That winning feeling – Geoff Sullivan

By Geoff Sullivan

AW Green Shield success led to my selection in the NSW U/17 team. I was very honoured to play twice, even more in the second year when made captain. In the first year I was the young one, the ‘newbie’ on the block, given the job of short leg—under the lid and in the firing line!—and batting at Nos. 7 or 8, and bowling the odd over. It was an awesome experience, kitted up with Blues gear, boarding the plane to Brisbane, staying together as a team at a local University. There was time to socialize with the other teams and check out the whispers about ‘the guns’—already Andrew Symonds was larger than life in presence and stature. Plenty was said about a young’un from the Apple Isle, a certain Ricky Ponting. As well as Symonds, Queensland had Jimmy Maher and Victoria a young Brad Hodge. 

Andrew Symonds

The games were two days, 100 overs each day, intense and long, and you felt like you were playing similar cricket to what you watched on Channel Nine each summer. The idea of playing three sessions each day with a lunch and tea break was new and exciting. I think we came up against Queensland in the Semi and won. Yours truly chimed in with a catch at short leg position to dismiss Jimmy Maher, just getting going. In the Final, we batted first against Victoria after a rain delay, and ended the day half out for 180. I found myself at the crease very early Day two. Our total wasn’t looking overly competitive but in an hour I was able quickly to rustle up 48 runs and share a couple of handy lower-order partnerships. We reached 253, a much more competitive total and it felt like the whole momentum of the game had switched. I remember our dressing room was buzzing when we came in at the end of the innings and at last I really felt like I had made a significant contribution. 

The momentum stuck with us as we went out to bowl. We grabbed some early wickets with the short leg from St Marys, snatching a catch to remove the prized wicket of Brad Hodge. We went on to bowl Victoria out for 134 and claim the National Title. What an experience! 

Brad Hodge

Next year, I captained in the National Championships in Canberra. My Penrith team mate Garry Sheen was in the side. Other faces were Matthew Nicholson and Corey Richards, who went on to play for NSW, and Danny Waugh. In the Final, we played the red hot, and undefeated, Western Australia at Manuka Oval. We made 8/274 with Corey Richards top scoring with 86. Our game plan was simple: starve the batsman of runs, build pressure and create wicket opportunities. 

Corey Richards

They meandered to 1/46 at lunch and then 3/145 at tea with 38 overs left to chase down our total. The last session was monumental. I sent down 11 overs for only 12 runs; we got their hot-shot Robbie Baker out for 79 but still needed to dismiss a canny left-hander, who was proving hard to budge and was accumulating runs. It got tight. We had them six-for and they needed about a run a ball for the last seven overs. We had a left-arm orthodox (Ashley Shoebridge) keeping things tight at one end. I was tempted to throw the ball to young Danny Waugh, another left-arm orthodox in the belief that would strangle the run rate more. I can still recall the mid-field discussion I had with Danny (ball in hand), and Corey. As Danny got ready to mark his run I changed my mind and threw the ball to our strike fast bowler Matthew Nicholson. 

Matthew Nicholson

It turned out a wise decision—the strangler and the striker bowled superbly together to quickly remove that stubborn left-hander (name of Simon Katich!) for 57 and then the remaining three wickets to leave Western Australia 17 runs short. I believe it was the closest finish in a National Final, and was certainly a lesson in bowling partnerships and grinding, patient cricket. Celebrations were on and I doubt there was a dry shirt in the sheds with all the celebratory drinks being sprayed around!