Dominant performances in trials vs UNSW

Despite an unusual pre-season preparation program, Sydney Uni teams will be heading into the first round of the McDonald's NSW Premier Cricket competition full of confidence after strong performances against UNSW over the weekend.

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1ST GRADE:

Sydney Uni batted first on a beautiful morning at St Paul's Oval. The wicket was slow but flat with Mail and Trevor-Jones looking particularly comfortable during their knocks.

The lower order capitulated after a strong start leaving UNSW a modest 190 to chase in the afternoon.

Strong opening spells from Tim Ley and Tom Rogers kept the scoring rate under control. UNSW captain and opener Charlie Wakim retired after passing 50 which sparked a massive collapse. Devlin Malone was reintroduced to the attack and swiftly went about snaring 5 wickets from his 8 over spell, inducing some regrettable strokes and bowling some unplayable deliveries.

Joy returned late to clean up the tail and take 3 wickets. Tim Ley produced a neat run out and a great running catch to close the fixture out.

Overall a valuable hit out against UNSW leading into round one.

Sydney Uni 190 (43) Mail 43 ret., Trevor-Jones 60 ret., Larkin 29 def UNSW 165 Malone 5 wickets, Joy 3 wickets

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2ND GRADE:

A new-look SUCC second grade side arrived at Dave Phillips oval for the final practice match before the new season begins. Young vs old Nash highlighted a change in the guard with an age of 20 qualifying for the olds who took out a one sided contest with the extra man.

In a comprehensive victory over UNSW, each SUCC player contributed runs or wickets in a very worthwhile warm-up fixture. Stand-out performers were Nick Arnold with 64 runs and Liam Whitaker in his first 2nd grade game with 5/31 (9.1). Ben Larkin showed his experience in the middle order with 57 in a 98 run partnership with Arnold before Nicky Craze (25) and Ed Arnott (34n.o) finished the innings with gusto as the good guys made 64 runs off the last 8 overs.

Opening the bowling, Xavier Frawley and Jono Craig-Dobson took a wicket each in tight opening spells before Whitaker and Kieran Tate (2/12 off 4) ripped through the middle order.

Promising signs for the season ahead.

Sydney Uni 5/245 (50), Arnold 64, B Larkin 57, Arnott 34 n.o., Miller 29, Craze 25 def. UNSW 98, Whitaker 5/31, Tate 2/12.

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3RD GRADE:

Sydney Uni lost the toss and was sent in on a pitch that offered some assistance with the new ball but quickly settled down to be a good batting track. Openers Kierath and Litchfield started circumspectly but solidly and at 0-30 off 10 it was a promising platform. Wickets fell and this brought Alex Shaw to the crease in his first hit out in some time after his oriental hiatus. Shawry and the dominant Litchfield put together an excellent 90 run partnership which provided a good opportunity to push in the final 10 with wickets in hand.

Losing 4 for 10 didn’t really help our cause but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it released Brodie Frost into the game and his complete disdain for anything pitched in his half. A series of long, long bombs and quick running between the wickets meant that we amassed 70 off the last 6 overs to finish with 246. The star was Charlie Litchfield, who carried his bat for a very impressive 125*. From ball one he did as he liked, with positive intent and plenty of quality, it really was a pleasure to watch from a young man with plenty of potential.

In reply UNSW came out hard and put together two good partnerships, but ultimately fell short. Hayden Kerr and Brodie Frost bowled with good pace, Nick Powys bowled some quality spin and Jack Gibson kept it tight from his overs. By the afternoon the pitch was quite low and slow so taking the pace off the ball meant that it was quite difficult to score, and pretty easy to burgle wickets with some (slow) mediums. All in all a good hit out, and positive signs as we head into Round 1.

Sydney Uni 7-246 (50) C Litchfield 125*, B Frost 45*, A Shaw 27 def UNSW 195 A Cowan 4-11, N Powys 2-34, B Frost 2-39.

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4TH GRADE:

Sydney Uni again welcomed in the season with our hit out against uni rivals UNSW. The match presented a great opportunity to introduce some new talents to the Sydney Uni ways of cricket. Fittingly we were greeted by a low and slow St Andrews wicket that would make for an arm wrestle between bat and ball. Sydney Uni winning the toss grabbed the opportunity to have first use of the tired strip. 

Proceedings commenced with a positive start from the openers. They capitalised on some wayward bowling and had the team moving along at 4 an over without breaking much of a sweat. However, as the ball softened and UNSW looked to their slow bowlers to peg Sydney Uni back, conditions became more trying. Wickets fell at regular intervals as batsmen looked to up their tempo. The innings closed at 198 with Sydney Uni bowled out in the 47th over. 

With 198 on the board and a lifeless strip, Sydney Uni were confident of being able to control the afternoon provided we produced a disciplined effort with the ball. The bowlers did just that with a strong display of stump to stump bowling complemented by some sharp fielding. Two run outs and all catches held was a pleasing outcome. This led to a ready stream of UNSW wickets and a final total of 96. 

Sydney Uni 198 Powys 35, Bell 27, Grant 25, Day 25 def. UNSW 96 McMahon 3/12, Day 3/18

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Sydney Uni's McDonald's NSW Premier Cricket campaign commences this weekend with Round 1 Limited Overs matches against Campelltown-Camden on Saturday 24th September starting from 9.30am:

• 1st Grade @ Sydney Uni Cricket Ground
• 2nd Grade @ Raby 2
• 3rd Grade @ St Paul's Oval
• 4th Grade @ Raby 3
• 5th Grade @ Camperdown Oval
• Metro Cup TBA

Selections: Trial Match vs UNSW

Team selections have been confirmed for the vital final hit-out against UNSW in trial matches this Saturday.

Please click here to view the teams.

First Grade will play at St Paul's Oval, Second Grade at David Phillips South, Third Grade at David Phillips North and Fourth Grade at St Andrew's.

All matches are scheduled to commence at 9.30am and players are expected to arrive at least one hour prior to the start time.

Captains can be contacted as follows:

1st Grade: Nick Larkin (0400 389 246)
2nd Grade: David Miller (0412 428 133)
3rd Grade: Ash Cowan (0418 196 268)
4th Grade: AJ Grant (0439 391 985)

All other players are invited to attend an indoor net session with Gary Whitaker from 9am at the Martin Lambert Indoor Nets.

Also, please be aware that our annual Season Launch will be held at The Grandstand on Thursday 22nd Sept from 7.30pm.

FInally, it seems with everything going on with teams in Brisbane and Sri Lanka, and an unusual pre-season training schedule, that the completion rate of registrations and membership payments has been slow. This is crucial, and must be completed by Tuesday. Reports will be downloaded from the SUSF online membership portal, and anyone that has not completed their full registration and payment by then will be deemed ineligible for Round 1 selection. For a step by step guide to the registration process for 2016-17, please click here.

Good luck as we complete our preparations for the season.

Sydney Uni Cricket Club

Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals Report

The Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals has come to a conclusion for another.   Playing on the world stage for the first time Team Australia were eager to impress albeit with a degree of uncertainty as to what lay ahead.  

The first game was a harsh reality shock for the boys from Sydney University, losing the toss and asked to bat against Bangladesh.  A wicket in the first over set a dangerous tone for the innings, with Team Australia able to only post 74 against a dominant spin attack.  Knowing a huge bowling performance was needed to rescue the game, the boys went out ready to fight, unfortunately the Bangladeshi captain, Hassanuzzman had other ideas and totally dominated with 52 off just 24 balls chasing the small total in seven overs.

A solid debrief and bonding session following game one saw a renewed focus going into game two against the reigning champions Ausspol Tuk Cricket, University of Pretoria, South Africa.  Winning the toss Captain Ben Trevor-Jones decided to bowl first and was immediately rewarded through the bowling of Brodie Frost dismissing the South African Skipper, Murray Coetzee.  Hayden Kerr was the pick of the bowlers after the 20 overs, and was unlucky to not claim his first international wicket, finishing with figures of 0/23 off four.  Despite the improved effort and intensity from Team Australia, South Africa still posted an impressive 186. 

Promoted to open the batting, Hayden Kerr continued his outstanding game taking full advantage of the fielding restrictions in the first six overs slapping the South African bowlers around the park. Hayden (54 off 31 including two 6s), and Ben Trevor-Jones (25 off 23) did their upmost to get Team Australia close to the target, unfortunately the skill and precision of the South Africans eventually proved too much ending the twenty overs 8/132.  Despite the same result, the boys had lifted their game and competed with a very strong T20 side boasting numerous first class caps.  Unfortunately Joe Kershaw copped a blow to his finger while fielding which ended his tournament.

Game three saw the Sydney Students take on Loughborough University, Leicestershire, England.  With renewed confidence after the improved effort in game two, Team Australia was looking forward to taking on the old enemy. Losing the toss, Ben Trevor-Jones was asked to bowl first.  Kieran Elley started beautifully with a maiden, Hayden Kerr followed this up by creating a chance first ball which was unfortunately spilt in the outfield, however Hayden followed it up claiming a wicket on his third ball of the game to have England 1 for 5 after 9 balls.   The Sydney University boys had their tails up, again unfortunately the class of the English Skipper, Michael Burgess shone through as he drove, pulled and ramped his way to an impressive 75 off 38 balls.   Xavier Frawley was the pick of the Australian bowlers, changing his pace with precision ending with 2/26 off his four overs, however England still managed to post a massive 211. 

With very little to lose the Australians threw themselves into the chase, with Charles Litchfield scoring his first international runs and Ben Trevor-Jones again chipping in with 21, however the real stand out was Nicky Craze.  Nicky showed the importance of being able to play 360° scooping, ramping, and driving his way to an impressive 68 from 50 balls.  Nicky provided fantastic footage throughout his innings courtesy of the GoPro attached to his helmet. Again signs of a much-improved performance, team Australia ended their innings 8/167. 

The top two teams from each pool qualified for the semi finals, resulting in South African playing Sri Lanka and Pakistan playing Bangladesh.  A dominate Sri Lanka cruised into the final, while Bangladesh scraped home courtesy of an enormous energizer over.*   Sri Lanka, boasting three Sri Lankan internationals (including Dhananjaya Da Silva, fresh from his 62 against the Australian national side on Friday, 9th September) defeated Bangladesh in the Final Sunday afternoon at the picturesque Galle International Stadium. 

While three loses from three games is never easy to take, the quality and standard of the tournament was greater than anything the Sydney University squad had experienced before. Bangladesh, South Africa and England all boasted at least five first class players amongst their ranks, while the Sydney University was made up of predominately 2nd grade players.  The squad should be enormously proud of the fight they showed and how well they competed above their weight.  Every member of the squad has learnt an enormous amount about playing T20 cricket and the little things required to become a better cricketer. 

**The Red Bull Energize over was introduced this year across countries domestic qualifying tournament.  Essentially, the batting team nominates an over in which every run scored is doubled and every wicket lost adds five runs to the opponent.  It introduces a complex tactical element to the game that has the ability to change the momentum of the game very quickly. 

Feature: Born at the wrong time

Captain Norman Walford Broughton DSO

Norman Broughton was born in 1889 into a family of privilege and prestige.

His grandfather, Frederick Ransom Broughton, was a Minister in the Church of England.

When Norman’s father, Francis Albert Broughton (1865-1922), aged only 18, married Edith Eleanor Walford (1863-1942) it was a marriage of two well-connected families in late 19th century Sydney society.

But by the time that Norman was 25, Australia was plunged into a war that would take 62,000 Australian lives. In the decade before all that, Norman and his older brother Frank went to Sydney Grammar School and then onto the University of Sydney. Frank was an early graduate in the Dental Faculty and played a few games in 1st Grade for SUCC while he was a student. Norman studied Medicine but his course was leisurely. Beginning in 1908, he did not graduate until 1915 and he was able to devote sufficient time to cricket and rugby football to earn Blues in both.

His misfortune, however, was to be a slow bowler during one of the great eras of the Club’s dominance as University won three 1st Grade Premierships. His career coincided with slow bowlers of the calibre of Walter Stack, George Willcocks, Norman Gregg and Fergus Crawford. His form in 2nd Grade was compelling: 186 wickets at 13.45. 1051 runs at 23.88. In 1st Grade, on the other hand, he made little impression: 76 runs at 12.7. One wicket for 95 runs.

Then, just at the time that he might have looked forward to medical practice in the Eastern Suburbs, just before the landing at Anzac Cove, he graduated MB, ChM. Lord Kitchener sent an urgent request to Australia for one hundred doctors. Numbers of wounded were increasing by the day. Medical expertise was desperately needed. So, Broughton enlisted with another five of his 1915 graduating class, all medico cricketers. Roy Minnett (who had already played Test cricket), Eric Barbour (who would have been a Test cricketer but for the war), Norman Gregg, Frank Farrar and Walter Stack all enlisted in the Medical Corps.

Norman’s brother, Frank, was to enlist in the Dental Services in 1916 and their brother in law, Leslie Seaborn, followed in 1917. Both returned, Lieutenant Seaborn with the Military Cross.

Norman sailed with the rank of Lieutenant in March 1915. By the time he reached England, his fate seemed to be sealed. He was attached to 73rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery and was sent to France in June 1916. There he served faithfully until September. When he was awarded the DSO for a significant act of bravery, however,it was conferred posthumously. His division had moved south to take part in the great offensive on the Somme which had begun in July.

A contemporary at Sydney Grammar was Captain William Edgeworth  David (awarded the Military Cross himself in 1917)who wrote in ‘The Sydneian’ of December 1916:

       “The brave manner in which he (Broughton) won his DSO added even more glory to that already achieved by Australia and the old school…He was digging out men who had been buried and carrying them out of the danger zone, dressing their wounds and dashing back for more wounded…”

About a week after this, however, on 10 September,  Captain Broughton was killed when a stray shell hit him as he was taking a walk out of his dug-out.

So, this likeable, brave, dedicated doctor never saw another cricket field, never saw Australia again, never practised his medical craft again.  More than 50 medical graduates and students of Sydney University gave their lives in the war. Of the 1915 medical graduates, however, Minnett, Barbour, Gregg, Farrar and Stack all returned. Most lived into their seventies and contributed much to medicine in Australian life. Norman Gregg was knighted.

But Norman Broughton, killed on this day 100 years ago, lies in France, buried in Dantzig Alley British Cemetery.

James Rodgers

Trainings, Trials and Practice Games

We apologise for the lack of information this week, with Gary in Sri Lanka, and Dale on personal leave.

Tomorrow (Sat 10th Sept) sees our traditional internal squad trainings, trials and practice matches. Details are as follows:
 

1. 1st and 2nd Grade squad members: Squad practice and centre wicket session at St Paul's Oval commencing at 10am. 
2. 3rd and 4th Grade squad members: Centre wicket session at St Andrew's Oval from 9.30am
3. Everyone else: Indoor Net Session at Martin Lambert Indoor Nets from 8am - 9.30am

If you are unsure of where you should be, please contact the most relevant skipper:

1. Nick Larkin - 0400 389 246
2. Dave Miller - 0412 428 133
3. Ash Cowan - 0418 196 268
4. AJ Grant - 0439 391 985

Anyone attending the Indoor Net Session may also be invited to participate in the centre wicket sessions.

We look forward to seeing you all there.

Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals: Round 2

After a disappointing showing in Round 1 against Team Bangladesh (LABS), it appears that our inside man has gone underground.

Having lost the toss, Team Australia (University of Sydney) were sent in and in immediately trouble losing opener Charles Litchfield in the first over. 

Skipper Ben Trevor-Jones and hard-hitting all-rounder Dugald Holloway found the scoring tough going as they pushed the score along to 36 runs at a crawl of 4 runs an over, before Holloway fell for 10.

Trevor-Jones fell soon after, and with the pressure now on new batsmen to up the tempo, no other Team Australia batsman reached double figures, eventually being bowled out for a disappointing 74 runs from 18.1 overs in the international debut.

Team Bangladesh cruised to victory in a canter, passing the total with all 10-wickets in hand.

Looking for redemption in today's match, Team Australia will be taking on the powerful two-time reigning champion, Team South Africa (Uni of Pretoria) in their Round 2 match.

Team South Africa came off a resounding win against last year's final opponent, Team England (Loughborough Uni) in which they scored 199 from their allotted 20 overs and won by 54 runs.

The team for Australia is: Trevor-Jones, Litchfield, D Holloway, N Craze, T Galvin, H Kerr, J Holloway, J Kershaw, J Remond, K Elley, B Frost.

At time of writing, Team SA are currently 2-59 from 8 overs.

To see the Live Scores, visit www.batsman.com 

Weekend Wrap-up: Tours, Tours, Tours!

The 2016-17 NSW Premier Cricket season is still three weekends away, but Sydney Uni cricketers have been amongst the action in tour matches over the weekend.

Our squad landed in Sri Lanka and are preparing to launch an assault on the Red Bull World Campus Games tournament over the next few days.

Whilst the squad of mostly EAP/TAP student athletes are about to compete in Sri Lanka, our 1st Grade squad were tackling the best that Australia's University Clubs could throw at us in a vital pre-season opportunity.

The squad led by Nick Larkin contested the Australian Uni's Limited Overs Challenge against hosts University of Queensland, Melbourne University and Adelaide University in 50-over matches at UQ in Brisbane over the weekend.

Starting with a win over Adelaide Uni on Friday, followed by a narrow loss in the penultimate over against Melbourne Uni on Saturday and a comprehensive victory over favourites Uni of Queensland on Sunday.

The tournament was a crucial chance for the freshers at the Club to stake their claims for Round 1 berths with the likes of Devlin Malone, Tom Rogers and Damien Mortimer all standing out over the tournament.

Malone and his unpickable wrong'un was a standout with the ball claiming 4 wickets against Adelaide Uni and a magical 4 wickets against Uni of Queensland, including a hat-trick.

Mortimer also demonstrated his class with scores of 29, 88 not out and 35 runs across the weekend.

Rogers was also a heavy contributor with both bat and ball, claiming 3 wickets against Uni of Qld and hitting 35 runs against Melbourne Uni.

Familiar faces, Liam Robertson and Dave Miller were also among the runs for Sydney Uni. Robertson hitting a top-score of 40 not out against Adelaide Uni, together with 25 runs against Uni of Queensland. Miller hitting 27 runs and 28 not out across the weekend.

Unfortunately, the close loss to Melbourne Uni saw our southern counterparts wrestle the title from us in 2016 after Sydney Uni claimed the inaugural title in 2015.

Scores:

Sydney Uni vs Adelaide Uni (Friday)
SU 176 (Robertson 40no, Mortimer 29, Miller 27, Crowley 22) def AU 158 (Malone 4 wickets, Ley 2 wickets)

Sydney Uni vs Melbourne Uni (Saturday)
SU 7-186 from 40 overs (Mortimer 88no, Rogers 35) def by MU 6-187 from 39 overs

Sydney Uni vs Uni of Queensland (Sunday)
SU 6-136 (Mortimer 35, Miller 28no, Robertson 25) def UQ 134 (Malone 4 wickets incl. hattrick, Rogers 3 wickets)