From the Archives – Looking back on 19 seasons – Series 3
Season 2020-21 marks Randwick Petersham’s 20th Anniversary. Over 19 seasons there have been an infinite number of team and individual performances. In that time 2 Club Championships and 15 Premierships have been won; most recently the Belvidere Cup. So as we head towards the 20th season we’ve dug into the archives to present some of the best memorable moments since 2001.
In Series 3 of From the Archives we relive the careers of a number of Club Legends – our first NSW & Australian representative Simon Katich, the dominating top order batsman, NSW Baggy Blue and 2001-02 O’Reilly Medallist Richard Chee Quee and the Randy Petes highest run scorer John McLoughlin.
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Randwick Petersham First NSW & Australian Representative: Simon Katich arrived at Randwick Petersham in 2002-03 following 6 seasons representing WA. Upon hearing of his move east, Mike Whitney approached Kat to be the Club’s marquee player. The following season he became the Randy Petes First Australian Test player (v. Zimbabwe at the SCG) and subsequently was the First Australian ODI & T20 rep, NSW First Class rep and Captain.
His debuted for the Club was inauspicious; a duck against UNSW but in his second outing he piled on 177 v Mosman at Petersham Oval. His finest innings undoubtedly was his 149* v St George at Hurstville in the 2007-08 Qualifying Final to defeat the Minor Premiers (and eventual Premiers). His partnership of 188 with Usman Khawaja (111) for the 3rd wicket was a record at the time and paved the way for victory.
His Club record until his retirement in 2013-14 was 60 matches, 2,742 runs including 6 centuries. He also claimed 26 wickets with best figures of 3-27. In recognition of his services to Randwick Petersham he was installed at the Club’s 49th Life Member at the 2013-14 AGM.
Randwick Petersham’s Highest Run Scorer: John McLoughlin retired from Premier Cricket in 2017-18 as the Randy Petes’ leading run scorer with 6226 surpassing Usman Khawaja (5620). He joined Randwick CC in 1996-97 as a AW Green Shield representative and in 5 seasons with the ‘Wicks’ amassed 1275 runs. In 2006-07 JMac came of age as a batsman with 607 runs including his highest score of 163. In 22 seasons his total run tally across all Grades was 8055 in 317 matches and held 164 catches.
Randwick Petersham’s First O’Reilly Medallist 2001-02: In Randwick Petersham’s first season former NSW batsman Richard Chee Quee hit 1,003 runs for the season which won him the coveted Bill O’Reilly Medal as the 2001-02 Sydney Grade Cricket Player of the Season. He had scores of 113, 106, 103 not out along with six scores between 80 and 90. It was the first time in the history of the two merged clubs Randwick and Petersham-Marrickville that a player had passed the magic 1,000 runs in a season. Cheeqs also topped the batting in three of the following four seasons with totals of 874, 907 and 601 hitting six centuries and 20 fifties along the way.