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Stadium: Stevil Oval President: AJ Parker Chairman of Selectors: DG Speirs Head of Recruitment: AJ Parker Media Manager: DG Speirs Championships: 2 |
Pitch Size: 6 Spin Assist: 4 Medium Assist: 3 Fast Assist: 3 Cracking: 4 Bounce: 4 |
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| Squad Information |
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Current Players: A Pimpkins, AJ Parker, AM Sharma, AX Kirikiri, B Dover, BC Jacobs, BE Quilty, CB Darts, DA Alessi, DC Scott, DG Speirs, EI Morris, HD Roberts, JEM Logan, JP Thornton, JS Shiva, JT Whicker, KG Rogers, LA Pilgrim, MD Dorn, PE Trainer, S Smith, SA Humble, SDR Laing, Z Payne |
| Team History |
| The Sticky Wicket XI began as a suburban grade cricket club founded by Ged King with Stevil Smith as his loyal deputy. The club was built on loyalty and trust between members and played with the values of CricSim in mind. This included releasing quality players to weaker teams to give young players a go in first grade. With this, the Sticky Wickets became known for their brilliant breeding ground. After Ged’s departure to a rival team, Smith took the reigns as both president and captain with Daniel Speirs his loyal deputy. This arrangement remained for some seasons. After many years of toiling in first grade competitions, the Sticky Wickets were invited to participate in season 1 of the CricSim first class competition. This was a level of play that everyone, both in and out of the organization, had no doubt the Stickies were up to. The Sticky Wickets set about recruiting a very solid looking team for the inaugural CricSim first class season. CricSim legends of the order of Surkleton, Sheehan, Thornton, vice captain Speirs, Con, Flack, Johns, Stacker and the man himself, Stevil Smith, took the field in round one and showed that the step up a level would be no problem, thrashing a full strength Ireland team. Lover joined the ranks mid season, adding a quality all rounder to the mix. In the shortened nine round season, the Sticky Wickets showed themselves to be worthy minor premiers, defeating all on their way to the grand final. There, they met their former foes from grade cricket, the All Stars. The Sticky Wickets showed their class taking out the grand final and becoming the first winners of the first class trophy, at this point known as the NRLM Cup. Steve Waugh Medal (best and fairest) SJ Surkelton NJ Stacker Season 2 saw the Sticky Wickets retain most of their premiership winning team. The addition of Duckworth Lewis strengthened the top order, while Matthew Johns left for more responsibility at the Cyclones. Although the team was indeed strong, the other teams, the Redbacks, Cyclones, and the All Stars, had also shown signs of great improvement, all recruiting well. With a few unlucky breaks, the Sticky Wickets, although showing great signs of defending their premiership, ended up finishing an unlucky fourth. In a turn for the books on the previous season, the two grand finalists found themselves watching the grand final from the pavilion wondering what might have been as the Redbacks defeated the Cyclones. Steve Waugh Medal (Best and Fairest) SJ Surkelton L Lover Season 3 dawned and with it came new leadership. The job had become too much for Smith, and was duly handed over to his faithful deputy, Daniel Speirs. With this announcement came both sadness that the great one had departed the captaincy, but also hope for the future as the young leader showed signs of great things to come. The off season brought the signing on boom middle order batsman Brett Gemmell along with up and coming opener, Danno Davis. It was also the debut of promising pace bowler Simon Laing, who, despite being green around the gills, showed good signs for the future. Mid season also saw the addition of another promising seam up bowler, Josh Whicker. Within this team, the Stickies had a young exhuberant team with talent by the bucketload. Unfortunately, this talent could not be transformed into results, and despite the hardest work from their captain, Speirs, and the growing legend of Gemmell, the Stickies were consigned to their second consecutive wooden spoon. Steve Waugh Medal BJ Gemmell Season 4 brought new hope. For the first time, the Stickies were being talked down by all and sundry, with many perceiving their squad to be weaker than the big 3 of the Crusaders (formed after the redbacks collapse), Cyclones and the season 3 premiers, the All Stars. However, despite losing promising batsman, Gemmell and Davis, and also the young pace bowler, Whicker, the Stickies came into the season confident. They had recruited well in the off season, jagging boom middle order batsman, AJ Parker, immense all rounder, Scott Flack, after a one season hiatus, and young spinning all rounder’s, Chris Kovas and Benny Read. Despite a sluggish start, with a first up loss to the new comers, the Vipers, over the opening rounds, the Sticky Wicket xi showed what they were capable of. With their veteran, Surkelton, leading the bowling attack, and young guns Kovas, Laing, Read and later in the season, Whicker, the Stickies had a bowling attack that was the envy of the entire competition. The batsman also showed brilliant form with young gun Parker, and the captain Speirs leading the way. Flack, batting at 6, gave the SWXI the hard edge they needed keeping a +70 average up all season with some brilliant innings’. Add to this seasoned veterans Thornton and Lewis, as well as the spin of Smith and Stacker, and the Stickies had a brilliant line up from top to bottom. They easily took out the minor premiership, and, in doing so, set up a grand final with their old foes, the All Stars. Despite holding the minor premiership, the Stickies were yet again faced with the underdog tag. This was unheralded however as they thrashed the Stars team by an innings. Steve Waugh Medal AJ Parker Season 5 saw a changing of the guards, of sorts, with in Sticky Wicket ranks. With two new teams introduced, the reigning premiers fell victim to their own brilliant work, with several key members going elsewhere for more responsibility. These included Flack, who left to begin the Pumas, and Lewis who found himself in the head of recruitment role at the Ravens. Also leaving were young spin sensations Chris Kovas and Ben Read. Despite these losses, the club went into the new season with hope of a repeat. The signing of their founder, Ged King, completed arguably the strongest trio of bowlers in the comp, with King, Whicker and Surkelton all experienced Origin players. At the other end, the batting was viewed as being very raw in the absence of Flack and Lewis, key middle order figures. The Stickies took the running out early, clearly showing that it was going to take a lot to pry the trophy from their grasp. The race for the premiership was quickly turning into a 3 horse race. The Stickies were clearly the stand outs through the first two thirds of the competition, with the star studded Crusaders, with more Origin players than you could poke a stick at, and the ever present All Stars, also in the hunt. The last third of the season through up many challenges for the team, however. Thornton, averaging in the 60’s for the season at the time, was suspended for disciplinary reasons and missed a large chunk of matches. With this occurring, the green batting was really put under the spot light. Mojo and Brown, in their first full seasons, were asked to carry this load. On top of this, Whicker also had disciplinary problems and was duly suspended, bringing Laing back into the top grade. Despite these problems, the Stickies went into their last regular season match against the Vipers, in their last competitive outing, needing the full 10 points to progress to the grand finals. Ironically, it was their season 6 signing, Delonge, who almost proved the party killer, taking the Vipers within a whisker of a first innings victory. Luckily, an inspired spell of bowling by King got them out of trouble and the match was theirs. The celebrations were short lived, however, with Surkelton injured in celebratory activities. Although Thornton was back, the blow of losing Surkelton on top of Whicker meant that the Stickies were to go into the grand final with a medium pace bowler and a batting all rounder that could bowl a little, opening the attack. Despite the arduous task, spirits were still high with in camp as the team readied themselves to take on the Crusaders, a team they’d had many run-ins with throughout the season. However, the injury crisis proved too great for the team to overcome. Despite Laing pulling off the game of his life, with 11 wickets and a 35 not out, the Crusaders were just too good in the end. CJ Sheehan Award (Best Batsman Award) CJ Sheehan SJ Surkelton Award (Best Bowler award) SJ Surkelton DG Speirs Award (Best and Fairest) SJ Surkelton Shrugging off the disappointment of losing the grand final, season 6 saw a new beginning for the club. Whilst the bowling was weakened by the loss of seasoned veteran, Surkelton, where he took up the role of chairman of selectors at the Lions, the end of Whicker’s suspension helped matters. In terms of batting, the club welcomed gun rookies, Tom Delonge and Hugh Roberts. On top of this, the continued development of rookie, Vince Noir gave the club a lot of hope that their mis-firing batting would come good. In the bowling department, there were similar high hopes for a raw quick by the name Of James. The Sticky Wicket XI proved to be the Jekyll and Hyde of the competition, showing time and again that they could more than match it with the top teams, and then letting themselves down against the bottom teams. Despite the early season drama of John Thornton leaving due to what he described as mis-management, the Stickies went into the final third of the season still with hopes of a top 3 finish and a semi final showdown. Inspired by Ged King, who went on to capture over 100 wickets for the season, and a firing middle order of Parker (1680 runs @ 54.19) and Delonge (1633 runs @ 51.03), the Stickies hurtled into third spot with 5 wins from their last 6 games. In a case of déjà vu, Whicker again came under for his off-field actions, this time being axed from the club for off-field matters. This left the Sticky Wickets with a very inexperienced attack against a hungry All Star team. It proved too great a challenge, with the Stars running away with the game, and in the end the premiership. Seconds Awards: JP Thornton Award (Best Batsman) V Noir NJ Stacker Award (Best bowler) S Sinton BMT Con Award (Best and Fairest) S Sinton CJ Sheehan Award (Best Batsman) T Delonge SJ Surkelton Award (Best Bowler) GEC King DG Speirs Award (Best and Fairest) GEC King And so, season 7 dawns upon us. Despite clearly being in a rebuilding phase, season 5 saw the Stickies reach another finals series, their third in a row. The clever off-season recruitment focusing on the young guns of the game may seem a risk, but many club insiders believe that it will pay spectacular dividends, immediately. In Spinks and Humble, the Stickies have found a combination that they believe will rival the Whicker Surkelton combination of seasons past. In Burridge, they have found a brazen young top order batsman who has shown he will not take a backward step who will prove a more than capable replacement for Roberts. On top of this, Dion Alessi, a Sticky Seconds player from last season, has shown enough in Cricsim Academy rep games and for the Stickies to make club insiders quietly confident that another Parker is on the way. These young guns will put the icing on what is already a very good squad. Current NSW batsman Speirs will open the innings with former QLD batsman, Sheehan. Current Victorian batsman, Theo Miokovic will most likely be at 3. NSW squad member Delonge finds himself in the middle order accompanied by current NSW number 5 batsman, Parker. Experienced wicket keeper, Con, will join former NSW all rounders Smith and Stacker in the lower order. And the current QLD spinner, King, will finish things off. Off the field, the new breed are doing their part. After taking over mid-season from King, Delonge will continue in his role as the chairman of selectors, whilst Miokovic will begin his reign as the Kings XI selector. Parker continues as the head of recruitment, and last but not least, Daniel Speirs will take on the media manager job as well as continuing his reign as president. They will no doubt continue to produce the results the club is known for and uphold the spirit in which the club was built on, that of loyalty and trust to each other and to always uphold the values of CricSim. |
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