Graham Croker
Sydney University openers Will Hay and Greg Mail posted a mammoth 324-run partnership to earn first innings points against Manly-Warringah in their round four match at Manly Oval on Saturday.
In a record-laden stand, Mail cracked 166 and Hay remained not out on 162 as the Students declared at 1-354 in reply to Manly’s 198. The hosts denied Sydney University outright points and were 3-95 at stumps in their second innings.
Hay scored 120 in boundaries with 21 shots hitting the pickets and six going over the top in his run-a-ball innings. He was at the crease for 252 minutes in posting his second first grade century.
Mail hit 23 boundaries and three sixes in his 233-minute occupation of the crease. It was his 27th First Grade century, moving him into elite company behind Victor Trumper (36 First Grade centuries), Warren Bardsley (36), Bob Simpson (35), Alan Kippax (32) and Tommy Andrews (28). Mail has now surpassed Trumper (9244 runs) on the list of all-time leading run-scorers in First Grade.
The NSW opener is already in the SUCC record books for other reasons in other seasons. In the 2005-06, Mail (200 not out) and Matthew Phelps (200 not out) set a number of records when Sydney University declared at 1-447 in their win over Mosman. It was the highest SUCC total since the 1914-15 season and the highest partnership (390) for and grade and any wicket for the club. The previous record was 307 for the 5th wicket in First Grade in 1919-20. Mail’s 200 was the club’s first double century in First Grade since 1923-24 and also his highest score in First Grade. Phelps’s 200 marked the first instance in the club’s history of two double centuries in the one innings. It was also his second First Grade double century.
Mail’s century at the weekend capped off an outstanding couple of weeks for him. After scoring 223 for the NSW Second XI, the fourth highest score ever by a NSW Second XI batsman, he took 5-16 for on day one of the match against Manly.
After losing the early wicket of opener Justin Cox with 20 on the board, Tim Cruikshank (65) and Andrew Jeffrey (56) consolidated with a 111-run partnership before Mail entered the fray and the hosts lost 7-77.
Meanwhile, Sydney University Seconds maintained their place at the helm of the competition after posting an outright win over Manly-Warringah at University No.2 Oval. Fourth Grade also secured maximum points with an outright win, while Third Grade lost outright Fifth Grade lost on the first innings.
Scoreboard:
First Grade: Sydney University 1(dec)-354 (Greg Mail 166, Will Hay 162 not out) d Manly Warringah 198 (Tim Cruickshank 65, Andrew Jeffrey 56; Greg Mail 5-16) and 3-95 (Tim Cruikshank 34 not out; Mitch Cook 2-29) on the first innings at Manly Oval. Points: Sydney University 6, Manly-Warringah 0.
Second Grade: Sydney University 214 (Adam Theobald 49, Nick Larkin 36, Tom Kierath 34, Chris Jones 30; N. McLachlan 5-62, Aidan Baker 2-18) and 1-68 (Nick Larkin 46 not out) d Manly-Warringah 156 (Scott Patterson 62; Tom Kierath 3-28, Josh Toyer 3-43) and 125 (Aidan Baker 25; Josh Toyer 6-18, Nick Dunford 2-53) outright at Sydney University No.2 Oval. Points: Sydney University 10, Manly-Warringah 0.
Third Grade: Manly-Warringah 208 (Ryan Bonner 45, Rob Brindle 38, Craig Little 37 not out; James Lawrence 3-31, Stuart McLean 3-38) and 2(dec)-75 (Ryan Bonner 32, Matthew Cranney 27 not out) d Sydney University 102 (Brendan Smith 25; Adam Parkinson 3-7, Vinod Rehaan 3-27) and 178 (Mark Hackett 57, Ken Huckle 42, Suda Sivapalan 37; Ryan Bonner 5-42, Stuart McLean 2-20) outright at St Paul’s College Oval. Points: Manly-Warringah 10, Sydney University 0.
Fourth Grade: Sydney University 6(dec)-146 (Michael Culkoff 46, Dave Crawford 30; Michael Visser 3-35) and 4-73 (Ed Freeman 45 not out; Matthew Mee 3-26) d Manly-Warringah 98 (Jim Kazaglis 6-28, Ben Joy 2-27, Charles Cull 2-30) and 123 (Joel Mason 36, Dean Readett 27; Jim Kazaglis 5-45, Ben Joy 3-35) outright at Graham Reserve. Points: Sydney University 10, Manly-Warringah 0.
Fifth Grade: Manly-Warringah 8-202 (M Riley 49, J Badyari 45 not out; K McPherson 3-49, E Quoyle 2-40, A Greene 2-55) d Sydney University 9(dec)-201 (M Barwick 70, C Davey 32 not out, N Fitzgerald 30; L Anderson 3-24, J Badyari 3-62, P Hartig Franc 2-21) on first innings at Mick Pawley Oval. Points: Manly-Warringah 6, Sydney University 0.
