Scoresheet NEWSLETTER of the AUSTRALIAN CRICKET SOCIETY INC
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scoresheet NEWSLETTER OF THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET SOCIETY INC. www.australiancricketsociety.com.au Volume 42 / Number 1 / SUMMER 2020 Patron: Ricky Ponting AO A SUMMER TO SAVOUR he opening overs of the soon-to-start Border-Gavaskar series in Adelaide cannot come soon enough for all of us who love Test cricket. T Tim Paine’s Australians face a monumental summer to wrest the Trophy from the world No.1, even without Virat Kohli for the bulk of the red-ball summer. Will Australia qualify for the World Championship Test play-off at Lord’s next year? Can Marnus Labuschagne continue his extraordinary form? Will local boy Will Pucovski open up alongside David Warner? The complications triggered by the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic have had far- reaching consequences for sports of all sorts, particularly Australia’s Test team specialists like Paine going six months without playing a meaningful match. Administrators were forced to tinker with itineraries and spend millions on interstate isolation hubs with Melbourne in the lengthiest of lockdowns. Barring no further interruptions and health scares, Australia’s itinerary into the new year is typically busy with white and red-ball matches planned against multi opponents including India, New Zealand and South Africa before the planned World Test Championship final scheduled next June. The Aussies needed to at least draw the four-Test home series to maintain their hopes of making the final, the form and availability of its much-vaunted fast bowling arsenal a pivotal factor. But for poor weather in Sydney, India could easily have won three of its four Tests downunder two summers back and it is just as strong, particularly with the return after injury of its No.1 strike bowler Jasprith Bumrah, who averages a wicket every 45 balls, an enviable strike-rate the equal of fellow sub-continental greats Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram. The appearance for the first time in Tests on Australian soil of the young recordbreaker Prithvi Shaw will create enormous interest, given his teen feats. He was injured at the tour start in 2018-19 and was unable to play any of the big matches. Kohli, as always, will be India’s batting cornerstone… even if it is only in Adelaide. Watching Kohli bat is one of life’s great privileges. He is the most outstanding batsman from the sub-continent since Sachin Tendulkar and for many, even more attractive. Bumrah – if fully fit – is likely to be as menacing as Pat Cummins, Australia’s Test vice-captain and No.1 2020-21 ITINERARY AUSTRALIA V INDIA strike bowler. Dec 17-21 First Test, Adelaide May it be a great summer. Aint it great we’re Dec 26-30 Second Test, MCG playing! January 7-11 Third Test, SCG VIRAT KOHLI: Is leaving the tour early to be with Jan 15-19 Fourth Test, Brisbane his pregnant wife. OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS PERSONALIZED LEGENDS CABS & 1300 139 740 HEROES INSURANCE BROKERS Editor: Ken Piesse Phone (03) 9787 8023 E: [email protected] W: Cricketbooks.com.au Mail: PO Box 868, Mt Eliza, 3930, Vic The President’s Piesse umpire, I said, ‘Chop, can you tell that young Tours in planning lady to move back to where she was?’ Looking back at the slips, I said, ‘It’s my Mum. She wants to see if there’s any early swing!’ Remembering Blair Few could take on John Snow and win – but Blair Campbell did it one memorable summer’s afternoon at Prahran’s Toorak Park when he flicked the English express for two 6s into Orrong Road. Blair is just as famed for taking a shower in between overs one very hot day, also at home. NEW ZEALAND 2016: ACS tour hosts Ken and Susan Piesse at the Basin Reserve, Wellington ustralian Cricket Society members My first bat and friends looking to watch some ATest cricket overseas are asked to Among a lifetime’s collecting, in a corner in register their interest in two upcoming tours my outer library is an old gnarled bat, deep which we are organising in conjunction with brown from years of linseed oil. It was last our official travel partners Events Travel. used 50 years back. In mid-year 2022 we are heading to Sri During Lanka for two Tests and from July 2023, it’s lockdown we Ashes time again as we head to Lord’s, the were doing some home of the game, for two more Tests. tidying and it was suggested that To register your interest in one or both of most of my the tours, please just send me an email... to material should [email protected] be subject to a Test tickets are guaranteed with our group. giant skip. Luckily There are no ballots. If you want to attend she-who-must- BLAIR: Played League football and Sheffield the cricket, you can. Our fully hosted tours be-obeyed had a Shield cricket with two states. are truly memorable. And are well priced. smile on her face. My wife Susan and I have been hosting The old bat could Positioning himself at third man, directly them since 1999. This will be our seventh stay, for now. in front of the rooms, he watched the first time to Lord’s. We guarantee you a good time. Harrow-sized couple of uneventful balls before dashing and now without up the race and standing under the cold tap Our Bendigo Bank ACS any rubber on the handle, it was an English and dashing back again, just in time to begin Cricket Academy willow ‘Marathon’ bat. another over! With it I was fortunate enough to score a As a Victorian player, rather than We are thrilled to welcome Bendigo Bank semi-final 50 and a 65 not out in the final as watching from the player’s rooms, he’d Doncaster East and Templestowe as our Beaumaris Under 16s won the Federal hurdle a couple of fences and sit with the our prime sponsors of the Bendigo Bank League title from Mentone that summer. young mates he’d bought tickets for. Australian Cricket Academy. My Mum was there. Now 96, she still Few were as well travelled and he finished Trials are soon to start with the easing of talks about that game. ‘Remember when you his career in Gippsland where he was part of lockdown restrictions. Our central coach carried your bat?’ she’ll ask. the Sale-Maffra Team of the Century, having is Keith Jansz, one of the best and most been pivotal in six ‘A’ grade premierships: passionate coaches in Melbourne. She’d come and see me play as often as she could, even years later when I was in my four with Sale CC and two with Collegians. We ask our membership, particularly 50s and playing in the subbies at Kingston. Amazingly, despite starting his SMCA in the east, to consider the Bank as a Our home ground was St Bedes and she’d career in his 40s, he finished with more than viable alternative to your current banking often make it for the first ball. We won the 600 first grade wickets at a touch over 11 arrangements. toss one day and I was opening up. Just runs per wicket. He had the left-arm wrist We have always loved the Bendigo Bank as the opening bowler was coming in, she spinner’s classic wrong-un and loved to for its expert service with a smile. Nothing is moved from her vantage spot at mid-off deceive. He was still playing in the seconds too difficult for them. directly behind the bowler’s arm. at the age of 56. Our thanks to all and please everyone, do Luckily it was wide of the off peg. Calling Blair had a heart of gold. We all loved him support the sponsors who support us. down the wicket to ‘Chopper’, our club dearly. – extra research Liam Durkin 2 / scoresheet Volume 42 / Number 1 / SUMMER 2020 3 Recent Activities & Events ZOOMING LUNCHING WITH THE STARS into spring Our spring-time Zoom sessions September 11 Steve Waugh ur series of springtime September 18 Rachael Haynes & OZoom sessions Annabel Sutherland kept ACS members and September 25 Craig Dodson friends active throughout October 2 Martin Rogers September and October. October 9 Ashley Mallett While Covid-19 concerns October 16 Wes Cusworth made it impossible for October 22 Marcus Harris & us to meet in person, Sam Harper those who ‘attended’ the webinars declared them an October 30 Dan Liebke outstanding success, with an average of 30-35 joining us for each of the hourly HASTINGS sessions. Steve Waugh agreed ON THE MENU to his first e-launch of his In early December at the Leonda, one remarkable new book The Test ‘wonder’ John Hastings was due to Spirit of Cricket India on be our guest of honour at our first ‘live’ the very day that the book luncheon since March. arrived in Sydney. Many if you would have seen the ABC documentary which starred Steve as he visited seven Indian capital cities in less than three weeks. The footage with Sachin Tendulkar was fabulous. Steve regards his new book (limited to 3000 hardbacks) as his greatest publishing achievement, so far. His book is chockful of beautiful photographs PRIZED COPY: Steve Waugh signed and inscribed a copy of his which capture the very new book to ACS president, friend and fellow author Ken Piesse essence of India’s love John had an outstanding career, affair with the game. especially at white-ball levels before retiring early to run a gymnasium and ‘Always 100 per cent,’ he signed to those pursue other business interests.