Captain John Harris (1874-1910)

CAPTAIN JOHN HARRIS 1874-1910

“…falling into water from a great height.”

When the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed at Melrose House in Pretoria on 31 May 1902, it signalled the end of hostilities in what was known as the South African (Boer) War.

But for Captain John Harris of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, the apparent effects of serving in the war were to last for another eight years.

On the evening of Saturday 17 December 1910, Harris, aged 36, fell about 280 feet to his death from a cliff on South Head overlooking Sydney Harbour. Dr Stratford Sheldon (1874-1965),  lecturer in medical jurisprudence and toxicology at Sydney University, conducted the autopsy. Harris’ death, the Coroner concluded, “was due to shock through falling into water from a great height.” The Coroner further concluded that death was accidental. Harris had been sitting on the edge of a cliff near the Macquarie Lighthouse and had been seen to stand and then to climb down to a rock before falling. The pilot steamer ‘Captain Cook’ recovered his fully-clothed body. Evidence was given that Harris had been suffering from wounds to the head while he was in South Africa, from malaria and from attacks of dizziness. He had been invalided home in 1903 but most of the rest of his life is a mystery.

But was this really an ‘accidental’ death?

What demons was he suffering from that drove him to The Gap?

Was he suffering from wounds that cannot be seen? At the time, diagnoses of neurasthenia (nervous exhaustion) were beginning to be understood by the medical profession. Its effects included insomnia, fatigue, headaches, depression…all recognised effects after trauma.

Caroline Alexander has written about the all-too common sights after the Great War  in England:

                 “At War’s end, the legions of shellshock veterans dispersed into the mists of history. One catches glimpses of them, however, through a variety of oblique lenses. They crop up…hallucinating in the streets of London or selling stockings door to door in provincial towns.” (Smithsonian Magazine, September 2010)

Captain Harris had enjoyed a privileged upbringing and education and a distinguished career in the army. He was born into the Harris family that inherited vast property in Ultimo, originally granted by Governor King in 1803 to Dr John Harris (1754-1838). He was the fourth of eight sons, one of eleven children,  of Matthew Harris (1841-1917) and Frances Snowden Lane (1847?-1915). Matthew Harris had come from Londonderry to Sydney as a young child and he was educated under Reverend Thomas Aitken at the ‘Normal Institution’ in King St, Sydney. Then he was one of the earliest students at Sydney Grammar School and an early graduate (one of 16 BAs awarded in 1863) from the University of Sydney. His life was one of significant public service. He was  representative of Denison Ward in the Sydney Municipal Council from 1883 until 1900; Member for the seat of Sydney Denison in the NSW Parliament from 1894 until 1901. As Mayor of Sydney in 1898, he opened the Queen Victoria Building and he was then knighted in 1899. His library housed a splendid collection of Australian and oriental works. Seven of his sons were educated at Sydney Grammar School: George, Matthew James and William Henry all entered the school in 1883, John in 1885, Robert and Arthur Leslie in 1892 and Albert Octavius in 1901.

John  Harris captained the Grammar 1st XI for two years, 1891 and 1892. The Grammar cricket Masters must have seen significant leadership ability in the 17 year old who captained his older brother, William, in the 1891 side. Any cricket ability, however, is difficult to discern by examining figures and reading reports. The cricket writer in the October 1892 edition of ‘The Sydneian’ commented on Harris’ batting style with some asperity: “Has a rather laboured style with some effective forward strokes…in which he uses his reach well but has a propensity to chop across at straight balls.”

So, he played across the line a little too regularly?

In 1892, he batted in the middle order and bowled occasionally. In eight innings in the more important games, he totalled only 86 runs. He captained five others who appeared in  Sydney University’s 1st Grade sides of the 1890s: PS Jones, HH MacMahon, TP Strickland, NF Stephen and his brother, WH Harris.

He rowed in the School’s 2nd IV crew and his academic results were sound. So, he went up to Sydney University in 1893 (when WH Harris was doing Medicine II) and enrolled in Arts I, residing at St Paul’s College.

But he did not thrive in academic life, unsuccessfully attempting Arts I in both 1893 and 1894.

His first appearance in the Cricket Club’s 1st Grade side is puzzling, given his cricketing record. On 1 December 1894 at University No1 Oval, Harris, batting at number 9, made four before he was caught from the bowling of former Test player Alick Bannerman. Then on 12 January 1895, both he and his brother, William played in 1st Grade on the same day against Redfern at the SCG. Batting at number 10, William made a confident 39 and shared a last wicket partnership with John (who remained 6 not out) as they took University to an imposing 287. Earlier, Sammy Jones, the former Test player, hit his highest score, 138, in Electoral cricket. Rain on the second day rendered the ground unfit for play and this appears to be the end of John’s brief 1st Grade career: two games, 10 runs, average 10. But, six weeks’ later, ‘Harris’ opens for University against Glebe at the University and is bowled for 23. The ‘Daily Telegraph’s’ scores give this as ‘W Harris’. In all other newspapers, he is simply ‘Harris’. Two games later, ‘Harris’ is run out for 2 against Canterbury. In all likelihood, John Harris had, by this time, taken up his scholarship, granted by the Senate of the University in 1894, to go to the Royal Military College Sandhurst. His brother, William, had just passed Med III and it’s he who played some games for 1st Grade in 1895-96, including the first game of that season when Easts bowled University out for 30. He then appeared in 2nd Grade in 1895-96 and 1896-97 as a bowler. He graduated MB ChM in 1897 and then served in the British Army as a Medical Officer. Invalided to Australia, suffering from shell shock, he then served another two years with the 18th Field Ambulance and survived until 1935 when he died at Chatswood.

Meanwhile, Matthew Harris was now the member for Sydney Denison in the third last NSW Colonial Parliament. On 17 July 1894, he took the seat for the Free Traders whose leader, George Reid, became Premier replacing Protectionist George Dibbs. One of the candidates for the Sydney Denison seat was Arthur Kelly, a foundation member of the ALP who eventually won the seat on Harris’ retirement in 1901.

John Harris was initially commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the King’s Own (Royal Lancashire Regiment) but in 1896 he was transferred to the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, stationed at The Curragh, County Kildare. From there, he left for South Africa to serve in the Second Boer War.

Numbers of his colleagues at Sydney Grammar were to volunteer. Thirteen were not to return, including Keith Kinnaird Mackellar, brother of the poet Dorothea, who died of wounds in July 1900. Marcus William Logan, born in Fiji, a classmate of William Harris at Grammar in 1891 and a career soldier, boasted many years later that he was the first from Grammar to fight in the Boer War. He was a Lieutenant in the 1st NSW Mounted until invalided to England in October 1900. He then served as a Lieutenant Colonel in 36 Battalion in the Great War. He may have been the cricketer referred to as ‘M Logan’ in University’s 2nd Grade in 1896-97. The evidence is not conclusive.

In the Melbourne Grammar 1st XI side of 1892 that played against John Harris’ Sydney Grammar side was JWH McKinery who also served in the Boer War and who was much decorated (DSO, CBE) in the Great War when he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in the Canadian forces. And among John Harris’ first year colleagues at St Paul’s in 1893, John Mair was killed on 6 June 1901, shot by Boers after surrendering.

John Harris served bravely. In a letter to his father, published in the Sydney Morning Herald of 17 February 1900, he reports that a group of  Boers had abused the white flag by shooting at Harris and his men when they went forward to investigate. Harris writes:

        “I have been under fire many times so that I do not mind the bullets so much now. It is the shells I dislike.”

On 15 March 1900, he endeavoured to save the life of Lieutenant Francis Noel Dent who was being swept away in the Orange River. Dent had got into difficulties trying to swim across the river. Harris waded in but just failed to reach Dent at Norval’s Point. Harris and a fellow officer were awarded the Royal Humane Society’s Silver Medal for Bravery.

He shared a tent with Viscount Fincastle (Andrew Murray, the 8th Earl of Dunmore, who had been awarded the Victoria Cross in India in 1897, two years older than Harris but who was to live another 52 years after Harris’ death).

The course of his life, however, was to change. In the battle near Lake Chrissie on 6 February 1901, Harris was badly wounded, invalided out, promoted to Captain. His list of medals had grown – the Queen’s Medal, the King Edward Medal.

Then what did he do?

In 1903, he is President of the Innniskilling Cricket Club at Curragh and some time later he returns to Sydney. There’s no sign of him until the tragic events of December 1910. Did his parents, aged 63 and 69 in 1910, take care of him? How serious were his head wounds? Was the ‘dizziness’ associated with his wounds suffered at Lake Chrissie?

John Harris is interred in the Matthew Harris family vault at Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney, in the old Presbyterian section.

He is one of only two members of the Sydney University Cricket Club to have served in the Boer War.

James Rodgers

Who faced the first ball?

Who faced the first ball?

127 years after he played his only game in the First Grade competition for Sydney University, a player whose name has been confused for so many years has now been found.

In the early days of the Grade competition, University’s players were often identified so haphazardly that many have been lost to posterity - including the man who opened the club’s first innings in First Grade. (The club itself, of course, had existed for forty years or more by October 1893: but the competition was new, and remains the one we play in today.)

Walter Charles Fitzmaurice Burfitt was the name of the player who, it has been thought, opened the batting in University’s initial First Grade game in Electorate Cricket (later called ‘Grade Cricket’ and now ‘Premier Cricket’) in October 1893. Burfitt, who was eventually a distinguished surgeon , resided as an undergraduate at St John’s College during the 1890s. He had been a cricketer at school (Riverview) and it would have been reasonable to conclude that it was he who played this game.

But, in various places, the name was given as either ‘BURFITT’ or ‘BURKITT’.

It wasn’t much to go on and Walter Burfitt was listed in the stories of the Sydney University Cricket Club as the more likely player.

Why would this be important? At best, it sounds trivial, obscure, irrelevant.

Except that, whoever this was, appears to have been the University batsman who faced the first ball bowled in University’s initial innings of the first game of Electorate Cricket on the first day (of a three-day game) between University and Glebe at Wentworth Park on 7 October 1893.

Historically, it’s reasonably important to know just who this was.

His partner, who walked out with him to the polite applause of the 2000 spectators after University had dismissed Glebe for 128, was ‘H Moses’. At one time, he was thought to have been the Test cricketer, Harry, who played six Tests between 1886 and 1892. But no, this was Henry C Moses, Harry’s nephew - who has also been difficult to track down. After this, he played one more match for University (3 innings, 36 runs); he didn’t appear to have been an undergraduate; he disappeared from the Club. ‘Burfitt’ or ‘Burkitt’ was caught from the bowling of Andy Newell for 10, didn’t bat in the second innings and played no more.

So, Burfitt or Burkitt?

More research reveals…

EH Burkitt was also a Medical student at Sydney University about this time although Burkitt was eight years older than Burfitt.

In 1892, EH Burkitt had been awarded one of the first twelve University Blues for Rugby. A little more research uncovers these facts:

Edmond Henry Burkitt was born on 14 November 1867 in the village of Charlton in Wiltshire, England, son of Reverend William Esdaile Burkitt (1831-1910), and he was educated at Saugreen preparatory school at Bournemouth and then at Hurstpierpoint, the Anglo-Catholic College in West Sussex. His name appeared three times in the Hurstpierpoint 1st XI in 1882. He and his three brothers emigrated to Australia in 1886. From 1887 until 1890, he was employed to teach at The Kings School, Parramatta.

Why Kings?

It’s not clear but, by coincidence, William Robert Burkitt was Senior Master at Kings from 1868 until 1886. He was an Irishman who came out to Ballarat during the goldrush of the 1850s, and somehow made his way to Kings. A player with the Wallaroo Rugby Club in Sydney, he introduced Rugby Football to Kings in 1870 and is well remembered at the school. One of its Houses is named Burkitt and the Burkitt Shield has been awarded as a senior prize since 1910. WR Burkitt and EH Burkitt appear not to have been related.

Edmond Burkitt entered St Paul’s College at Sydney University and enrolled in Medicine in 1891.

‘Burkitt’ played cricket for University’s Second Eleven (5 innings for 29 runs) and then, in December 1892, playing in the First Eleven and identified clearly as ‘EH Burkitt’, he scored 11 in University’s mammoth score of 496 against the old Warwick Club. In late December 1892, EH Burkitt was named in the practice squad for the intervarsity match in Melbourne, although he did not play in the match the following month.

Then in October 1893, is it Burkitt, not Burfitt, who opens the batting in that historically significant game?

EH Burkitt was Senior Student at St Paul’s in 1894; graduated MB ChM in 1896; married Amy Theodora Hungerford in 1898; practiced medicine for a few years at Coonamble before spending the rest of his life at Dubbo where he and his wife raise three daughters (Dora, Muriel and Marion) and a son, Ted. They named the family home ‘Westbury’, the name of the town near Charlton where Edmond was born and where the famous chalk figure of a horse is cut into the hillside. Muriel was to marry John Howell Halliday, a brother of Sydney University First Grader Sir George Halliday.

At the age of 48, Dr Burkitt enlisted in the 1st AIF in 1916 and sailed to France with the 4th Australian Field Ambulance and was eventually promoted to the rank of Major. During the horrific slaughter in France, his care for the wounded was much appreciated by the soldiers.

When he returned home in late 1917, he resumed medical practice, was President of the Dubbo Branch of the RSL, an Alderman on the Dubbo Council and an enthusiast for a number of sports, including cricket (as a Vice President of the Dubbo Cricket Club). When he died of inoperable cancer in 1925, grief was widespread.

One of his obituarists mentioned that Dr Burkitt had played his last games of cricket the previous season, when he would have been 56.

At the Sydney University Cricket Club, there was no obituary. He was forgotten, not even known by his correct name.

Until now…Edmond Henry Burkitt faced the first ball on the first day of the first match in Electorate Cricket that Sydney University ever played.

                                                   THE FIRST GAME IN ELECTORATE CRICKET                                           

              On Saturday 7 October 1893, University players followed their venerable captain, Tom Garrett, on to the field at Wentworth Park before 2000 spectators. This was the first day of the first round of the 1893-94 season and University was playing Glebe in a game to be spread over three successive Saturdays.

              The significance is that this was the first day of what was then known as ‘Electorate’ cricket, the forerunner of Sydney Grade Cricket, now known as NSW Premier Cricket. And, University is one of only two easily recognisable Clubs surviving from that first season. East Sydney, South Sydney, Redfern, Glebe, ‘Parramatta and Central Cumberland Combined’, Paddington, Balmain and Canterbury have all disappeared under those names.

North Sydney survives, as does University although we are more commonly known as Sydney University these days.

All the other clubs had to draw their players from the Electorates that gave the clubs their names. University was admitted to the inaugural competition as an exception to this rule. Previously, players had represented clubs such as Albert, Carlton, Belvidere, Warwick as well as University and qualifications were loose as some players played for more than one club in the same season. Now the rules were definite and strictly enforced. Players represented the places where they lived…except the University players.

That first  game at Wentworth Park resulted in a 30 run win to Glebe on the first innings even though University made a bold effort to chase 200 on the third day and were 5 for 146 when time beat them.

Who were University’s first 1st Graders (ie caps 1 to 11), the pioneers in whose footsteps we tread now?

University’s first delivery  in Electoral cricket was bowled by Tom Garrett (cap no. 1) to Glebe’s LT Cobcroft. Garrett had been playing for University for 20 seasons and he was the first Australian Test player to represent the Club, having played in the very first Test Match, against England in March 1877. At the time of this game in 1893, Garrett was 35  years old, easily the oldest of the University players who went out on that first afternoon and he was easily top score on the second day when his 58 was a lone hand in University’s dismal 98.

26 year old  Medicine student, English born, Edmond Burkitt (cap no. 2) faced the first ball when University batted. This was his last game for University although he was to live for another 33 years, serve in the Great War with the rank of Major and practise as a medical doctor, mainly in Dubbo.

Burkitt’s  opening partner was Herbert Moses (no. 3), a nephew of the Test player, Harry Moses. Herbert doesn’t appear to have been a student at the University. He played just two 1st Grade games.

Hedley Terrey (no.4), a future medical practitioner, recorded University’s first duck in the 1st innings when he was one of Andrew Newell’s 7 wickets. An off spinner, Newell had represented NSW.

Erskine Robison (no.5) batted productively for 11 and 49. A few weeks later, Robison, a third year Medical student, was to score University’s initial 1st Grade century when he hit a free scoring 113 not out against East Sydney. Seven years later, aged only 28, Dr Robison died in Germany.

Norman White (no.6) took five cheap wickets for the match but scored no runs in his two innings. He was an Engineering student, recipient of three Blues (Cricket, Rugby and Rowing) who lived long, dying in 1957, aged 85.

Henry Charles Delohery (no.7) had a quiet match but eventually scored 809 runs and took 52 wickets in University’s 1st Grade.

Frank Dight (no.8), a 17 year old first year undergraduate, who lived for another 58 years, took 4 for 29 in Glebe’s first innings, including Syd Deane, a former NSW wicket keeper who went on to become the first Australian to act in Hollywood movies!). Dight could bowl effectively and accurately but, despite batting at number 8 in this first game, he could not bat. He was to average just under 6 with the bat in a 1st Grade career that lasted four seasons.

Alfred Hadley (no.9), a leg spinning Arts student, played his one game in 1st Grade in this match, scoring 0 and taking 0-12.

Arthur Garnsey (no.10) was probably the side’s wicket keeper in this match. He was to become an Anglican clergyman and was Warden of St Paul’s College from 1916 until his death in 1944, aged 71.

And John MacPherson (no.11) took University’s first wicket in Electoral cricket when he bowled Cobcroft for 2. MacPherson was to play only one more 1st Grade game as he concentrated on his studies, graduating with First Class honours in Arts in 1893 and with an MA in 1895.

So there they are. The first-born, Garrett, was born 162 years ago this year and the last to die, White, has been dead for 63 years.

But, remember them. 127 years ago  they were University’s  first eleven and since then, over 750 have played 1st Grade for a Club that has survived during all that time.

James Rodgers with acknowledgments to Alf James for his assistance with research.

Farewell to cricket? James Rodgers reflects...

This morning, Gideon Haigh wrote a piece in ‘The Australian’ entitled ‘Farewell to Cricket. Will we meet again?’

His club, ‘The Yarras’ are actually playing today in The A Grade Final of their competition. He plays in the C Grade who aren’t contesting the finals. Nevertheless, he’s filled with excited anticipation.

     “Even when you’re not playing yourself, it’s brilliant to partake of the feeling around a club readying itself for a final. There’s the culmination of effort, the tang of anticipation, the preparing for giving all in the knowledge that you won’t be playing again for a while.”

That’s exactly what I was expecting to feel this morning. After a season’s involvement in school cricket (and a Premiership to savour!) and a consequent inability to be at the University grounds on the weekends, I was looking so much forward, freed from other obligations, to watching the club, over the next three weeks, marching towards grand finals, premierships. Exactly ten years ago, this weekend, I finally finished my Grade career. Since then, I’ve had wonderful experiences watching good cricket, good cricketers, especially the University players, from under the trees.

Phil Logan wrote a few weeks ago in some wonderment. Our former players, while still interested, still following our current teams, were just not coming down in numbers on Saturdays.

Perhaps this pandemic will have unforeseen consequences?

When order is inevitably restored, when cricketers begin to take the field again, when games are once more played and lost and won, then we’ll cherish the experience and turn up to watch, to enjoy, to exult. What is now lost and missed will be then regained.

James Rodgers

John Solomon, 1929-2020

The club is saddened to learn of the passing of John Solomon on 16 March 2020.

Mr Solomon, who was born on 15 October 1929, entered Sydney University after attending Scots College, and made his first Rugby Union appearances for New South Wales and Australia before his twentieth birthday. Despite the demands of his medical studies, Mr Solomon was awarded Blues for Rugby in four successive years - 1948 to 1951 - and went on to represent Australia in 14 Rugby Union Tests between 1949 and 1953.

Solomon was fast and versatile: in his first three Tests, he played in three different positions (wing, fly half and centre). In his second Test, in Auckland in 1949, he scored a try in Australia’s 16-9 victory. His team-mates on that occasion included Rex Mossop (a double international who later became better known as a commentator); Nick Shehadie (later Lord Mayor of Sydney); and Dave Brockhoff (a future Wallaby coach who also played cricket for Sydney University). Towards the end of his international career, he was Australia’s captain when the Wallabies earned a rare 18-14 victory over South Africa in Cape Town in 1953. Solomon’s impact on that game was so significant that the South African forwards chaired him from the field at full time. He made 19 appearances for New South Wales before his representative career was ended by a shoulder injury. In 2016, he was inducted into the Australian Rugby Hall of Fame.

Solomon’s cricket took third place to his studies and Rugby, but he was a gifted player who - when available - illuminated University’s teams in the early 1950s. He made his First Grade debut in December 1951, becoming First Grade cap 382. He was an aggressive batsman, and exceptional fieldsman - usually at slip, although he sometimes filled in as wicket-keeper. Between 1951 and 1955, he scored 537 runs at 22.37, at a time when pitches were uncovered, Test bowlers played Grade cricket regularly, and average scores were much lower than they are today. His highest First Grade score was 53 against Gordon in 1952-53, made in only 48 minutes with seven 4s (he was caught from the bowling of left-arm spinner Ken Eastwood, who was to play his only Test 18 years later). He scored over 1000 runs in all grades and his highest score for the club was 96 against Paddington in Second Grade in 1948-49. His team mates remember him as a gifted cricketer and outstanding team man.

John Solomon enjoyed a lengthy career as an obstetrician and gynaecologist, during which he estimated that he delivered more than 7000 babies.

The club honours a remarkable life and extends its condolences to Mr Solomon’s family, especially his son Michael and daughters Caroline, Virginia and Georgina.

Milestone Monday

Tim Cummins, with 156 against Northern District, recorded his second century, and highest score, in First Grade. During his innings, he passed 1500 runs for the club, all in First Grade.

Liam Robertson hit his sixth First Grade hundred, and second of the season: 130 against Northern District. The innings took Liam to 761 runs in Firsts this season: it’s his highest tally in any First Grade season, and the second time he’s passed 700 runs. He also batted for 282 minutes and 197 balls, so it was his longest innings in First Grade not to include at least one 6. He now has 4262 First Grade runs, which makes him exactly equal with Mark Faraday as the club’s eighth highest run scorer in Firsts.

The fourth wicket stand of 283 between Cummins and Robertson was the highest partnership either had ever been involved in in First Grade, but still fell short of the club record (310 between Greg Mail and Dave Miller against Northern District in 2009-10). David Ball of Northern District had the pleasure of bowling during both of those partnerships, and John Kilford scored them both.

Charlie Dummer made his first appearance in First Grade for the club. He has previously played 10 First Grade matches for Campbelltown-Camden.

Max Hope, with 5-38 against Northern District, collected his second five-wicket haul for the club, both of them in Second Grade. He took his 50th wicket for the club when he dismissed Nic Badings.

Oli Zannino played his first Second Grade match for the club, having previously played 12 Second Grade games for Gordon. He marked the occasion by holding five catches in Northern District’s innings, the third time he’s done this in Premier Cricket (but the first time for Sydney University and the first time in Seconds).

Tom Fullerton made his Second Grade debut. He doesn’t have an average there yet: at stumps on the first day he was not out on 27.

During his 22 against Northern District in Third Grade, Josh Toyer passed 1500 runs for the club.

Bennett Walsh (with 66 against Northern District) passed fifty for the fourth time in Third Grade (including his century earlier this season, and two fifties for North Sydney).

Ben Mitchell’s 47 against Northern District was his highest Third Grade score.

Azhar Saeed passed fifty for the third time in as many innings, and carried on to reach his first century for the club, 117 against Northern District in Fifth Grade.

Andrew Wilkinson posted his highest score for the club, 83 against Northern District. It was his seventh half-century for the club and his third in Fifth Grade.

Someone probably did something in Poidevin-Gray’s solid win over Parramatta, but no-one could be bothered putting the scores in, so who knows?

Kendal Binns still keeps the scorers busy

If you looked closely at the sports results in the Sydney Morning Herald last week, you would have found the latest results from the Pennant Hills Golf Club, and if you looked closely at those, you would have found the name “K Binns” among the leaders.

Which is interesting because, if you looked at the Sydney Morning Herald sports results back in December 1941, you would have seen the name of that very same K Binns, turning out in the Sydney University First Grade cricket side.

Born on 10 March 1923, Kendal Binns is, at 96, the oldest living University First Grader. He made his First Grade debut in 1941-42, becoming our 316th capped player. In one of his earliest matches, against St George at Hurstville, he played a defiant, unbeaten innings against Ray Lindwall, Bill O’Reilly and Arthur Morris to save his side from an outright defeat. Between 1941 and 1944, he scored 587 runs in First Grade. He earned a Blue for cricket in 1942, to match the Blue for Baseball he won in the same year. In December 1942, he contributed useful runs when University achieved a surprise win over a powerful Petersham side including Test batsman Sid Barnes and future professionals Cec Pepper and Bill Alley. Graduating with a degree in Dentistry in 1944, he then served in the Army until 1947. He later played cricket for the University Veterans into the 1960s, and he has been a long-standing and highly successful golfer at Pennant Hills. That club’s program for supporting young players is named the Kendal Binns Junior Foundation.

The only other Sydney University players who approach Kendal’s age are former Club President Greg Scahill (95) and former First Grade captain Bert Alderson, who will turn 95 on Saturday.

Not the Ashes

There’s plenty of cricket going on in the northern hemisphere other than the Ashes, and a lot of it involves Sydney University cricketers.

Will Somerville has shaken off the threat of becoming a “one cap wonder” by playing his second Test match for New Zealand, when he turned out for the Black caps against Sri Lanka in Galle. As well as taking four wickets, the former University off-spinner also contributed a valuable 40 not out in the second innings, although it wasn’t quite enough to prevent Sri Lanka from winning by six wickets.

Max Hope is dominating the Second Division of Middlesex League cricket in England. The demands of his day job (which appears to be taking selfies at Lord’s) haven’t drained his energy, and on the weekend he passed 1000 runs for the season. From 30 games for Brondesbury Cricket Club, he has 1009 runs at an average of 48.05, with two hundreds, and 38 wickets at 16.32.

Ben Trevor-Jones is turning out for Teddington in the First Division of the Middlesex League. He’s scored almost 500 runs so far this season, and secured bragging rights when Teddinton beat Brondesbury in a friendly match last Sunday.

Damien Mortimer has collected his first silverware with Malahide Cricket Club in Ireland, as Malahide won the Alan Murray Cup - the T20 competition for Leinster clubs. Malahide will now go on to compete in the All-Ireland T20 competition. So far this season, Damien has 743 runs for Malahide at an average of 41.28 (although his tally of wickets has been static at four for some time now).