 Stobo Salute 3
Hawkesbury (and Sydney Uni)
Been away for a couple of weeks – hence no article about Sydney University last round. It would have been a tricky one to write, anyway, because my view of them has changed over the years. They’re certainly a different club in many respects to the one I first enjoyed playing against in the early 1980s.
In those days, you stepped out against a remarkable group. Captained by Craig Tomko, another of the elite club of first grade cricketers whose surname ends with ‘O’, as he happily told me in the middle of a very tense over on Sydney Uni No. 1. This comment changed the tone of the game – very much for the better – in an instant. It also included the Grimbles, John and Paul, Andrew Shaw, and ‘Jumbo’ Hay. They were good men, who loved their cricket, and their beer, and were clearly a close knit group.
Sydney University also had John Gavagna, a fast bowler, who wrote himself in to Chatswood Oval folklore when Greg Hayne, opening the batting for Gordon at the time, hit him for six fours in one over. The last ball, always going to be a bouncer, was top-edged over the keeper, as Boris tried to put it onto the Pacific Highway, south of Artarmon.
 I think that was also the game in which a young Matthew Nicholson debuted in first grade, way back when. A product of Knox Grammar School, breeding ground of outstanding fast bowlers, he was chosen based primarily on his recent selection in the Australian U19 team. None of us had seen him bowl. We’d all heard he was good. The selectors assured us that he was.
His first delivery, however, from the northern end, caused us to doubt. It reached our keeper, Craig MacGregor, standing at the southern end, comfortably on the full. The batsman was still in his stance as it sailed over his head.
(Nicho can smile now)
Oh dear. At least it was straight, I suppose. MacGregor didn’t have to move an inch.
I’d been placed at mid-off to give the youngster some guidance. I drew on all of my experience, and suggested that he make the next one bounce. But just once.
Of course, Nicholson wasn’t finished for the match. He did end up bowling well, but more importantly he was instrumental in steering us home to a one wicket win in the dying embers of the second day. Stobo, never confident with the bat at the best of times and, surprisingly, batting at No. 11, joined him with a dozen or so needed.
Senior pro walked out to join young pup.
The young pup took charge immediately, of course, calmed Stobo down, and dutifully steered Gordon home against a bowling attack that included and outstanding grade player in John ‘Greedy’ Grimble. The way in which Nicho handled Greedy was a clear sign that he was a young player of rare composure.
They were good days.
My experience against Sydney University last season, in 2nd Grade, was a little different, and my perception of the club has changed, somewhat, but that’s another story.
 Hawkesbury, this week; a club that joined the competition in the mid-1980s, I think. We always seemed to have good success against them – in fact, I can only recall one loss, and that was chasing runs on a very questionable day two wicket at Benson’s Lane.
My memory of individual games against Hawkesbury is hazy, but Michael Cant certainly plundered 150 against them one year; a game that was ended by a hat trick.
We never really had a great deal to do with the Hawkesbury boys, unfortunately, as it was a pretty slow drive home before expressways, etc. But Mal Cobcroft – still heavily involved in the club – Graham Price, and ‘Chocko’ Hall (brother of Ken Hall), were all good fellows, and it was good to catch up with a couple of them last year when 2nd Grade played out there.
Anthony Kershler has also been a real stalwart for them, after moving from Parramatta, and I would never have expected to be playing against Michael Goeke, at Hawkesbury, in 2005-06. And clearly their juniors are coming to the fore.
So good luck on Saturday, lads. No sage advice. Just do it.
Richard Stobo
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