Adam Gilchrist's former club side concedes 426 and is bowled out for two
London: When the captain of Richmond's fourth XI won the toss and invited North London Cricket Club's third XI to bat first on Saturday, he was not envisioning a 424-run defeat that would end with his team bowled out for just two in one of the most one-sided games of cricket ever.
For North London's captain Tom Spawton, it proved a great toss to lose. Playing in Division One of the Third Tier of the Middlesex League, his side, racked up a formidable 426 for six in their 45 overs, then promptly bowled Richmond out for just two in the space of 34 balls.
Spawton, though, was left wondering if it could have been even better. 'One of the two runs was a wide, the other was a dropped catch at slip,' he told Talksport radio station. 'We came away from the game thinking that we could have realistically bowled them out for zero.'
It was, according to Steve Deakin, Richmond's deputy chairman and head of cricket, the 'perfect storm'. The London club has a rich and proud history, dating back to 1862, and counts the great Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist among its former players.
But over the bank holiday weekend, they faced an unprecedented availability crisis, leading to fielding weakened sides containing players who do not usually play cricket, let alone for the club, including inexperienced teenagers.
'Our availability this week was really bad,' he said. 'We had about 40 players unavailable across our five men's teams. We were struggling already, then had seven dropouts over Thursday and Friday. That trickles down and affects the fourths. The captains were calling friends of friends of friends just to get our teams on the pitch.'
Spawton realised before the game had even started that a win could be on the cards for his team, based on the opposition's introductions and attire.
'They struggled to get a team together, what with it being a bank holiday,' he said. 'There were a few lads saying 'nice to meet you' [to each other] before the game. There were a couple of lads wearing black trainers, which is a good sign [that they do not play often].'
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West Australian
28 minutes ago
- West Australian
Jordan Clark is underrated because he doesn't play in Victoria, says North Melbourne coach Alistair Clarkson
Master coach Alastair Clarkson believes Fremantle dasher Jordan Clark is underrated because he does not play in Victoria. Ahead of his North Melbourne side's clash with the Dockers on Saturday, Clarkson gave a glowing review of the unheralded half-back, who is in the mix for a maiden All-Australian blazer halfway through the season. Clark is the Dockers' fourth-highest rated player this season and the 12th ranked defender in the league, according to Champion Data figures. For his role, he is considered elite for disposals, contested possessions, intercept possessions and pressure. 'Yeah, geez he's been a good player hasn't he,' Clarkson said. 'He is sort of a little bit underrated and unheralded perhaps because he plays over here and the Melbourne media don't see him every week like they would some of the players that are based in Melbourne. 'But he's been a really, really good player at Geelong, but he's really taken his game — it seems — to another level here. 'He's a guy that defends really well, but uses the ball and helps set it up.' Clarkson was also full of praise for in-form Dockers guns Shai Bolton and Luke Jackson and warned they couldn't play a negating role on all three of Justin Longmuir's weapons. 'We'll have to keep an eye on that ... but we can't sit and negate every talented player that they've got, otherwise you're just chasing your tail,' he said. 'There's a part of us where we just need to go out and play the game and if some of these guys get off the chain, that's where we need to try and stamp and negate their influence.' Asked how he would handle the influence of Bolton, Clarkson said it was made difficult by the dual premiership player's ability to influence the game in different parts of the ground. Bolton spent more time forward in Fremantle's win over Gold Coast a fortnight ago. He kicked three goals and laid the game-winning tackle. 'He was particularly strong against Gold Coast a few weeks back, I think he kicked three goals in that game,' Clarkson said. 'If you have got a player in your side that can kick three goals and also generate sort of 25 touches in the midfield like he can, they're pretty valuable players and that's why worked so hard to get him from Richmond and bring him home. 'The difficult part about it is because he can swing from midfield to forward and you think he's a midfielder and then he spits forward and then you think he's a forward and he goes up into the midfield. 'That's the quality of him as a player, to be able to swing and switch from one to the other really quickly and sometimes you can stuff around your structures a little bit. 'We need to work out what you do there, but I reckon at some point in the game if he is really hurting us then we will need to try and negate him somehow.'
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Demons roll dice with Pickett's seven-year deal
Melbourne will hope their latest long-term contract gamble pays off after re-signing star forward Kysaiah Pickett on a monster seven-year extension. Livewire forward Pickett, already locked in for two more seasons, becomes the longest-contracted player in the AFL after rejecting the lure of a return to Western Australia to sign a deal that runs until the end of 2034. Pickett will be 33 by the end of his new contract, a deal reportedly worth $12 million that echoes blockbuster contracts handed to premiership teammates Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca in 2021. The 24-year-old is in career-best form, shooting to stardom this year as one of the most lethal small forwards in the competition. He leads 14th-placed Melbourne (5-8) with 21 goals after kicking three in their King's Birthday blockbuster against Collingwood. It was his five-goal haul against Fremantle in round six that helped spark the Demons after a 0-5 start to the season. The length of the new deal is somewhat surprising, given Pickett has been open about struggling with homesickness since being drafted - and Melbourne would now have leverage if he seeks a move in the next few years. It is also eyebrow-raising given similarly lucrative, long-term deals with Oliver and Petracca have proved testing for both the players and club. Oliver signed a bumper seven-year extension until the end of 2030 off the back of Melbourne's historic 2021 premiership. The star midfielder has since only shown glimpses of the form that earned him four club best-and-fairest awards and three All-Australian nods as he continues to manage personal issues. Petracca re-committed in 2021, when he won the Norm Smith medal, to stay until the end of 2029 before suffering life-threatening injuries in the King's Birthday match last year. Frustrated with Melbourne around their standards and their management of his injury, Petracca wanted out and was keen to explore a move to a big Victorian club. Oliver himself met with Geelong officials and players to test interest in a trade last year. But both he and Petracca ultimately stayed. Pickett's contract extension means a significant chunk of Melbourne's salary cap will likely be tied up in those three players. The crafty forward had been at the centre of rampant trade speculation, given his family links to both Perth and Adelaide. Fremantle, where 2021 premiership teammate Luke Jackson plays, was reported as a potential destination. The support of former Demons player and club Indigenous project officer Matt Whelan helped Pickett come to his decision. "He understands what it's like to be homesick, coming from Darwin," Pickett said in a club-produced video. "He's been here since I've come, and he's been very important. He's the main reason why I do feel comfortable in this space. "He just let me do my own thing and come to a decision myself. "It hasn't really sunk in that I'll be in Melbourne for the next nine years. "It's crazy to think that someone from Quairading (in WA), with not much as a little kid growing up, that they'll be in AFL for so long." Drafted with pick No.12 in 2019, Pickett boasts 182 goals from 116 games. Pickett's deal eclipses Fremantle's Hayden Young, who is signed until 2033. Gold Coast's Mac Andrew is on a five-year contract from 2025, which will be extended to 2034 if targets are met. Melbourne will hope their latest long-term contract gamble pays off after re-signing star forward Kysaiah Pickett on a monster seven-year extension. Livewire forward Pickett, already locked in for two more seasons, becomes the longest-contracted player in the AFL after rejecting the lure of a return to Western Australia to sign a deal that runs until the end of 2034. Pickett will be 33 by the end of his new contract, a deal reportedly worth $12 million that echoes blockbuster contracts handed to premiership teammates Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca in 2021. The 24-year-old is in career-best form, shooting to stardom this year as one of the most lethal small forwards in the competition. He leads 14th-placed Melbourne (5-8) with 21 goals after kicking three in their King's Birthday blockbuster against Collingwood. It was his five-goal haul against Fremantle in round six that helped spark the Demons after a 0-5 start to the season. The length of the new deal is somewhat surprising, given Pickett has been open about struggling with homesickness since being drafted - and Melbourne would now have leverage if he seeks a move in the next few years. It is also eyebrow-raising given similarly lucrative, long-term deals with Oliver and Petracca have proved testing for both the players and club. Oliver signed a bumper seven-year extension until the end of 2030 off the back of Melbourne's historic 2021 premiership. The star midfielder has since only shown glimpses of the form that earned him four club best-and-fairest awards and three All-Australian nods as he continues to manage personal issues. Petracca re-committed in 2021, when he won the Norm Smith medal, to stay until the end of 2029 before suffering life-threatening injuries in the King's Birthday match last year. Frustrated with Melbourne around their standards and their management of his injury, Petracca wanted out and was keen to explore a move to a big Victorian club. Oliver himself met with Geelong officials and players to test interest in a trade last year. But both he and Petracca ultimately stayed. Pickett's contract extension means a significant chunk of Melbourne's salary cap will likely be tied up in those three players. The crafty forward had been at the centre of rampant trade speculation, given his family links to both Perth and Adelaide. Fremantle, where 2021 premiership teammate Luke Jackson plays, was reported as a potential destination. The support of former Demons player and club Indigenous project officer Matt Whelan helped Pickett come to his decision. "He understands what it's like to be homesick, coming from Darwin," Pickett said in a club-produced video. "He's been here since I've come, and he's been very important. He's the main reason why I do feel comfortable in this space. "He just let me do my own thing and come to a decision myself. "It hasn't really sunk in that I'll be in Melbourne for the next nine years. "It's crazy to think that someone from Quairading (in WA), with not much as a little kid growing up, that they'll be in AFL for so long." Drafted with pick No.12 in 2019, Pickett boasts 182 goals from 116 games. Pickett's deal eclipses Fremantle's Hayden Young, who is signed until 2033. Gold Coast's Mac Andrew is on a five-year contract from 2025, which will be extended to 2034 if targets are met. Melbourne will hope their latest long-term contract gamble pays off after re-signing star forward Kysaiah Pickett on a monster seven-year extension. Livewire forward Pickett, already locked in for two more seasons, becomes the longest-contracted player in the AFL after rejecting the lure of a return to Western Australia to sign a deal that runs until the end of 2034. Pickett will be 33 by the end of his new contract, a deal reportedly worth $12 million that echoes blockbuster contracts handed to premiership teammates Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca in 2021. The 24-year-old is in career-best form, shooting to stardom this year as one of the most lethal small forwards in the competition. He leads 14th-placed Melbourne (5-8) with 21 goals after kicking three in their King's Birthday blockbuster against Collingwood. It was his five-goal haul against Fremantle in round six that helped spark the Demons after a 0-5 start to the season. The length of the new deal is somewhat surprising, given Pickett has been open about struggling with homesickness since being drafted - and Melbourne would now have leverage if he seeks a move in the next few years. It is also eyebrow-raising given similarly lucrative, long-term deals with Oliver and Petracca have proved testing for both the players and club. Oliver signed a bumper seven-year extension until the end of 2030 off the back of Melbourne's historic 2021 premiership. The star midfielder has since only shown glimpses of the form that earned him four club best-and-fairest awards and three All-Australian nods as he continues to manage personal issues. Petracca re-committed in 2021, when he won the Norm Smith medal, to stay until the end of 2029 before suffering life-threatening injuries in the King's Birthday match last year. Frustrated with Melbourne around their standards and their management of his injury, Petracca wanted out and was keen to explore a move to a big Victorian club. Oliver himself met with Geelong officials and players to test interest in a trade last year. But both he and Petracca ultimately stayed. Pickett's contract extension means a significant chunk of Melbourne's salary cap will likely be tied up in those three players. The crafty forward had been at the centre of rampant trade speculation, given his family links to both Perth and Adelaide. Fremantle, where 2021 premiership teammate Luke Jackson plays, was reported as a potential destination. The support of former Demons player and club Indigenous project officer Matt Whelan helped Pickett come to his decision. "He understands what it's like to be homesick, coming from Darwin," Pickett said in a club-produced video. "He's been here since I've come, and he's been very important. He's the main reason why I do feel comfortable in this space. "He just let me do my own thing and come to a decision myself. "It hasn't really sunk in that I'll be in Melbourne for the next nine years. "It's crazy to think that someone from Quairading (in WA), with not much as a little kid growing up, that they'll be in AFL for so long." Drafted with pick No.12 in 2019, Pickett boasts 182 goals from 116 games. Pickett's deal eclipses Fremantle's Hayden Young, who is signed until 2033. Gold Coast's Mac Andrew is on a five-year contract from 2025, which will be extended to 2034 if targets are met.
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers coach Justin Longmuir wary of much more than North Melbourne big man Tristan Xerri
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir says dominant ruckman Tristan Xerri is not the only midfield force the Dockers need to be wary of heading into Saturday night's away game against North Melbourne at Optus Stadium. Xerri is in white-hot form, ranked fifth for hit-outs with 440 this season, but it's his efforts at ground level that will clearly challenge the Dockers. The Roos ruck is ranked second in the competition for clearances, with 94, behind only Dockers midfielder Caleb Serong (103), 10 of them coming in last Sunday's narrow win over West Coast in Bunbury. He is poised to take on Fremantle's much-talked about combination of Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy for the first time. 'Clearly, he is in great form. He'd have to be All-Australian ruck at the moment or close to,' Longmuir said. 'That's going to be important. But they've got a lot of mids who go through there and get their hands on it and put good pressure on. 'The last four (games) they've been number one pre-clearance, number one pressure. So they make it a good, honest battle in there, and have been getting it going their way more often than not.' Xerri and Jackson are both cat like at ground level, but Roos prime movers Tom Powell, Colby McKercher, Luke Parker, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Dylan Stephens and Jy Simpkin combined for 25 clearances against the Eagles. The Dockers coach said they would look at structure and strategy, rather than major midfield change, backing in the proven combination of Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong, Shai Bolton and Jackson, who are all clearance kings. 'Just understanding what they're going to bring and rolling up our sleeves and getting to work just on that,' he said. Veteran Nat Fyfe returned from injury for his first AFL game this season before the bye, having a major impact as the sub in the last quarter. Longmuir said Fyfe's impact was also big off the field and they were weighing up whether to again start the dual Brownlow medallist as the sub or on limited minutes in the starting 22. 'It is important when games get tough and tight to have wise calm heads, especially as a sub against Gold Coast,' Longmuir said. 'Every time someone comes to the bench, they look at the back of the bench and they've got someone who's really measured and calm talking to them and helping them problem solve and work through those situations.' The Dockers will stick with their forward line structure of three talls - Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Patrick Voss - which could stretch a North Melbourne defence missing the in-form key back Charlie Comben, who is out for two to three weeks with a shoulder injury suffered against the Eagles. 'I'm sure they've got some coverage to come in and replace but I think we can utilise that,' Longmuir said. 'The beauty about our talls is, they can provide good aerial targets and threaten aerially, but I feel like they're good at ground level as well, Vossy, Jye and JT. 'They join in at ground level and put pressure on and you don't even realise that we're playing three talls at times down there. 'So everything is an advantage there, but we also think we don't lose anything by playing those three talls.' The Dockers are coming off a hot run of form, with confidence inspiring road wins over GWS and Gold Coast, with a comfortable home victory against Port Adelaide wedged in between. But they are coming off the bye and have lost in the last three seasons off their mid-season break. Longmuir said they had made minor tweaks to their preparation. 'Slightly different,' he said. 'We've been changing up our schedule a bit, so it hasn't been specifically to the bye, but it's probably been specific to long breaks, the way we come out of the weekend in particular we've changed up, and probably most importantly, we've tried not to make it a narrative,' he said. 'We're a different team. We understand that the things that we've been doing prior to the bye have been working. 'So it's probably been more getting back to that process, rather than getting caught up in we need to win off the bye or that previous byes haven't worked for us. A few tinkers to the schedule, but it's mainly been getting players back to the process. ' North Melbourne will be playing its second successive 'home game' in WA, having edged the Eagles in Bunbury last Sunday in front of 12,700 fans with ticket sales for Saturday's game at Optus Stadium tracking on 30,000. The Dockers coach said it was 'critical' Freo fans turned up to the game, even though it was not included in their membership package. 'It's going to be unique. Clearly, it's an away game at Optus and it's not against West Coast, which is something new,' he said. 'It's something new for our players and we are desperate for our fans to get there. 'We understand it's not part of their membership, but we'd love them to fork out a few bucks and come and support us. 'We want to make our home ground a fortress and we need the purple army there to support us. The weather looks like it's clearing up, which may have held a few people back early in the week. 'I'm not 100 per cent on the financials, I don't get involved in that, but it was a bit like Gather Round, in some sense, to the Adelaide teams, where they get to stay at home for an extra week. 'It's an important part of our season, but it's also important part of equality of the fixture, in some sense. So yeah, we want, we want as many to get there as possible.'
