O’DOWD DECLARES ARTICLE 13 19TH DECEMBER, 2014 The Geelong cricket hierarchy have appointed 42 year old Brad Stacey as its Country Week coach for next season. The leg-break googly bowler played 8 first-class games for Victoria from 1995-97 with 117 runs and a best of 32 whilst collecting 16 wickets in a time that another leg-spin bloke called Shane Warne was dominating; hence his first-class career was stifled. He played in 3 Country Week Carnivals from 2003-2005 with 14 matches with 304 runs and a best of 83 with the bat against Murray Valley and his 21 wickets at a trim 19.3 included a best of 5/35 against Mornington Peninsula. Strangely in Country Week only on one occasion has a player from Geelong since 1930 achieved the double of 50 & 5 wickets in an innings in the same match – Stan Young with 51 & 6/38 against Dandenong-Berwick in 1952 but Brad Stacey is one of only 21 players to capture 3 wickets & make 30 runs in an innings with 48no & 3/40 against his favourite Mornington Peninsula in 2003. The Geelong born player enjoined a distinguished Premier Cricket career at Geelong Cricket debuting in the Clubs debut season as number 14 against Frankston Peninsula in 1993-94, his debut match a modest 2/30 and not required to bat. However his to-be 130 wickets included a brilliant 8/70, still the best figures at the club in 1st XI against Footscray in 1995-96. At Geelong Cricket Association level his 254 wickets @ 19.9 for Newtown & Chilwell and Bell Post Hill were accumulated between 1987 and 2011 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Josh Hazlewood’s spectacular 5/68 on Test debut at Brisbane this week joins a unique list of Australian bowlers to achieve the feat since Billy Midwinter claimed 5/78 against England in the inaugural Test at the MCG in 1877. I therefore reflect on the top 10 bowlers in GCA 1st XI players to claim 5 or more wickets on GCA 1st XI debut. WKTS BOWLER CLUB AGAINST SEASON 9/39 K.Nicholson N & C Ford Motor Co. 1941-42 8/27 A.McGlynn *1 Belmont Corio (PreWW1) 1902-03 8/38 M.Beacom *2 South Barwon Chanel College 1970-71 8/43 W.Griffen N & C St.Josephs 1964-65 8/61 G.Andrews *3 N & C Corio (Nth.Glg) 1963-64 8/61 P.Smith East-Belmont Grovedale 1988-89 7/31 J.Fisher *1 Capulets Yarra St.Wesleyans 1896-97 7/33 A.Connolly *5 South Barwon GWC&FC 1956-57 7/45 T.Jaensch North Shore Leopold 1970-71 7/57 T.Smith Geelong City Thomson 1977-78 *1 – McGlynn achieved the feat in Belmonts debut match. So did J.Fisher for Capulets. *2 – Beacom’s 8 wickets included 6 batsmen “clean bowled” *3 Gareth Andrews, the to-be VFL (AFL) star centre half forward for Geelong Football Club played just 9 matches for Newtown & Chilwell. *5 – Test cricketer to-be A.Connolly’s wickets included a hat-trick. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ON THIS ROUND – 25 YEARS AGO – DECEMBER 1989 Leopold chose Geelong Footballer, Spior Malekellis for his first match (to play just 5 matches with 20 runs but 10 wickets) but promising Geelong Footballer Bill Brownless hit a sparkling 134 for Geelong City. ON THIS ROUND- 10 YEARS AGO – DECEMBER 2004 Leopold in tatters at 7/7 welcomed Guy Ridgeway at number 9, the veteran hitting 89, Mathew Wright on debut adding support with 35. North Geelong, devoid of winning points since round one were the victors over St. Josephs 6/149 to 113. New all-time record wicketkeeper Peter Kenyon celebrated the moment with his second 5 dismissals in the last two first innings matches, a confident and to-be season’s best 32no. DID YOU KNOW? The Centenary Test played in 1977 between Australia and England at the MCG saw Australia win by 45 runs, precisely matching the 45 run win by Australia all those years ago in 1877. The truly sad death of Phillip Hughes as Test Number 408 was equalled eerily in total by India in its first innings this week with 408. No GCA score has registered 408. The closest were 409 by Corio (Pre WW1) in 1900-01 when both opening batsmen in H.J.DeLitttle (135) and Frank Fairburn (148) both retired whilst Leopold registered 8/407 in 1964-65. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX This column as with our cricketers will take a mid-season break so best wishes to all for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 22:49:47 +0000
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