I moved from Lismore to Sydney with my older brother Brian in 1980 where we both joined the Balmain District Cricket Club. My 1st Grade debut for Balmain was the opening game of that season against Manly Warringah at Graham Reserve Manly, I was 19 years old.
Two years later we both moved from Balmain to the North Sydney District Cricket Club for the 1982/83 season. My final game in 1st Grade for North Sydney was in the 1995/96 season. Below (in batting order) is my selection of the best combined 1st Grade X1 that I, as a modest player, was fortunate enough to play with during that period:-
1) Scott Hookey (North Sydney) - simply the most devastating batsman I played with. The "Hookey Monster" batted the way he lived his life. A giant of a man who took no prisoners. Two particular innings I'll never forget for their sheer brutality 1) He was unbeaten on 147 at lunch against Manly in 1994/95 season and 20 minutes after lunch he was brilliantly caught for 188, he would have made 400 that day! 2) A week later he was dismissed in the 37th over for 200 in a 50 over 1st Grade match against Fairfield at Rosedale Oval. Enough said.
2) Wayne Seabrook (Balmain) a brilliant attacking batsman with an excellent technique. Seabs hit the ball as hard as anyone and was an excellent player in the 1980s. He subsequently opened the batting for NSW which included a phenomenal 165 against Victoria at the MCG in his Sheffield Shield debut in the 1984/85 season.
3) Bill Athey (Balmain) - Bill played with Balmain in the 1980/81 season (having just a few months earlier made his Test Debut for England in the 1980 Lords Centenary Test vs Australia). He was a beautiful technician and wonderful stroke player. He played a few memorable innings that year before his season was cut short after being jettisoned to the West Indies as a Test replacement for England in their Test Series against the powerhouse West Indies juggernaut of that era.
4) Greg Geise (Balmain) - Geisey arrived at Balmain from Newcastle in the 1980/81 season. He had one season at Balmain before moving to the Waverley Club where he had a distinguished career. He was a devastating stroke player and brilliant fielder with a bullet arm. One hell of a player was Greg Geise.
5) Phil Marks (North Sydney) - Skid was the best 1st Grade batsman I played with. An extremely tough character and incredibly consistent big run scorer. His 2nd innings century against Bankstown on the 3rd day of the 1994/95 Grand Final was a magnificent innings. He also possessed the biggest and safest pair of mitts in the game. In his earlier days Skid was also a lively fast medium bowler good enough to open the bowling for NSW on occasions.
6) Graham Spring (North Sydney) - Springy at his peak was a pure allrounder. At the age of 21 he was selected for the NSW Sheffield Shield side to open the bowling and bat at number 5. His batting was all class, his fast medium bowling was top drawer (very similar to Stuart Clark) and his slip catching was second to none. Graham Spring was a brilliant cricketer.
7) Trevor Chappell (CAPTAIN - North Sydney) - TC was an outstanding genuine allrounder. Tough as nails top order batsman with exceptional technique, excellent medium pace bowler and brilliant fielder. TC was an uncompromising player from a bygone era. He always led from the front and never ever took the soft option.
8) Nigel Taylor (Wicket Keeper - North Sydney) - Nigel was an excellent wicketkeeper and top drawer batsman with the temperament of an elite performer. I have no doubt he had as much ability as Ian Healy. If given the opportunity, I believe Nigel Taylor would not have been out of place at the highest level. I cannot believe he did not even get the opportunity to play one game for NSW.
9) Michael Gerits (North Sydney) – Micky was an exceptionally talented tall quick bowler, elegant top order batsman and superb fielder who performed excellently for the Bears in the mid to late 1990s. He was that good a cricketer I just couldn’t leave him out.
10) Warwick Adlam (North Sydney) - Wick was a high class fast medium bowler who led the Bears attack for a number of years in the 1990's. He hit the pitch and bat hard. He was an excellent performer who also hit the ball as hard and long as anyone.
11) Roland Shelton (North Sydney) - Ro was a quality right arm wrist spinner. My first season at the Bears was Ro's last. I witnessed enough to select him as the best spinner I played with and he was also a talented aggressive batsman.
12) Vernon Kringas (North Sydney) - It hurts me to not be able to select Vern ...he was a fantastic opening batsman. Talented, gutsy with a tremendous cricket brain. One of the best infielders you could wish to see, lightning fast with long arms like a chimpanzee.
*** Craig Williams (North Sydney) - Manager - The "Jer" was an incredibly passionate Bears man. From his "office" at Percy's Bar to his duties at the Bears Den.
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