The Cricket Statistician No 195

5 At the WACA Dear Sir I was interested to read Don Starr’s review of Australian Cricket Digest 2020 in the Summer issue. He notes the official attendance figure of 131 for Victoria v Tasmania in the Marsh Cup at the WACA in September 2019. It struck me that this was the last time I was inside a Cricket ground (and it does seem a very, very long time ago). I was there with my younger son, Philip, the day after our 16 hour direct flight from Heathrow to Perth. Don comments on the lack of publicity for this match, which I can confirm. We arrived after a whale-watching trip and near the end of the first innings. Having driven around the ground I saw no signs of cricket. Indeed we had to walk almost the entire perimeter of the WACA before finding the only open (and unattended) entrance. I doubt we were counted in the 131 – there seemed more than that. Tasmania needed five to win with five wickets and 11 overs left but contrived to lose by one run, so the 131 (+2?) were certainly entertained. Peter Holdridge The Wimbledon Champion’s Cricket Career Dear Sir In late 2014, an 18-year-old international tennis player decided to retire. She had had enough of touring the world since her early teens and she greatly missed her family and friends. She had some success at tennis, winning junior Wimbledon in 2011 and reaching three grand slam finals of women’s doubles events with her tennis partner, Casey Dellacqua. However, her early singles promise as a junior was not fulfilled as she was finding it very difficult to win matches against much taller, stronger and more experienced opponents on the WTA tour. To the shock of many, she retired. She had no intention of returning to the professional tennis circuit. As a junior tennis player, the international tennis player had grown up with a friend. The friend had four brothers and a father who were cricketers, so decided that rather than play tennis, she would try her hand at cricket. She joined the club at which her father was president, Western Suburbs District Cricket Club (WSDCC) situated in the inner western Brisbane suburb of Graceville. This was only about two miles from her home but about 20 miles from where the 18-year-old tennis player lived in a relatively new development further west of Brisbane called Springfield. The friend’s club has a proud history of attracting and developing Australian and Queensland players under the guidance of former test cricketer, Katherine Raymont. National players included an Australian captain, Jodie Fields as well as Louise Broadfoot, Melissa Bulow, Holly Ferling and Grace Harris. The cricketing friend encouraged her former tennis friend to come to Wests to play cricket after her retirement from tennis. The ex-tennis player had never played a game of cricket in her life other than in the back yard or on the beach.