Andrew Walsh inspires St George to incredible win over North Sydney in Premier Cricket

A Sydney grade cricketer threatened a record held by Don Bradman as he inspired one of the greatest turnarounds in the competition’s history.

Six wickets down and 304 runs away from victory, it’s fair to say St George looked dead and almost buried as Andrew Walsh walked to the crease against North Sydney in Saturday’s Premier Cricket clash at Hurstville Oval.

In 10 years and 111 games of first grade cricket, Walsh’s highest score was only 53 and he averaged just above nine.

But over five incredible hours, Walsh thrashed the most unlikely run-a-ball double century to drag his side back into the contest and set-up a win on the last delivery of the day.

The unassuming lower order batsman smacked an astonishing 150 runs in boundaries – 15 sixes and 15 fours – on his way to breaking or threatening a host of records, including one held by the great Sir Donald Bradman.

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Walsh’s 208 is the highest score by a No. 8 in 127 years of first grade cricket and his 213-run

partnership with fellow bowler Joe Graham (42) is believed to be the second highest for the eighth wicket.

His 15 sixes in one innings is the fourth most in the competition’s history, placing him behind leader Victor Trumper (22) and former Australian all-rounders Shane Watson and Albert ’Tibby’ Cotter (both 16).

Andrew Walsh launched St George to a remarkable win over North Sydney.

At one stage the 28-year-old school teacher was eyeing off St George’s record club score of 248, set by a young Bradman in 1931, before eventually being caught on the first ball of the last over with the Dragons nine wickets down and still five runs from victory.

No. 11 Tom McKenzie hit a four on the final delivery to seal a remarkable win and reduce grown men to tears.

North Sydney players stood around stunned, no doubt ruing dropping Walsh in the gully when he was on just 10.

Defending 355, the Bears had Saints 4-11 early in the day and 6-52 when Walsh entered the picture just before lunch.

“When we were seven down I was thinking we could go one of two ways – we could try to defend and grind the day out or I could try to take it to them a little bit,” Walsh told The Daily Telegraph.

“I know it sounds funny but I truly did believe we could still win the game. It was a good wicket and I was still pretty confident and quite calm.

“It was just one of those days where it all came off.

“It’s surreal to think it’s up there with some of those records held by those great players.”

St George coach Dean Gilchrist, brother of explosive ex-Australian keeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist, rated Walsh’s innings the cleanest hitting he’s seen from a lower-order batman.

“Brett Lee could hit a ball a long, long way but this was something else,” Gilchrist said.

“You don’t expect batsmen down the order to come out and do that.

“It was just remarkable to be there and witness it. Adam often said for all the things he won in cricket, it’s the games like this you remember for a lifetime.

“These are the guys you play with week in week out, who work five days and play for the love of it.

“This game will now take on legendary status. It’s a win for the ages.”

LIDDIARD THE HERO IN PENRITH’S STUNNING WIN

A member of a well-known rugby league family brought his dad to tears after hauling his side

across the line in a last-wicket Premier Cricket miracle at Penrith on Saturday.

Tyran Liddiard, whose father Glen and uncle David played first grade for a variety of NRL clubs in the 1980s and 90s, withstood the Hawkesbury attack for more than four hours to post his maiden top grade century and win the match from a seemingly impossible position.

The young keeper-batsman was on 80 and his side 9-185 chasing the Hawks’ 262 when No. 11 Ryan Smith joined him in the middle at Howell Oval.

Smith’s run tally for the season stood at one before the innings, but he stayed around long enough to get Liddiard to his ton and help put on an unbroken 10th wicket stand of 80 to win a remarkable match.

Liddiard leapt into Smith’s arm after bringing up the winning runs with a sweet cover drive to the rope.

He finished winning 125 not out, with Smith remaining unbeaten on 29.

Tyran had been out in the 90s four times before breaking through for the first hundred of his career.

Tyran and father Glen Liddiard after his stunning performance with the bat. Picture: Barry Clarence

Glen Liddiard posted a picture of the Howell Oval scoreboard showing his son’s score, writing: “Tyran finally got his first century … very proud.”

“Dad is the proudest bloke ever. He was crying when I came off,” Tyran said.

“He’s hard on me at times but also my biggest supporter.

“That’s the best I’ve ever battled but I still don’t know how we got out of jail.

“We just had the fight in us to do it.”

Tyran played rugby league as a kid but was getting knocked around due to his small physique and switched his focus to cricket

The 22-year-old admitted he suffered a touch of anxiety as he closed in on his first century, but the game situation helped him through.

“I put our position in the game ahead of my individual goals and I think that helped get me through,” he explained. “It was Indigenous Round as well, so it was a great time to do it.”

ANOTHER MIRACLE

There was a second miracle unfolding in Sydney’s south at the same time Liddiard was performing his resurrection.

St George No. 8 Andrew Walsh strolled to the crease with his side in tatters at 6-52 in reply to North Sydney’s 355.

With nothing to lose, the tailender began swinging madly and often.

He plundered an astonishing 208 runs in 209 balls, smashing 15 sixes and 15 fours.

One hundred and fifty runs came from boundaries.

Remarkably, the Dragons had been 4-11 and write your own odds at one stage.

REP PLAYERS FAIL TO DELIVER

The return of three representative-class players wasn’t enough for UNSW to reel in Sydney’s imposing target in a one-sided affair.

Chasing 400 at compact David Phillips Field, the Bumble Bees were banking on veteran all-rounder Dan Christian and NSW duo Matthew Gilkes and Chris Tremain to lead the charge.

But Sydney’s bowlers dominated the day, picking up dangermen Gilkes for six and Christian for 22.

Tremain contributed a determined 27 in the lower order but was unable to stop the rot as UNSW was bowled out for just 133.

Other round six winners were Gordon, Western Suburbs, Campbelltown-Camden, Fairfield-Liverpool, Manly, Eastern Suburbs and Sydney Uni.

Campbelltown-Camden’s win over Mosman was spearheaded by opening bowler Luke Webb (7-58)

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Originally published as Andrew Walsh inspires St George to incredible win over North Sydney in Premier Cricket