This is the story of the fourth and last SUCC player to have played just one Test Match for Australia, following Reginald Allen, Rowley Pope and Otto Nothling.
Beau Casson, SUCC 1st Grade cap no724, played for Australia just before representing SUCC. From 12th until 16th June 2008, at Bridgetown Barbados, Casson found himself replacing one SUCC player in the Australian team for the 3rd Test against the West Indies, while taking the field with another SUCC player.
Stuart MacGill had retired from Test cricket after the 2nd Test and Beau Casson became Australian Test cap no401. Stuart Clark joined Brett Lee and Mitch Johnson in making up the pace attack and Casson was selected to bowl his left arm wrist spinners, one of very few of this type of bowler to play for Australia. Before him,'Chuck' Fleetwood-Smith, Lindsay Kline, Johnny Martin, David Sincock and Brad Hogg had been selected mainly for their bowling. While Ken Eastwood, Michael Bevan and Simon Katich, all batsmen, also bowled left arm wrist spinners.
At Barbados, 1st innings scores were close. West Indies replied to Australia's 251 with 216. Casson was LBW to Fidel Edwards for 10 before he took 2 catches in West Indies' 1st innings but his 7 overs were expensive (0-43). Left handers Phil Jacques and Simon Katich then added 223 for the 1st wicket before the declaration left West Indies with an improbable 476 to win. Casson was given the ball with runs to play with and he responded to Steve Waugh's confidence. His 25 overs cost 86 but he took the wickets of Xavier Marshall, Dwayne Bravo and Sulleiman Benn. Australia won by 87 runs but Casson never regained his Test place.
Beau Casson was born 7 December 1982 in Perth. He was educated at Trinity College from 1991 until 1999 representing Western Australia at under 17 and under 19 levels before playing for the Australian under 19 side. At university, he graduated with a Bachelor of Health and Movement and a Diploma of Education.
After representing Western Australia in 1st class cricket from 2003, Casson moved to NSW in 2007-08 to search for greater opportunities in Sydney, where he initially captained the Gordon Club's 1st Grade side. His 2007-08 season with the NSW side (29 wickets and 486 runs, including his highest 1st class score, 99 vs South Australia at the SCG) ensured his certain selection for the West Indies tour as second slow biowler after Stuart MacGill.
In 2010-11, Casson joined SUCC and played in that season's 1st Grade Premiership side (the first of three premierships in the next four seasons) which defeated Randwick Peterham in the Grand Final.
A serious medical condition, however, a congenital heart defect, caused his retirement, aged only 28.
His 1st class career for Western Australia, NSW and Australia was impressive: 53 matches, 1500 runs, 123 wickets.
Casson's vast experience as a player, his university studies and his ability to engage and encourage players made him a much sought-after and ideal coach. He has been an assistant coach at The Scots College in Sydney, and at SUCC. More recently, he has been batting coach for NSW before returning to Perth where he has assisted with the highly successful Western Australian team.
JAMES RODGERS