RYAN McELDUFF 206 NOT OUT

AT THE DOUBLE

RYAN McELDUFF 206 NOT OUT.

Double centuries are rare at any level. The Club's list of  double centuries, stretching from 1853-54 to 2024-25 in Club cricket, Electorate cricket, Grade cricket and Premier cricket, indicates how rare this event is.

Until last Saturday, there had been 24 instances of double centuries scored by SUCC players. Greg Mail scored three; Nick Larkin two and Steve Hobson two. 20 players had scored at least one double.

On Saturday in 2nd Grade against Blacktown, Ryan McElduff scored the Club's twenty fifth double. He became the twenty first SUCC player to do so and the first since 2013-14 when both Scott Henry, in 1st Grade, and Jack Hill, in 2nd Grade, scored 200 not out.

In 1888-89, the first SUCC double century was scored by the Australian Test player Tom Garrett (who had played in Australia's first Test Match in 1876-77).  Garrett scored 274 in the Club's 1st XI against the Albert Club. Garrett and Herbert Lee put on 348 for the 1st wicket (a Club 1st wicket record that still stands) and University made 635. Garrett finished with 620 runs @52.6 for the season. In his prolific season in 2024-25, Ryan has already scored 599 runs in just six matches.

He is in illustrious company.

James Rodgers

WILL SWANTON - SPORTS JOURNALIST

Will Swanton was SUCC’s 1st Grade wicket keeper and useful lower order batsman in 1988-89 (1st Grade cap No. 571).
Since then, he’s worked as a sports journalist and author, most recently with ‘The Australian’, covering an array of sports.
In that time, he’s received a number of prestigious awards including ‘Sports Journalist of the Year’ in 2017 and a ‘Walkley Award’ for a Features Writer.
This week, at the 20th annual News Awards, Will picked up another well-merited award for his fine writing.

Many congratulations from his old Club.

James Rodgers

RIP Greg Newman

Greg Newman died October 2023

We have learnt only recently of Greg Newman’s death. 

Briefly, his playing record includes: 

1959 Sydney Grammar School 1st XI Premiers 

1957-60. Balmain

1960-61 and 1961-62. University

1960-61. 4ths. 2-0-20-25-12.5. 2wkts for 149

1961-62. PG. no batting recorded. 1wkt for 50

 4ths. 11-1-17-69-6.9. 14 wkts for 277. In this season, he took 4 for 0 in his first over v Randwick. 

1962-63. Returned to Balmain where he played most seasons until 1974-75

1st grade. 33 wkts

2nd grade. 171 wkts

3rd grade 155 wkts

4th grade 72 wkts

Total 431  wkts

Highlights:

1962-63. 4ths. 29 wkts @8.5

1962-63. Won the club trophy for under 21s

1970-71. 2nd grade premiers

1971-72. 3rd grade. 58 wkts @11.2. 6 for 10 v Manly. 

Greg came out of retirement for one season, 1976-77, when he played 4ths for Waverley. 

Played golf at Killara where his brother, Justice Peter Newman, was President. 

Jim Cattlin, who played in the Sydney Grammar School premiership side of 1959 with Greg, remembers him as “a gentle giant of a fast bowler at school…He had the height and could move the ball. A warm hearted and committed team member who was frustrated only if he performed below his best.”

James Rodgers

Obituary Brian Nicholson

I met Brian (Nicko) Nicholson in the early 1980s, shortly before being appointed as Secretary of the SUCC Veterans. Brian was a very handy all-rounder, a much-loved and respected member of the Vets, and a proper gentleman.  As the last man in, I would often join him for the final overs and would, more often than not, run him out.  Invariably, as I approached him to apologise, he would gallantly apologise to me.  For someone who batted and bowled down the order, Brian performed remarkably well.  For example, during the 1986-87 season, in 10 innings, he scored 48 runs, a highest score of 17 with 4 not outs and 5 catches.  Bowling 24 overs, he took 4 wickets for 145 runs. Unfortunately, during that season, Brian was plagued by dropped, sometimes non-attempted, catches; myself a culprit, unable to catch off my own bowling, let alone that of someone else!  Nonetheless, Brian, taking 5 catches, shared the Fielding Award that season with Slips fielder extraordinaire Tom Nevell.

Not only did Brian turn out for the SUCC Vets. He played regularly for the Primary Club of Australia, and indeed attended the 1984 Golden Oldies Cricket Festival in Auckland with the PCA - see photo.  Brian is in the front row, third from the right and among other SUCC luminaries, Tom Nevell, Jim Mackie, Greg Scahill and Geoff Schwartzkoff.  Finally, I am deeply indebted to Brian, not only for taking the blame for my runouts but also for his introducing me to the Right Reverend Denzil Throckmorton-Jones.  Brian was a keen cricket tourist, but while I doubt very much that he ever joined one of Throckers’ cricket tours to unlikely and outlandish venues such as Heard Island, Tristan da Cunha or the Gobi Desert, I have derived much pleasure and infinite amusement from the Right Reverend’s published accounts of his many cricket wanderings, from  “ Six and Out in Samarkand” to “Bringing Home the Bacon in Botswana”.  Those wishing to remember Nicko, the cricketer, should turn their browsers to the following video link of the Primary Club of Australia vs I Zingari at Camden on April 19th, 1984: https://vimeo.com/869480526?share=copy.  Brian appears early in the video as an umpire and at other points.  Please remember that this is a digitisation of a forty-year-old video.

Cyril Latimer

JB (PADDY) LANE

Today is 30 August. 

On 30 August 1937, 87 years ago today, one of the Club’s most prolific and distinguished players died. 

John Bayley (known as ‘Paddy’) Lane was aged only 51.

Paddy Lane played 1st Grade for SUCC from 1904 to 1913 as a batsman/ wicket keeper; captained 1st Grade; captained two premiership sides; represented NSW; then served for five years in The Great War, having been one of the first to enlist in August 1914. He served in Rabaul, Egypt, Gallipoli and France and was eventually promoted to Captain, was twice wounded, was Mentioned in Despatches and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. 

He graduated in Law and practised as a lawyer after the war. He played Grade cricket for Wests into his forties and captained Wests’ 1st Grade. He was President of SUCC from 1921 to 1926. 

Today, 87 years after his death, we remember one of our finest, JB (Paddy) Lane. 

James Rodgers

THE SPIRIT OF CRICKET

                            The Spirit of Cricket

I'd like to make special mention of one significant achievement during last season in the men's club.

For the seventh time in the past 12 seasons, the Club has been awarded the SCA's 'Spirit of Cricket' award.

This prestigious award means a great deal to those of us whose playing days are long finished.

It means a great deal because it's clear proof that the University cricketers of 2024 still play the game according to cricket's deeply held values and traditions.

It's proof that in 2024, we continue to do more than just to play within the laws and codes of the game. We even do more than just to play within the spirit of the game. We do more than that. We uphold the traditions and values of the game and we actually lead all others to aspire to these great heights.

And we do that because we continue to be linked to all those who have ever worn our colours, representing the enduring values of this club, of this University.

And those values have been ingrained from team to team, from decade to decade, from generation to generation, as we carry the torch of the spirit of cricket from player to player.

By winning the spirit of cricket award so many times, we are building on a firm foundation of the humanity and artistry of the game for all who follow.

In April 1854, a 16 year old named Rodney Riddell opened the batting in University's first ever match against the soldiers of the Garrison. He was said to have been a player who played the game in the right spirit.

In February 2024, 170 years later, another 16 year old, Hayden McCarthy, made his 1st Grade debut against Hawkesbury. Hayden is said to be a fine young man, a player of great potential.

Now the two 16 year olds are linked by a golden thread to a club that continues to uphold the spirit of cricket through the decades, from player to player.

As co-Patron of this great Club, I could not be more proud of what you have once more achieved, by winning once again, the award for upholding the spirit of cricket.

JAMES RODGERS

Congratulations Phoebe Litchfield

CONGRATULATIONS pHOEBE

                                                        Phoebe Litchfield

Australia have revealed a talent-packed 15-player squad for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, on their hunt for a record fourth successive T20 World Cup trophy. Every match will be shown live, exclusively on Prime Video from 3 October.

But before that, the Aussie Women are set for an epic showdown against their trans-Tasman rivals for the opening series of the summer, with the CommBank Women's T20I Series against New Zealand starting in three weeks’ time. Watch this summer live on The Seven Network, FOX SPORTS, available on Kayo Sports.

The Sydney University Cricket Club sends Phoebe congratulations and wishes her all the best for this summer’s cricket.

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