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Inaugural Golf Match vs Oxford October 2009 Report by Chris Golis

The match was played at Manly.  Daryl Dixon and Peter Young played John Boyce and Bob Gilchirst in the inital four ball.  Daryl won his match and Peter played magnificently to halve his match.  Cambridge 1.5 Oxford 0.5
I then played Peter Abelson and Murray Tobias.  Graciously I permitted three of the Oxford team to use carts.  Of course carts are normally worth at least 2-3 holes but no compensation to the handicaps was offered by Oxford.  In addition my ball was 'found' by the Oxford captain which I hit and then discovered was not my ball for the immediate loss of hole to both players.  My golf was not up to overcoming these burdens and I lost both matches. Cambridge 1.5 Oxford 2.5
Russell Lyons then played former Oxford golf captain, Paul Barry, and former Oxford rugby blue, Charles Thorburn.  Russell beat Paul early on.  Cambridge 2.5 Oxford 2.
But on the final hole of the final match Russell was 1 down.  Both got on the green in two.  Russell struck a magnificent putt to within 20 cm.
Unfortunately Charles lagged his first putt short and missed the second.  Russell won the hole and halved the match. Cambridge 3 Oxford 3.
Manly put on an excellent seafood buffet and an excellent dinner was shared by all.


Cricket Match vs Oxford November 2009 Match Report John Rothie-Jones

Thanks to our sponsors, Middletons, we were again able to stage the annual Oxford/Cambridge cricket and tennis match at St. Pauls College, Sydney University.  This year the weather was kind and perfect conditions greeted the arrival of Oxbridge cricketers of varying ages and skills. The pitch needed a little loving care and the Oxford captain and former Bradman scholar, Geoff Lovell and Cambridge’s Charlie Lewis shared the duties with brush and roller. And a very good job they did.  A suitable surface having been established for this titanic struggle, Oxford won the toss and, not surprisingly, decided to bat.

For Cambridge, Charlie Lewis and Tom Hanson bowled outstandingly to restrict the Oxford openers to 18 off the first six overs and shortly after picked up the first wicket. Charlie went on to bowl an uninterrupted spell of 14 overs. He beat the bat regularly; and whilst not taking any wickets, it was a great effort for a 43 year old with even older knees.  The Oxford innings progressed steadily but not expansively. The dangerous former Blues Nathan Ashley and Geoff Lovell were contained and it was not until the 25th over that the score reached 100.  The last ten overs, thanks to some excellent bowling from Mark Hodge (5 for 34) and Guy Stuckey-Clarke (3 for 19), and supported by some surprisingly agile ground fielding and catching, only brought a further 45 runs and Oxford were finally bowled out for 145.

Tea was taken between innings as cricketers, tennis players (under the inspired even-handedness of organiser, Gemma Easter, the tennis match was keenly contested and declared a draw) and spectators came together to tell tales of long forgotten and heavily embellished sporting prowess.

The Cambridge innings started slowly with former Blue, Dominic Katter and skipper, Rothnie-Jones being restricted by former Oxford paceman, Ben Wood, who bowled 7 overs for 16 runs.When Rothnie-Jones was bowled by another former Blue, Michael Jeh, who’d travelled from Queensland to play, in the 16th over, the situation changed markedly. Four wickets fell for the addition of as many runs. Former Blue, Russell Lyons, former Crusader, Nick Bilinsky and Guy Stuckey-Clarke picking up just one run between them.  From this point, Michael Jeh (3-14) and former Authentic, John Pickhaver(4-33) made life very difficult for the Cambridge middle and lower order.  Wickets fell regularly and the required rate rose accordingly. When former Rugby Blue and Cambridge committee member, Ali Newmarch was run-out, the light blues were a spent force. A final score of 111 was a disappointment after a promising start.

The day had been a great success for both the dark and light blues and, after some speeches of thanks, both sides adjourned to the local pub to construct next year’s battle plans.






Winter Feast September 2008 at the Royal Yacht Squadron, Kirribilli

Guest Speaker Susannah Fullerton, President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia, talking about the Great Writers of Cambridge.  We had a full house of 90 people and a waiting list.  Described by one very senior executive of National Australia Bank as the "best evening he has had all year".




Boat Race Dinner April 2006