Ray White Defeats Linfox – Sydney Cricket Ground

“I was really proud of my team today” said Dan White, the captain of the Ray White team that defeated Linfox at the Sydney Cricket Ground last Tuesday. It was a team that included members of our group from Western Australia, Queensland, ACT and NSW. The match was part of a big fundraising effort to raise money for disadvantaged children and it gave participants the very rare opportunity to play on the SCG. For cricket enthusiasts this is a dream come true.

In glorious conditions on a lively wicket Dan White sent his team into bat first in this 24 over match. The openers were shocked to have to face a former Australian Test Cricketer in their first over. His pedigree was obvious as he frustrated Damien Clarke (Ray White Cherrybrook) in his goal of smashing a six. He did manage a single. Fortunately for the Ray White team the bowling depth of their opponents quickly faded and they managed to put on respectable total of 56 runs. Dan White himself was lucky to escape unharmed in his innings from a dangerous ‘beam ball’ that narrowly missed him. Tom Lu (Fairfield) was not as lucky as he succumbed to an arm injury that he aggravated in a training session the evening before the match.

The fielding innings was a special experience for the team. Despite the empty stadiums it gave the team just a hint of what it must be like to play in a big match. Standing out in the middle in their cricket whites, on a perfect pitch and impeccable outfield, surrounded by high grandstands, standing where all the legends of the game have been, and imagining the feeling of having a whole country cheering for you. This appreciation really rubbed off on the Ray White team and they played like the professionals they were imagining themselves to be. In short, it was an outstanding effort in the field which clearly displayed each individual’s commitment and their teamwork. There were some glorious catches in the field including some ‘classic catches’ from Simon Harrison (Lane Cove), Craig Heath (Corporate) and Damien Clarke (Cherrybrook) who according to Richie Benaud took the catch of the day when he ran over 20 metres to take a catch on the boundary. Shaun Kaddatz (Surfers Paradise) was outstanding and fearless fielding in close. The great fielding performance was also punctuated by some sharp run outs. In the end it was a total shut out, as Ray White captured an incredible 14 wickets for the match, which under the scoring system, left Linfox with a total of zero.

Following the game, the handshakes and the celebration in the Australian dressing room there was a gala dinner to celebrate the day and to celebrate the Australian cricketer, Arthur Morris 88th birthday. Attendees were also treated to a speech from Richie Benaud. The Ray White team lent their hand in conducting the Charity Auction in which the organisers were most impressed with the impressive spotting and floor work of the Ray White team which included some outstanding performances from Dean Muriti (Cherrybrook), Troy Turner (Development Sales) and Scott Crossman (Canberra). Over $10,000 was raised from the auction alone.

Photos: Ray White Defeats Linfox – Sydney Cricket Ground - click to enlarge