 The Stobo Salute 2
Gordon vs UTS Balmain
The ramblings of a has-been.
I was asked to write these articles of my memories of encounters with the various clubs over the years. And I reckon that’s wonderful.
So if you think this is just a chance to churn out bucket loads of nostalgic drivel, then you’re absolutely right.
And I couldn’t give a rat’s. You don’t have to read on.
Gordon’s playing Balmain in Round 2. The Tigers. The club of Fred Spofforth and Archie Jackson.
The best game of grade cricket – nay, the best game of cricket, full stop – that I ever played in was against Balmain.
Semi-final, at Drummoyne, 1992-93. A must win game.
It was sensational, and for every minute of two consecutive days nerves were on edge.
Incidentally, part of the drama included a young fellow called Gilchrist, who marked himself as a player of rare maturity with a match saving innings.
Firstly, the context, which is crucial.
Gordon were the defending premiers, but there was nevertheless unfinished business with Balmain. Finshing as minor premiers in 1991-1992, and having defeated Balmain (who were second on the table that year) decisively in the rounds (Balmain had to follow on), Gordon were declared Premiers when the Final – to be played at Killara – was washed out without a ball being bowled. For the record, I’m fairly certain that no ball was bowled in three of the other four grade finals, and only a couple of hours of play were possible in the fourth.
 Balmain, as you could imagine, were bloody angry at missing the opportunity to knock us off. We were upstarts, and weren’t meant to be winning things. Some regrettable things were said in the time that followed.
So 1992-93 was to be the year to settle things once and for all. Was Gordon up to the mark after all? Games against Balmain would be the test.
(Steve Day during his playing days)
Both teams had a host of representative players, and the standard of competition between the two sides was extremely high for grade cricket. A Sheffield Shield game took Mark O’Neill and Phil Emery out of our team for the semi final, but nevertheless Michael Cant, Steve Day (our captain, and easily the best that I was lucky enough to play under), Paul McLean, Jon Davison, Adam Gilchrist, etc. were outstanding grade cricketers.
Balmain’s lineup included Phil Marks, Darren Tucker, Greg Hayne, Greg McLay, Andrew Jones, Peter March, and the former Australian keeper, Greg Dyer. I don’t think they had any Shield players playing for NSW at that time, so they would have been at full strength.
In Round 1, the two teams, both at full strength, played an evenly balanced draw, so the issue of supremacy was still unresolved. But, by the end of the season, Balmain were clearly minor premiers, while Gordon held on to 4th place to scrape into the semis; only four teams of the twenty made the finals in those days.
 Therefore, 1v4 in the one semi, 2v3 in the other. Winners in to the final, losers out. Gordon had to win; a draw would see Balmain through.
The Drummoyne wicket looked a little two paced, and so it turned out to be. It was the thing that gave this particular game its wonderful uncertainty.
(A Young Richard Stobo)
Gordon batted first, and struggled to make about 160 against a superb attack of Jones, March, McLay, Marks and Tucker. Balmain had a couple of hours to bat before stumps, and their daunting batting line up, which included Hayne, Marks (arguably the best grade cricketer of the 1980s, and scorer of about 1000 runs that season) – would face an interesting test.
As it happened, Gordon did what had to be done: we bowled well, built enormous pressure, took all of our chances.
Balmain headed to stumps at 6-70; the game was tilted in our favour. Marks was dismissed cheaply, shouldering arms to a ball that cannoned in to the top of off stump.
But then, Day 2. A glorious March Sunday.
Balmain were not minor premiers for nothing and, as you would expect, they put up an enormous fight. The score climbed, and wickets didn’t fall. Greg Dyer’s experience was telling, and he was leading Balmain’s resurgence. But when Dyer was run out, Gordon was back in command. However, with nine wickets down, and about 30 to get, Peter March and Andrew Jones – Nos 10 and 11 – mounted a final, rearguard action. Both could bat, and both had character. They edged Balmain. towards Gordon’s score.
25 to get, 20, 15, 10… Every single delivery mattered.
 With only a handful of runs needed, Jon Davison took the final wicket, for an incredibly tense first innings win. Gordon should have been celebrating. But, in some respects, the drama was only beginning.
(John Davison)
Incidentally, in the middle of Balmain’s innings, when things were absolutely evenly balanced, Steve Day took one of the finest catches I have seen, or am ever likely to see.
A skied ball from Scott Grace, I think, falling between three fieldsmen on Drummoyne’s large eastern side.
Steve – probably the finest captain Gordon’s ever had, and certainly the finest that I was lucky to play under – set off from midwicket, running away from the pitch at full speed. The ball was heading directly away from him. He never took his eyes off it.
He had no right to catch it.
At the very last minute, as the ball was dropping away from him seemingly out of reach, he dived and, at full stretch, came up with a simply unbelievable catch.
There were some talented players at Gordon at that time, but it was that sort of effort that made those teams of the early 1990s such wonderful ones to play in.
We charged to him from all over the field, and in the pandemonium someone realised that they were covered in blood, and that it came from the large split in the webbing of Steve’s hand.
However, there were still a handful of overs to be bowled before lunch. Michael Cant and Peter Rowley-Bates walked out to the middle.
Peter was out in the second or third over, and Gordon went to lunch one down, and lead of five or six.
After lunch, more calamity. Wickets fell in a hurry, and Gordon was in major trouble. A lead of only a few dozen, still three or more hours to play. Day’s injured hand meant he would only bat if absolutely necessary.
 Gilchrist – only 19 at the time, and in his second season with Gordon – was in the middle. He played a stonewalling innings of extraordinary maturity. For two or three hours he stood up to the pace of Jones and March, the experience of Tucker and Marks, and the off spin of McLay, on an uneven wicket. Every one of them was a senior representative player; four played for NSW, and the fifth had been a regular in the Australian Country XI. It was a wonderful innings.
(a 19 year old Adam Gilchrist)
He received support from his mate from Lismore, Paul McLean, and “The Rock”, Mark Danckert. I have never experienced tension like it. I can’t remember how many Gilly finished with – 40, perhaps – but that was almost immaterial. It was the fact that he had chewed up valuable, valuable time. His composure in the face or far more experienced players was quite extraordinary.
Gordon clung on, but never scored enough runs to know that the game was safe.
When we were finally dismissed for only 115 or so, Balmain had 10 overs to score 110.
Game over, surely?!
Hayne didn’t think so. He edged the first delivery for four. Then swatted the second for four…
But it couldn’t last. Balmain lost six wickets in those ten overs – the last, Darren Tucker, on the last ball of the match – and Gordon was through to the Final once again.
Some ghosts had been laid to rest.
Despite the pitch being a bit uneven, or possibly because of it, this was a rare game. Everyone who was at Drummoyne that weekend was held spellbound for two days as the tension increased and increased.
I know that I was worn out physically and mentally when I turned up for work on Monday.
Both teams had enormous respect for each other. There were good friendships as well; that was evident in the post match beers, which carried on in the Drummoyne Oval pavilion. Importantly, this was Darren Tucker’s last game of grade cricket, and he was simply the one of the best men you could ever hope to meet. In many respects it was sad to see his career end in that way.
The Final, against Mosman, at Bankstown, was to be another amazing game, but that’s another story.
Good luck men, in Round 2. The Tigers are very worthy opponents.
Any team for whom Greg Hayne has played for so many years deserves enormous respect.
But you’ll have their measure, if you value your wicket, work in partnerships with bat and ball, have patience, and take your chances.
Richard Stobo | 
