ISSUE 26 / APR 2014 GO THE SHIELD RETURNS INSIDE Stephen O’Keefe Sarah Aley Ryan Carters Jake Doran Build the perfect partnership. We are proud to be the offi cial Chartered Accountants and Advisors of the NSW Blues and Offi cial Events Partner of Cricket NSW. Call us on 02 9221 2099 email [email protected] or visit www.pitcher.com.au for more information Melbourne | Sydney | Adelaide | Perth | Brisbane | Newcastle Pitcher Partners is an association of independent fi rms. An independent member of Baker Tilly International. GO BLUES APRIL 2014 3 CONTENTS 05 FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE 06 THE SHIELD RETURNS Blues celebrate the Sheffield Shield’s return to NSW 09 THE STEVE WAUGH MEDAL DINNER All the winners from Cricket NSW’s night of nights! 10 UNDER-RATED Stephen O’Keefe was the leading wicket taker in the Sheffield Shield, and deserves higher honours 12 ALEY RETURNS TO THE TOP After a summer on the sideline, Sarah Aley has shown some of her best form for the Lend Lease Breakers 15 NSW BLUES LIFT OUT POSTER Get your poster of the 2013/14 Bupa Sheffield Shield Champions! 19 THE 100 CLUB Cricket NSW celebrates the men and women who have played 100 First Class and WNCL matches for the State 21 CLEAR MIND KEY FOR CARTERS Getting back to nature means getting runs in the middle 24 ALL EYES ON DORAN This teenage wonderkid seems destined for bigger things 29 DREAMS BECOME A REALITY The Adamstown Rosebuds lived the dream of playing the NSW Blues on the SCG thanks to Transport for NSW’s Plan B Game Changer Award Published for Cricket NSW by Proactive Graphics ISSUE 26 / APR 2014 GO Editor: THE Sudesh Arudpragasam SHIELD RETURNS Contributors: David Townsend Andrew Jones Nathan Ross Photography: INSIDE Getty Images Cricket NSW Level Two 645 Harris Street Stephen O’Keefe Delly Carr/Sports Shoot PO Box 333 Paddington NSW 2021 Ultimo Sydney Australia 2007 Sarah Aley Ryan Carters Steve Christo/Sports Shoot Ph: + 61 2 8302 6000 Tel: + 612 9211 0775 Jake Doran Jon Attenborough www.cricketnsw.com.au Fax: + 612 9211 0780 CAMRY CALLING ALL THE HEROES Toyota celebrates the unsung heroes, like all of tape can miraculously fi x anything and the humble you dads (and more than a few handy mums too!). butter knife becomes a screwdriver. You’re a true Under your watch no taps drip, no doors squeak hero, so why not go for the vehicle of choice for and when a light bulb goes, it’s changed in an great men and women like you. Take time out of instant – give or take a day. In your hands duct your hero schedule to see us today. toyota.com.au/camry TY 6728 FPC SES Mag 210x297 v1.indd 1 3/26/14 10:25 AM 5 FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE The past six months have been very successful for NSW and Australian cricket. Cricket NSW is delighted to have Leah Poulton is one of the senior Alex Blackwell, Ellyse Perry, Alyssa both the Bupa Sheffield Shield and members of the Lend Lease Breakers Healy, Erin Osborne and Sarah Coyte Ruth Preddey Trophy on display at our squad. This was her fourth Belinda Clark were part of the Women’s Ashes, with headquarters following outstanding Medal which reflects her value to the Ellyse Perry winning the Peden-Archer summers from the NSW Blues and team over many years. This season she Medal as Player of the Series. Those Lend Lease Breakers. was the Breakers’ leading run scorer in five players also played key roles in the the WNCL, while also finishing second Southern Stars’ third consecutive World This was the NSW Blues’ first Sheffield in the team’s WT20 runs tally and T20 title. Shield win since 2007/08. The team playing a key innings in the WNCL Final. played some wonderful cricket to finish Cricket NSW has always received on top of the ladder with Stephen I would also like to congratulate Sharon tremendous support from our corporate O’Keefe, Doug Bollinger, Steve Smith Millanta who retired at the end of the partners. In addition to celebrating and Ryan Carters amongst the best- WNCL Final after more than 10 years as the 12th year of our partnership with performed players in the competition. part of the NSW squad. She played over Transport for NSW and the NSW 100 matches across both the WNCL Government, we welcomed iiNet and It was the perfect way to end a terrific and WT20 and was part of six WNCL Nestle Purina Ruffs as sponsors of summer in which the Blues also finished premiership-winning teams, as well as the Sydney Sixers, while University of runners-up in the RYOBI One Day Cup, the Breakers’ maiden WT20 crown in Canberra joined Webjet as a sponsor of and I congratulate Trevor Bayliss and his 2012/13. the Thunder. We are also delighted to players and staff on a fine campaign. have CUB and Rebel as new sponsors The KFC T20 Big Bash League has The Lend Lease Breakers won their of Cricket NSW. grown significantly since the move to ninth straight WNCL title and their 16th free-to-air television at the start of this Thank you to all of our commercial in 18 seasons. There are few, if any, season. The competition as a whole partners and suppliers for your teams in Australian domestic sport that has experienced record ratings while commitment to Cricket NSW. Your can boast such a fine record and the the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder generosity goes a long way to helping fact that the Breakers have been able both witnessed massive growth in their us deliver our programs from the elite to push themselves to greater heights home crowds. level right through to the grass roots of each summer is a credit to them and the game. their support staff over the years. Cricket NSW was pleased with the progress of our teams on the field. Thank you also to all of the volunteers, In a season where there were so The Sixers finished second after the administrators, coaches and players many wonderful individual efforts, preliminary rounds but unfortunately they who have helped foster and develop I congratulate Sean Abbott and Leah narrowly missed a place in the Final. the game all over the State. Your Poulton on winning the Steve Waugh contribution to cricket is greatly valued Medal and Belinda Clark Medal The Sydney Thunder won only one game by both Cricket NSW and Cricket respectively. in BBL03. However, under the guidance Australia and we hope that you are able of coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and 2013/14 was a breakthrough season for to stay involved for many more seasons senior players like Mike Hussey and Dirk Sean in which he was the leading wicket to come. Nannes, they were a significantly more taker in the RYOBI One Day Cup and competitive outfit. We expect they will There is little time to rest on our laurels NSW’s third leading bowler in the Bupa improve again next year. and Cricket NSW has already started Sheffield Shield. He is a product of the planning for the 2014/15 season, which NSW pathway system and it would be On the International scene, Cricket NSW includes our defence of the WNCL and an immensely satisfying feeling for both enjoyed the strongest representation Bupa Sheffield Shield, plus a Test series himself, and those who have coached of any State in both the men’s and against India and of course, the 2015 him over the years, to see him deliver women’s National teams. ICC Cricket World Cup. on his potential. It also makes me feel We were thrilled to witness the better about getting a pair against Sean contributions of Michael Clarke, Brad in a Grade game when he was 15! Haddin, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Andrew Jones David Warner and Shane Watson in Chief Executive Australia’s Test series victories over England and South Africa. THE SHIELD RETURNS BY SUDESH ARUDPRAGASAM. PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES 7 You could feel the pride from the former “Blue Baggers” as they filed past the Sheffield Shield on their way into the Steve Waugh Medal Dinner. The likes of Brian Booth, Geoff “We said before the match that Lawson, Mike Whitney, Steve the first innings was going to Waugh and Alan Davidson had all be crucial and to get 447 in the experienced the thrill of winning first innings, well it is going to be First Class titles with NSW tough to lose from there,” said during their careers, and the NSW captain Steve Smith. smiles on their faces at seeing “Credit to Moises for the way he Lord Sheffield’s famous trophy played. We were in a little bit of back in Sydney said it all. strife there and for him to put on 2013/14 will be remembered some very handy partnerships as the 46th time NSW had won with the tail, and the way that the Sheffield Shield. It had been they played, it was incredible as six years since the last crown well. 447 was perfect and really and this was a moment to be set the game up for us.” savoured. Josh Hazlewood then blasted out The Player of the Final, Moises Western Australia’s top four with Henriques, summed up the three wickets and a direct hit run mood of the players perfectly. out, leaving them 4-15 at the end of day two. “Absolutely thrilled! We’ve been training not just this season, but Hazlewood went on to collect for a lot of seasons, to win the career best figures of 6-50, Sheffield Shield.