A fired up Bernard and Done on debut

I’m loving the stories on Cricket Sydney, especially the older ones. 

I was fortunate as a cricketer growing up as my father Ron Briggs was a captain of Bankstown and played 15 first-class games for NSW from 1952 to 1955. He was so fortunate to be able to play with Keith Miller as captain and with the likes of Benaud, Davidson, Morris, Lindwall & Simpson and others.

I have many memories from the three clubs I played first grade with, Bankstown, Northern Districts and Gordon.

I remember batting with Mark Waugh at Bankstown on his first-grade debut, wonderful player. I scored 90 not out for Gordon against a strong Mosman side which contained a tearaway West Indian quick in Wayne Daniel.

However, my most cherished memory was my first grade for Northern District v St George at Waitara Oval. It was special for several reasons.

It was in around 1980 or ’81 and I’d just come off a tour to Pakistan with the Australian U/19’s. The St George side was as always very strong and included two NSW quicks Steve Bernard and Richard Done and future left-arm Test spinner Murray Bennett.

It was batting 5 and strode to the crease with not many on the board and to partner Ross Turner.

I got a not so favourable welcome from Bernard and Done, I think they call it verbal intimidation these days and although I enjoyed their remarks I thought the best course of action would be to say nothing. I survived the initiation and went on to score 70 or 80 not out.

As a kid growing up our family were staunch Canterbury Bankstown Rugby League supporters, they were known as the Berries back then.

As dad played cricket for Bankstown he’d take me to their games and I can remember vividly him taking me into their dressing rooms after the games and it was where he introduced me to my childhood hero, the Berries fullback Les Johns.

What made my first-grade cricket debut even more special some 10 years on, was St George’s middle-order left-hand batsman was none other than the great Canterbury Fullback Les Johns.

Les Johns was probably just as good as a cricketer as he was a rugby league player. It was a day to remember and I do fondly.

My Dad's NSW team against the touring England team in 1954