Annual Report, 1963-64 skipper, Bert Numa, 44 and Richie Brennan, 29, enabled Carlton to make the respectable total of 204 against Hawthorn-East Melbourne. The visitors could only manage 110 runs against some excellent slow, leg-spin bowling by young Peter Shergold who took 5/17 off 13 overs, To the Members, and good medium-pace left-hand bowling by Norm Kilkenny who took 5/33. Carlton has thus Gentlemen, gained its first match points after six weeks of striving. The President and Committee have very much pleasure in presenting this Centenary Year This was followed by another win against South Melbourne in the Cup Day fixture. This Annual Report and Balance Sheet and in doing so we would like to thank all members for your was due mainly to a brilliant batting display by Blair Hillhouse who took the bowling apart in loyal support during the season, one that is such an important milestone in the history of scoring 116 runs in 141 minutes (ten 4’s). Richie Brennan gave good support with his 54 whilst Carlton. Brian Harvey, 43, helped the side to reach the excellent total of 5 for 229 before the innings was During this 1963-64 season and under the captaincy of, firstly Richie Benaud, and then compulsorily closed. Our bowlers topped off this fine batting effort by keeping South Bob Simpson, Australia was host to a very much improved South African team and the Test Melbourne down to 6 for 154 which was scored in the same number of overs as Carlton. series proved to be a most interesting one with the home team having to fight every inch of the St. Kilda were sent in to bat in the next match which was a one-day game played at way to retain its cricket supremacy. Perhaps the most significant features from an Australian Carlton. They were dismissed for 114 runs due to some excellent bowling by Bert Numa who point of view was the “brittleness” of the batting and the inability to adequately fill the gaps left exploited the conditions to great advantage in taking 5/21. An opening partnership of 42 by the retirement of Alan Davidson, Ken Mackay and Ian Meckiff. With players Ian Redpath, between Richie Brennan and Gary Schickerling was very heartening but the next nine batsmen Jack Potter and Bob Cowper in the batting, and Graham Corling and Neil Hawke in the bowling could only manage 54 runs between them and an excellent chance of gaining another 6 points doing well at the present time in the early stages of the English Tour, perhaps these deficiencies was lost and it was said at the time that this could mean the difference between getting onto the will be overcome and Australia will once again emerge as a major force in the field of “four” or missing out. International cricket. The highlight of our batting in the next game against North Melbourne was Ray Jordan’s In the Sheffield Shield competition it was South Australia that caused the major upset of 74 and the welcome return to form of opener Gary Schickerling who made 59. Blair Hillhouse the season by winning the Shield from Victoria. This success was due largely to the great with 27 runs was the only other double-figure scorer and the 9 for 191 proved to be inadequate efforts of Gary Sobers who continues to play such devastating cricket in all phases of the game. against the slow but steady batting of the opposition. Norm Kilkenny bowled 18 overs in his Congratulations to South Australia for its first win in 11 years. 2/38 and Peter Shergold took 2/37 off 12 overs. Another surprise of the season was the success of the young Essendon side in the District The next match was at the Albert Ground against Melbourne and it proved to be a very competition. In winning its first premiership the club is to be congratulated by a cricket happy hunting ground for our batsmen. In scoring 5 for 325, our best total for many years, all followers for the way that the successful team played cricket throughout the season. In winning six batsmen did well. The outstanding feature of the innings being the openeing partnership of the Club Championship, Melbourne fully deserved the distinction because of the consistent play 126 between Richie Brennan, 66, and Gary Schickerling, 63. Newcomer to the side, John of its three elevens. Bulter, immediately proved his value with the bat in making 55 runs and with the ball in taking It is disappointing to have to report that in our Centenary Year not one of our five elevens 4/20 when wickets were really needed. When Richie Robinson took the catch behind the was successful in winning a premiership. The First Eleven just missed out on being in the final wickets off Peter Howell to dismiss the last Melbourne batsman at five minutes to six our four, being beaten by Essendon in the last match, whilst the Third Eleven was defeated in the supporters were very relieved; this was the best win so far this season and the players were semi-final and out Fourth Eleven made a very close fight of the final. From these results it can confident of further success. be seen that the Club is very rich in young cricketing talent and when some of these players Carlton was the venue of another fine batting performance by the team. This time it was develop, as they undoubtedly will, the future of the Club is assured. against Prahran who have, in the past, been a very difficult team to beat. Skipper Bert Numa FIRST ELEVEN with 136 not out scored in 209 minutes (thirteen 4’s) was the main architect for the score of 6 for 268. After Richie Brennan, 30, and Gary Schickerling, 35, had given the side a good start, The first match was played at Carlton against Footscray who won the toss and batted all Bert took to the bowling in an innings reminiscent of earlier days. The bowlers did their part by the first day, our most successful bowlers being Bernie Smith, 4/55, and Norm Kilkenny, 3/54. dismissing Prahran for 171, Norm Kilkenny, 4/20, Bernie Smith 2/23, and Peter Howell each Play on the second day was delayed until 3.30 p.m. and, after losing 5 for 72, Bert Numa, 43, playing his part in the win. and Barney Jones, 34, Managed to keep the Footscray bowlers out and the match ended in a very interesting draw. It was a confident Carlton team that went to Richmond and dismissed the home side for 178. Barney Jones, with an excellent 6/41, showing a welcome return to bowling form at this In the game at University, Carlton were dismissed for a poor 146, Ray Jordan being the vital stage of the season. Richie Brennan, 62, John Butler, 52 not out, and Peter Shergold with a only batsman to offer any resistance to some steady bowling, with a very well compiled 64. The very valuable 22 in a tense finish all helped to win the match that put us into the “four”. second day was a typical October cricket day, the game was washed out and the result was a draw. Our bowlers continued the good work in the match against Collingwood which was a tryout of a one-day fixture starting at 10 o’clock. The ever-consistent Norm Kilkenny, 3/45, A brilliant batting effort by Barney Jones, 84 (ten 4’s and a six), backed up by the reliable Bernie Smith, 3/21, and Barney Jones, 2/26, each playing his part in keeping the total down to a very respectable one. John Butler, 66, Barney Jones, 49, Bert Numa, 51, and Richie Brennan, to help win something for the Club in this important year. Had the luck of the toss gone the 26, all helped to pave the way to a very easy win. other way in the last match perhaps things would have been different but this is only conjecture Once again Fitzroy proved to be our stumbling block in a vital game at Fitzroy where our and is only one of the many ”ifs” that could be asked during the season. batsmen, with the exception of Barney Jones, 38, did not live up to the form that they had Our bowling this season did not have the penetration of previous years and it is a matter of shown in the previous games. Our score of 120 was easily passed by Fitzroy and it was debate just how much effect the new rule had on the bowlers. The scorebook shows a total of certainly not enough for our bowlers to operate on. The 44 from Blair Hillhouse and 41 from 60 no balls that were not scored from, which shows the direct effect of the new rule on our Ray Jordan in the second innings was little consolation to the supporters. bowlers. The next match, which was against Northcote, was approached with determination by In the past years the team has been relying on skipper Bert Numa to pave the way for good every player with the result that the bowlers performed very well to dismiss the visitors for a totals and this year was no exception, and although Bert’s batting is solid now rather than meagre 124 runs. Barney Jones with 4/38 being the most successful bowler, while Norm brilliant he still knows how to make runs as shown with his 136 not out against Prahran, his Kilkenny, 2/24, and Bernie Smith, 2/18, gave him excellent support.