From the Archives – Looking back on 19 seasons – Series 6
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.
Series 6 of From the Archives celebrates 2 Englishmen who subsequently debuted for England after their stints at the Randy Petes. We also celebrate our President receiving his AM in 2019 for services to cricket and the broadcast industry.
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First 1st Grade T20: Rory Burns arrived in time for round 3 in the 2013-14 season and had a subdued start with single figures in his first two trips to the crease. However, in his third game he set a new club record to become the first Randwick Petersham player to score a century in a Twenty 20 match.
Opening the batting against Manly at Manly Oval, Rory smashed 11 fours and four sixes in an unconquered innings of 102. That win was the springboard for the side to go on and win the Twenty20 Cup premiership with Burns totalling 195 in his six innings in the competition.
In 16 matches for the Randy Petes the stylish batsman, whom many earmaked for England honours, scored 485 runs at 32.33 before returning home for the 2014 season where he won his Surrey cap.
Michael Roy Whitney AM What a great thrill for Randwick Petersham Cricket members and supporters as well as cricket lovers generally to awake to the news that ‘Whit’ had been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List “for significant service to cricket and to the broadcast media.”
- Mike first played for Randwick Cricket Club in the 1976-77 season as a raw 17 year old left-arm fast bowler.
- 1976-77 Randwick Grade debut season
- 1977-78 he spearheaded the 4th Grade team to its first premiership in 20 years.
- 1978-79 2nd Grade selection and Premiership
- 1979-80 1st Grade debut season and Premiership.
- 1980-81 NSW First Class debut
- 1981 Australian Test debut Fifth Ashes Test vEngland at Old Trafford. Best first class bowling performances achieved in Test matches: 7-89 v West Indies in Adelaide, 1988-89 and 7-27 as part of match figures of 11 for 95 v India, Perth, 1991-92
- 1992 the NSW Cricket Board granted Mike a Testimonial Year “to recognise the magnificent contribution to Australian and New South Wales cricket by Michael Whitney, both on and off the field”.
- 1991 elected to the Randwick Management Committee
- 1993 Randwick Cricket Life Member.
- 2001 elected President of the newly merged Randwick Petersham CC in 2001
- 2002 Life Member of the NSW Cricket Association
In his 13 year first-class career, Whit played 118 games and took 412 wickets including 39 in Tests and 251 in Sheffield Shield. For Randwick he took 379 wickets in all grades over 17 seasons including 256 in 1st Grade.
England fast bowler joins the Randy Petes: Gloucestershire and England fast bowler Jon Lewis joined Randwick Petersham after a successful 2003 county season where he took 77 wickets. He brought that form to Sydney finishing the season with an outstanding record of 52 wickets at the impressive average of just 15.28 runs per wicket, a new 1st Grade bowling average record for the club and the third highest aggregate in Sydney for the season. His economy rate of 2.34 runs per over was the best by any 1st Grade bowler in Sydney.
Jon recorded many fine performances throughout the season, none better than his 7-35 to demolish Mosman in a match Randwick Petersham seemed destined to lose. That performance was also a new mark for the club in 1st Grade. He also took 6-41 against defending premiers Sydney University and 5-37 against Fairfield Liverpool, a team which went on to win the premiership in each of the following two years. The fact he took a wicket in all but one of the 20 innings in which he bowled emphasised his value to the club and to his team.
He also won the club’s coveted Player of the Season Award by a record margin of 166 points. Jon fitted into the team and the club as if he had been a Randwick Petersham cricketer for many years and quickly became a popular figure. His work as Club Development Officer added to his value as did his coaching at club net sessions.
Within 15 months of his time with Randwick Petersham he represented England in Tests, ODIs and T20s. He was also appointed captain of Gloucestershire in 2006.
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