Five Summers Five Flags - University of New South Wales Cricket ...

The Wales method at the Village Green was to win the toss, bat first and grind, scratch and fight your way to a
reasonable first innings score then turn the screws in the field with a combination of tight line and length backed up
by great fielding and team spirit. This was our way and it worked. On countless occasions visiting teams faced with
chasing 180 or thereabouts would confidently begin the chase only to have the life squeezed out of them. What the
visitors didn't know was that 180 at the VG was 250 at Waitara. Many were lucky to get to 130, and of course Roger
March's quality off spin was pivotal. In any other era he would have been a regular first grader but the presence of
Mark and Paddy and Steve in our firsts made that impossible.
As the scores show, the final didn't play out in this way. You might remember that it once rained a lot in Sydney,
bucket loads of it on a regular basis, continually adding to a batsman's difficulties in a way modern players don't
appreciate. The semis and final were badly affected by rain leading to a desperately low-scoring and abbreviated
final. The fact that we led on the first innings and declared was important and, as minor premiers, a draw would have
been enough to secure us the premiership. So late, very late, on the final evening we were chasing down a modest target
to secure outright victory when the light became so bad as to be ridiculous. I was batting with Bruce Handley, and
a large group of supporters from both sides were noisily drinking and cheering from the sidelines, barely able to
make out the action through the gloom.
The umpires offered us the light on several occasions. I remember Terry recounting later how Chappo's dad, John,
said to him: ‘They've offered you the premiership. You must come off.’ I didn't hear any of this of course, being out in
the middle. Apparently Robbo was very emotional as were a few others when I refused the light each time the
umpires offered it. I wasn't acting on Terry's instructions. I didn't need to ask him what to do and he knew he didn't
need to tell me - we both were on the same wavelength. Besides, I was enjoying myself too much. This might sound
strange but I'd always loved batting in bad light and this was a wonderful opportunity to do so in a match I'd never
forget.
Bruce and I knew what we really wanted, and what Terry so desperately wanted - nothing less than outright
victory. Total, complete and unambiguous, with no asterix on the scoresheet saying ‘rain-affected draw’ or ‘bad light
stopped play’ or ‘Sydney Uni beat us in the early rounds and they might have won if rain and bad light hadn't intervened’.
No, it was a simple decision and one Bruce and I never doubted, and one I know Terry fully understood and
supported. I can still see it in his eyes and in his grin as we came off. We had batted in almost complete darkness to
secure the outright victory. To the Sydney Uni players' credit I have no recollection of them being upset, even if some
of their supporters were. And the after-match celebrations, involving both teams, showcased some of the extraordinary
characters in our side.
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