NDCC | Blackmail Newsletter | 26th July 2026 No. 1
- 20 hours ago
- 8 min read
THE GOAT RETURNS
Australian (& NDs) Test spinner, Nathan Lyon, should make his Test return in the 2-Test Series in Darwin starting 13th August. Nathan is commencing his 14th year with NDs. When he joined us, he taken exactly 76 Test wickets in 22 Test matches. The NDs fraternity have witnessed another 491 test wickets to the present day. This impressive tally of 567 Test wickets makes him the most successful off-spinner in Australian cricket history. Among all Australian bowlers, he currently sits in second place behind only Shane Warne (708 wickets). Hopefully, Nathan will be taking plenty more in Darwin.
ND AGM 22ND JULY 2026 - THE PRESIDENCY WHEEL TURNS!
For many years now, it has been a “Wheel of Fortune” for NDCC. At the AGM on 22nd July, Matt Johnson (MJ) became only the 11th President of NDs in 101 years. It was the inaugural AGM held in the Austen Hughes Clubroom at Mark Taylor Oval. Those present heard a series of accolades for Jerry who stepped down after 8 years at the helm … and very successful years they were. Tributes were delivered by Mark Taylor, Chris Elder, Ross Webb, Mayor Warren Waddell, Mike Langford, Matt Johnson, Graham Hanlon, Bruce Wood, Ben Davis, Dom Eve and Tim Ebbeck. Jerry guided the Club through the bizarre Covid years and through all the building works at MTO associated with the $9m State Government grant. He will always be around the club and remains on the committee.
They will be big shoes to fill but, thank God, MJ has big feet! He has sure done some miles for the Club already! Matt debuted 30 years ago in 1996/97 season. He has amassed some very impressive stats (below) … what is it about off-spinners! MJ has been on the committee for years and is ready to hit the ground running He runs a very successful business, runs marathons and is a very busy family man! … perfect credentials!
The other highlight of the AGM was Simon Trowell receiving Life Membership of the Club. Dan Friedrich spoke to the nomination. Trowelly had a few seasons with the bat before joining the committee over 20 years ago. His ensuing off-field performances make exceptional reading … especially compared to his stats! Trowelly has held various positions on the committee and is currently Assistant Committee Vice-President. He has been the producer of the annual report for the last 20 years. He handles any insurance issues that arise on occasions. He organises the photo and video requirements at every Presentation Night we have ever had. He performs a thousand other duties re game days, BBQs, end of year clean-ups … too many to mention. He has a fantastic family (pictured) and wins the award as “The World’s nicest Bloke”. CONGRATS TROWELLY!
New Committee.
President: | Matt Johnson |
Vice President | Ryan Nelson |
Assistant VP | Simon Trowell |
Hon Secretary | Graham Gorrie |
Assist Sec | Leigh Brezler |
Treasurer | Craig Hambleton |
Assist Treasurer | Ben Davis |
Ordinary Members | Jeremy Hook, Mike Langford, Dan Friedrich, Geoff Witt, Matt Taylor Jayden Camp, Dom Eve (Womens). |
Minute Secretary | Jim Barrett will attend all meetings as Minute Secretary. |
The AGM also saw the committee retirement for Noel Moig, Peter Vilimaa and Gary Kerr. They might have dropped off the committee but they will still be very much around performing their usual “duties”. Moigy will continue on with managing 1st Grade and helping out at BBQs and other functions. Gary (Fish) will continue being part of our scoring brigade and Pete Vilimaa will be keeping an eye on Craig Hambleton who takes on the role of Club Treasurer. We welome Leigh Brezler, Matt Taylor and Jayden Camp to the Committee ranks.
BASIL SELLERS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2026/27
Further honours for 3 ND Rangers who were recipients last Friday of the prestigious Basil Sellers Scholarship Awards for season 2026/27. The awards ceremony took place at the SCG. The Basil Sellers Scholarship is a premier philanthropic initiative, primarily supporting elite young athletes in New South Wales to transition into professional sporting careers while balancing education, training, and personal development. There are 12 scholarships given each year across several sports, so this is an amazing result from NDCC.
Will Byrom is a highly promising young fast bowler who gained national attention through his standout performances for the Australian U19 team at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in Namibia. His remarkable spell against Sri Lanka, in which he claimed 5 for 14 from 6.5 overs and helped bowl the opposition out for a tournament-record low score of 58, underlined his potential, while his impact with the new ball and early breakthroughs earned him Player of the Match honours. Premier Cricket with NDCC.
Ava Drury is a talented left-arm orthodox bowler from the Central Coast. At just 17, she has already represented Australia at the U19 level in Tri-series tournaments, earning Player of the Match honours while competing in Sri Lanka last season. A consistent performer within the Country pathway, Ava has progressed from NSW Country U16s through to U19s and established herself as a key figure in the program. She is also a regular contributor for Northern District Cricket Club in First Grade of the Sydney Women’s Premier Cricket competition.
Maisie Miller is a dynamic young all-rounder from the Central Coast, combining leg-spin with the ability to impact games with the bat. Her composure and maturity were evident at the 2025/26 U16 National Championships, finishing equal second in Player of the Tournament—an outstanding result as an U14. Maisie competes in her local U15 boys’ competition and also represents NDCC in Sydney Women’s Premier Cricket. With her work ethic, skill, and mindset, she is an exciting prospect for the future.
THE MARK TAYLOR PAVILION
It is our pleasure to share with you all that last week, Mark Taylor Oval Pavilion was announced as the recipient of the Commendation for Public Architecture at the NSW Architecture Awards.
This is a tremendous achievement for a Local Government project like this, and reflects well on the successful contributions of the broader project team. The top awards for Public Architecture went to Central Station (well over $1 Billion budget) and the Fish Markets (around maybe $700M budget).
The awards listing can be found here: https://www.architecture.com.au/archives/awards/mark-taylor-oval-pavilion
Jury Citation: The Mark Taylor Oval Pavilion at Waitara Park reimagines an historic sporting venue. Rather than demolish an existing 1929 grandstand, the original structure is retained and a complementary, contemporary twin pavilion is placed alongside. The new building delivers accessible amenities, kiosk, umpires’ rooms with a generous lightfilled club overlooking the field. The compact ground level offers broad sheltering eaves that expand the public realm. Together, the heritage grandstand and this robust contemporary pavilion form a cohesive civic presence and community hub on Waitara Park.
CRICKET NSW LAUNCHES THE YOUTH ADVISORY GROUP (YAG) 2026/27
Cricket NSW has today launched its inaugural Youth Advisory Group (YAG), to give young leaders from across the state a voice to influence the direction of cricket in New South Wales.
Under the guidance of CNSW Integrity unit, the YAG will bring together passionate cricketers from across nsw aged 14 – 21 years, representing players, umpires, coaches and club volunteers to ensure an holistic perspective is captured.
Congratulations to Nd’s player, Max Guazzarotto on his selection.
Over their 12-month term, the 10 young leaders from both metropolitan and regional communities, will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, gain insights into sport governance, and contribute meaningfully to the growth of cricket within their communities. The YAG will discuss, examine and advise on improving participation, safety and inclusion of young people, including policies, initiatives the pathways which drive engagement and retention of players, coaches and umpires.
Kate Campbell, Cricket NSW General Manager – Governance and Integrity, said:
“The Youth Advisory Group will give Cricket NSW direct youth input to strengthen our work and ensure programs reflect real participant experiences, while also developing future leaders within the New South Wales cricket community. “The YAG’s work will enhance our mission of inspiring everyone to play and love our game.”
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NDs WELL REPRESENTED AT CRICKET NSW
Great to see so many ND Rangers gaining employment with Cricket NSW. Play cricket on the weekends, work at Cricket NSW Monday to Friday … Now that is living the dream for cricket lovers!
Graham Gorrie has been Chairman of Sydney Cricket Assocn (SCA) for 7 years
Craig Hambleton is Chairman of the SCA Womens. Appointed in 2022
Daniel Anderson - Head of Consumer and Venue Business
Matthew Taylor - Head of Content and Strategic Communications
Lachlan Soles - Growth Lead, Community Programs
Danielle Chivers - Participation Growth Specialist
Jessica Holmes - Participation Growth Specialist
Corey Miller - Social Media Coordinator
RETIREMENT OF BRUCE WOOD AS PRESIDENT OF THE COACHES ASSOCIATION
Retirement of Bruce Wood as President, Coaches’ Association (HKHDCCA) 2010 – 2026.
Northern District CC congratulates Bruce Wood OAM on his 16 years as President of the Coaches’ Association, which concluded on 9 June 2026 at their AGM. He fostered a close partnership with NDCC in relation to the school holiday junior cricket clinics at Mark Taylor Oval, Waitara, and six overseas cricket tours.
During Bruce’s time at the helm, the Coaches’ Association held 94 cricket clinics involving 5,700 boys & girls and 170 accredited coaches. Bruce managed four HKHDCCA / NDCC junior cricket tours to India, and one each to Sri Lanka and Barbados between 2015 and 2025.
He was the Convenor of the annual HK&HDCA U/15 Ross Turner Cup and U/13 Glenn Hourigan Cup fixtures for 16 years, after taking over this role from Tom Richmond OAM (NDCC Life Member). Bruce also umpired 20 consecutive RTC matches from 2007 – 2026.
Bruce organised and coached at the annual free HKHDCCA coaching sessions for BlowFly Cricket; as well as numerous off-season development programs run by Rod Hokin, former HKHDCCA Head Coach, and NDCC First Grade player.
Many NDs players have worked as senior coaches for HKHDCCA, including our two AWG ‘super coaches’, Josh Miller and Tom Felton.
The new HKHDCCA President in 2026-27 is Chris Burnett, who is keen to maintain the close working relationship between NDCC and HKHDCCA, especially in relation to hiring the MTO Indoor Centre for coaching programs.
Below are some comments provided to mark the occasion of Bruce’s retirement as President of the Coaches’ Association.
Ross Turner (HKHDCCA Patron) and ND Life member spoke of the origins:
The concept of a Coaches’ Association was created in 2010 by a group of experienced cricket administrators in Tom Richmond OAM [HKHDCA and NDCC Life Member], Mark Rushton [former President HKHDCA], Mike Langford President, Northern District CC], and Bruce Wood [HK&HDCA Executive and Representative (Level 2) Coach], whose collective wisdom brought this entity to life.
In Bruce’s 16 years as President, he brought remarkable energy and skill to build the capacity of the Coaches’ Association, such that it is now a recognised and reputable institution in NSW. Congratulations are extended to Bruce for his outstanding leadership and dedication to raising coaching standards within the Association’s sphere of influence.
TWO LEGENDS
July 10th … The great man (Bumrah that is) was just wandering through the Dubai lounge without anyone knowing who he was.
But then, our great man (Tim McMahon) just had to say hi. Tim said that you couldn’t meet a nicer bloke. Had a great chat.
I reckon Tim would have loved to face him!
Tim currently heads up the Singapore Cricket Club. New recruit?
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HELP IS ON THE WAY!
Earlier this year I bought a lap top from JB HiFi. I must have been the last person in Australia using Windows 10. Anyway, I said to the sales person that I need help in changing to Windows 11 and setting up everything etc. He advised me to ring this young bloke .. “His name is Darcy Smead, a local lad and extremely good!”
The result was that Darcy solved all my computer problems at very reasonable rates. I was so impressed that I thought I’d give him a plug. It’s his business and it’s service with a smile!
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