How Close Can a Final Be?

Most players spend their entire career hoping to play in a cricket final, let alone having the chance to win one. Although some finals do have a blow out score, the majority are tense affairs, keenly fought, and right down to the wire in regards the result. They can be exciting and palpitating, not only for the players, but for the supporters watching on the sideline.
On Sunday March 25th, 2012, Kiama and Warilla's 4th Grade teams put on a Grand Final worthy of an international match, with the final result still undecided right up until the final ball of the 42 overs-per-side match was delivered.

Kiama skipper Rob Wakeham won the toss and took the opportunity to bat first in perfect conditions. The initial exchanges were of the highest quality, and of a standard that pushed far beyond the standard of a normal 4th Grade match. The bowling from the Warilla bowlers was sharp, tight and accurate. They gave nothing away. The batting from Kiama's opening pair of Dave Creighton and Luke Bombaci was of the highest calibre, keeping out the good balls, and seeking runs off the few stray deliveries they met. It was tough cricket, with neither side wanting to give away an advantage.
Warilla made the initial breakthrough by having Bombaci bowled for 14 with the score on 39, off a languid 16 overs. More of the same continued, with Jason Horley joining Dave at the crease. The bowling continued to be tight and contested, the batting solid and assured.
Disaster for the Kiama team struck when they lost three wickets for five runs in just two overs. Horley was bowled for 13, and followed soon after by Creighton who had crafted together a hard working 27 from the opening position. Five balls later and Allan Stafford joined them in the sheds after being bowled for just 2. After five further overs of the bowlers being on top, Gary Cousins also lost his castle. At 5/74 off 28 overs, there was some possibility that the Cavaliers could find themselves dismissed for under a hundred runs, which could bring to bear considerable pressure.
There was little doubt that a partnership was required, and coming to the fore were two fighters in Ben Mulcahy and Brad Creighton. Despite a couple of dropped chances, the fielding had still been excellent, and the bowling continued to bottle up the batsmen. However, overs were running out, and the score needed to be padded badly. Initially the pair took few chances, but soon they were made to force their hand. Having put on 40 runs in nine overs, Brad tried to up the pace moreso and was caught for 11. Rob Wakeham, who has rarely died wondering with the bat, perished for just 2, and the score was 7/116 with five overs remaining.
After two more overs of pushing hard, Ben was finally bowled for a match-turning 33 runs. Three more overs of scrambling from Anthony Wetzel (17 not out) and Adam Mitchell, which saw Adam run out off the final ball of the innings for 2, got the Kiama total to 9/140 off their allotted 42 overs.

Although this was only a mid range total, there were some positives for the Kiama team. One, runs on the board in the final are always difficult to chase down. Two, the outfield was a spongy couch, which meant that many of the balls that were hit through or over the field could be chased down before reaching the boundary. Three, the Kiama bowling attack was probably the equal of the Warilla team, and could surely provide a similar attack.

Early breakthroughs were always going to be the key, and the Kiama opening bowlers provided them. Eleven balls into the innings, Dave Creighton found his way through Butler's defences and disturbed his castle for a duck. At the other end it appeared there may have been a problem. Casey had taken three two's off Rob Wakeham's opening over, and then deposited the second ball of his second over to the mid-wicket boundary. He looked as though he wanted to win the game in 20 overs, until the very next ball, which he chose to shoulder arms at. The result was that his stumps went cartwheeling, and he was on his way for 10. Warilla was 2/10, and Kiama had seized the advantage early on.

Ian Woods and Bill Butler carried on the fine 4th Grade tradition, with Butler especially espousing the 'cowboy' method of batting. Though it was proving to be effective, one believed that it was only a matter of time before the boom was lowered.
Gary Cousins relieved Dave at the southern or Workers End, and decided to test out the join in the new astro turf in the middle of the wicket. Those of us who were spectators on the other side of the boundary rope think that was his theory, but as he was banging the ball a bit shorter than that, we couldn't be 100% positive. After being called for one no ball (and lucky not to be called for another), yet another short ball found the edge of Butler's attempt pull stroke and he was comfortably caught by keeper Clay Laneyrie. After 8 overs, Warilla was 3/35.
More amusement came in Gary's second over, with another three very short balls, one of which was immediately called a no ball, and also drew a warning from the standing umpire. Another short ball two deliveries later must have been perilously close to being called another no ball or wide, but was reprieved. All of this was made meaningless when the seventh ball of his over was a head high full toss, which did go wide of the batsman, but resulted in Gary being pulled from the attack by the umpire for the remainder of the innings. Kiama was now a bowler short for the rest of the match, causing some more headaches for the captain to deal with.

After shuffling his bowlers around at the southern end for a few more overs, the score continued to build, and at a good clip. It was becoming obvious that Kiama would need to bowl out the Warilla team to win the game. The introduction of Ben Mulcahy from the northern end brought immediate results, with his fifth ball crashing into Colin Walker's stumps, and after 15 overs Warilla was now at 4/60, and the game had evened up again.
The next five overs sent the game rushing into Kiama's favour. Ben picked up his second wicket in his next over, having Matt Walker caught behind by Clay for just 2. At the other end, Anthony Wetzel was in the middle of a terrific spell of bowling, having bottled up the runs and attacked the stumps, giving nothing away. He was finally rewarded for his efforts in his fifth over, bowling the Warilla captain Nathan Winkelbauer for 1. At the conclusion of the 20th over, Warilla was now 6/67, and it looked as though it was now just a matter of time for the Kiama team to claim victory.

What came next looked like a classic Grand Final brain fade. The Warilla batsmen, Ian Woods, who had been at the crease since the second over, and Duane Castray, assessed the game, and pushed for quick singles, turned singles into two's, and hit the boundary when they could. It was intelligent and smart batting, but not always well executed. On no less than seven occasions, the opportunity arose for either batsman to be run out if the ball was fielded cleanly and thrown directly, but on all of those occasions it was not to be. All of those watching felt that it really was just a matter of time before one of the pair fell in this fashion, but they kept on their merry way, and closed the gap with every over. Woods brought up his fifty, a terrific innings under the circumstances, and then he took seven runs off two balls of Luke Bombaci's fourth over, bringing up the fifty partnership in the process. Finally, however, a break came. Castray tried to force a ball to the leg side that was too far across to the off, and instead popped up a high ball to short mid-wicket, where Brad Creighton ran in to accept the catch. Castray was gone for an excellent 20, the partnership had produced 52 runs in 16 overs, and Warilla was now 7/117.
The batsmen had crossed during the catch, and Luke's next ball was deposited to the boundary by Woods, who was now moving into game-winning mode. At 7/121, Warilla required 20 runs for victory off six overs with three wickets in hand.

On the boundary, the milling crowd's excitement was building. The frenzied running between the wickets was not abating, and two chances went begging in the next over. This was nothing compared to the dolly that fell from the sky in Luke's next over. The new batsman Westerway tried to guide a shortish ball on off stump through the off side, only to pop up the simplest chance in the history of cricket to gully, where Allan Stafford stood awaiting an opportunity. The ball came at the same flight and velocity that fathers throw a tennis ball to their four year old son when they are teaching them to catch. It was a sure thing. It was impossible to drop. Staf set himself up under the path of the ball, even forming a lap bowl underneath his hands so that, even if the impossible happened and the ball DID fall from his hands, it would fall into his lap and be safe. The ball fell, the crowd rose. The ball went into his hands... and out... and plopped on the ground in front of him. A dolly. Grassed. The Warilla supporters went wild, shouting out encouragement to their batsmen to keep going. To add to the injury, the batsmen had scrambled a single while the ball made it's way to gully.

Dave Creighton came back for his final over from the northern end, and found both batsmen standing well out of their ground to try and get him away. Keeper Laneyrie donned the helmet, and came up to the stumps to keep them in their crease. It was a brave move. Anything down legside could potentially be four runs - and the second ball after coming up was exactly that, but Clay did well to get across and get his pads in front of it. No one was sure it was the right move, until a little tickle from Westaway was brilliantly taken by Clay, sending Warilla to 8/128 off 39 overs.

Three overs remaining, 13 runs required for Warilla. Two wickets for Kiama.

Luke Bombaci began his final over, and the first ball was slashed down to third man by Warilla's hero Woods. Down at deep backward point, Adam Mitchell rushed to collect the ball, and fired it back to the keeper with the batsmen attempting a second run. On the boundary, the Warilla supporters were pushing their man to run faster, and the Kiama supporters were willing the ball to get to the keeper. It was a terrific throw, and Clay took the ball and the stumps almost in the same movement, and the dive at the crease by Woods was in vain as he was adjudged run out - as it could only have been, given the golden run during the innings. His superb innings of 67 was completed with the batsman obviously devastated, and the Kiama team celebrating.

Warilla were nine wickets down, and as described by their own teammates and supporters, the final two batsmen were not just rabbits but ferrets. Despite this, they needed only 12 runs with 17 deliveries remaining, and were still in with a chance. Luke completed the final five deliveries of his over, conceding only a two, leaving 12 deliveries to be bowled and ten runs required for a Warilla victory, or one wicket for a Kiama victory.

Due to Gary's dismissal from the bowling crease, the bowling stocks were being stretched, and Allan Stafford was charged with bowling the penultimate over. His first ball was on a good length, and a huge swipe by the batsman was missed and sailed through to the keeper. Staf's second ball was a short one, and was pulled for two runs. The next ball brought a mistimed drive, just wide of the bowler. Staf reached out, got both hands to it, but put down the tough caught and bowled chance. Hands were in the air everywhere. Another pitched up delivery was driven down the ground for a single. It had been a good over to this point, but a wide on the following delivery brought joy from the Warilla camp. Staf recovered from this ball to concede no runs from his final two deliveries, and the match was on a knife edge.

6 balls to go. 6 runs to win for Warilla. 1 wicket for Kiama.

At the start of the season, you would have gotten long odds on the fate of the 4th Grade season falling into the hands of Blake Schneider. Before this day, he had bowled a total of 15.3 overs for the season, and though his figures were better than average, the pressure on him was enormous. But who as a cricketer does NOT want the responsibility of winning a final for your team? It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and it was one that was also afforded to the numbers 10 and 11 batsmen for the Warilla team.

The first ball of the final over was a swipe that resulted in a single for Warilla. Five required from five deliveries. Then, almost before one could blink, the game was all but over, as Blake bowled three dot balls, with the batsmen unable to find a gap through the field. Warilla need five runs off the final two deliveries, and surely, given the tightness of the previous five overs, the game was good as over.
Or maybe not.
The penultimate delivery was swiped over mid on, with the batsmen running wildly and the fieldsmen as well. They could only manage two runs, which left Warilla needing three or more off the final ball to win the game. Directions came from everywhere. The batsman spoke together, and were wildly encouraged by their support staff. Rob got his field set where he wanted them, with support from Jason Horley who was currently off the field, but still right in the game. Blake set himself for the most important delivery of his career.

The final ball. It's the same good length delivery from Blake, and the same swipe over mid on by the batsman. Again, however, the batsman didn't quite get a hold of it, and the ball falls safely about halfway to the boundary. The field swoops, and returns it to the bowlers end as the batsmen complete two runs, but there is no chance of a third.

Amazingly, after 42 overs, Warilla has finished at 9/140, the exact same score as the Kiama team. Nothing separates the teams, and the game is a tie. Both teams immediately realise the ending - as minor premiers, Kiama win the 4th Grade premiership.

The final two balls of the 4th Grade 2011/12 season

It was an amazing game, and both teams were magnificent in... well, in tie. Warilla had done themselves and their Club proud, while the Cavaliers squad, in winning their third consecutive Premiership, had equalled the record set by the Kiama team from 1999 through 2002, which won three 4th Grade premiership in succession.

Cricket can be a cruel game, and while the players and supporters from Kiama who played in and watched this match will always remember it fondly, no doubt those from the Warilla camp would feel completely the opposite. Such is the fate of the game of cricket, especially in the unlikely event of a tie in the final.

Short Form of the Game

In the days long before Twenty20 cricket had been formulated and turned into the dollar-driven colour-laden machine that it is today, shorter forms of the game of cricket on the South Coast were still prevalent, and during their time in existence they provided as much enjoyment and festivity as the marketable version does today.

In the late 1970's and through to the mid-1980's, Twilight Cricket was played on the South Coast, usually on a late weekday afternoon, with games featuring an array of cricketers from all Grades, all just looking to get some extra competition in their week. Most games were played on a friendly basis, though I do recall being told of a match between Kiama and Lake Illawarra at Jamberoo back in 1985 that ended up becoming a bouncer-fest due to some disagreements in the umpiring. The aim of course was to win the toss, to ensure that whatever fleeting sunlight may have been available in late spring and early autumn was utilised by your team, leaving your opponents the dimness of twilight and dusk to manufacture the runs required for victory. Unfortunately, with the competition being of a semi-serious nature, the collection of scores hidden at the bottom of the inside back page of the Kiama Independent generally only show results without much detail, and I was not old enough at the time to participate myself. It is a shame. One can only imagine the kind of stories that would have come from such a competition. The few conversations I had at Club training 30 years ago with those that played in the Twilight comp have well and truly faded into the mists of time.

Several Clubs used to conduct a Double Wicket competition, at their most popular during the late 1970's and early 1980's as well. Most competitions ran within a single club, under the lines of all competitors being drawn out of a hat to find their partner. The first batting partnership would then face four overs, two from each of their opposing team. Then the teams would swap and complete the match. Fielders would generally consist of any number of other teams competing while they awaited their match - sometimes only 6-8 on the field, other times up to 12 or 14.
My one dalliance with the Double Wicket competition was a pre-season hit out at Kiama to get people prepared for the new season. I was 14 years old and did not really know most of the Grade players, and was just trying to get a run in a Grade team. My name was drawn out to be partnered with a guy I had never met, and whom I soon discovered had probably never played the game of cricket in his life. I was summarily run out off the second ball I faced when he refused to run on my call (or, as I've more often thought, was unaware that running between the wickets is something that is done in cricket). He was then dismissed three balls later, and so our total of zero was passed by the first ball my partner bowled (or rather, lollypopped with an action I have rarely seen the equal of) to the opposing batsman. I then spent the next four hours fielding in early September heat, unable to really show anyone whether I could play the game of cricket. Thus was born my reluctance to ever play this form of the game again.
At times, there appeared a couple of bigger competitions within the District which offered prize money to the winners, and this attracted ready-made pairs equipped to be able to both bat and bowl to a high standard to attempt to take the trophy. However, their popularity waned in a similar way that occurred with twilight cricket.

One event that was always enjoyable in its time was held and run by the Albion Park Cricket Club. In the late 1980's and early 1990's, the Albion Park Six-A-Side Competition was held on a Sunday generally in February each season. All Clubs were encouraged to enter teams in the event, as well as Clubs from outside of the South Coast District. Some even entered more than one. Games started at about 8.00am, both on Keith Grey Oval and on Albion Park Showground, now called Des King Oval. Teams fielded six players, and games were played over five eight-ball overs per side.
Each player except the nominated wicket-keeper had to bowl one over, with run-ups to be kept to a minimum of four metres, which were marked at each end, while the five fielders tried to find the best spot to field where they would be most effective. Two matches would be played in tandem, with the first match having the first team bat, followed by the second match having the first team bat. The first match would then have its concluding innings, followed by the second match's conclusion. This kept the day moving with few interruptions and allowed the players to rest between innings. It was a great concept, and a terrifically fun day to not only participate in, but to watch for players and spectators alike. Once the finals were reached, all games were moved up to the Showground, where all players and spectators would congregate to watch the conclusion of the day.
 I couldn't tell you who won this competition over the years. By the end of the day, you were either too plastered to recall (if you were knocked out in the early rounds) or too buggered from chasing a ball around all day (if you happened to make it through to the final rounds). I know that Kiama had a team in for three consecutive years in the 1990's with a solid playing squad. Brett Gregory, Darren Gregory, Steve Norris, Jason Wills, Scott Danswan, Peter Netherclift, Steve Holz, David Bryant and your humble correspondent were just some of the players who were in the squad during those days. We entered because it was a fun way to enjoy our cricket after the 'serious' nature of our 1st Grade seasons at the time, and we all enjojyed each other's company both on and off the field. We also wanted to win. But the games were spectacular, and there was fun times to be had.
Many of the games were spectacular, and most were fun to be a part of. However, there are two specific events which still stick in my mind of the games we played and watched.

One was of watching future Kiama player Mark Shoudra playing an amazing innings in one game for Gerringong on Des King Oval. Our Kiama team was sharing the field in our match, and after our innings of fielding had been completed against our opponent, we sat back and watched "Shoudy" let rip. In today's modern short-form games you have the ramp shot and the reverse pull and the switch hit all becoming commonplace. To be honest, with only four or five fielders in evidence in this competition you didn't need to resort to that kind of cricket, but you often had to do a lot of running. Mark wasn't fond of that kind of cricket, and instead decided to unleash his best and favourite (and some would say only) shot - the big hoick over mid wicket. In a format where most players were reaching a maximum of 20 or so before bottoming out through either exhaustion or over-swinging, the left handed Gerringong slogger took to the bowling, and single handedly smashed 80-odd in the four and a half overs he was at the crease. It was great to watch, and it was a shame that there wasn't a bigger crowd at the time to see it. But in the days before Sanath Jayasuriya started the pillaging of bowling attacks in ODI cricket around the world, this was some of the best aggressive cricket I'd seen at any level. The bowlers couldn't find their line (and with everyone having to bowl just one over it was a tough ask) and the fielders never seemed to be in the right position. Eventually all four available fieldsmen were placed on the leg side boundary, but Shoudra just kept putting it over them. When he finally holed out, having scored all but half a dozen runs of Gerringong's total, it was to a standing ovation. Unfortunately, despite his heroics, he was unable to get his team over the line.

My favourite memory was of the year Kiama made the semi-finals of the tournament, only to be faced with a juggernaut. Sydney Grade club Campbelltown had, in recent times, been drawing upon some of the best of the South Coast's cricketers, and bringing them to the Sydney competition to show their wares. Amongst them included Shane Lee, Kerry Penfold and Graeme Smith, just to name a few. With the local flavour in the club, they had been encouraged to enter a team in that year's competition, and they were obviously the team to beat. The team they had to beat to make the Final? Kiama.
We had a good team that year, and by making the semi-final we thought we were a sneaky chance to take out the title. Even when we were drawn against the Campbelltown All-Stars, we still thought we might be a chance. Losing was never really an option when you had Gregory's and Norris's and Wills's in the team.
Campbelltown batted first, and set a fairly tough target. Our reply stuttered under the disciplined and well drilled bowling, and victory seemed a long way off.
Steve Norris was our second-to-last batsman, and when he came to the crease Kiama needed a miracle. The talk had been animated before he was required, with plenty of helpful suggestions from batsmen who had already failed to produce the goods. K.C.C non-playing supporter (and if you'd ever seen him play, you would know why he is non-playing) John Cincotta, better known to most in the Club as "Bono", had teased Steve with the promise of a case of beer if he could hit a six. It soon became obvious that Steve was going to be batting when Shane Lee (who had just recently begun his First Class career with New South Wales) was bowling his over. This led to Bono doubling his offer if he could hit Shane Lee for six. Jason Wills' stumps went cartwheeling, and Steve strode to the crease.
It was a marvellous sight. Steve with blue shorts and his white cricket shirt hanging out untidily, his thigh guard wrapped loosely over his upper left leg, gloves being pulled on, his hat slightly cocked to the left. He asked the umpire for centre, and checked his guard. He then looked to the left, and then the right, checking where the sparse fielders had been placed. Then, with Shane standing just a metre behind the umpire at the top of his allowed run up, Steve raised his bat, and in a perfect imitation of the Cleveland Indians' catcher Jake Taylor at the end of the film "Major League", he pointed towards mid-wicket, calling his shot. The crowd loved it, the theatricality of the moment defining the fun atmosphere of the contest.
Shane ran in, and obliged by dropping the ball short and rising up into rib cage. But oh dear me, anyone who has seen Steve Norris bat knows that he is a compulsive puller, and instinct took over. As Shane and the Campbelltown boys eyes followed, Steve swung the ball high and handsome well over mid-wicket into the crowd sitting in the bleachers, and they went wild. It was a perfect moment, one that captured the fun and enjoyment of the competition. And it cost Bono two cases of beer.

No, we didn't pull off a miracle and win the game, but Steve's moment had defined how that form of the game was played, as a fun day where players from all Clubs mixed on the field and socially off the field. It was a shame when the plug was pulled. It is the kind of event that I sometimes think could still work today, on so many levels. And in the days before widespread video cameras and camera phones were available, it is just the memories of moments like Mark Shoudra and Steve Norris that remain.

Pep

Kevin Pepper was just one of the many Kiama players that had the talent, but perhaps not the drive, to succeed. Despite his formidable body size and ferocious ability with bat and ball, it was unpredictable as to when his talent was going to appear. Motivation was always at a premium, and trying to build him up to perform at the peaks required for the team's sake could often be a chore, and in vain.

As a teenager he was almost unnaturally big for his age – fearsome before you even had to face up to him, especially in juniors. He wasn’t a monster like some of the Pacific Island kids that come through in the football codes now, but in the same way he had a big upper body that was driven along deceptively quickly by his legs. Even in lower Grade cricket he could intimidate, his speed and bounce on the coir matting having many an opponent jumping around. He could make the ball rear off a good length, especially off that coir matting that was prevalent in the years before the use of astroturf became widespread, and in the days before helmets began to make their way into South Coast cricket, it could be a dangerous afternoon for opponents if he was on song. When he was fifteen he was pursued by two or three Sydney clubs to play in their AW Green Shield side (which is the Sydney Under 16 representative competition), but as with most things in Kevin’s life, it was deemed to be too much trouble to follow through with.

Of course, having graduated to the top Grades, playing on turf wickets, none of it would have meant a thing if he couldn’t back it up with something else - in other words, if he didn't have the ability.

Kevin, or ‘Pep’ as he was known to his teammates, wasn't just a bowler. His size also lent himself to some big hitting when he came out to bat. He certainly held his own as a batsman, though he tended to be very hit and miss – pun intended. His figures probably show he could have been an asset higher in the order, but that his value was in the lower middle order. While winners of the batting average award can sometimes be helped by late order not outs and runs against weaker teams, Kevin’s effort in winning the Harry Brown Trophy in 1985/86 was more a reflection on the lack of runs in the top order than any perceived ‘easy’ runs he himself may have made. He showed defensive capabilities when it was needed, but he was much more interested in hitting the ball to, or over, the boundary to ever become a serious top order batsman.

He played his first game for Kiama in Grade cricket on October 8, 1983 in 4th Grade. After just five matches in 3rd and 4th Grades, he bypassed 2nd Grade to make his 1st Grade debut against Albion Park Rail at Geoff Shaw Oval on January 21, 1984 as a fill-in, when he was still 14 years of age. He scored 12 runs in his trip to the crease, and took one wicket from his nine sparse overs spread over the two innings of that match. After this, he played the final two matches of the season in 2nd Grade, where he scored 52, 36 not out, 6 and 68 in his four innings, and with the ball took 3/34, 2/25 and 3/67.

The following season, with Kiama’s 1st Grade team still strong and competitive (reaching the final), he played all but one game in 2nd Grade, his one 1st Grade appearance coming in a match against Gerringong where he only played the first weekend when Kiama batted most of the day, his contribution being a second ball duck.
His season in 2nd Grade can be seen to be defining of his characteristics as a cricketer. He was still playing Under 16 cricket every Saturday morning, and partly as a result of this he was often a reluctant afternoon cricketer, and when games were played at Bonaira Street Oval near Kendall’s Beach, it was the surf where he spent more time than on the cricket field. When batting, he was rarely more interested than trying to find the boundary no matter what the situation of the match, and his bowling was dependant on his motivation. On occasions he was unplayable and treacherous, such as against Lake Illawarra at Bonaira Street Oval in the last game before the Christmas break in 1984. ‘Pep’ had been stung by some criticism of him in an Under 16’s game that morning, while at Grade training that week it had been suggested that he wasn’t worth his place in the team, and that a couple of medium pacers in 3rd Grade who were starting to show some good figures may well be a better bet than he was. (Let me assure you that this wasn’t a well thought out argument, as one of the medium pacers being referred to in that conversation was your humble correspondent, and there was a huge difference in the seam bowling ability between Kevin Pepper and myself). Combine these two scenarios and ‘Pep’ had found his motivation to perform. Defending 217 from the week before (Scott Butler top scoring with a windmill-wielding 135), ‘Pep’ was at his fiery best, ripping out the top order in a trice, before returning late to take two more wickets and conceding almost no runs. He finished with 5/38 off 29 overs, and was only unable to finish off the tail from sheer exhaustion.
Unfortunately, that kind of motivation wasn’t always there to help inspire him to greater rewards. However, after the New Year break ‘Pep’ retained that form, and soon put behind his slow start to the cricket year. He finished that season with 25 wickets at 13.72, and his apprenticeship in the lower Grades had concluded.

For someone so naturally talented, Kevin’s training regime was perhaps a reflection of the completely amateurish preparation of teams during the 1980’s – although in many ways it is still true today. ‘Pep’ would show up at training whenever the surf died off at Kendall’s Beach. He’d lope in with that lop-sided grin of his, and drawl away in conversation to the batsmen padding up beside the nets. These batsmen would be keen to keep him in conversation, because if they could do so until they went in to bat, he would still have to get his shoes on, find a ball, mark out a run and be prepared to go before he could get at them. But even then, you never knew which Kevin Pepper was turning up to train. Most of the time, he would just roll in off two steps and send down a ball at about 50 to 75% velocity (still enough to dispose of lower Grade batsmen), which he would do for half a dozen deliveries over the course of fifteen minutes, before maybe looking to pad up himself, or just deciding to slink off back to the surf or home. On some days though, if someone had been in his ear or he just wanted to blow off some steam, he would come off an almost full length run, pound in, and hone in on the poor net batsmen with short thunderbolts, before producing the perfect yorker to crash into the stumps or (on some unfortunate occasions) the unprotected feet or ankles of the batsman.
On one memorable afternoon, a fellow teammate had suggested at school during the day that ‘Pep’ had lost it, and wouldn’t even be able to dismiss him in the nets that afternoon. Well, the challenge had been laid down, and in all honesty, the person in question probably thought that ‘Pep’ would be more likely to be at the surf that day than at training. But no, ‘Pep’ was there straight after school, and he was charging off the full run. The antagonist was in no position to back down, and so in he went. Now remember, this was in the days before helmets, and there are not a lot of places to hide in a batting net. For ten minutes this batsman faced four bowlers in his net, meaning every fourth ball he faced was from Kevin Pepper with his back up. With each delivery, the batsman in question was backing further and further away at the point of delivery, but no matter how far away he was, ‘Pep’ was still able to find him, collecting him on arms, legs, wrists, hands, fingers, ribs and back. On his final delivery, the batsman was literally back up against the leg side net, a metre and a half away from the stumps, as the ball was delivered. ‘Pep’ still found him. As he walked out of the net, ‘Pep’ simply looked at him with the hint of a smile and said, “You know, you were right. I couldn’t get you out today”.
The following season, Paul ‘Bubble’ Stewart made a similar faux pas, mentioning to all around him that “I haven’t been dismissed in the nets this season”. This was like petrol to a flame, as ‘Pep’ went from just sauntering around the bowling crease to moving back towards a full run. For the next ten minutes, the sound most heard in that net was the pinging of metal stumps being knocked over, and the wave of laughter from the other bowlers in the net getting louder and louder. ‘Bubble’ was bowled on no less than nine occasions during that session, the majority of those by ‘Pep’. Just because he could.

Freed from the shackles of having to play junior cricket in the morning, the 1985/86 season saw ‘Pep’ graduate to 1st Grade full time, and it was a season which showed the full talents of the now 16 year old. In a season where Kiama missed the 1st Grade finals for the first time in four years, ‘Pep’ was one of the few shining lights. In the 13 games he appeared in, he only made it to the crease with bat in hand on nine occasions. On three of those he remained not out. His aggregate of 172 runs at an average of 28.67 was enough for him to win the Harry Brown Trophy as leading Kiama batsman in 1st Grade for the season.

But it was his bowling where he excelled. In Round 2 he destroyed Gerringong in their one day game, taking 6/27 in Kiama’s victory. Against Albion Park Rail in Round 4 he finished with match figures of 7/47. Wickets didn’t always follow good bowling. In the following match against Shellharbour he finished with 1/16 off his 10 overs in the one day fixture, but with three dropped chances and numerous deliveries beating the outside edge, it could have been so much better.
With 1st Grade’s season floundering, and an outright victory required, ‘Pep’ stepped up again in the penultimate round to try and wrest a victory. Once again ‘Pep’ was beset by bad luck, his 17 overs bringing 1/34. He was then promoted to number three in the batting order to look for quick runs, his 17 off ten balls helping the team to declare with a lead of 44 runs. On the second weekend, ‘Pep’ came into his own, tearing in from the northern end at Keith Grey Oval, taking seven of the first eight wickets to fall, helping to bowl out Albion Park for just 129. Though Kiama fell 25 runs short in chasing the outright (they needed 85 off 8 overs), ‘Pep’ had proven his worth. His 15 overs in the second innings produced his best figures of 7/36.
His season tally of 34 wickets at 15.91 was his best finish for a cricket season, and combined with his batting made Kevin an all-rounder to be reckoned with.

Ironically, ‘Pep’ then missed the first half of the following season, not playing until after Christmas, so that he could focus on his HSC exams. ‘Pep’ was as committed to school as he occasionally was on the cricket field - preferring to be in the surf or indulging in other ... err... passions... and not overly interested about the studying side of things. So when he didn't play in order to complete his exams (and once they had finished, to complete his partying) it was somewhat of an oxymoron. The fact that he then failed, and instead repeated his final year of school (with even more disastrous results), but still played cricket for the SECOND half of the season, even as he was repeating Year Twelve, it made that lost half a season seem to be a little strange.

There was no such mistake in the 1987/88 season. ‘Pep’ was there from the start of the season, and perhaps his batting was what kept him inspired from the outset. In the first round match against Lake Illawarra he finished 40 not out after some lusty hitting late in the innings. But better was to come.

In the second game of the season, Kiama took on Jamberoo at Kevin Walsh Oval. Looking to build momentum, the batting had failed to fire again, and at 6/148 it had been left to ‘Pep’ to take control. It was one of his favourite scenarios. The ground was small, the situation cried out for someone to hit the team out of trouble, and the bowling attack was not the paciest going around. He began steadily, taking the singles and two's on offer, and hitting judiciously when the ball was pitched up or just a tad short. Partnerships ensued – 44 with Col Wright, 35 with Gavin Hartley, and 38 with Allan Piper. As wickets fell at the other end, Kevin held his head, and his individual total moved along with it.
At the fall of the ninth wicket, 15 year old Jason Wills appeared slightly nervously at the crease. Jason had made his debut in 1st Grade the previous weekend as a fill-in, but this was his first game as a 1st choice player. It was some years before he became the fearless stroke player that blazed runs to all parts of the field. On this day he was just a skinny kid at number eleven, coming in with his larger and more ebullient batting partner within sight of a 1st Grade century.
‘Pep’ had made his way to 68, and with the young number eleven at the crease, he began to take a few more liberties with the bowling. Two balls were swiped mightily into the adjoining public pool at the southern end, another into the trees that protected the rivulet and picnic area at the northern end. In a matter of overs he had moved into the nineties, and his young partner had managed to nibble three singles through the field that strangled him around the bat whenever he was on strike.
‘Pep’ knew he was getting close. Whether he knew exactly how many runs he was is now lost in the mist of time, but he knew enough to be forceful in his meeting with his new batting partner. "Forceful" probably isn't the correct word. "Intimidating" is probably closer to the mark. As they met in the middle of the wicket after ‘Pep’ had failed to retain the strike for the next over, Jason's instructions were clear. "Just block this bloke out, so I'll have the strike for the next over". And as they parted, there was one final word of advice "Don't fuck this up for me". Needless to say, despite his best and bravest efforts (Jason's words, not mine), the young number eleven was unable to complete his instructions as laid out, losing his stumps to Tony Hastings to the first ball of that over, and the innings concluded with ‘Pep’ stranded on 93 not out. Though he is unable to recall the precise words that were said to him, Jason assures me that they were not the most conciliatory words he has ever received from a partner upon his dismissal.

It was as a bowler, though, that ‘Pep’ made his reputation in our Club. He rarely used the bouncer as a weapon. His pace and size was fierce enough without having to resort to short pitched bowling. He wasn't a big swinger of the ball, but he could move the ball away from the batsman just enough to get the edge, especially when his pace had negated any attempt at footwork towards the delivery. He had a good off cutter that could scythe batsmen in half on occasions. His other great weapon was his line, which rarely wavered from a foot outside off stump. He would curse himself when he strayed onto the batsman’s pads. His line was most noticeable on the rare occasions that he played 2nd Grade, because he was far too good for 2nd Grade batsmen bowling that line. He would beat them time and again, but couldn't bring himself to straighten up for fear of getting down the leg side.
For those of us that played with him, it could be a frustrating time when it wasn't happening for him, because we knew just how destructive he could be. As has been related previously, it seemed at times that he was at his most dangerous when he was bowling against his own teammates at training, rather than against opponents on weekends. We wanted to see that Kevin Pepper turning up every week, making the opposing teams shake in their boots about having to face him.
For me, one particular afternoon will always stand out as the perfect example of what he could have been.
21st March, 1987. First Grade Semi-Final, Kiama Vs Shellharbour. Oakleigh Park, Warilla.

Imagine the atmosphere. Kiama – the minor premiers – have been shot out for just 140 after winning the toss and batting. The Kiama side, though a little shocked and sombre, still believe in themselves and their chances. They have good reason for doing so after the season they’ve had, finishing at the top of the table, and having escaped from some similar predicaments on their way. Shellharbour – the reigning premiers – are overjoyed. They’re lucky to be here at all, having just scraped into fourth spot in front of Jamberoo, some would say controversially. They know that in the time they have left on that first afternoon, they just need to survive. Make stumps with no wickets down, and it’s their day.
By the fence, 'Pep' is simmering. His contribution with the bat has been a duck, run out by the skipper trying to retain the strike, and the send off he received with it has not enlightened his mood. Kevin never believed in the benefits of a warm up, and this afternoon he just keeps pulling himself up and down, back and forth on the fence, allowing his frustration to simmer, eager to get amongst it. There was no need for motivation that day. He had only an hour to let loose, and he wasn't going to leave anything in the tank.
Running in from the northern end, Pep was a study in beauty. The fluid approach to the wicket was like watching a steam train rocketing along the tracks, momentum and speed building as he thundered toward the crease. He charged at top speed until within a metre of the umpire, at which point he exploded into his delivery stride, the force of his boots making the bails quake under his feet. His release sent the ball careering toward the far end at an exhilarating speed.
There is no way to say what the batsmen had in their minds that afternoon – whether they were approaching the final hour of the day as a period in which to score quick runs, or to ensure their wickets were intact for the run chase the following day. No matter what they were thinking, the truth was the only thing they could concentrate on that afternoon was survival – both batting-wise and physically-wise. Pep was on fire, attacking the batsmen with ferocity, short of a length and making them jump around the crease. And those on show weren't mugs – Ian Grant, Greg Harvey, Barry Pearson. But that afternoon they were like ducks in a shooting gallery. They played and missed, they fended away, they ducked missiles, they took blows on the body.
It was awesome to watch from where I was fielding at backward point. I was probably a bit close, certainly if the batsmen began to slash at the ball. In reality though there was going to be none of that on that afternoon. The ball was coming at them so quickly that they barely had time to poke at the ball than to wind up and give it a bit of heave-ho. The only thing that was going to be coming to me was something off the top of the bat, possibly via glove, chest and head. Shellharbour were on top, but no one wanted to be batting that afternoon.
In his spell of six overs that afternoon, 'Pep' finished with two wickets for just six runs, all from edges. Grant was caught at backward square leg trying to fend off a vicious bouncer. Harvey had his off stump plucked out of the ground with his feet rooted outside leg stump. The not out batsmen overnight would both have sported bruises from the attack they faced that afternoon. Kevin's spell that afternoon had the whole Kiama team believing it had the winning of the game the following day.
The next day 'Pep' was still fast, but without the venom of the previous evening. He, along with everyone else, had the stuffing knocked out of his sails when, with Shellharbour teetering at 4/29, Rob Jordan was dropped at second slip by Stuart Holmes off the first ball he faced. At 5/29 and the top order gone, the game would have been almost over. As it turned out, this was still true. Jordan went on to score 139, and the game for Kiama was lost.
'Pep' finished with 3/36 from 20 overs in that match in one of his more memorable performances. In all 1st Grade matches he took 75 wickets at 18.35, with a best return of 7/36 against Albion Park, and scored 591 runs at 19.71, with a best of 93 not out against Jamberoo. The figures tell the story of a player who had the potential to be a destroyer, but failed to take full advantage of it.

In the end 'Pep' just wandered out of the game. Unpaid fees hindered any real chance of returning in later years, though the likelihood of him doing so was never strong. Occasionally during an off season you could run into him at the Grand Hotel or at Tory’s Hotel, where over a schooner he would speak of being keen to have another crack – a thought that probably left his conscious the second you shook hands and parted company. In the end the promise of youth was allowed to rest without any real regret on his part, but maybe just a little from those that occasionally played with him.

Hat-Tricks (Part Two)

Ten hat-tricks down, and ten more to relate to you about. As I sit down to complete this article, I have just read about 16 year old Ken Nguyen from Shellharbour, who last weekend took a hat-trick on his First Grade debut. As wonderful an achievement as that is for him, he has set the bar so high now that his next few games can surely only end in disappointment. Then again, some of our careers have never even reached that height.

A hat-trick is a rare enough event in itself, but how about having two occur for the same team in the same match? This is precisely what occurred in Kiama Second Grade’s match against Shellharbour which took place on 5^th and 12^th November, 1966.

Shellharbour won the toss and batted on the first afternoon and was comfortably positioned at 2 for 96 in the first session of play. John James had been bowling as first change, and surely had no inkling as to what would occur next. With the batsmen set, he managed to get a ball through Matt O’Dwyer’s defences, dismissing him for 8. His next delivery also did for Tony McDonnell in the same way, leaving another Kiama bowler on a hat-trick. The new batsman Terry Holz probably approached the wicket in the same way that all of us who have had to face a hat-trick delivery - slightly nervy, hoping for a wide or a ball down leg side that could be negotiated with a minimum of fuss or effort. As it was, John James threw up a pretty handy outswinger, drawing the batsman forward, though he could only nick his first delivery through to keeper Allan Crapp, and James had a hat-trick to his name.

With the Shellharbour innings in tatters, he then took care of Jim McDonnell two balls later, and the following over bowled John Estreich to complete a “Longbottom-esque” feat of five wickets in seven deliveries, and one of (if not) the finest bowling spells of his career.

Shellharbour, who had been cruising, was dismissed for just 128 when skipper Bill Leyshon took the final wicket of the innings, Don Senior. Kiama’s reply, much like “Longbottom’s Match” as described previously, was lukewarm, falling short of first innings points by being dismissed for just 118. Unlike the other match described though, Kiama Second Grade was unable to run through their opponents to set up a victory chase in the second innings. Shellharbour batted steadily, no doubt knowing it was unlikely they could force an outright result with the amount of time left in the day. Instead they used it as batting practice as the Shellharbour bowlers put up their feet.

Their score had reached 4 for 103 before Bill Leyshon introduced himself into the attack, with immediate results. Terry Holz, the third victim in John James' hat-trick the previous weekend was the first to fall, caught by Jim Kentwell. Replacing him at the crease was Jim McDonnell. McDonnell was not only on a king pair, having been a part of John James’ hat-trick in the first innings, but by virtue of the fact that Leyshon had taken the final wicket of the first innings, and had taken a wicket with his first ball of the second innings, he was now facing a hat-trick ball as well. Call it bad luck, call it poor batting, call it what you like, but unfortunately for McDonnell he wasn’t up to the task, and was comprehensively bowled, completing both disastrous scenarios for himself.

So, despite the first innings loss, this match was accorded two pieces of history that allow it to stand alone in the annals of the Kiama Cricket Club.

The most recent addition to the hat-trick club is Michael Hook. The medium fast swing bowler had bounced around the Grades since his debut several years ago, but had always been a potent wicket taker. Topping the District Third Grade aggregate in 2010/11, and a handy bagful early in the 2011/12 season saw him elevated back into the semi-final bound Second Grade team.

On the final day of the regular season, March 24, 2012, Second Grade was in a touch of trouble in their match against lowly placed Jamberoo. With the first week having been washed out, and other teams getting on the paddock and putting up big victories, Kiama looked a chance to drop from first place to fourth in one afternoon. Jamberoo had been 0/89 at one point, and was 7/133 when 'Hooky" was introduced for his second spell of the afternoon. From all accounts, his first spell had been tame, lacking his usual bite and penetration. Given that Second Grade had only played on one weekend in the previous seven, because of byes and wet weather, it isn't hard to imagine that he may have been under-done. Still, desperate times bring desperate measures, and he was needed to stand up here.

His first ball of his new spell passed through innocuously enough, but his second was a beauty, knocking down James Thompson's stumps. The new batsman was Brendan Dallas, who had been sitting around for a couple of hours, perhaps thinking that he may not even have to bat that afternoon. Now whether he just wasn't expecting what he received as his first delivery, or he lost it in the background of the Jamberoo scenery, or (as "Hooky" maintains) the ball was just too fast for him, Dallas shuffled in front of his stumps, only to miss the full toss that careered into his pads, and the umpire's finger was raised skyward to the rousing appeal of the Kiama team.

Nine wickets down, and the end of a long season in sight, is not a situation to easily walk out to face a hat-trick delivery. Rueben Campbell was the young man with this distinct honour, and though he may feel differently, he was no match on this occasion for the bowler, as "Hooky" snuck his next delivery through his defences to shatter the stumps, and bring up a wonderful milestone.

Gary Koks had been a potent all-rounder whose bowling had been as quick as anyone in the competition in the early 1980’s. The weakening of several parts of his body forced him to give away the fast bowling part of his arsenal, to the point where it was rare of him to bowl an over of any description.

On February 1^st, 1992, Second Grade’s faltering season was taking another tumble at the Kiama Sporting Complex. Having scraped together 157 in their innings of the one day fixture (Gary Koks with 34 opening the innings), Jamberoo had been curtailed to 6 for 104 before an irritating partnership between hard head Rob 'Brickhead' Mason and renown tail-ender Tony ‘Red’ Hastings had taken Jamberoo to 142 without further loss - within 16 runs of victory and with three overs to bowl. With few options left available to him, Kiama’s fill-in skipper (your humble correspondent) threw the ball to Koks to bowl his rather dodgy off breaks.

The first four balls were as rusty as you would expect from someone who was now not a regular visitor to the bowling crease, and were deposited for nine runs. Seven runs required from 14 balls, and with the field spread, ‘Red’ tried to put the resulting long hop onto the top soccer field, but managed only to sky it to Chris Sellars at mid wicket. Despite a couple of juggles, Sellars took the catch, re-igniting some forlorn hope in the Kiama players. The batsmen had crossed whilst the ball was in the air, and so it was Mason who faced up to the final ball of the over. It was a quicker ball - a real quicker ball, one almost pulled from the memory of the whippy fast bowler of yore. It pinned Mason to the crease and crashed into his pads before the bat had barely begun its downswing, and the umpire ruled in the affirmative for the Kiama team.  Both of the  set Jamberoo batsmen had been dismissed in successive deliveries, and the game changed again.

Five runs came from the following over, leaving scores tied with six balls to go. ‘Koksy’ was left with the duty of securing an unlikely tie, and did his part when Craig Hazelton tried to hammer the first ball of the over to the boundary, only to completely miss and be bowled. Gary’s hat-trick had brought Kiama to the edge of a redeeming tie. The fairytale ended there however, with the winning runs coming from a single with a ball to spare. Despite the heart-breaking loss, which ended any hope of a finals berth for the Second Grade team, there was at least something to drink positively about at the Grand Hotel beer garden that evening for the Kiama lads.

As a part of Third Grade’s charge toward the final of the 1998/99 competition, Brendan Moore was the young opening bowler who was a key element in the success that they had that season. On the afternoon of February 20^th 1999, Kiama captain Chris Forbes had set The Rail a target of 187 from a maximum of 18 overs to pull off an unlikely outright victory. Just as unlikely would have been a Kiama win, but The Rail had decided to chase the outright, giving Kiama an opportunity as well. The pressure was certainly on the young 16 year old bowling pairing of Moore and Ryan Omrod, and The Rail batsmen threw willow at leather with gusto. At 3 for 77 with the big hitting Martin Spears and cagey old dog John Hallsworth at the crease there was a growing possibility of a boilover. Fortunately for Kiama, Moore struck at this point, having Spears caught by David ‘Moz’ McCormack. The batsmen had crossed while the ball was in the air, leaving Hallsworth to face Moore’s next delivery, a long hop that sat up and begged to be spanked. Unfortunately for John, Albion Oval’s boundaries had been set back just a little too far, and he was caught right on the flags by Chris Forbes. For the hat-trick delivery, Moorey decided on a full ball at the stumps. Scott Tozer saw the invitation and accepted the challenge, but was only able to put the ball into Ian Pearson’s hands. Brendan’s hat-trick took the steam out of The Rail’s chase, and they finished at 8 for 124 when stumps were drawn.

Most Kiama teams have struggled when taking on Warilla at their Oakleigh Park home base, but Kiama’s Second Grade side had made a pretty good fist of it in their one day match on November 15^th 2003. Batting first, they had amassed 210 before being bowled out in the 43^rd over. However, it still needed a bold statement from the bowlers early on if Kiama was to be victorious, as Warilla had a particular joy in overcoming all obstacles to defeat teams wearing the blue and gold baggy cap.

17 year old Josh Elliott opened the bowling, a role he had taken on that season with enthusiasm. His short ambling run to the crease could fool – has fooled – batsmen as to the fierceness of his bowling. Once he reaches the crease however, the powerful motion of chest and shoulder makes the velocity of his delivery decidedly sharp.

With Warilla’s reply at none for 7, the excitement began. McCorry was facing, and Elliott’s delivery was full and at the stumps, rapping him on the pads. The appeal from the Kiama team was met in agreement by the umpire, and Warilla was 1 for 7. The new man was Davis, who was clearly unprepared for the pace at which his first delivery reached him. With his bat still deliberating on its action the ball crashed into his pads, and once again the appeal was received in favour of the fielding team.

Chris Sloane walked out to face the hat-trick ball at number four. Sloane was one of those guys all cricket teams loved to get out early. His cricket field demeanour was… of an annoying nature. He loved to be hated, and teams loved giving him little success.

Settling himself in, his back foot was a touch in front of the crease, despite being surrounded by fieldsmen. Having seen the previous two deliveries, and knowing that a third delivery exactly the same was coming in an attempt to pick up the hat-trick, Sloane would have been thinking about getting as far forward to the ball as he could.

Elliott’s ball was quick, his right shoulder ripping through. Sloane’s weight began to move forward before he realised that what he thought was going to be a yorker was in fact a searing bouncer, perfectly pitched and rising off a good length right at his nose. Sloane flinched, reversing his weight distribution as quickly as possible, and threw his gloves up to protect his face. The ball careered into the padding around his hands, and by sheer luck rather than good management, the ball popped up but went straight back down the wicket rather than in the direction of the men in close. On most days this would have saved Sloane, but on this day Kiama had Ryan Gunning playing, and ‘Nugget’ was the best fielder in the Club. From short leg he dived full length across the wicket, spraying dust and dirt into the air, and tearing skin from his forearms, stomach and knees – but he grabbed the ball in his outstretched fingertips. It was an amazing dismissal, one etched forever in the memories of those who were there to witness it.

One thing most people who have played with or against Josh can agree on is that, if ever there was someone who could produce multiple hat-tricks, then Josh is one of those bowlers. He can literally, in the middle of a terrible spell of bowling, somehow turn it around and produce an over or two of unplayable deliveries.

Seven years later - almost to the day - on November 6, 2010, Kiama Second Grade took on Jamberoo at Kevin Walsh Oval, the scene of Michael Hook's hat-trick sixteen months later. Jamberoo had been sent in after losing the toss, and had weathered the early going okay to be 1 for 44, before opener Grant Russell was dismissed for 21.

Elliott had been toiling away from the start of the innings, economical apart from wides, which amassed almost half of the runs he conceded. The wicket of Russell had brought Mitch Hudson to the crease, and the young left hander was going to make certain he was behind the line of the ball. He moved across in front of his stumps to cover any slanting of the next delivery towards the slips cordon, only to find that the ball instead was dead straight, cart-wheeling his middle stump behind his legs for a duck. Todd Bridge came in to face the last ball of Elliott’s over, and as so many batsmen have done throughout his career as a bowler, Bridge made the fatal error of shuffling across rather than getting forward. The good length delivery beat him for pace dreadfully, thumping into his pads and leaving the umpire in no doubt as to his decision.

A further wicket fell in the following over before Josh returned to the bowling crease, this time facing stalwart Jamberoo journeyman Brian ‘Hobo’ Harris. Having witnessed the carnage of four wickets falling for just three runs while he stood at the non-strikers end, he would have had time to prepare himself for what he was about to face. What came at him was a searing yorker length delivery, a pearler straight from ‘Jellie’s’ finest weaponry. ‘Hobo’ managed to get his bat down on the ball in time, but was only able to squeeze it out towards the slips cordon. Waiting there at third slip was Rob Farrell, who had only been summoned into the cordon for this hat-trick delivery. There was, literally, no time to react. The ball was travelling at such a pace that, had Rob not stuck his hands up in front of his face as quickly as he did, he could easily have suffered a broken nose or cheekbone. General disbelief turned to incredulity when Rob not only avoided some critical damage to his face, he also held onto the catch, thus terminating Harris’ innings and completing Elliott’s second Grade hat-trick for Kiama.

Like all new players, when Nathan Simpson arrived at the Club as a sixteen year old from Albion Park in November 1999, he was asked “What do you do?” Having answered that he batted and bowled, but was “probably more of a batsman”, he was chosen for three matches in Second Grade, where he did three things – he batted in the middle order and scored a few runs, he did not bowl a ball (though more out of the fact that 2^nd Grade had nine bowlers in their team most weeks at that point in time), and he proved himself to be one of the best fielders in the Club (a story that lies in another chapter).

With available players slotting back into the higher Grades, Simpson went back to Third Grade, playing against the Warilla White side at King Memorial Oval. He batted at number three and scored 10 as Kiama Blue was rolled for just 120. With Warilla White just passing their first innings score, skipper Mark O’Dwyer threw the ball to Simpson, no doubt to see what he could do. He immediately impressed those in the Kiama Blue side with his pace, and he finished the innings with 2 for 29 as Warilla White took a 48 run first innings lead.

Chasing an unlikely outright, Kiama Blue scored quickly to declare at 3 for 193 (Nathan Simpson 20 not out), leaving a little under 30 overs for Warilla White to score 152 runs or Kiama Blue to take ten wickets for an outright result. The ball was thrown to the junior speed tyro’s, fifteen year old Steve Ross and ‘Simmo’. ‘Rossy’ was quick – the word from his Under 16 team mates was that he was the quickest of the fast bowling brigade – but wayward and generally short. Nathan was immediately on song, moving in swiftly off a modest run-up. Unusually for a left arm bowler, he chose to come around the wicket, but was still effective, slicing through the opening batsmen. His partner picked up the next two batsmen, but was proving expensive, his six overs costing 54 runs. Simpson continued to penetrate, picking up another two wickets as well as throwing down the stumps from cover to effect the run out of Monie.

Whether or not the Warilla side had given up on the chase for outright points before this is unknown – one can only assume it was the case. However, the assumption becomes irrelevant as Simpson comes in to conclude his eighth over of the innings. Despite the ball now being almost sixteen overs old, ‘Simmo’ is still making it perform tricks, and his speed, though down on what it was initially is still too much for Ty Cherry, who has his off stump plucked out of the ground. The following ball to Ken Pitt is cruel, a late dipping yorker at pace that rips out middle stump before the batsman knows what has hit him. Number eleven comes to the crease with the Kiama team on a high, looking as though they are going to pull off an amazing come-from-behind win. The veteran Russell Park bowls the next over, but cannot finish off the match, leaving Simpson with his opportunity. The first ball of his ninth over is another screamer, bending back from outside the right hander’s off stump to crash into middle before the batsman had an opportunity to play a shot. The innings was over, the match completed, and Nathan Simpson had announced to all that he was a bowler first, and a handy one at that. It was his final match in Third Grade that season, as he moved up to open the bowling in Second Grade in the side he helped to propel toward the 1999/2000 premiership.

There was another hat-trick for Kiama in Third Grade that season, this one perhaps the least likely of all that have been taken for the Kiama club. In 1999/2000 Kiama had entered two Third Grade teams, Blue and White. Blue was considered the ‘A’ team, though their premiership charge was halted in the semi-final. The White team was a team led by veterans such as Ian Pearson and David McCormack, bringing juniors into Grade cricket. It was a very successful three seasons, with almost twenty players progressing to Second and First Grade cricket from that team.

The final match of the season between the White team and Jamberoo had no bearing on the final four in the Third Grade competition, but was still a success for the Kiama side who won by 161 runs. However, the highlight came on the second afternoon of the match, with Kiama pressing for their outright victory. Skipper Ian Pearson was performing the traditional duties for a team not playing in the finals and in their final day of the season – giving every player a bowl. Veteran Ross Wolf was filling in for the match, a role he performed often in those years, especially in teams that his sons were playing in. His opportunity with the ball came with Jamberoo having recovered from some early setbacks to rebuild to 4 for 69, with Reed having done most of the damage with 36. His innings came to an abrupt conclusion at this point, however, when he steered a ball from Wolf to Scott Koenig. With the batsmen crossing whilst the ball was in the air, it was the other batsman in the recent partnership, Jason Evans, who faced the next ball, the final ball of the over. Possibly also tempted by the short boundaries of Keith Irvine Oval, he also hit the ball in the air, finding only the safe hands of Ian Pearson to grasp the chance offered to him.

The first ball of Wolf’s next over was to Burke, and if he was aware of his imminent arrival into Kiama folklore he didn’t show it. However, becoming the third victim in a hat-trick to – and let’s be honest here – the novice bowling of Ross Wolf by allowing his stumps to be scattered, is a truly damning feat. The fact that Ross was not content with this, and then bowled the following batsman Callum Pirie the next over is even more astonishing. Thankfully ‘Pearso’ had the good sense to take him off before he could build up any further victims, leaving him with 4 for 10 from three overs, and a lifetime of bragging rights over more accomplished bowlers who have failed to pick up a hat-trick of their own.

Josh Jones, along with many of his contemporaries from the junior ranks, was forced to take a senior role in the First Grade squad before his time due to the generation gap that gripped the Kiama club during the late 1990’s. Fortunately ‘Doc’ is made of stern stuff, and didn’t shirk the responsibility that was thrust upon his young shoulders as he led the bowling attack.

On January 6, 2001 Kiama were busy trying to put their traditional rival Gerringong to the sword. They had been cruising for a decent total at 3 for 93 before ‘Doc’ and his leg-spinning partner at the other end (your humble correspondent) had run a swathe through the middle order, reducing Gerringong to a teetering 7 for 112. The wicket of Peter Neale caught behind by Tim Richardson was ‘Doc’s’ third for the innings and exposed number ten and eleven to him for the chance of a ‘five-fa’. Ashton Sims had yet to play rugby league for the Dragons or the Broncos or the Cowboys  in the NRL, but he was still a big kid, and he probably thought that the stride he got in to the next delivery was a decent one, even though it clumped him on the front pad. Certainly his reaction when he was fired out LBW, despite only a cursory appeal from the bowler when those behind the wicket went up in unison, was telling enough. ‘Doc’ himself admitted in the huddle at centre wicket that it “wasn’t even close”. Still, he had reached that pinnacle that so many of us have scaled and then failed to complete. Justin O’Hare was the final batsman for Gerringong, and must have wondered what was ahead of him. In fact, he treated the ball like he was a rabbit with headlights bearing down on him, and the perfunctory shuffle across his stumps only meant that when ‘Doc’s’ delivery thudded into his pads, the umpire’s decision was an easy one. Gerringong had lost 7 for 19, lost by six wickets, and Josh Jones was well underway to proving himself to be one of Kiama’s finest ever bowlers.

Update #1. The good thing about online publishing is that you can update it whenever something new and exciting comes along. And thanks to 1st Grade skipper in the 2016/17 season Nathan Barr, here is his description of the latest addition to the hat-trick club for Kiama, which occurred in the season just finished.

In a game against perennial heavyweights Oak Flats at Geoff Shaw Oval, it was 16 year old Blake Harrison, playing just his third game of 1st grade who joined the elite 1st Grade hat-trick club for the Cavs.

The Kiama opening bowlers had got the Cavs off to a great start against the strong Oak Flats top order with Josh Norris bowling his best spell of the season to remove both Nikataris brothers for 0 and 6.  At the 'houses end' tall left armer Glenn Cleary was showing all his guile and experience on a seaming wicket, tying the batsmen down and was unlucky not to have a wicket or two himself.

In the 10th over of the innings, Blake replaced Cleary with instructions from the skipper to bowl the same lines that had brought him success in his two other top grade games.

After a couple of dots, Scott McAndrew turned the third ball for a single bringing the experienced and dangerous Brynley Richards on strike. Blake's first delivery to Richards was straight and just short of a length, the moisture in the wicket from the rain the previous day saw the ball hold up a fraction. This had Richards through his defensive push a little early and he presented the easiest of return catches which Blake duly grabbed sending Brynly on his way for 1.

Jackman was the next batsmen in at number 5, a player that the Cavs had not come across before, but if his cricket prowess was even half as impressive as his beard this guy could bat. Blake gilded in and sent down the delivery which was a little shorter than his previous delivery and wider outside the off stump. It again sat up a little of the deck, putting it in the perfect zone for Jackman to rock back and cut the ball through point. The batsman gleefully accepted the invitation and launched into a firmly struck cut shot off the middle of his bat. Unfortunately for Jackman the shot was in the air and Ben 'Pumper' Jones swooped taking an excellent two handed catch at full stretch. Jackman was on his way and Blake had two wickets in two balls.

In at number 6 was Oak Flats captain Andy Twyford, another experienced player to face the hat-trick ball. Twyford took guard and the field was set with catching men in 3 slips, a gully, a catching cover and a short mid on.  Often on a hat-trick ball, the occasion sometimes gets the better of a bowler and they can send down the worst delivery of their spell, allowing the batsmen to watch the delivery harmlessly sail past. Blake, however did the complete opposite, bowling the ball that pretty much every bowler wishes they could bowl in this situation.  Blake let rip a full ball on an off stump and Twyford shuffled forward on his crease and prodded his bat out to defend that line. The ball then swung in late, moving past the inside edge of the bat and thumped into his pads. As the 11 Kiama players went up in unison for the LBW, the decision was taken out of the umpires hands as the ball rolled back onto the stumps, dislodging the bails. Twyford was bowled for 0 and Blake had his hat-trick, ripping the heart out of the Oak Flats top order. 

Hat-Tricks (Part One)

The taking of a hat-trick is an understandably difficult exercise. The success of snaring a single wicket for most people is tough enough; the snaring of two wickets in consecutive deliveries is a major achievement. How problematic is it then, to go that little bit further and make it three wickets in three deliveries?

Some people become obsessed about how “agonisingly close” they had come to taking one, or mull over how many times they have been within a mosquito’s wing of finally accomplishing the feat. Actually, it’s funny how people have stopped wanting to listen to me talk about the twenty eight times in my cricket career I have failed to convert two wickets in consecutive deliveries into that elusive hat-trick... though perhaps that story is for another time.

Keeping in mind the rarity of the event, the record of twenty hat-tricks achieved in all four Grades of the Kiama Cricket Club since 1946 is probably about par. Every one of those hat-tricks has their own story. Some are simple and straight forward - others are more interesting, unusual, and intriguing.

Phil Maloney’s hat trick against Oak Flats B Third Grade at Bonaira Street in 1987 came as a part of career-best figures for him to that stage of his career.

Bowling in the second innings, after Kiama had fallen for just 80 chasing Oak Flats B’s 91, Maloney bowled unchanged from the Kendall’s Beach end, finishing with 7 for 54 from 18 overs in a marathon effort. His hat-trick came toward the end of the innings, picking up Edwards, Oliver and Waterman as his consecutive scalps. Maloney’s bowling figures may have been even better had his opponents not declared nine wickets down in an attempt for outright points, which Kiama failed by five runs to chase down when stumps were drawn.

The Hartley family has had a huge influence on the Kiama Cricket Club over many decades, so it should come as no surprise that one of them was able to snare a hat-trick. Perhaps the only surprise is that eldest brother Ian Hartley was the only one to do so in Grade cricket for Kiama. He did however choose the day that his brother Alan made his 1^st Grade debut to perform the feat, and that sidebar was to become more fortuitous than either would have imagined.

Playing Gerringong at Kiama Showground on November 3rd 1973, Ian, like Phil Maloney some years after him, bowled unchanged through the first innings. On the face of it, his spell was certainly shorter and perhaps more damaging. He had the first two wickets Boxsell and Skeers back in the shed with the total on just three – both caught by younger brother Alan on debut. A recovery of sorts took place, until with the score on 17 Hartley struck again, this time bowling Norm Carradus for 7. Jeff Grant came to the crease and immediately edged behind to keeper Keith Brown. Barry Watkin replaced him, but was powerless to stop the next delivery careering into the stumps, giving Hartley his fifth wicket for the innings as well as completing his hat-trick.

After a mini-recovery Hartley removed Malcolm Thompson to have all six wickets in the innings to that point. A run out, along with Milton Cox coming on first change and snaring two wickets, stopped the procession, but he managed to pick up one last wicket, once again with the help of Alan, whose three catches as a fieldsman on debut in First Grade is unmatched in Kiama history. Ian finished with 7 for 25 in that innings, and his 3 for 8 in the second gave him his first ten wicket haul in First Grade.

Tony Douglas completed the Second Grade match against Gerringong in 1970 in victory for Kiama with his hat-trick. His first two wickets came from the final two balls of his sixth over, leaving Gerringong at 8 for 27 chasing 138 for victory. Brian Dore bowled a wicket maiden in the following over, before Douglas bowled Mick ‘Flash’ Ashmore for a golden duck to complete his trio of wickets.

Five years later, and having changed his allegiance to the Kiama club, 'Flash' himself took a hat-trick in the Third Grade match against Lake Illawarra on March 1, 1975. Kiama had lost first innings, and having set Lake 108 runs to win outright on the second afternoon, they needed their bowlers to stand up and provide some real penetration. Fortunately, 'Flash' chose this moment to take a stand, with the Lake batsmen having a real crack at chasing down the target in the few overs available to them. Bowling through the innings with Allan Snelling at the other end, 'Flash' ran through the Lake batting, finishing with 7 for 33, including his hat-trick which he took in the middle order. Combined with his 5 for 41 in the first innings, and his 32 runs in the first innings with the bat, and the match was a personal triumph.

In his first match for Kiama in the newly merged S.C.D.C.A competition, Arthur Pepper completed a hat-trick in the second innings against Tullimount Second Grade on November 9^th, 1946. It was late on the second afternoon, with Kiama having secured a one run lead on the first innings. In those days there was no bonus points system, so with little time left Tullimount was left to bat out the afternoon as best they could. In his third over, J Willis tried to loft Pepper over cover but only found Haddy Canham’s safe hands, which took the catch. The following delivery, new batsman McCormack played an identical shot, for an identical dismissal. Enter B Willis, whose brother was the first wicket to fall. No doubt aware of the situation, he apparently tried to defend a straight delivery from Pepper, but only managed to leave a gap between bat and pad which the ball squeezed through, completing the hat-trick by losing his middle stump.

Ben Lidden marked his arrival in Kiama with a hat-trick on debut, and in First Grade as well. Playing in the opening round of the 1952-53 season against Jamberoo, Lidden had to cool his heels while the quartet of Allan Snelling, Bill Longbottom, Leo Henry and Nev Regan all had their opportunity at the batsmen on show. Jamberoo, with only ten players, had progressed along to 6 for 110 before ‘The Lithgow Terror’ was thrown the ball. His early deliveries were swift but erratic in length, and enough for those watching to confirm his nickname was justified. With his sixth delivery he uprooted the stumps of Hogan, who must have been confused as to what he would receive next. Whether this was playing on the minds of the incoming batsmen is impossible to tell, but Lidden’s next delivery was similar to the previous one, and left the stumps scattered. Noel Hamilton was the final batsman to the crease, and his feet were rooted to the spot as he flayed at another Lidden screamer, but only managed to nick it through to keeper Len Bickel to complete the hat-trick. Much was made of this over in the Kiama Independent and through word of mouth in the following week, but it mostly came to nothing. In the second innings Lidden went for none for 25, and played only four other matches during the season, all in Second Grade. Four further matches in Second Grade the following season were the final in his career with Kiama.

Steve Buchan was a medium pace bowler who played Fourth Grade with the premiership teams in the early to mid 1990’s. His hat-trick came against the old foes, Gerringong in the first match after the New Year break in January 1994. His first two wickets were straight forward, but it was his third victim who, from all reports, stole the show. In an attempt to throw off the bowler, the batsman charged at the bowler before he released the ball, but then also moved back into his crease at the point of delivery. The resulting shot was part slash over slips, part self preservation, part defensive prod. The problem was, the ball was of a good length, and it crashed into the stumps. Play was apparently held up for some time as both sides tried to recuperate from their laughter following the event.

Arguably the Kiama Cricket Club’s greatest player, Bill Longbottom, took three hat-tricks for Kiama in the years after the Second World War, more than any other bowler.

His first was in the second round match against Jamberoo Second Grade on October 28, 1950. Jamberoo had secured first innings points in a low scoring derby, and had then batted on through most of the second afternoon without looking to exploit an outright result. At 7 for 177 it appeared as though they were going to bat until stumps, until the re-introduction of Longbottom to the attack saw all three final wickets fall in successive deliveries. Willie Jones, who had opened the innings and made 89 was the first to go. This exposed numbers ten and eleven to the wily medium pacer, and he soon cleaned them up to complete his hat-trick, bowling the number eleven Alexander to put the issue beyond doubt.

His second hat-trick came in the following season, in the First Grade match against Albion Park at Kiama Showground played on the 16^th and 23^rd of February, 1952. The match itself was one of the best (statistically) of Longbottom’s career. Albion Park won the toss and batted first, and had made a pretty good fist of the innings at 4 for 95 before Longbottom forced their hand, destroying the middle and lower order. The last six wickets fell for just ten runs and the innings closed at 105. Longbottom finished with 5 for 25, his first five wicket haul in First Grade in the S.C.D.C.A competition. Kiama’s reply was not sufficient to take first innings points, falling for just 81 runs. Needing to make immediate inroads, Kiama’s captain Keith Young, who had bowled Longbottom at second change in the first innings, now decided to throw him the new ball – with devastating results. With the score on just two, Longbottom crashed through the Park top order, clean bowling Mick Pearson, John Stubbs and Des Stubbs with three deliveries. He ended up bowling through the innings, with Albion Park being dismissed for just 60. Longbottom finished with 6 for 17 for the innings, a match haul of 11 for 42, and Kiama went on to win the game outright.

Is it possible to beat that for a match effort? 11 wickets for the match, five in each innings, and a hat-trick in the bargain? Most of us would believe not. But most of us aren’t Bill Longbottom.

Kiama won the toss in their second round match against Albion Park First Grade at Kiama Showground on October 17, 1953, batted first, and went on to score 177 in their first innings. Batting in the middle order, Longbottom contributed the top score of 33 runs, proving his all round value once again.

Albion Park began their reply, and apart from the loss of Williams had most along steadily to 1 for 25, before skipper Arthur Hall made a bowling change, bringing Longbottom into the attack. And so began one of the most remarkable spells of bowling in Club and District history.

The first three balls of the over passed without event. The fourth ball found John Stubbs, already a part of one Longbottom hat-trick, lofting to Allan Snelling and being dismissed for 12. The fifth ball of the over was to Beattie, who had crossed while the catch was being taken the previous delivery. Beattie failed to learn from his dismissed partner, hitting that delivery to Alan Carson who also took the catch, dismissing the batsman for 12. With the batsmen crossing again, it was left to Crocker to see out the hat-trick delivery, but an edge saw him snapped up by Leo Henry, and Longbottom had completed yet another hat-trick.

But the fun didn’t stop there. Connaughton came to the crease to face the seventh ball of Longbottom’s first over, but he was just as ill-equipped to handle the seaming and swinging ball, and only managed to nick it through to keeper Len Bickel to complete a rare ‘double’ hat-trick of four wickets in four deliveries. The next batsman Brooker was able to see off the final delivery of the over, leaving Longbottom with 4 for none off one over, and Albion Park reeling at 5 for 25.

Longbottom began his second over by conceding a three to Ken Hickey. Whether this was a ploy or not is unknown, but with his following delivery he bowled Brooker, meaning he had taken five wickets in just seven deliveries. The rest of the over failed to see either wickets or runs, leaving Longbottom with 5 for 3 off two overs.

His third over was more eventful, with two further wickets. With the first ball of his fourth over, Longbottom dismissed Des Stubbs, closing out the Albion Park innings at just 36. Longbottom’s 3.1 overs had brought him the unbelievable figures of 8 for 3. And as Albion Park had only ten players on that day, it is not stretching the realms of possibility to think that he would have finished with nine wickets had they had their full allotment on that day.

Albion Park followed on and was dismissed for 58 in their second innings, leaving Kiama as victors by an innings and 85 runs. Longbottom’s figures in the second innings? None for 29 from six overs. Cricket is a great leveller, but the great ones do shine brightly on more occasions than not.