was won by Glenn Winsor with a combined total of 469 runs @ 23 plus 33w @ 25. Glenn is another country lad in his first full season and how well did he adapt. 

Tym Crawford and Glenn Winsor

A special Award was given to the retiring Elliot Richtor, who at the young age of 31 feels his body must have a rest. What a magnificent Clubman and cricketer Els has been. He really struggled with injuries this season for 266 runs@18 plus 16w@21. Throughout his stellar career he scored for Gordon 6,626 runs, at the excellent av of 31, with 3 centuries and 38 half tons, plus took 193w @27. He did a classic interview with Hoppa and the thing that really impressed me was the praise he saved for Mark O’Neill as being the sole reason why he was able to score heavily in 1st grade. Well done Els and we will all miss you, but don’t you dare desert us and perhaps you may play a future role with Gordon. 

Club Performance Awards went to the following: 
5th wicket 4th grade partnership of 219 runs to Stuart Bromley and Manus Chauhan.

Wicket keeping Award to Max Newman for 37 dismissals. 

Batting Awards of 500 plus runs in a season to:

• Harry Evans (807 runs); 

• Steve Colley (671); 

• Axel Cahlin (643); 

• Lachlan Barnsley (520); 

• Cam Eccles (522). 

A special Award was then give to Tim Cubbage for being the Clubman of the year.There is no one that deserved an award tonight better than Tim. He has been the hardest worker on game day and in particular during the week with covers and grounds. I do not really believe that anyone fully understands the amount of work that he does. It is a thankless task and please Tim do not retire just yet. Thank you for your magnificent effort from all the volunteers and players – you are irreplaceable. 

Paddy then had some classic Fake Awards, which went across beautifully. He had the Shayne Lin award for the most absent player in 2019; the Jim Cattlin award for the ‘spray of the year’; the Tony Wilson award for comeback of the year and the Dave Monaghan award for the best 5th grader of all time. This one was naturally won by Dave and I will refrain from telling you the winners of the other awards..

In closing I simply would like to say that I believe that Gordon has the players to take this Club to the top six in the Club Championships in the coming seasons. We perhaps may naturally lose some senior players however we have many exciting youngsters coming through.  The awards night was a really magnificent effort by a few people and hopefully next season we will have all Grade players attend.

Cheers 

Tony Wilson (on behalf of attendees) and remember our motto is ‘Sharing and Caring’ – so see you all next season!!

The first Gordon cricketer to enlist in the First World War was third grader Cliff Geddes who, on 19 August, 1914 enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces 3rd Battalion. Cliff would be foregoing his cricket creams for an Australian uniform which would become his mode of dress for nearly five years. He was born in Warialda to William and Sarah Geddes.

Interestingly two of his grandparents were convicts, one was from Ireland and one from England. Cliff and his family moved to Chatswood and lived in a cottage called Cyrene in Railway Street. He was a bank clerk when he enlisted on 19 August 1914 at the age of twenty-eight and sailed on the HMAT Euripides to England on 20 October 1914.

Within a week two more players, Frederick William Easton (4th Battalion) and Alan Downing Bruce (1st Brigade Australian Field Artillery), had enlisted and would begin preparations for embarking on their mission overseas.

Fred Easton was a twenty year old clerk who lived in Mowbray Road Chatswood. Like Cliff, he played a number of matches for Gordon in Third Grade before enlisting on 20 August 1914. Also like Cliff, Fred sailed from Sydney on the HMAT Euripides to England on 20 October 1914. Maybe they played a few knock up games of cricket aboard the ship during their two month transit to the war zone.

Alan Bruce was a civil servant who lived at Burleigh in Balfour Road, Lindfield, and enlisted on 24 August at the age of twenty-four. Alan played cricket for the Gordon Vets team prior to the war and embarked from Sydney on 18 October. This first group of three players was about to commence a journey that no man should have had to endure. They were destined to join those Australian regiments ordered to embark on an expedition to the Dardanelles. They would fight the soldiers of the Ottoman Empire who had sided with Germany after the outbreak of war with England. This of course would later be known to every Australian as the Gallipoli Campaign.

They would be part of the early waves of Australian diggers scrambling their way onto the beach at Gallipoli as their fellow soldiers fell around them. While Fred and Cliff had joined as artillery gunners in the 3rd and 4th Battalions, Alan had joined the AIF as a driver for the 1st Battalion. One can only imagine his surprise to find himself on a stretch of land no longer than one mile and only 500 yards in width at its widest point. Alan was not going to do a lot of driving.

On 25 April 1915 the Gallipoli campaign began, with Cliff being in the first wave of troops to land, while Fred and Alan were part of the second and third waves to reach the shore. Somehow all three survived the landing in the face of strong resistance by the Turkish forces and with massive casualties on both sides. By 5 May, only a small area had been held by the landing force which became known as Anzac Cove.

These three men were representing their country and their cricket club and like any three people you could pick in our cricket club today, they were very different, yet they had one thing in common. They were in the AIF. Their country, lifestyle and future was under threat and however naïve we might think of them today, they did not falter in the goal of protecting their families and being able to go to Chatswood Oval every Saturday for their game of cricket. How were they different?

Cliff Geddes was the adventurer and prolific diarist, who always said was on the trip of a lifetime and incredibly after returning home in 1917 after being wounded he went back to France a year later to fight out the remainder of the war.

Alan Bruce was the young civil servant from Balfour Street Lindfield who thought he could drive his mates around the beautiful French countryside. Instead he was on the hills of Gallipoli. He was on the front line on day 1 and didn’t leave there until his death in 1918.

Fred Easton was the classic Australian Anzac who was the first to be out on the town during his training in Egypt, but would always be the first to jump over the trenches and lead his mates into battle.

How many of the Gordon cricketers today can claim to be adventurers, night owls and always available to drive their mates to the game. Probably all of them!

On May 19 Cliff wrote in his diary:

Along with others I was ordered to lie on the ground above the trench. When we climbed out a startling sight met our eyes. The darkness of No Man's Land was lit by the fire of blazing rifles from the grass, and the Turks were within 25 yards of our trenches. The orders of my particular group from Captain Austin, company commander, were that if the Turks got very close to jump across the trench and charge them with the bayonet, but on no account to fire our rifles and let them know we were there. Thus I was a spectator of the most thrilling game I have ever seen. The Australians were magnificent. Every man who could was firing across the trench at the line of fire from the dark ground as fast as he could pull the trigger and pull back the bolt to reload. When the rifle got too hot to hold, or jammed, the man below on the floor of the trench handed up his with more cartridges. The machine-guns poured back their hail of lead.

Many of our grand chaps fell shot through the head, but immediately another man took the place of him who fell. The dawn now began to break and what a sight lay before our eyes. It seemed as if an army lay asleep in the grass. So confident were the Turks that they attacked with blankets strapped to their backs, presumably to sleep the next night in our trenches, but the majority were sleeping their last sleep in No Man's Land. The remainder could stand the fire no longer, and raced back towards their own trenches. I was struck by the magnificent running of an athletic Turk, who ran like a deer for his own trench. Bullets threw up the dirt all around his feet, but on he sped and I really hoped that he might get there as he was such a wonderful runner. Just as he reached his own line and was about to jump into the trench an Australian bullet ended his great effort, and he rolled back down the slope in front of the banked-up earth.

Tragically Fred Easton, was one of those gallant diggers who died that night as part of the 4th Battalion’s D Company, the lead group defending the Turkish assault. Fred was killed during hand-to-hand fighting when the Turkish forces infiltrated the 4th Battalion trenches.

As Cliff Geddes knew that his Gordon Third Grade mate was in the front line during this battle, he no doubt would have been concerned for his safety. Fred had only been at Gallipoli for twenty-five days, but his brave yet fatal defence of his fellow diggers meant that he would not return to his home in Mowbray Road or again take that stroll along Orchard Road to the oval.

As Fred and Cliff were both bowlers, sadly there would be no opportunity to return together to Chatswood to share the bowling attack for Gordon.

They gave up so much, we will always remember them.

LEST WE FORGET

Paul Stephenson

The Colts have come from 4th position after the premiership rounds and a loss in the quarter final to win both their semi-final and final and take out the 2018-2019 Metropolitan Cup. This is the second Colts premiership in 3 years.    

Austyn Nugent and his team mates at the final

Having played last week at Chatswood, the Colts were able to play the final at Howell Oval and experience two first grade grounds in two weeks. This in itself was a great experience for this very young side and continues to confirm the exceptional value of the Colts team and how integral it is to the success of the club.

The final was played over the weekend against Penrith who have been a wonderful opponent for our Colts side over many seasons with the ledger about even. The start was delayed after early rain with the wicket not available unit 1.40pm and winning the toss Gordon decided to send in the Penrith team. 

While our bowling was tight, the Penrith bats started to get on top after two wickets to Cam Hewitt and Sam Braham and at 2 for 128 off 48 overs we were in need of wickets. 

Sam Braham at Howell

As the day came to a close our strong pressure started to bear fruit with three more wickets, another one to Sam and one each to Jayden Gray and Nathan Sequeira. At stumps Penrith were 5 for 151 off 64 overs and the match was evenly poised but too many more runs would prove difficult to chase with the strong Penrith bowling.

The honours for the day had gone to Sam Braham and, while he hadn’t taken any wickets, Callum Bladen was very unlucky and had kept control of the scoring rate. Overall the bowling had been excellent with the Penrith bats not being able to take full advantage of the fast Howell Oval outfield  

Nathan Sequeira leading the players from the field.

Due to the rain delay the second day was able to start at 10am with 100 overs allotted for the day. Early wickets and we would be on top.

Again the bowlers didn’t disappoint with this time Nathan Sequeira taking three wickets and Rohan Watson chipping in with one. Including the night before Nathan had taken 4 for 3 off 4 overs of almost unplayable fast bowling due to a great combination of accuracy and pace. The Penrtih team had been bowled out for 162, but this was a final and with runs on the board, Penrith were still confident.

Our batting started promisingly until Cam Hewitt was out for a well-made 26 with the score at 38. With Jaiden Gray coming in at No. 3, he continued with Nick Astridge to keep the score board ticking over. Unfortunately, as so often can be the case, we lost a wicket in the last over before lunch with Nick out stumped for 20. The first hour after lunch was also not helpful to our cause with Riley Behlevanas, skipper Austyn Nugent 4 and Lachie Donaldson losing their wickets and with Nathan Sequeira coming in at No. 7 to join Jaiden we were 5 for 95 and desperately in need of a partnership. 

Jaiden Gray during his fine 74 not out

This was when the call for heart defibrillators was made by club legend Tony Wilson as another close finish was on the cards. Whether they arrived or not, they weren’t needed as Jaiden continued his fine innings to pass 50 and supported by Nathan the target was getting closer and at 5 for 143 at tea, a wicket just before a break had not eventuated.

The game wasn’t over as Penrith threw everything at our bats after tea but they survived to take the score to 5 for 164 and a brilliant win with Jaiden 74 not out and Nathan 25 not out. This had been a defining innings for Jaiden who held the team together with some fine stroke play and unrelenting defence. 

While there were heroes in the final, the final series and in fact the whole season had provided an excellent overall team performance, including some excellent leadership in the second half of the season by Austyn Nugent.

A big thank you also to all the parents who supported this team throughout the season and the finals series to help bring home the trophy. 

Congratulations to everyone involved and we looks forward to this fine group of young men to move into the grade teams in the years ahead. There is a lot to look forward to.

The victorious Colts team

Scores 

Penrith all-out 162 in 73.1 overs – Callum Bladen 0-33 off 14 overs; Sam Braham 2-31 off 14; 
Nathan Sequeira 4-22 off 15 overs with 7 maidens; Kartik Khetarpaul 0-14 off 6; Rohan Watson 1-28 off 12.1;Cam Hewitt 1-12 off 6; Jaiden Gray 1-4 off 3; Conor Clift 0-5 off 3. Defeated by Gordon 5-164 off 64 overs – Nick Astridge 20; Cam Hewitt 25; Jaiden Gray 74no; Nathan Sequiera 25 not out, Riley Behlevanas 5; Austyn Nugent 4; Lachie Donaldson 2.

Following is an excerpt from an article by Dr Daniel Frogan, the legendary Australian sporting identity (coach and psychologist extraordinaire) and historian who has been researching the many and varied pathways taken by Test cricketers all around the world on their way to the highest levels of their sport. 

Sydney Grade/Premier cricket has been wonderfully strong for over a hundred years.  Goodness knows how many Australian players have, at some stage, played at Chatswood or Manly or Coogee or Pratten or Bankstown or Waitara (Mark Taylor) etc etc.

Mason Crane in action for Gordon

There has been a massive amount of publicity about how Steve Smith and David Warner are playing Premier Cricket this season which is fantastic.  A couple of years ago, the ABC Saturday sports program crossed to Chatswood Oval a number of times in the afternoon when Michael Clarke used a grade game between Gordon and Western Suburbs to prove his fitness for the 2015 World Cup.  It was the biggest crowd at Chatswood for a cricket match for many years.

But let's go back a few years to when there was no interstate limited overs competition and T20 was a brand of anti-pimple cream. One would oppose first class players frequently. If there wasn't a Shield game, THEY ALL PLAYED! Second XI or Colts games were played midweek and players were back for the next Saturday. 

Tony Greig, Mike Gatting and Geoff Boycott

Back when the Gordon side contained Phil Emery, Adam Gilchrist, Mark O'Neill, Richard Stobo, the Bankstown team had Steve and Mark Waugh, Steve Small and Wayne Holdsworth, One such game was played in 1991and there was a Shield game on the second weekend. After week one, Bankstown had dismissed Gordon and passed their total, with Steve Small having belted the Stags bowlers to all parts. However, come week two and the Bulldogs were a completely different side (Gordon also lost Emery and O’Neill).  Gordon scored an adequate number of runs in their second innings and then rolled Bankstown for a memorable outright victory. (It was in this innings that Richard Stobo uttered his immortal comment to Waugh III, as recalled by Steve Waugh in his autobiography, page 673).

Ten years before that era, when playing Northern District, one often played the NSW opening bowlers, Steve Bernard and Mark Clews.  Even before that, a St George lineup which included Warren Saunders, Brian Booth, John Rogers, Jack Wilson, Kerry O'Keefe (and others) was something to be feared but also presented a great opportunity to test oneself. 

Andrew Strauss, Nasser Hussain and Shoaib Akhtar

The only overseas Test players since the 60s to play for Gordon have been Scott Styris, Danny Flynn (both New Zealand) and Mason Crane (England).

In fact, since the 60s, over seventy Test players from other countries have graced the Sydney Grade scene.  Some of them were at the beginning of illustrious careers, some in the middle and some at the end.  Many of them have had a great effect on the competition.  Tony Greig and Mike Gatting, for example, had massive seasons and both won the Sydney Morning Herald Player of the Year Awards (in 1975-76 and 1979-80 respectively).  Geoff Boycott scored 1200 runs one season (remember, no Limited Over or T20 games back then!).  Some players used their experience here as an opportunity to broaden their cricketing horizons and went on to bigger and better things.

Mike Gatting even took 55 wickets.  And you didn’t even know he bowled!  Several others players who went on to become English captains, like Andrew Strauss and Nasser Hussain, continued to develop their skills in Sydney.

West Indian star, Alvin Kallicharran, in his only game against Gordon, on a wet Manly Oval wicket, was dismissed for a duck.  Gordon players were impressed by the manner in which he took the umpire’s somewhat dubious decision.  Apparently, once in the safety of the dressing room, his demeanour changed somewhat.

Alvin Kallicharran

In 2001, the “Rawalpindi Express”, Shoaib Akhtar, got off the plane and drove straight to Mosman Oval to confront the Gordon opening batsmen, Damon Livermore and Peter Crocker (who put on 88 for the first wicket).  I think they were very glad he was a bit weary after a long flight.

Following is a list of the overseas Test players who have played in the Sydney First Grade competition since 1960.  (No doubt there are more)

Overseas Test players in Sydney Grade/ NSW Premier Cricket (1960 to present) 

ENGLAND