Congratulations to Parramatta on its well deserved, drought-breaking win in the First Grade final. This was only the sixth occasion on which Sydney University has finished as runner-up in First Grade.
Ben Joy's second wicket in the final took his total for the club to 402, and he passed John Grimble (401) to move into 11th place on the list of wicket-takers for Sydney University.
Lawrence Neil-Smith (4-49) chose the grand final to collect his best bowling figures in First Grade.
Tim Cummins held five catches in Parramatta's innings in the final, recording five dismissals in an innings for the first time in his career with the club. He finished the season only one short of fifty dismissals, with 42 catches and 7 stumpings.
Third Grade won the Mitchell Cup for only the fifth time.
It was a big weekend for Ash Cowan, who not only won the inaugural Mick Favell Medal as player of the match in the Third Grade grand final, but also became the first captain to lead University to two Mitchell Cup victories. His 63 was his tenth half-century in Thirds, and during his innings he became the first player to pass 2500 Third Grade runs for University.
There was a unique record for Alex Shaw, who became half of the first father-and-son combination to win Third Grade premierships for University. Andrew Shaw (better remembered for his long First Grade career as a keeper-batsman) was a member of the Third Grade side that defeated Petersham-Marrickville in the 1980-81 Third Grade final (having also been a member of the successful Second Grade side in 1979-80).
Charles Litchfield, with 99 against Sydney, recorded his third score above fifty in Thirds and fell one run short of his second century in that grade. He also became, we think, the first University player to be dismissed for 99 in a grand final.