So it was an absolute joy to hear Saturday’s opponents praise the Gordon Reds for their outstanding sportsmanship. The Roseville team went as far as to say the Reds were the best team they’ve every played when it comes to fair play and sportsmanship. This is clearly something of which the boys should be very proud. For the past two seasons, the Gordon Reds have set the standard when it comes to fair play and honesty. The team’s weekly good sportsmanship award is much coveted and rightly so.
Angus Chitty scored 19 runs and took three wickets in one over
Each week the boys encourage each other on the field without going over the top and rarely do they get carried away celebrating taking a wicket. In fact, they will always clap a dismissed batsman sometimes even patting him on the back and wishing him well next time. Old fashioned values perhaps but ones crucial to the DNA of this team.
This wonderful spirit reached a pinnacle on Saturday when James Miller tumbled forward to take what appeared to be a wonderful, sharp catch fielding at point. The boys cheered, the umpire raised the finger and the Roseville batsman trudged off a victim of a great catch. But then James rose to his feet, dusted himself down and walked over to the umpire to declare it wasn’t a catch. He said the ball had touched the ground and James – being a very honest young cricketer – knew he must do the right thing. He was the only one at the ground who knew it wasn’t a fair catch. The umpire thanked James, the batsman was recalled and the game continued. Well done James who’s always the team leader when it comes to fair play.
As to the nuts and bolts of the match, the Reds won the toss and chose to field. It turned out to be one of the best bowling performances of the season as they dismissed Roseville for 87 in the 20th over. It’s not often the Reds dismiss a team so it was a pleasing effort by all. Everyone bowled well with wickets to Tom Brown, Charlie Bibb, Henry Howard and Sam Duckworth, who took two sensational catches. There were also a couple of great run outs with Lachlan Irving pouncing on one at square leg. The innings was wrapped up in sensational style when Angus Chitty bowled three batters in one over.
Set 88 to win, the Reds thought they would cruise home and perhaps they should have done so. But the boys learned a tough lesson from Roseville –never give up!
From a position of 4 for 63, the Reds failed to push on. The batsmen went into their shells and the Roseville pressure mounted. In the end, the Reds came up four runs short of victory.
But with the outstanding display of good sportsmanship by Gordon, cricket was certainly the winner on the day.
Our thanks for a good match go to Roseville who we play again next Saturday but this time at Artarmon Reserve.
Go the mighty Gordon Reds!
Good Sport Reds the Real Winners 
Sportsmanship, fair play, the spirit of the game are phrases too often jettisoned as superfluous in modern day sport. Children watch their adult heroes on the fields of dreams and mimic what they see. Daring displays of skill and courage are always to be admired but sometimes the less attractive human traits are passed on.
