Reflections on a Brief History of the Old Cranbrookians Cricket Club
Alistair Harvey-Sutton (OC 1949)
1933 -2021
On the 30 September 1933, The Old Cranbrookians Cricket Club was officially established by the Old Cranbrookians’ Association, who had unanimously decided on its formation. They felt that it was time for the OCA to provide club cricket for their members. They noted that Neville Stacy and Richard Parker, both Grade cricketers and Old Cranbrookians, were prepared to build an Old Boys team for the Association.
The only match arranged that season of 1933/4 was lost but the side defeated the School in the annual O C A match on Hordern Oval in the February which led to a decision to enter the City and Suburban Association to play regular cricket. Two clubs sponsored this move, I Zingari and University Veterans and a full fixture list in the City and Suburban competition was arranged for 1934/5.
The club’s success in its first season was only fair but a strong group of regular players took shape under the captaincy of Neville Stacy who was a powerful opening batsman who made 738 runs that season. He was supported by good batting by Bruce Cutler who made the first Club century, Jim Stevenson, Dick Parker and Ian Mclaurin, John Weston, Jim Stevenson, Bruce Walker, and Norm Calvert led the bowling attack. Mclaurin and Cutler joined in a record opening stand of 189 which stood as a record till 1958.
Neville Stacy as President and Richard Parker as Secretary led an active committee who encouraged both the cricket and the Club’s the social life, such as the Annual Ball, held on 30 August 1935 with 180 guests in attendance.
The 1935/6 season was much more successful with twelve wins eleven losses and a draw against strong sides. 3433 runs were made in twenty-four matches and centuries were scored by Stacey, Cutler, and Clark. In this season the Club made its first country trip, on this occasion to Bathurst where two matches were played.
In the 1937/8 season the Club had the great advantage of the Headmaster, General Ivan Mackay, allowing the Club to rent a wicket at Dangar Playing Fields and using Dangar as its own home ground. This was of the greatest help to the Club.
In the last two seasons before the War, Barry Brooke and Ben Wall were the Secretaries The membership and the cricket were steady and the Club finished well before the number of enlistments of members after war was declared in September 1939, made it impracticable to continue.
It is sad that several members of the Club lost their lives during the war, including Jim Stevenson, John Weston, and Bruce Walker. They would surely be happy to see the Club in its established position and history today.
Post War – 1945- 1951
When the Pacific War ended in August 1945, the Club was naturally in a difficult position as the players had dispersed and no cricket had been played since 1940.
However, very soon Dr Dick Parker, Sid Croll, John Anderson, Ross Williams, and John Herman took steps to contact Cranbrook cricketers of the past and present, to form a Club team to play in the City and Suburban Competition, as it had pre-war. They arranged a fixture list for 1945/6 in the competition. Happily, a wicket at Dangar was again provided for the Club by the Headmaster, Mr. Brian Hone.
Mr. Hone, who had been Headmaster since 1940, had been appointed at a tough time for the school which had problems of student numbers and finance in war time conditions. Mr. Hone was a big man with quiet authority and was able to deal with the School’s problems and gained the confidence of the boys and parents. Within a year or so there was an increase in the school numbers despite the difficult conditions. I had been at school since 1938 in the Prep School, and well remember the school starting to win at cricket, athletics, and sport around 1942, as school numbers increased.
The Headmaster had played 1st Class Cricket for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield before the war and used the excellent school cricket facilities and wickets at Hordern Oval and Dangar Fields to improve the school batting and play. He had a skillful ground -man in George Eccles who made great cricket wickets and had made Hordern a truly first-class cricket oval. Mr. Hone also gave personal coaching to batters of promise which was of great advantage to them.
He was also able, because of the excellence of the Hordern wicket, to invite Test and Shield players there to play against the 1st Eleven and to practice in the nets as a means of coaching them and the school cricketers, with the best.
I still remember watching the great Keith Miller batting in the nets against the Test leg spinner Bruce Dooland who was able to turn the ball at speed. It was exciting to see Miller’s footwork and skill at playing this high-quality bowling. It was a great incentive for us to try to emulate Miller and Dooland.
The Headmaster also brought cricket into the School Prize Day in each school year by having after the prizes and speeches, the parents given afternoon tea to watch the last session of the 2-day match at Hordern Oval between the OCA and the School 1st X. This match was a great occasion for the Club and the School
The Headmaster in these ways encouraged the standing of cricket in the School so that the boys were attracted to play the game and represent the School.
Mr. Hone ended his tenure as Headmaster in December 1950 at the same time as I ended my 12 years at the School. He was a great Headmaster. He steadied Cranbrook in wartime and built it up in the post-war years. He incidentally nurtured in me and my generation a love of cricket.
The Club 1951-1972
As the fifties opened the wartime restrictions had been lifted and society and the School were able to return to peacetime life. In 1951 the School looked to modernize and renovate its teaching facilities to service its increasing student numbers. The new Headmaster Mr Gethyn Hewan oversaw the progress of this program.
The Club too organised itself in 1951 with the Headmaster as Patron, the President as Dr Parker, the Secretary as Ross Williams, the Captain as John Sweeney, and the Treasurer as John Parker. They improved the organization of the Club with a new constitution, a printed report for each season, and records for its finance activities and play. They also initiated the Annual Dinner for Club members which proved to be a great unifier.
As the fifties progressed the Club team became based on my generation of Old Cranbrookians. Among others, Alan Johnston, Eddie Bosch, Brian Bavin, Jack Buchanan, Tony Barr, Kirkby Wilkie- Smith, Jim Angus, David Newgrosh, Peter Vicars, Bob Fleming, Michael Corlette, John Corlis, and Neville Gentle, became regular players and Club stalwarts. They were all 1st and 2nd eleven players who enjoyed playing cricket and being part of the team. The Club had a wonderful team spirit in its cricket. I was a regular player and became Secretary in 1953 after the retirement of Ross Williams.
With this new team spirit, the Club had increasing success on the field. We were fortunate to have Brian Bavin playing regularly as he was an outstanding all-rounder who had played 1st Grade cricket with the Paddington Club. Brian had immense success on the field and led the team. Among his achievements he scored 15720 runs with 21 centuries and took over2205 wickets in his career with the Club.
Success in the field lead to a great increase in the number of players. By the 1956/7 season, 47 Old Cranbrookians had played in the season.
By the end of that season the number of players available led the Club officially entering a second team of younger players into the City and Suburban competition. Both teams, known as ‘’the Vets” and the “As,” each played matches on the Saturday afternoon with one team playing at Dangar, the other on their opponent’s grounds. There was also some Sunday cricket played at Dangar, including, in 1959/60, the first club match between the teams.
By the sixties, the Club was further strengthened by a number of new regular players from the School. The wide variety of the membership is shown by those who played in the yearly Club matches at the time. They include:
Jon Human, Alan Johnston, Brian Esquilant, Guy Dawson, David Dickins, Eddie Bosch, myself, Brian Bavin, Norm Corkill, Jack Buchanan, Michael Coper, Peter Bavin, Tony Barr, Frank Stening, John Sweeney, David Turner, Peter Meares, Kirkby Wilkie-Smith, David Newgrosh. John Mesley, Ken Love and Andy McShane.
All these players were of a high standard, but it is notably that Kirkby and David were the two best keepers the Club has had. David took 581 dismissals and Kirby, 481, in their careers
In these years, the cricket in the City and Suburban competition became increasingly competitive as the older Clubs like I Zingari, University Veterans, St George Vets and Scots Old Boys had a high percentage of experienced players while many of the Grade clubs themselves, such as Northern Districts, Gordon and St George had teams in the competition. There were also teams from banks and insurance companies which were well organised and played to win.
As the Club grew in succeeding years, the standard of the cricket and the amount of cricket rose. In 1952/3, there were 27 matches for 18 wins and 6 losses, in 1956/7 there were 37 matches for 25 wins and 4 losses, in 1959/60, there were 58 matches for 31 wins, and 4 losses, in 1964/5 there were 69 matches for 50 wins and 14 losses, in 1968/9 there were 90 matches for 54 wins and 26 losses and in 1970/1 there were 73 matches for 47 wins and 8 losses. In the 1969/70 and 1970/71 seasons the As were undefeated.
The Club expanded its fixture list on occasion in these seasons, to include country games in Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, Canberra, Jervis Bay, Goulburn and Mudgee. The Club also played full day fixtures against the touring Cricket Club of India at Hordern Oval in 1962 and 1967.The tourists played several Test players in their sides, but the Club acquitted itself well in these gripping games
As the sixties was ending the playing strength of the Club was shown by the forming of the “Colts,” as the 3rd Club Saturday side in the Competition. A fixture list was arranged, and the team began regular cricket.
In 1972 the Club played seventy-eight matches for forty-four wins and fifteen losses and had a playing roster of 60 Old Cranbrookians. In view of its playing strength the Club decided to attempt to begin organizing overseas tours, commencing with one to New Zealand later that year. At that time, the Club had, in addition to those players mentioned, other talented members including Jeremy Thiedeman, Jerry Roberts, Tim Cohen, David Brady, Jim Patterson, John Fairfax and James Maxwell. The Club’s playing strength was such that Brian and Peter Bavin, Peter Meares, Frank Stening, Tony Barr, Jim Paterson, and David Newgrosh had all played 1st Grade cricket while Jerry Thiedeman was obviously of that standard to, having subsequently in his career, scored 14408 runs with 21 centuries and taken 593 wickets. He hit a season’s record of 1221 runs in 1974/75.
New Zealand Tour
That year the Committee asked Brian Bavin, who had exceptional organizational ability, to see if a tour against New Zealand clubs could be arranged. Brian was most successful and arranged a seven match 2-week tour in the North and South Islands for December 1972.
There was an enthusiastic response from the players and the Club touring party of twenty left Sydney on Boxing Day 1972.
The party consisted of Dr Parker, B Bavin, P Bavin, T Cohen, J Angus, K Love, J Thiedeman, R Hunter, J Angus, J Roberts, J Maxwell, J Singleton, J Morrow, J Human, M Bishop, A Barr, G Stacy, P Meares, D Brady and A Harvey-Sutton.
The Club was surprised in meeting District, not Old Boys, Cricket team on the tour but played well and all the matches were exciting and competitive. Both teams played to a high standard and for their country in each game. The cricket was very tense and even, but the tourists were able to return with a satisfactory record of three wins, three losses and a draw.
Each match was played on excellent wickets and the players were shown real hospitality by their opponents.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the trip, which included sight-seeing and entertainment.
The success of the trip encouraged the Club to investigate whether a tour to England could be organised.
England Tours
1975 – 2012
In 1974/5 the Club had a most successful season. The Club played seventy-three matches of which fifty-three won, six lost and eight drawn. The batting was extraordinarily strong with fourteen players scoring over 250 runs and a record 10 centuries being made. In the bowling nine bowlers took over twenty-five wickets each. It seemed appropriate to the Committee that a firm decision should be made to organise a tour to England if this could be done. This decision was encouraged by the advent of the big Boeing 747 jet which had recently reduced the cost of air travel, making it easier for the players to afford the cost of the tour.
Brian Bavin was asked to check whether in fact, such a tour could be organised in1975. He found the English clubs were happy to arrange fixtures for this Australian Old Boys team and sixteen full day matches in London and the south of England in July 1975 were finalised. July was used as it was known as the driest month in the English summer.
Apart from the cricket there was suitable accommodation and the use of cars for sightseeing for the tourists on this trip. These were Dr Parker, B Bavin, J Armati, P Bavin, R Thiedeman, R Hunter, J Maxwell, D Newgrosh, J Patterson, M Corlette, O Landell-Jones, P McWhinney, T Singleton, J Morrow, S Morrow, J Roberts, M Bishop, A Barr, D Brady, and A Harvey-Sutton. They were all looking forward to the tour and were a happy and unified group.
The whole tour was extremely enjoyable. All matches were played on fine cricket ovals and the team was given great hospitality by their opponents. Of the sixteen matches arranged, eight were won, three lost and five drawn. It was a good record. There was a real element of Australia v England in these games which made them extremely important and exciting. The tour was so successful that soon there was interest in touring again as soon as it could be arranged.
As it turned out, this tour of England attracted most of the regular players in the Club over the years so that in fact the Club toured England again in 1978, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1993, and 1997. The 2009 projected tour had to be cancelled due to the financial turmoil in Australia at that time. The 2012 short tour was unfortunately ruined by constant rain.
I toured from 1975 to 1986 and in 1993. On all those tours I could not have had a more enjoyable time.
The Singapore and Malaysia Tour 2016
The Club in April 2016 made a short tour to Singapore and Malaysia to play three matches including that against the Singapore Cricket Club. The tour was successful with all three matches being won and the tourists being given very kind hospitality by their opponents.
All the party enjoyed the entertainments and sightseeing they had and felt the tour to be a most happy time for them.
Club Cricket 1975 – 2000
Apart from the international cricket played by the Club already mentioned, the Club continued in these 25 years to play its cricket based at our ground at Dangar.
The Club continued to have a full fixture list with an average of fifty matches in each season in 1980’s and in the forties in the subsequent decade. The Club’s success continued through all these years with a high average of wins over losses. For example, in 1981/2, the Club had thirty-two wins, and seven losses, in 1984/5, 37 wins and four losses, in 1990/1, 21 wins and three losses, in 1996/7, 29 wins and five losses and in 1998/9, 29 wins and six losses.
The Club had many stalwarts in its ranks apart from those already mentioned in the earlier decades including, among others, Ronnie Johnstone, David Ulm, Tony McFadyen, George Clap ham, Ian Sinclair, Michael Halliday, Marty Green, Darryl Newton, John Lindsay, Andrew Doyle, Michael Doyle, and James Patterson.
There were of course many other find players in this period, including Rob Dickins, Alistair Little, James Bush, Alex McDade, Sam Macfie, Chris Lane, Hugo Pinsent, Matt Ramsay, Julian Levy, Alex and Christian Avramides, Ian Sulman, and Troy Warfield.
The dominate batsman in this period was Michael Halliday who in his career scored 14798 runs and 15 centuries. He topped the Club batting aggregate and average eight times between 1989/90 and1999/2000. He, Brian Bavin, and Jeremy Tiedeman have been the outstanding batsmen for the Club.
The Club continued playing a wide range of fixtures including as many as twenty against overseas touring side, many of them from England. Most of the English sides knew of the Club from its tours to England and it was a compliment that so many wished to come to Australia and play the Club.
The Club match at the end of the season remained a magnificent event for all of us.
The Club remained throughout these decades strong and unified and one of which we were all proud.
The Club Dinner
A feature of the social life of the Club has been the holding of an annual club Dinner at the end of the season. This black – tie Dinner has been held at the end of each season at the School Ballroom, and other venues, to celebrate the Club and its cricket. David Newgrosh has organised and presented the dinner with style and grace,
The Dinner has not only celebrated the Club but its connection with the School and the OCA. The Headmaster and the President of the OCA have always been invited as has the Captain of the School 1st eleven.
A Guest Speaker has always been invited to talk on Cricket and of the Club in the cricket world. The Guest Speaker has often been a test player from the past and we have had such skillful players as Bert Oldfield, Tony Greig the England Captain in 1975, Martin Donnelly and Alan Davidson together with others from the cricket world as our Guest Speaker. An important aspect of the Dinner is the giving of the playing awards for those members who has excelled in the previous season. Several dinners have been organised for notable events in the Club’s career such as those for the anniversaries of the 50th and 80th years of the Club or for the 25th anniversary of our first England tour.
The dinners have always been well attended with numbers rising to one hundred on occasion. They have always been one of the highlights on the Club’s calendar.
The Club House
The Club in 1968, fully funded the erection of a Club House beside our Dangar ground, consisting of a changing room, kit storage, a servery and bar, bathroom, and verandah. The architect was David Turner who was also a valued Club player. It was a great advantage to us for our cricket and social life. We were happy that the Club House was used for sport for the nearby Cranbrook Prep School.
The Club House was officially opened on the 3rd of March 1968 when a match was also played against a select side from the teams of the City and Suburban Competition. It was a wonderful day for the Club, particularly as the match was won by the Club.
The Club House was updated in 1976 by David Turner as Architect and continued to prove adequate for all the Club’s needs.
The Club in the 21st Century
The Club in the new Century, continued its fine record with many of its regulars still playing. It was strengthened by younger players from the School playing to a high standard. These included Tom Pemberton, Simon Baggot, David Parsons, Alex Wade, James Garvin, Michael Ashton, Hugo Marshal, James Marshall, Jackson Lemon, Cameron Haynes, Sebastian Schiavuzzi and Ryan Haynes. Simon Baggot, in 2006/7 scored 219 which is the highest total made by Club member in a single innings.
In this new Century changes in lifestyle started to impact the Club’s cricket. There was also a drop in the number of teams in the City and Suburban Competition. Grade Clubs ceased to have teams in the competition, as did banks and insurance companies who had been important teams in the past. The number of Clubs in the Competition dropped from about fifty to about twenty in the early years of the Century.
The Club was further affected by the School’s decision to build a new Junior School on the Dangar playing fields and old Rose Bay Bowling Club site. This necessitated in 2010, the Club playing its cricket on the wicket known as the “centre wicket ground” which was closer to the Woollahra end of Dangar. Subsequently the construction works at Dangar necessitated the Club playing at Hordern Oval or on our opponent’s grounds until completion of these works.
In 2012, the School gave permission to the Club to organise a relay of the centre wicket to ensure that it would be a competitive standard for use by the Club in the future. The Club fully financed this relaying work. At that time, a pavilion donated by the Will Ashton family, was built by the ground for the use of players of sport at Dangar. On completion of the new School at Dangar, the Club was permitted to use the centre wicket ground as its home ground on Sundays, and the pavilion as its Club House. The School used the ground and pavilion at other times.
The Club now has improved playing conditions with a new upgraded wicket, a full field, and an adjoining Club House.
The Club is very appreciative to the School for its important assistance.
Reflections on the OCCC
The OCCC has been an importance support to the OCA and the School by its cricket, and in the growth of the connection of the Old Boys with the School.
The Club, based at Dangar, has played in its career over a many hundred cricket matches, including those in Australia and on its overseas tours. There has been an extensive list of Old Cranbrookians who have played for the Club, including over two hundred whose cricket has been recorded in its batting and bowling averages. Club Old Cranbrookians have supported the School through the OCA, financially through the School Building Fund Appeals, other ways by the sending of their sons to the school. They have also assisted the School itself in other ways over the years and I remember Mark Bishop, when Headmaster, commenting to me that the School was conscious of the value of the Club, as a number of boys from country centres where we had played, had entered the School as their parents had been impressed by our conduct in those matches.
All the Headmasters of the School during the Clubs career have been Patrons of the Club and have given their practical assistance and encouragement to us and, by permitting the Club to use Dangar as its home ground. We are grateful to the present Headmaster, Mr. Nicholas Sampson, for his help in re-locating the Club field at Dangar.
The Club continues to assist the School and OCA, under the leadership of the President of the Club, Alistair Little.
The Club looks to the future with a formidable team with players of the calibre of James Pinter, Tom Mahoney, Hugo Martyr, Oliver Maxwell, David Christodoulou, Oscar Szangolies, Alec Lesmond and Ed Negus, available.
The recently completed season of 2021-2022 gave evidence of a bright future for the club as its all-round cricket rose to a higher level. This despite the disruptions to the season caused by outbreaks of Covid 19 which closed our ground early in the season and by the widespread persistent rain in the Sydney area. In all 11 of the 19 fixtures had to be abandoned.
The feature of the season was the Club’s success in the Jack Pace Shield Competition, which led to the Club being a joint holder of the Jack Pace Shield by season’s end.
The Club in the preliminary round of the Shield had victories including against I Zingari, Cricketers Club and Nondescripts. In the finals round, the Club had a dominant victory in the quarter final against Paddington and a close high calibre win in the semi-final against the current Shield Holders, Old Knoxonians
The Club therefore qualified to play the final against the Old Aloysians but unfortunately the continuous wet weather prevented play so that by agreement, the Club shared the Shield with them.
The batting of the team was very consistent and was led by Hugo Martyr and Ollie Maxwell, Tom Mahoney, and James Pinter. The bowling featured Jake Tierney and William Maddox among others and, was effective in every match. The out cricket was of a high standard and fully supported the bowling.
During the season, player support increased particularly among the younger players so that the standard of play of the Club rose. The Club can be confident in looking forward to success in future seasons.
Standing: R.Mackell, M. Mitchell, M. Preston, P. Vicars, D. Dickins, B. Bovill, A. McShane, F. Stening, B. Esquilant, J. Moye, C. Drew, C. Sweeney, C. Cullip.
Sitting: J. Angus, J. Buchanan, Dr R. Parker, B. Bavin, A. Harvey Sutton, N. Corkill, C. Smith, G. R. Dawson, P. Johnson.
Standing: J. Kendall, C. Cullip, A. Harvey Sutton, B. Esquilant, M. Preston, A. Johnston, P. Vicars, N. Gentle, R. Sweeney, J. Buchanan, P. Bavin, B. Bavin, R. Curtin, M. Corlette, D. McCathie, A. Barr, F. Stening.
Sitting: A. McShane, R. Mackell, J. Maxwell, J. Mesley, K. Wilkie Smith.
Standing: J. Human, A. Johnston, D McCathie, B. Esquilant, L. Oliver, Dr R. Parker, D. Dickins, E.G. Bosch, A. Harvey Sutton, B. Bavin. N. Corkill, J. Buchanan, M. Coper, P. Bavin, A. Barr, F. Stening, J. Sweeney.
Sitting: D. Turner, P. Meares, J. Mesley, K. Wilkie-Smith, D. Newgrosh, A. McShane.