Old Xaverians Cricket Club - News

Vale Bill Carroll

2020-05-21T17:09:41+10:00

The Old Xavs Cricket Club was very sad to hear of the passing of Bill Carroll – a life member of the OXCC.

Bill joined the OXCC in the early 1950s and played until the mid 1970s. A right arm off break bowler Bill distinguished himself in his first game opening the bowling and returning figures of 8 for 52. In 1959 / 60 he took a hat trick (all bowled) v University; in 1961 / 62 he took 48 wickets in the season at an average of 9.2. In 1963 / 64 v St Kilda he took 6/18 and in 1969 / 70 took 7/32 v MCC B’s.

Whilst playing for the Old Xavs, Bill also played for the MCC XXIX Club and enjoyed many tours with the XXIXers. Bill finished his playing days helping out the MCC A’s, this occurred because of his association with the MCC XXIX.

During his association with the OXCC he served as President, Captain and was one of the first Life Members and winner of the bowling averages on several occasions.

Bill was also a Life Member of the Old Xavs Football Club – one of the few to achieve the “double”

Post his playing days Bill was the Chairman of the Melbourne Chapter of the Primary Club. He was instrumental in leading the Primary Club and as a result of the various functions he organised and cricket games, they were able to distribute large amounts of funds to various sporting charities.

At Club functions, Bill had great delight in retelling stories of games and players thereby elaborating on the history of the Cricket Club. He was particularly fond of one story of a game held in 1945 where the Club fielded with only 2 players and took a wicket with the first ball.

Bill is survived by his son James and his daughter Lindsay.

Firsts Defend Small Total

2019-01-26T19:20:26+11:00

The First XI had a rare Saturday game against Melbourne High, and despite missing some important players like Tom Ashby, Lachie Volpe, and Olly Hicks; fortunately the side wasn’t too depleted. On a pretty soft deck, Melbourne High’s skipper was eager to see us bat first after he won the toss.

Angus Sheedy (15) opened with Charlie MacIsaac (10), and after surviving a first ball scare, managed to put on a small opening stand. Unfortunately, Sheeds wasn’t able to continue on with last week’s good form, whilst Jimmy Forrest (1) was caught fishing outside off early in his innings. MacIsaac followed suit soon after, and suddenly the Xavs were in a bit of trouble at 3/30. Joel Cowell (7) and Dan Syson (13) steadied the ship a little, but it was a difficult pitch to bat on. Nick Terry (0) wasn’t able to continue his form in the twos from last week, but Hugh Morris (30) was able to take control of the innings. Morris took the Xavs from 5/44 and started to score good runs, with teammates falling around him. Will Wilson (0) wasn’t able to stick by for too long, whilst Matt Forrest (0) didn’t score but held up an end for four more overs than most others. Sam Cleeve (7*) saw the red ink, but watched Morris and Nick Carabine (0) fall in consecutive balls, with the Xavs slumping to 99 all out.

Due to the innings finishing earlier than expected, lunch was still being prepared at the Skinny Dog, so both sides agreed to begin the second innings, and take lunch after about 10 overs. Skipper Jimmy was hoping the lunch break could be utilised as a tool to disrupt any momentum Melbourne High might gain if they get two batsmen going. Fortunately for the Xavs, Matt Forrest (1/16 off 4) struck with the second ball of the match, then Dan Syson (2/11 off 5) got in on the action in the second over. Suddenly, Melbourne High went from looking at a potential bonus point, to 2/1 after 2 overs. Syson had his second wicket soon after, helping MHOBs to 3/13. Mark Dowling (1/14 off 4) played his part with taking wickets, whilst hat-trick hero from last week Nick Carabine (4/11 off 8) continued in his rich vein of form. Cara cleaned up again, but this time it wasn’t while he was going for runs. Smart thinking from Matt Forrest also saw a run out, taking Melbourne High to 9-52. Suddenly, Xavs were cruising to victory, with a seriously impressive bowling performance. Sam Cleeve (0/4 off 1), Will Wilson (0/7 off 1) and Angus Sheedy (0/2 off 1.4) got in on the bowling action, but were unable to take the last wicket. It took a dropped catch at slip by Cleevey, partnered with a run out at the non-strikers end, to finally end the torture that was Melbourne High Old Boys’ innings; all out for 65.

Despite a less than impressive batting innings, the boys were excellent with the ball, getting an all-important win as they try to climb the ladder on the march towards finals. No game this week, but a big game against Scotch after the Australia Day weekend.

Cara's debut hat-trick helps defeat Wesley

2019-01-15T13:55:06+11:00

The Old Xavs First XI were eager to begin the second half of the season on Sunday, and were greeted by a Plunkett pitch that looked like it had been taken straight out of the WACA breeding grounds. With six games left in the season, the competition for finals spots is heating up; and has been made more competitive with premiership heroes Dan Syson, Tom Ashby and Lachy Volpe returning for another finals run, along with Old Xavs debutant Kane Pirera and Mark Dowling and Nick Carabine playing their first 1^st XI games this season. Skipper Jimmy Forrest won the toss and had no hesitation opting to bat first.

Tom Ashby (39) and Angus Sheedy (71) opened the inning, and together they tormented the Wesley bowling attack. Tom and Angus’ assertive shot selection and hard running between the wickets meant the Xavs had one of their better starts for the season thus far. Unfortunately, Ashby was the first to fall after an 87 run partnership, which led to the skipper Jim Forrest (9) joining the team’s new leading runscorer at the crease. Jim wanted to regain that title, but was beaten early and wasn’t able to catch up to Sheedy. Kane Pirera (41*) has been building hype since he signalled his intentions to play Old Xavs cricket at the start of the season, and it was easy to see why. Despite shaking off some rust early in his innings, Kane built a very solid partnership with Sheeds, showing everyone present why he was such a mainstay in the school’s top order. Sheedy was extraordinarily unlucky in the method of his dismissal: guiding an off-spinner’s half tracker down the throat of short fine leg. If he opted to put the garbage away, Angus would’ve had six extra runs to his name, instead he was on scoring duties, after a season top score of 71. Olly Hicks (35) joined Pirera and with 12 overs to go looked at ramping up the run rate. It took him a couple overs to start seeing it, but from then on he was hitting everything. That is, except for the one that went through the gate and into his castle. Dan Syson (8) played his first game since the grand final, and with an exchange in Sweden between his last hits, its understandable he’s getting back into the swing of things, and he’ll be better for the run. Jon Catania (2) was a victim of having 2 overs to go, whilst Lachie Volpe (1*) batted out the final balls with Kane, purely looking for red ink. After 40 overs were done, the Old Xavs had finished on 235, the best score for the year, with plenty of promising signs from the batsmen.

After the break, and a story of Syson’s European adventures, the Xavs were in the field and ready to defend their total. Matt Forrest (2/28 off 8) took the new rock with Mark Dowling (1/12 off 4), and it was Dowling who struck first in the sixth over of the match. Forrest had the second not long after, and the boys could smell a potential bonus point with Wesley being 2/27. Nick Carabine (5/36 off 5.4) came on, and three balls in to his First XI debut, his figures were 0/9 off 0.2 (after bowling a no ball). Nick then wrote himself into not only the Old Xaverians’, but also into the league’s history books, as he then went a rampage, utilising Dan Syson at mid wicket for his first wicket. The very next ball, Nick channelled Peter Siddle with a yorker rolling off the toes of the batsman and into his stumps. Nick was on a hat trick in his first over of his First XI debut. With three slips, two gullies, a leg slip, a short leg, a short cover, and a catching mid wicket, Nick ran in to bowl. It was full, fourth stump line, swinging away. The number six batsman poked at it. All he could muster was a thick edge. Heads turned as the ball sailed through the air. It was edged straight to Ashby at first slip, who made no mistake. The team chased after Nick, but it wasn’t until he had reached backward point before anyone had caught him. It was the first hat-trick in at least the last 8 years of the club, probably more. At the time of writing this, I am still awaiting confirmation from the MCC that it was the first time in recorded history that a player has taken a hat-trick in his first over of his debut match. I can’t imagine it has happened too many times. After almost timing out, the new batsman almost fed leg slip for four in a row but it fell short, which brought the end of an incredible over.

After such an unbelievable over, Lachie Volpe (0/21 off 8) was tasked with continuing on with the bowling, and showed everyone why the Xavs are desperate to qualify him for finals. Despite not taking a wicket, he continuously troubled the batsmen, and if it wasn’t for his skipper’s lousy catching ability, Volpey would’ve been rewarded with a wicket. Wesley went from 5/42 to 5/104, with Kane Pirera (0/24 off 2) also unable to get a wicket. Dan Syson (2/10 off 3) shook off some dust in his first over, conceding ten runs, but then was back to his best, with two wicket maidens following. Jon Catania (0/20 off 2) was chased hard by the batsmen and wasn’t able to get a mistimed shot. Forrest came back on with Carabine, and Forrest took his second for the match, before Carabine finished off the tail with two wickets, bringing his tally to five. A five wicket haul with a hat-trick has to be one of the most impressive debuts ever, finishing with figures of 5/36 off 5.4 overs. The Xavs couldn’t get the bonus point, but won by 74 runs in an impressive performance after the break.

Sunday was a superb effort from everyone, a very complete performance with plenty of highlights, especially from First Eleven debutants Nick Carabine and Kane Pirera. Make sure you get down to training on Wednesday night to ensure we can carry over this form.

Old Xavs: Wet Weather Specialists

2018-12-07T15:34:36+11:00

The First XI arrived at Xavier College for their first home game of the season to be welcomed by blown up covers and a watered down pitch on the Plunkett Oval. Upon inspection by the umpire and the two teams, the skippers agreed for a reduced overs match starting later, as both teams were keen to get on. Jimmy Forrest won the all-important coin toss and elected to bowl first.

Matt Forrest (2/15 off 5) opened the bowling, and with the first ball getting stuck in the sticky wicket, elected to bring in two catching options forward of the wicket. On the third ball of the over, the batsmen popped one back but Forrest didn’t need the fielders, as he did all the work himself. Pat Nunan (0/21 off 4) opened with Forrest and transferred his demons to the batsmen. Forrest managed another early wicket thanks to the glorious diving catch from keeper Eden-Lachowicz. At 2/17, the boys could sense a small total to chase, and tried to hunt down Melbourne High. Unfortunately, the batsmen dug deep and managed to put on a nice partnership, despite some good bowling from Sam Cleeve (0/24 off 4) and Charlie Johnson (1/35 off 7). CJ managed to get the breakthrough after a 60 run partnership thanks to some great fielding by Knox. Seb Knox (3/20 off 7) earned himself a bowl after that great catch and continued to snag wickets, making short work of the batsmen coming in. Jackson Ellingworth (3/3 off 5) was thrown the ball after it was revealed CJ had bowled out, and without a warmup, the boom recruit, fresh off the plane from schoolies, sent down 130km/h thunderbolts. With Knox, Jacko locked down the batting lineup as they tried to ramp up the run rate. Beautiful line and length bowling saw Ellingworth claim three wickets by removing the bail from the top of off stump. John Donohoe (1/7 off 1.4) came on and got in on the wicket taking, finishing Melbourne High’s innings prematurely. The visitors had given the Old Xavs 127 runs to chase, which was definitely attainable, but with a damp pitch, the boys would need to focus to make the runs.

After being on the road for so long, the boys were keen for some home cooking. The Skinny Dog, proud sponsors of the Old Xavs, ensured the boys didn’t go hungry. Four platters of sandwiches was plenty, with a good variation of egg and salad, salami and pesto, chicken and salad, and a vegetarian option. All platters were finished except the vegetarian option, showing where everyone’s priorities lie.

Ranking	Team	Spread	Drink	Total Score
#1	Melbourne High Old Boys	Party Pies, Sausage Rolls, chips, dips, fruit platters	Cordial, great mix	Food 9/10 Drink 10/10 Effort 9/10 Total 28/30
#2	Old Scotch	Make Your Own sangas, with condiments	Cordial, good mix and cool, not cold	Food 8/10 Drink 8/10 Effort 7/10 Total 23/30
#3	Old Xaverians	Four platters of sangas	Bottled water on ice	Food 7/10 Drink 7/10 Effort 7/10 Total 21/30
#4	Old Geelong	Hot chips, potato cakes, party pies	Cordial, weak but ice cold	Food 9/10 Drink 7/10 Effort 4/10 Total 20/30
#5	Old Melbournians	Make your own sangas, sour patch kids, barbeque shapes	Cordial, good mix and plenty of refills	Food 6/10 Drink 8/10 Effort 5/10 Total 19/30
#6	Melbourne Uni	Pre-made chicken and vegetarian sangas, bananas	No drink	Food 5/10 Drink 0/10 Effort 7/10 Total 12/30

After the feed, the opening pair of Jackson Ellingworth (0) and Michael Clark (10) strode out to the crease. It was rumoured that Ellingworth wasn’t finished digesting his subway, which led to his demise first ball of the innings. Jimmy Forrest (23) was in much earlier than expected, and with Clark began to score in the massive gaps created by having 3 slips and a gully. Clark was so intrigued by the gap between the bowler and fine leg that he tried to pull a full ball outside off through the gap, and instead created catching practice for the slips cordon. Alex Eden-Lachowicz (6) joined his skipper, however it wasn’t for long as he snicked off. Matt Dean (31) found himself in the middle, and started to smack the sub-par attack on a drying pitch. However, a freak throw from a prone fielder who wasn’t looking at the stumps meant Jimmy had an early shower. Matt Forrest (16) negotiated his way into number six thanks to his efforts putting the covers on (poorly) on Saturday night, and went to town on the batsmen. However, he chased at one too many outside off and had to go with 22 runs to get. John Donohoe (22*) and Seb Knox (1*) saw out the remainder of the runs, getting the boys home with 4 wickets and 7.2 overs to spare.

First XI lose Grand Final rematch

2018-11-30T18:38:17+11:00

The First XI fronted up to the Meares Oval in what was to be an epic rematch of last year’s grand final. Old Scotch were keen for revenge after being absolutely pants on the last Sunday of the season. The Xavs looked very different in comparison to last year, with Jon Catania making his Old Xav debut, along with Alex Trigar and Charlie Knott playing their first games for the first XI. Skipper Jim Forrest lost the toss, and Scotch elected to bat.

Matt Forrest (1/40 off 7) opened the innings, and was costly early while the side fielded 10 players, as Lachie Volpe was still on his way. Sam Cleeve (0/23 off 6) was solid but neither opener could jag the first wicket. Lachie Volpe (2/31 off 8) came on with Angus Sheedy (0/37 off 7) and was able to get the first, thanks to a good catch by Knotty. This wicket brought Sam Shearer to the crease, who chose not to use his feet to the leggie, after being embarrassed last season. Shearer and Mitchell began to score freely, despite good line and length bowling from the Xavs. A great catch from Olly Hicks, as well as the miracle piece of fielding from Jon Catania led to the wickets of both Mitchell and Shearer in a short space of time. Catania (0/30 off 4) wasn’t able to claim a wicket with his bowling, whilst Alex Trigar (3/30 off 8) got through his overs in record-breaking times. The inclusion of Trigar into short cover got everyone excited, with some excellent displays of fielding helping to prevent Scotch from crossing the 200-run mark. At the end of the 40 overs, Scotch had 193 on the board, but on the batting-friendly Meares Oval, that total is easily achievable.

Scotch has been very consistent in what the produce on the field, but also what they produce off it. Their spreads have always been of an acceptable standard, however on Sunday it was revealed they had upped their game. Classic Make-Your-Own sandwich job, however their was two types of ham, fresh salads, as well as the absolute game-changer: condiments. Mayonnaise and multiple mustards were available, as well as a cool, but not cold, cordial at a good ratio. Scotch have easily the best MYO sandwiches on the list, as everyone seems to forget the condiments, which can make or break a good sanga.

Ranking	Team	Spread	Drink	Total Score
#1	Melbourne High Old Boys	Party Pies, Sausage Rolls, chips, dips, fruit platters	Cordial, great mix	Food 9/10 Drink 10/10 Effort 9/10 Total 28/30
#2	Old Scotch	Make Your Own sangas, with condiments	Cordial, good mix and cool, not cold	Food 8/10 Drink 8/10 Effort 7/10 Total 23/30
#3	Old Geelong	Hot chips, potato cakes, party pies	Cordial, weak but ice cold	Food 9/10 Drink 7/10 Effort 4/10 Total 20/30
#4	Old Melbournians	Make your own sangas, sour patch kids, barbeque shapes	Cordial, good mix and plenty of refills	Food 6/10 Drink 8/10 Effort 5/10 Total 19/30
#5	Melbourne Uni	Pre-made chicken and vegetarian sangas, bananas	No drink	Food 5/10 Drink 0/10 Effort 7/10 Total 12/30

The Xavs began their run chase with Angus Sheedy (25) getting off to an absolute flyer. Sheeds was punishing anything short and wide, and saw plenty of runs go early. Jon Catania (46) batted sensibly, despite almost running himself and Sheeds out multiple times. Jimmy Forrest (0) was unable to continue his good form and was dismissed by an absolute pearler, which meant Olly Hicks (29) was to bat with Catania. This pair batted sensibly together, making runs and looking strong before Hicks was dismissed. Charlie Knott (0) misjudged the spinner, whilst Hugh Morris (5) hit a big boundary before having to go too. Charlie MacIsaac (5) sent Catania back, resulting in the run out that everyone saw coming, before being run out himself. Lachie Volpe (3) came and went, as did Matt Forrest (4), and whilst Sam Cleeve (11) offered a little resistance, too much work was to be done by Sam and Alex Trigar (2*). The Xavs looked to be cruising at 2/99 before a collapse had them all out for 138.

Plenty of work to be done lads, games like this one show us there’s plenty of improvements to be made to ensure we’re able to back up last year’s premiership. Good luck to those playing this weekend, whether that’s on the Saturday for the Second XI, or on Sunday with the Firsts.

First XI win down the Highway

2018-11-20T14:06:52+11:00

After a couple of late withdrawals, which is commonplace when there’s an away game in Geelong, the First XI boarded a bus at Xavier; keen to do battle down the highway. The Old Xavs were welcoming back their long lost son, Lachlan Volpe, who disappeared after the premiership last season, bound for a captaincy role at Templestowe. With him, Volpey brought Jordan Goldsmith, an opening bat at Templestowe. Matt Dean was also debuting for the club, whilst Tom Ingham was playing his first for the team, after debuting in the twos earlier this season. The bus eventually departed, after skipper and driver Jimmy Forrest finally figured out how to take the handbrake off.

Upon arriving and inspecting the deck, Jim won the toss and elected to bat. Angus Sheedy (49) proceeded to abuse the short straight boundary, as well as the very deep square boundaries. Along with the more conservative Jordan Goldsmith (18), the pair could easily be mistaken for Davey Warner and Chris Rogers. Together the partners put Geelong on the back foot instantly, with a run rate of 7.30 through the first 10 overs. Unfortunately, playing aggressively can come at a cost, and Sheeds popped one up to midwicket, leaving himself stranded on 49. Jim Forrest (61) joined Jordan and the run rate slowed a little, as the two consolidated after the Sheedy wicket. Goldsmith had to go after being caught, and Alex Eden-Lachowicz (16) joined his skipper. Everyone held their breath, after last week’s partnership between these two ended with a barbeque mid inning. However, there was no burning of teammates today, and the pair put on a nice stand of 45. Lach was clean bowled, which lead to Olly Hicks’ (31) introduction to the crease. Hicksy was batting well, but his running between the wickets was questionable. After a couple of overs, it was revealed that his box was sliding down his leg, so he parted with arguably his most important piece of equipment. This did not deter him, and he kept scoring freely. After a 57 run partnership, the skipper was bowled for a nice 65, which led to Matt Dean (13) joining Hicksy. Together, they combined for 19 runs and two run outs, as the both decided to burn themselves. A bit of running between the wickets at training could help. Charlie MacIsaac (5*) and Lachie Volpe (4*) finished the inning not out, helping the Xavs reach 219, the highest batting effort this season.

I am a man who believes in putting in effort. I enjoy attending training, because I know that this will help everyone improve. I don’t like it when things are just rushed, and thrown together at the last second. So despite the fact that the quality of food supplied at Geelong was of an acceptable standard, the fact that one of their blokes called the local fish and chips shop at the 30 over mark and got them to send over some chips and potato cakes made me uneasy. The chips were crispy and hot, potato cakes are the greatest food of all time, and the party pies were perfect temperature. Despite all this, I have to discount their score as Geelong had simply forgotten to supply lunch, and realised halfway through the innings. Because of this, Old Geelong will slot in second place, below Melbourne High.

Ranking	Team	Spread	Drink	Total Score
#1	Melbourne High Old Boys	Party Pies, Sausage Rolls, chips, dips, fruit platters	Cordial, great mix	Food 9/10 Drink 10/10 Effort 9/10 Total 28/30
#2	Old Geelong	Hot chips, potato cakes, party pies	Cordial, weak but ice cold	Food 9/10 Drink 7/10 Effort 4/10 Total 20/30
#3	Old Melbournians	Make your own sangas, sour patch kids, barbeque shapes	Cordial, good mix and plenty of refills	Food 6/10 Drink 8/10 Effort 5/10 Total 19/30
#4	Melbourne Uni	Pre-made chicken and vegetarian sangas, bananas	No drink	Food 5/10 Drink 0/10 Effort 7/10 Total 12/30

After the break the Old Xavs took to the field to defend a good score of 219. Matt Forrest (2/33 off 8) opened the account in the third over of the game with an inswinger clipping the top of off stump. Lachie Volpe (2/27 off 8) opened with Forrest but couldn’t snag a first spell wicket. Sam Cleeve (0/15 off 5) bowled tightly, with plenty of dots leading to a run out thanks to some good fielding by Volpe. Angus Sheedy (0/17 off 4) bowled well for no reward, whilst Tom Ingham (1/25 off 5) was expensive to start but managed to take his maiden First XI wicket for the club off a good caught and bowled. Jimmy Forrest (1/17 off 2) threw himself the ball in what was another garbage display with the pill. Jim was lucky that his half tracker was middled straight to Jordan at midwicket, and not to the boundary. Olly Hicks (1/6 off 2) was unlucky not to get more overs after a good spell, whilst Alex Eden-Lachowicz (0/15 off 3) got through his overs quickly, which was music to the captain’s ears. Forrest and Volpe returned to snag a pole each, leaving Geelong with 8/147 with 7 overs left. At this point, the game was won, so Jim decided to throw the rock to everyone. Jordan Goldsmith (1/8 off 2) had a debut wicket thanks to a catch-of-the-year contender by Hicks. Charlie MacIsaac (0/10 off 1) has been itching for a bowl all year, and with Geelong needing 46 off the final over to win, he got his wish. Despite the batsmen needing over 6 runs a ball, C-Mac did his best to get a win for Geelong, all but locking in keeping duties for the rest of the season.

In the end, an important win with plenty of blokes showing great touch going in to next week’s important clash against Old Scotch. See you all at training on Wednesday.

First XI fall to Old Melbournians

2018-11-15T19:08:36+11:00

After a washout and a forfeit, the Old Xaverians First XI were finally due to play their first game of cricket for the 2018/19 season. Skipper Jimmy Forrest lost the toss and as a result, the Xavs were bowling to start the season.

Opener Matt Forrest (4/19 off 7.4) didn’t wait long to open the account for the new year, with some clean glovework from Charlie MacIsaac (2 catches) resulting in a first over wicket. Forrest had his second one in the second over with a chop-on, and Old Melbournians were 2/12 after not many. Calum Abrahams (1/47 off 7) played his first game for the Old Xavs and managed to capture his first wicket at the club after shaking off some dust. Charlie Connors (0/20 off 4) also debuted, but wasn’t able to claim a first match wicket like Abe did. Seb Knox (2/23 off 8) made his long awaited return to cricket; having been missing in action for five years. Bowling well, Knoxy deserved a wicket and was cruelly dealt a drop by his skipper at short cover. With a partnership starting to build, the Workhorse that is Angus Sheedy (2/15 off 6) was brought on. ‘Norm’ instantly struck, and had his second wicket soon after as well. Hugh Morris (3/19 off 3) came on and looked troublesome, however wasn’t able to capture that Volpe/Warne stunner takes poles in large quantities. Anth Comand (0/25 off 4) made his return to Old Xavs cricket, but wasn’t rewarded with wickets. Knox and Forrest returned late in the inning to clean up the tail with two wickets apiece, finishing the Old Melbournians inning prematurely, with the hosts setting a total of 176 to beat.

Old Melbournian spreads have been as consistent as they come. On the walk from the changeroom to the dining room, Jimmy Forrest was overheard saying “If it isn’t make-your-own sandwiches and some barbeque shapes, I’ll bat myself at 11.” Skipper was on the dot with his prediction, however he missed the inclusion of some Sour Patch Kids. We’ll give it to him, though. Overall, a pretty standard spread, with an emphasis on quantity, but not necessarily quality or variance. As a result, Old Melbournians are currently second on the leaderboard; purely due to the fact that they supplied good cordial.

After lunch, Angus Sheedy (23) and Charlie Connors (18) began the chase. Sheeds was a man possessed out of the blocks, smacking each and every delivery bowled towards him. Some would argue he swung too hard, as he nearly dislocated his shoulder on a pull shot. After that attempt, he wasn’t the same, and his off stump was collected a few overs later. Jimmy Forrest (25) batted well with Connors, but not with Alex Eden-Lachowicz (8), with some communication breakdown leading to Lach standing in the middle of the pitch, looking helplessly at his Skipper, who decided to start up a barbeque mid-inning. Olly Hicks (12) joined Jim, and together they looked to increase the run-rate, as it was slowly climbing. Hugh Morris (20) punished some bad balls, whilsed Charlie MacIsaac (3) struggled to find the centre of his bat. Matt Forrest (2) ran himself out, which is a refreshing changeup to his usual dismissal of leaving balls on middle stump. Seb Knox (17) introduced himself to the bowlers by almost being out LBW first ball, then belting a six second ball. Unfortunately, too much was left to do by Calum Abrahams (1) and Anth Comand (2*), as the Xavs fell short by 28 runs with one over in the inning to spare.

Unlucky fellas, big game this week against Geelong, hopefully back on the winners list on Sunday.

Once the Future, now the Past: A Tom Edwards Tribute

2018-11-02T13:23:12+11:00

I was 16 when I played my first game for the Old Xaverians. It was a mild Sunday in January 2013. I was playing because it was my dad’s old club, they played on turf at Xavier, and I wasn’t doing anything else that day. Dad brought my brother, James, and myself down to the Plunkett Oval to meet all of the boys. Standing around the circle, the members of the Magoos introduced themselves. Myles Chapman and Matt Skidmore, the two opening bats, Liam Rogan and David Quinn, the middle order sloggers who played for the cans after the game, Maurice Corsi, the skipper of the twos, and Tom Edwards, the baby faced off-spinner. All of the boys were happy to have us fill the numbers, slotting Jim and myself in the batting order at three and four. After Jim snicked off for one, I batted with a few different boys as we tried to chase down Trinity. Soon enough, I was batting with Tommy Edwards and we were 6/80 chasing 99. I was on 21, feeling pretty good. Tom hit one straight to cover and called me through for the single to get off the mark. There was never a run in it, but being the youngster, I didn’t want to send him back. I was out by half a pitch. After the game, Edwards put his arm around my shoulders, and said he’d buy me a Sprite at the Skinny Dog that night.

Tom Edwards is the definition of a clubman. He’s the bloke that for eight years was the first to training, setting up cones and bringing the bag of balls. He set up the boundary line each week at the games. He never missed a game for any reason, and he was never the best.

But that’s why we loved him. It was the consistent overs of lofted off-spinners that’d either snag poles, or have to be fetched from the car park 110 metres away. It was the half-litre of zinc rubbed into his beard, along with the daggers he threw batsmen and umpires alike when he didn’t get the decision he was looking for.

Tommy didn’t earn the nickname “Future” from the cricket club, but it was the perfect definition for him. He took over the captaincy from Maurice and led the Magoos up the ladder and into a Grand Final. He twice finished in the top three in the league-wide leaderboards. Tommy led the Second XI wicket takers category four times, and in the MyCricket statistical era, Future has taken the most wickets by anyone at the Old Xaverians Cricket Club with 98 wickets taken. With a respectable average of 19.61 with the ball and 18.10 with the bat, Tommy was as consistent as they come.

The Magoos Grand Final of 2016/17 was one of my fondest memories of Future. Despite the fact we fell short of Old Caulfield’s total of 224, at no stage of the game did I feel like we were out of it. That’s due to Tommy’s consistent fire, burning deep in his belly, pushing everyone to their limits on that field at Scotch. He wanted that premiership more than anyone. While we couldn’t get him that flag that day, the First XI managed to get their drought-breaking premiership a year later. Thankfully, I was a part of that redemption tour. But I would’ve given anything to share that win with Future.

That’s the profound effect he has on people. Tom was the player who opened up his club and welcomed everyone into the club who wanted to play, whether it is for a game, a season, or a career. That first game I played for the Old Xavs, I was just filling in for the day because Dad asked me to, and I had nothing else on. It was Tom, and the culture he helped create that convinced me to continue my cricketing career there. One premiership and 68 games later, I’m still at the Old Xavs, and still as happy here as I was when Future ran me out 67 games ago.

From everyone at the Old Xaverians Cricket Club, we wish you all the best with the next chapter of your life, and we hope to see you in the Old Xavs whites again someday. You’ll always be our Future, and I’m still waiting on that Sprite at the Dog on your return.

Magoos agonisingly short against Melbourne High; 0-2 start

2018-10-30T16:51:11+11:00

After Wesley forfeited the First XI clash with the Old Xavs, the Magoos entered Sunday’s game against Melbourne High with a team brimming with talent. First’s skipper Jimmy Forrest made his way down to the Second XI to give the batting line up a bit of firepower, whilst Sam Cleeve was available for his first game of the season. Along with the debuts of Max Gray and Sam Turner, and the return of Magoos captain Pat Nunan, the Old Xavs were fielding a very different second eleven to the side who lost to Melbourne University last week.

The Old Xavs lost the toss and bowled first. Matt Forrest (0/15 off 8) had the first rock and had the batsmen in trouble early, with early swing and enormous lift out of the pitch creating havoc for the openers. Nunan (1/34 off 8) had the first wicket in his first over, however grassed an easy opportunity in the slips region off Forrest’s over. The drop proved costly as the opening batsman made an additional 94 runs. Cleeve (4/13 off 8) had his first bowl since the First’s grand final last season, and the thought of no preseason for Cleeve had the batsmen running for chest guards. However, Sammy put on a roaring display, ripping through Melbourne High’s middle order and leaving them 6/34. Not one beamer was bowled, even when the opposition’s number five came out without a helmet on. Michael Clark (0/9 off 3) continued his tight bowling from last week, with the opening bat showing plenty of respect (some would argue too much) to the first changer. Matt Perrett (1/52 off 8) wasn’t given the same luxury as Clarky, though, as was seen fetching his own balls in South Yarra Station. Ed Ralph (0/23 off 2) was unable to follow up last week’s heroics, with his economy of 11.50rpo just a smidge higher than last week’s 0/0 off 0 overs. With Melbourne High moving from 6/34 to 6/109, Jimmy Forrest (2/10 off 3) was thrown the ball. Play briefly stopped as the MCC “randomly” breathalysed Pat Nunan (0.27BAC) after that decision, but Jimmy continued to bowl. Below is a link to the over Jim attempted to emulate:

https://www.theroar.com.au/cricket/club-roar/is-this-classic-the-worst-maiden-ever-bowled-611561/?fbclid=IwAR3CkFDrkoq3xbb6Rx-BiER9y54o_tLE-oOcOpat5pB5z3NvCnBvozKAZZk

Jim bowled half tracker after half tracker, never exceeding the 40km speed limit set on Chapel Street. This caused utter chaos at the crease, with the batsmen confused as to how to play these deliveries. Hilarity ensued when Forrest’s fourth half tracker of the over – extra slow to ensure complete confusion – saw the batsmen play the shot about three deliveries early, and as a result the ball dropping into the top of the middle stump. Forrest ended up with a couple of wickets, to further confirm the claim that “shit takes wickets.” Melbourne High finished on 8/165 after their 40 overs; a total easily chased on the small ground.

Melbourne High has apparently hired scouts to read upcoming oppositions’ match reports to decipher who is talented on particular teams. In reading last week’s match report for the Magoos, they must’ve noticed a reasonably extensive paragraph on the spread provided by Melbourne Uni. This was made apparent by not only the quantity and variance of goodies on display, but also the quality. The sausage rolls and party pies were perfect scoffing temperature, the fruit was fresh and cooled in a fridge (I assume). The different drinking options included iced water, weak and strong raspberry cordial. Hommus and avocado dips were available, with savoys for a savoury snack, whilst snakes and Doritos were made available for those with a sweet tooth. As a result, Melbourne High have impressed, and taken a commanding lead at the top of the spreadable leader board.

With their bellies full, the Magoos began the second innings. It is unclear whether it was his torn hamstring, or the extra spread consumed at the break, but a slow Michael Clark (8) absolutely burned debutant Max Gray (8) early in the innings. Nick Terry (10) had his first hit for two seasons and batted calmly, and was joined by Jim Forrest (69*) after Clarky skied one to midwicket. After Terry was bowled, Pat Forrest (0) joined his eldest brother at the crease for the first time in Old Xaverian history. The entire family was parked on the sidelines for the monumental occasion. Unfortunately, Pat popped one up to mid on and had to go. Skipper Pat Nunan (0) couldn’t trouble the scorers, and Matt Forrest’s (0) demons from Melbourne Uni followed him down Chapel Street. Sam Cleeve (3) bucked the trend of ducks, but the seconds were in a massive hole of 9/102 after Ed Ralph (4) was bowled. Matt Perrett (43) joined Jimmy and began to bring life back into this match. The opposition had fielders situated on the boundary for Jim, so he wasn’t getting much value for shots, but with a ring field set for Perrett, he was able to go over the top for big boundaries. Controversy struck in the form of a waist high full toss, which Perrett knocked down the throat of deep cover. A conversation ensued between umpire, Jim, and square leg umpire Clark, and after a pause to the gameplay, agreed to rule the delivery illegal as it was a no ball, and Perrett was safe. The Xavs edged closer, with belief in an incredible, rollercoaster victory was possible with every Perrett boundary. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, as Perrett lofted a cover drive to cover with three runs to get, leaving the young number 11 batsman devastated. The sixty run partnership saw Perrett with 43 and Forrest with 11 runs, which is the exact opposite to what you’d expect between a number four and eleven batting together.

Unlucky again gents, with no game this week we’ll still be training on Wednesday, into a dinner date at the dog for some bonding I’d say.

Captain Clark's heroics unable to claim victory

2018-10-22T21:30:54+11:00

Old Xavs 9/174 (Cowell 59, Clark 35, Ingham 26) def by Melb Uni 8/175 (Forrest 4/15, Perrett 1/11, Clark 1/15)

After a long winter with little sunlight, the Old Xaverians Cricket Club was due to be in action. The last time the club had graced the field was grand final day, and we all know what happened next. After the First XI had their Saturday game washed out, the Magoos were the only team in action for round one. The start of the match didn’t come without controversy; the Old Xavs wouldn’t have it any other way. With the pitch under water thanks to some dodgy pegs, President Carl Nunan and umpire Ravi came to the agreement of playing the match on the artificial wicket on the oval next to the ground. The boys were keen as all buggery to play, especially after cancelling all Saturday night plans to ensure their heads were well rested and ready to go.

With captain Pat Nunan unavailable, Michael Clark brought unforseen wisdom to the Second XI as stand in skip for the day. Clarky won the toss and elected to bat first. Skip opened himself (35) with Nick Harries (1) who didn’t last too long. Called down from the one’s whilst at the Swan Hotel, Matt Forrest (7) was in no shape to be batting in the top three, and decided he would help the bowler with his job, Glenn Maxwell style, and leave one on the stumps. To be fair, “swung back a mile,” but in the history books it’ll go down as out for seven. Debutant Alex Trigar (0) forgot what a red ball looked like after years in the cricketing abyss; with the loss of his wicket leaving the Magoos at 3/23 and in serious strife.

Enter Joel Cowell (59). Cowell, the star batsman and all round great bloke, was an emergency for the First XI grand final (and was almost called up due to one burst appendix), and for good reason too. The long haired keeper batsman, who looks like he belongs more on a Garnier advertisement than on a cricket pitch, began a match saving partnership with the skipper Clark. The two of them put on only 34 together, however they survived the last nine overs of the opening partners’ spell. After Clarky departed, Andrew Seal (0) came and went without too much fuss, but Nick McCann (25) was keen to make a statement. McCann and Cowell sensationally smacked some seriously substandard spin surprisingly soon. Despite this, McCann had to depart after falling victim to some absolute garbage. Matt Perrett (18) did exactly the same as the score motored along, before turning on the barbeque and cooking himself with a direct hit from the opposing captain’s grandfather in the short cover region. Tom Ingham (26) showed off all his newly found strength, thanks to Barbell Samurai, while Chris Tsikrikos (2*) held down the other end superbly, giving the Magoos a total of 174 to defend.

With a new season ahead, the boys are looking forward to many good mid-match spreads. The lunch break saw Melbourne Uni supply the gents with some chicken and salad sandwiches, with vegetarian sangas as a variation, whilst a banana on the side is for those looking to bowl like Peter Siddle in the second inning. Josh Lyon (2 sangas, 1 banana) said it was the best spread all year, which is great props to Melbourne Uni. Due to it being the first match of the season, the leader board currently shows Melbourne University sitting at the top of the Spreads Ladder. More updates will come regarding the best spreads as the season wears on. Now, back to the cricket.

With 174 to defend, the Magoos came out of the break with a confidence to leave Princes Park with a well-earned victory. The first over brought the first wicket, with One’s opener, and heat seeking missile launcher Matt Forrest (4/15 off 8) claiming the first thanks to some simple glovework from Cowell. Forrest had another caught behind in his second, and with two more wickets coming in his third over, the boys had Melbourne Uni on the ropes at 4/12 after five. Forrest couldn’t claim his hat trick, whilst Alex Trigar (1/45 off 8) bowled some express from the other end. Despite the good first 10 overs the Old Xavs put together, Melbourne Uni’s number four and six dug in, seeing out the openers, and instead had Tom Ingham (0/47 off 8) and Matt Perrett (1/11 off 2) to deal with. Disaster struck in the form of a netball grand final, when Perrett and Ed Ralph (dnb/dnb) had to depart at the 14^th over, leaving the Xavs with 10 men. Skipper Michael Clark (1/15 off 4.2) brought himself on and snagged his first for the season, whilst Nick Harries (0/39 off 5) wasn’t able to claim one himself. One drinks break and a couple of phone calls later, the Old Xavs were graced with the presence of one Will Madden, 10As superstar and Matt Forrest’s protégée. Madden was quick to get involved, when he was involved in a partnership-breaking run out. Trigar was keen to get around the youngster as he became fully immersed in Magoos players. Forrest and Trigar returned to try and snag the last few but were unable to do so, and despite Clark’s best efforts with a potentially match-defining wicket, Melbourne Uni were able to finish the game as winners, thanks to a ton off the last ball for Haseeb.

Congrats to all the debutants involved in the first game of the season. Disappointing to finish the game down but its definitely something to build on. See you all at training on Wednesday, go Xavs.