English guy moving down under

[DeletedUser1]

This is my first post on here so go easy

Early next year I'll be moving to Australia (Sydney) on a working holiday visa initially and then hopefully I'll be gaining permanent residency. I want to know more about club cricket down under as currently i have little knowledge on the standards and what i can expect. I've been playing since i was 8 and spent a few early teenage years playing at minor county level before injuries meant i had to take a long time out of the game. I'm now 22 and when i move over i obviously want to join a club as soon as possible, both for the cricket, and the social aspect (because ill be a loner with no friends). From what i hear about grade cricket it is a very high standard, up there with county level in England. What are the chances of getting into one of the lower grades at these clubs at the standard i am currently at? I love the professional mindset from from grade teams with the training kits, training multiple times a week and the preseason schedule. So i would rather go for that instead of teams who are geared more towards leisure players.

Thanks and any help would be great!

 

[Red]

Most club cricketers in Australia would make the England test team of the 1990s.

That might give you an idea...

 

[fredfertang]

This is what Brexit leads to - can't offer any advice J_Gold, but wish you luck

 

[Red]

Welcome to the forum and to the greatest country on earth

 

[DeletedUser1]

Most club cricketers in Australia would make the England test team of the 1990s.

That might give you an idea...

I think anyone with a pulse could make the England test team of the 1990's haha

 

[Gnske]

Find a wife to beat, develop alcoholism, only pay attention to half the cricket in the summer and none overseas and you'll be well on your way.

 

[Burgey]

Hey mate. Welcome. There’s pretty much a level for anyone who wants to play. Each grade club has five teams. Often fifth and fourth grade are used as development teams for younger players.

There’s also Shires Cricket - a level below grade, though first grade has some very decent cricketers. Third and fourth grade Shires is pretty average, though grade clubs often use the Shires teams as feeder teams and you’ll see blokes coming back from injury play a couple of Shires games before being picked for their grade club.

Both grade and Shires are played across the Sydney metro area and are all on turf. The wickets in lower Shires grades are often, well, interesting.

There’s also club/ park Cricket of a Saturday arvo. These are more local competitions and are usually played on a mixture of turf and synthetic decks. Depending on where you’ll be living, some of the local comps are pretty strong, others not so much. A lot less training in park cricket which allows you to get on with the rest of life.

If you don’t mind me asking, do you know whereabouts in Sydney you’ll be living? Given you’re English and in your early 20s, I suppose it’ll be Bondi or Coogee

All the best with it anyway. Hope you enjoy the cricket, wherever you decide to play. If you want a intro to some clubs, there’s plenty of blokes around on here who could probably be of assistance to you.

 

[DeletedUser1]

Hey mate. Welcome. There’s pretty much a level for anyone who wants to play. Each grade club has five teams. Often fifth and fourth grade are used as development teams for younger players.

There’s also Shires Cricket - a level below grade, though first grade has some very decent cricketers. Third and fourth grade Shires is pretty average, though grade clubs often use the Shires teams as feeder teams and you’ll see blokes coming back from injury play a couple of Shires games before being picked for their grade club.

Both grade and Shires are played across the Sydney metro area and are all on turf. The wickets in lower Shires grades are often, well, interesting.

There’s also club/ park Cricket of a Saturday arvo. These are more local competitions and are usually played on a mixture of turf and synthetic decks. Depending on where you’ll be living, some of the local comps are pretty strong, others not so much. A lot less training in park cricket which allows you to get on with the rest of life.

If you don’t mind me asking, do you know whereabouts in Sydney you’ll be living? Given you’re English and in your early 20s, I suppose it’ll be Bondi or Coogee

All the best with it anyway. Hope you enjoy the cricket, wherever you decide to play. If you want a intro to some clubs, there’s plenty of blokes around on here who could probably be of assistance to you.

Cheers for the response mate! I have no idea where i'll be living yet, wherever i can afford i suppose I was in Sydney a couple of months ago and living anywhere near a beach would be ideal so I can post stereotypical social media pics for my freezing friends back in England

I've never heard of shires cricket before, is it taken as seriously as grade in terms of training in terms of competitiveness but just the standard is not quite there. Or is it a lot more relaxed?

 

[Burgey]

It sort of depends on the club. For example, clubs like Mounties, Georges River and Burwood Briars are pretty solid outfits. There are others like Macquarie Uni who have good players but their lower grade teams are a bit of fun for some students. It’s a bit hard to generalise, but I think they probably don’t train quite as hard or often as the grade clubs, but first and second grade Shires are both very competitive without quite having he quality of players that grade does.

Having said that, a few years ago Shires was where the money was, so blokes at the end of their first grade or Shield careers were retiring to take some (comparatively) decent coin to play Shires - some of the better players were getting five figures to play, which is a pretty decent supplement to your income. To the point where they brought in a salary cap.

Something you’ll have to take into consideration is the timing of your move. My young bloke is involved with Parra grade club and they started preseason fitness stuff about a month ago, with the Comp starting late September/ early October which runs til March- April. A lot of Shires clubs will have their squads sorted too.

If you want to have a game in 2018/19 you might need to think about playing Park Cricket for the back half of the season as you settle in. Mind you, if you’ve played Minor Counties you might know some blokes who are wintering out here who could give you an intro to a grade club. A lot of clubs have OS players for a season, so if you know anyone who’s going to be doing hat for the full season, you could see if they can get you a look in at their club as well.

 

[DeletedUser1]

It sort of depends on the club. For example, clubs like Mounties, Georges River and Burwood Briars are pretty solid outfits. There are others like Macquarie Uni who have good players but their lower grade teams are a bit of fun for some students. It’s a bit hard to generalise, but I think they probably don’t train quite as hard or often as the grade clubs, but first and second grade Shires are both very competitive without quite having he quality of players that grade does.

Having said that, a few years ago Shires was where the money was, so blokes at the end of their first grade or Shield careers were retiring to take some (comparatively) decent coin to play Shires - some of the better players were getting five figures to play, which is a pretty decent supplement to your income. To the point where they brought in a salary cap.

Something you’ll have to take into consideration is the timing of your move. My young bloke is involved with Parra grade club and they started preseason fitness stuff about a month ago, with the Comp starting late September/ early October which runs til March- April. A lot of Shires clubs will have their squads sorted too.

If you want to have a game in 2018/19 you might need to think about playing Park Cricket for the back half of the season as you settle in. Mind you, if you’ve played Minor Counties you might know some blokes who are wintering out here who could give you an intro to a grade club. A lot of clubs have OS players for a season, so if you know anyone who’s going to be doing hat for the full season, you could see if they can get you a look in at their club as well.

I know a few guys who go out in the winter but not to Sydney, a couple of guys at my club go over to a club in Melbourne and a guy who plays first class now called Rob Jones plays for South Perth CC.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Hmm mixed blessings. You're moving to Australia which is an incredible rise in fortunes for a guy used to Britain, but then on the other hand you're going to be in Sydney.

It's like being given free access to the local brothel, but only the BBW workers

 

[DeletedUser1]

Hmm mixed blessings. You're moving to Australia which is an incredible rise in fortunes for a guy used to Britain, but then on the other hand you're going to be in Sydney.

It's like being given free access to the local brothel, but only the BBW workers

Maybe I like some curves

 

[Burgey]

Never mind the interstaters. They’re all understandably suffering from inferiority complexes.

 

[Top_Cat]

It sort of depends on the club. For example, clubs like Mounties, Georges River and Burwood Briars are pretty solid outfits. There are others like Macquarie Uni who have good players but their lower grade teams are a bit of fun for some students. It’s a bit hard to generalise, but I think they probably don’t train quite as hard or often as the grade clubs, but first and second grade Shires are both very competitive without quite having he quality of players that grade does.

Having said that, a few years ago Shires was where the money was, so blokes at the end of their first grade or Shield careers were retiring to take some (comparatively) decent coin to play Shires - some of the better players were getting five figures to play, which is a pretty decent supplement to your income. To the point where they brought in a salary cap.

Something you’ll have to take into consideration is the timing of your move. My young bloke is involved with Parra grade club and they started preseason fitness stuff about a month ago, with the Comp starting late September/ early October which runs til March- April. A lot of Shires clubs will have their squads sorted too.

If you want to have a game in 2018/19 you might need to think about playing Park Cricket for the back half of the season as you settle in. Mind you, if you’ve played Minor Counties you might know some blokes who are wintering out here who could give you an intro to a grade club. A lot of clubs have OS players for a season, so if you know anyone who’s going to be doing hat for the full season, you could see if they can get you a look in at their club as well.

Yeah this. If you're unsure of your standard, head out for a Shires team and smash the crap out of some locals. Either you'll find your level there and be training as hard as you want or you'll get picked up by some mercenary Grade team. Nothing wrong with playing upper Shires from what I heard years ago.

Burgey would know better; 2x a week training, selection Thursdays, generally Sat-to-Sat games with the occasional Sat/Sun game and Sunday LO comp would be the standard MO for a reasonable Shires team, yeah? If you're playing Grade, there will be an extra training night and expectation of PT, two-day comp + separate LO comp and maybe even a T20 comp these days, wild guess. Maybe even the better Grade players would be expected to participate in some country outreach coaching in NSW, yeah?

 

[Burgey]

Yeah that’s pretty much it.

 

[Burgey]

You’ll be lucky to miss preseason mind you. Blokes get flogged. Young bloke is doing one night a week (increases to two in a fortnight) plus Saturdays, one on one stuff of a Monday and 2x PT sessions. He’ll fail year 11, but at least he’ll be ready for the new Cricket season.

 

[Top_Cat]

I love how that's apparently an acceptable trade-off.

 

[cnerd123]

He’ll fail year 11, but at least he’ll be ready for the new Cricket season.

Good dad

 

[Burgey]

PT sessions only a half hour each tbf, but he’s doing his own cardio and weights as well.

I’ve been pretty pleasantly surprised at how hard he’s working on school stuff tbh. Has a new strumpet though, which is a worry.

 

[Top_Cat]

Trouble brewing, tbh.