OCLife | around the grounds with ANTHONY BARBAGALLO
BARRACKER THE
Racist incident that haunted cricketing larrikin Symonds The tragic death of sporting larrikin, Andrew Symonds is the third recent sudden passing of one of our old-style knock-around cricketers in a couple of months. It follows the demise in quick succession of 1970s Test wicket-keeper, Rod Marsh, and cricket legend, Shane Warne, probably the greatest bowler of all time. But while Warne and Marsh both died from natural causes, Symonds’ had an element of self-destruction, as his car left the road and rolled over after he had been drinking in north Queensland. More tragic were the persistent media reports that his life “had spiralled out of control” in recent times.
Shoaib Akhtar to turn the opening game of the 2003 World Cup, and the tournament, Australia’s way — and his hilarious shouldering of a drunken British streaker onto the pitch at Brisbane during a one-day match. The innings in South Africa followed the controversy over Shane Warne being sent home on the day before the match after testing positive for a banned substance. Warne’s laughable excuse was that his mother had given him a diuretic so that he would look slim before the cameras for a major television interview he had planned.
To my utter astonishment, I read that the key event that led to this downward slide, was the “Monkeygate” scandal of 2008 when an abrasive Indian cricketer, Harbhajan Singh allegedly used a simian reference to Symonds, who had African heritage, in a Test match in Sydney.
Warne weathered enough incidents of boorish personal behaviour including smashing the camera of a child in New Zealand who took a photo of him smoking; systemic and intentional bullying of opponents and umpires; his “can’t bowl, can’t throw” slagging of one of his own team-mates during a Test match in Tasmania; and petulant public displays at the slightest criticism; to fill a rather enjoyable book.
Despite evidence from four Australian players, Singh’s three-match ban was overturned on appeal, when he claimed that the phrase he used was actually a less offensive Hindi term and not that for an arboreal primate.
Yet he never seemed to take any of it to heart, and was just the same roughand-tumble, loveable, jack-the-lad as a man of mature age as a blonde bogan, mullet-haired cricketing prodigy in his early twenties.
It is said that Symonds felt terrible guilt over the sporting fracas, and although he later played with Singh in the Indian Premier League, never got over the controversy. My disbelief that the altercation had led to such a profound impact on Symonds, was due to it not being in the top ten memories that I have of this one-off sporting giant. Those would include his freakish fielding, including once running out world-class batsmen at the far end while lying on his side on the turf, brilliant batting displays like that in South Africa where he smashed a world-class Pakistan attack — including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and 38 ORANGE CITY LIFE
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Symonds, despite his footballer’s swagger — so talented was he, that he had an open contract with the Brisbane Broncos NRL team, which he nearly took up when cricket palled him — dreadlocks, confidence, and outgoing personality, was obviously a far more sensitive soul. Loving a drink and fishing, he once attended a Test Match in Darwin with his boat and fishing gear in tow, the intentional racist abuse that he received from not just Singh, but allegedly from Indian crowds generally, obviously told on him in ways that cricketing authorities could not, or would not, foresee.
MAY 26 — JUNE 1, 2022
Western Premier League action Waratahs too strong for brave Mudgee Wolves Waratahs eased past Mudgee Gulgong Wolves 2-0 to make it three straight wins on Saturday afternoon at Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium, Mudgee. The Sky Blues looked fresh after their bye in Round Six while Mudgee came off an impressive 2-2 draw against topside Orana Spurs. Despite the Wolves putting up a decent and brave fight against the competition’s premier side, Waratahs still managed to find the net twice through their experience and quality in the forward line. The win sees Waratahs remain in second on 13 points, three points behind the unbeaten leaders, Panorama FC.
Orange A/B grade football Late Barnies YADS comeback denies KWS victory On Saturday, Barnstoneworth YADS snatched a late 2-2 draw against KWS Firsts after producing an emphatic comeback at Kinross Wolaroi. With both teams struggling at the bottom section of the table, this KWSYADS contest was always going to produce a tight and thrilling battle. Both sides did an excellent job of passing and holding the ball, despite the challenging conditions on a muddy surface. KWS struck first after a clever pass near the 18-yard box resulted in one of their attackers hitting the ball cleanly into the net. Minutes before halftime, the home side failed to double their lead after missing an opportunity from a penalty. But in the early stages of the second 45, KWS scored their second goal, capitalising on some defensive errors in the Barnies box. With the students growing in confidence and dominating the possession, it appeared they were closing in on a 2-0 victory. Despite lacking the ball, the YADS mustered an incredible fight in the final 15 minutes. Barnies pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute after a delicate through ball from their midfield reached the striker, chipping his shot into the net. Six minutes later, YADS stunned their opponents by scoring an equaliser. The visitors almost found a late winner, but the KWS keeper made a heroic save to deny Barnies YADS from leaving with maximum points.
AFL Central West first-grade action Dubbo Demons down Orange Tigers Dubbo Demons defeated the Orange Tigers 74-52 in the fourth round of the AFL Central West Tier 1 at the Waratahs Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Demons came out fast, kicking nine goals in the first two quarters to take a commanding 34-point lead into halftime. Despite a powerful last-ditch comeback from the Tigers, Dubbo held on to record a 22-point victory and jump into second spot in the standings.
Rugby Union: Blowes Cup first-grade action Orange Emus fall to Cowra Eagles Orange Emus suffered their third defeat in the Blowes Cup, going down 32-10 to Cowra Eagles at Endeavour Oval on Saturday. The Emus may have defended well in the first 15 minutes, but Cowra soon established their attacking dominance by scoring two quick tries to take a 14-3 lead into halftime. But in the first five minutes of the second stanza, Emus restored some hope after scoring a converted try to narrow the scoreline 14-10. But the next 30 minutes saw Cowra score three more tries to run away with a comfortable 32-10 victory.
Bathurst Bulldogs inflict further pain on winless Orange City The Bathurst Bulldogs thumped Orange City 43-5 on Saturday afternoon at Anne Ashwood Park, Bathurst. The Bulldogs scored six tries to City’s one, piling more pain on the young and inexperienced Orange City side. With this heavy defeat, the Lions remain bottom of the first-grade Blowes Cup ladder. And they are yet to register a win in this 2022 campaign.
Orange Netball: Senior Women’s Division 1, Round Four Orange City Our City Real Estate edged out a nail-biting 44-43 win over 2020 premiers, OHS Hornets. The upset win keeps Our City Real Estate in fourth place, locked with six points. LIFE Studio thrashed seventh-placed Hawks 65-32. The 33-point win sees LIFE Studio keep the pressure on the top-two sides, Vipers and Orange City Craig Harvey Mechanical. KWS Firsts secured their first win of the 2022 season after defeating last-placed LIFE Studio West Eyes 43-42 in a thrilling battle. LIFE Studio West Eyes are yet to pick up a point. Competition leaders Orange City Craig Harvey Mechanical were set to take on second-placed Vipers, but the Vipers forfeited the game. The undefeated Craig Harvey Mechanical girls gained the two points.
sporting life | OCLife
Junior soccer action — IMAGES BY HENRY DEROOY — Our photographer, Henry De Rooy, caught some of the Under 8 soccer action at Waratahs Sports Ground on Saturday. Waratah Warriors (wearing the orange vests) managed to claim victory over their fellow club side, Waratah Braves.
MAY 26 — JUNE 1, 2022
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OCLife | sporting life with ANTHONY BARBAGALLO
Bathurst St Pat’s stun our inconsistent Hawks Bathurst St Pat’s caused an upset in the sixth round of the 2022 Peter McDonald Premiership on Sunday by beating Orange Hawks 28-16 at Wade Park. It’s now the Hawks’ third straight defeat, a poor run that has seen them slide to sixth position in the Group 10 table. The impressive victory for St Pat’s means that they climb to fifth and snap their twogame losing streak.
Barnstoneworth United have come away with bragging rights after defeating Orange CYMS 3-1 in the newest local football derby on Saturday afternoon at the Bernie Steadman, Jack Brabham Park.
The Hawks were hoping to bounce back after suffering a 46-4 defeat to Bathurst Panthers in the previous round. But things didn’t go according to plan as the two blues’ defence buckled inside the first 20 minutes.
It’s now six consecutive defeats for CYMS, who are yet to register a point in their return to the Western Premier League. This crucial win for Barnies sees them jump into sixth spot in the standings, keeping the pressure on the top four.
Jackson Brien scored St Pat’s first try in the 10th minute, catching the Hawks’ defence by surprise. The visitors continued to pile on the pressure as halfback Timothy Holman crossed over for his side’s second try. With the Hawks’ defence struggling to cope with the opposition’s intensity, the Bathurst team scored their third try in the 24th minute through Derryn Clayton to take a commanding 14-0 lead.
It was a goal-fest in the first 10 minutes of the contest, with Barnies opening the scoring 30 seconds after kick-off. With CYMS possibly staring down at another heavy defeat, the green-and-gold immediately replied with an equaliser to silence the Barnies camp a few minutes later. The fast-paced tempo continued with Barnstoneworth scoring their second goal to pull in front with a 2-1 lead. Despite both
But thanks to some Alexander Prout magic, the Hawks hooker scored a crucial try that got his side back into the contest right before the halftime siren. Trailing 14-6 at the break, the Hawks tried to play with more freedom and aggression from the restart. But several minutes later, Jackson Brien bagged a brace for St Pat’s to extend their lead to 18-6. At this point, the away side’s poor conversion rate was having a crippling effect on their overall performance. This weakness presented the Hawks with a window of opportunity to get back in the match.
Spalding Waratah League Basketball:
Orange Eagles defeat St George Saints
And in the 54th minute, the two blues muscled their way past St Pat’s goal-line to halve the deficit and bring it within a converted try. For the second time in the game, the Hawks were on the verge of producing a comeback. But some poor defending by Hawks in the 60th minute resulted in St Pat’s scoring their fifth try through Matthew Ranse, dampening the mood inside the two blues camp. While the hosts appeared out of the contest with 10 minutes left, a miraculous try out of nowhere reduced the scoreline to 22-16 and set up an exciting finale. Once again, St Pat’s mediocre conversion rate came back to bite them in the game’s dying minutes. Despite roars from the home crowd, the Hawks failed to create any decent chances to level the score. St Pat’s produced the fatal blow in the last couple of minutes with their five-eighth Mitchell Squire crossing over the line for his side’s sixth try, securing an unexpected 12-point win on the road.
— PHOTOS BY CEC TILBURG — Orange Eagles secured their third victory of the season, beating last-placed St George Saints 81-73 in Pool A of the Spalding Waratah 2 Youth Men Basketball league at Sir Neville Howse Stadium. While both sides matched each other from the threepoint line and with the two-pointers, the Orange Eagles excelled with their free throws. And it was the accurate free throws that made the difference for the Eagles in this tight tussle. This eight-point victory means the young Eagles side jumps into sixth spot in the Pool A standings.
Following the loss to Orange CYMS during the derby, the Hawks seem to be missing their consistency and charisma. This latest defeat serves as a wake-up call before the two blues host Group 10’s last-placed Lithgow Workies in Round Seven this Sunday.
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MAY 26 — JUNE 1, 2022
sporting life | OCLife
Barnies prevail in local derby against CYMS By Anthony Barbagallo
sets of defenders having nightmares at the back, the attacking displays by the two teams provided an entertaining spectacle for the watching crowd.
double their lead in the 54th minute after a quick interchange of passes by the wide attackers put the ball at the feet of their striker for a tap-in.
After taking the lead, Barnies slowed the tempo and dictated the flow of the game by dominating possession through their midfield. But the red-and-whites producing cheap turnovers in the final third gifted CYMS the chance to build from the back and launch some impressive counters through both flanks.
The goal proved to be the fatal blow in CYMS’ efforts to salvage a point from this match. Frustrations continued to grow on and off the pitch for CYMS as their opponents remained in control with their composed style of play.
Just before the break, Barnies threatened their opponent’s goal on several occasions through precise set-piece deliveries. But CYMS weathered the storm to keep the scoreline close until the halftime whistle. In the first five minutes after the restart, neither team could establish their dominance. But, thanks to some of Barnies’ playmakers, they were able to
Barnstoneworth’s experienced goalkeeper Brock Logan, who made some outstanding saves in the second half, said his team had finally hit great form. “In the last few rounds, we have played good football and picked-up points against some quality opponents. This week’s performance was deserving of all three points, and we are now hitting fine form,” Brock said.
Brock also praised his team’s unity in Saturday’s derby win. “The team is very confident in each other’s abilities and, as that grows, we will continue to play well,” he added. Barnies now have their second victory of the campaign as they continue to chase their top-four ambitions. The red-andwhites now turn their attention to Parkes as they host the tricky fourth-placed team this Saturday. As for CYMS, their winless streak continues. But the young side can still draw some positives from this encounter after giving Barnies some early scares. There’s no doubt they will need to address their defensive issues and goalscoring deficiencies before they take on league leaders Panorama FC in Bathurst this weekend.
MAY 26 — JUNE 1, 2022
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