After a very funny warm-up of the crowd by co-speaker, former Australian paceman Rodney Hogg, Richards shared his thoughts on a cricket career which saw him dubbed the Master Blaster for his aggressive and entertaining batting.

Some of it was funny, and some of it was serious.

He told how, during the apartheid years, he was offered a blank cheque to play in South Africa, which was organising rebel tours in an attempt to break an international sporting ban.

If he accepted the offer, ‘I would have to sell my soul. I’m a proud man.’

If he did accept, he was told: “You may have to become an honourary white.”

“I said, f… you,” Richards said.

“If I had gone, because of my tenaciousness, I could have been killed. Or I could have been put in that situation myself (where he would have hit back violently at the mistreatment of black South Africans).”

Richards also was offered the chance, like so many of the world’s best players, to take part in the World Series Cricket revolution which saw the introduction of one-day cricket, coloured clothing … and a good wage.

On World Series Cricket: Kerry Packer was one of the greatest things to happen to the game.

The $25,000 sign-on fee was most welcomed, but not the original choice for the West Indies’ coloured clothing.

“It was shocking pink,” Richards said.

“How can you put 6 foot 9 inch Joel Garner in pink!”

There was also the embarrassment of walking on to the field and copping a verbal shellacking from the Aussie crowd,with their taunts of ‘What’s up today sheilas’.

On the commentary of former England opening batsman Geoff Boycott:

Richards told one colleague that Boycott’s real occupation was an eye specialist.

“How do you know that?” the colleague asked.

“He’s always saying I-this and I-that,” Richards explained.

On his favourite cricketers: Whenever he was asked that question in England, he said it was Ian Chappell, because he knew how much the Poms loathed the hard-playing former Australian captain.

He also mentioned former West Indian quick bowler Malcolm Marshall: “He barked in the opposition’s back yard, and not just in his own yard.” – In reference to Marshall’s ability to take wickets in any country and on any type of wicket.

His favourite Australian fast bowler was Jeff Thomson – the most aggressive of our fast bowlers ‘but the nicest individual you could find’.

Best spinner: He didn’t play against Shane Warne, so it was another leg-spinner, the Pakistani, Abdul Qadir – a ‘very tenacious’ bowler who expected to get a wicket with every ball.

But the highest praise was for West Indian quick, the fearsome Andy Roberts. “He was the hitman of fast bowling. He ended careers.”

Richards told how during one fierce Roberts spell in England, a batsman who was next in to bat put his dentures in a glass of water. “These are pretty new and they’re not going out there,” the batsman explained.

Which batsman, from any era, would he liked to have batted with: “Rodney Hogg, if you wanted to look good.”

His most memorable moment in cricket: It was during a World Series match at Gloucester Park in Perth.

“I scored a beautiful hundred – a wonderful knock,” Richards said.

His batting partner, Roger Harper, interrupted Viv’s celebration. “Look behind you,” Harper said.

A strange thing to say, thought Viv, but he looked anyhow.

“There was this beautiful creature dressed only in her birthday suit,” Richards said.

“I thought, ‘Man, this is not cricket!’.”

The woman fronted up to Richards, held an exposed breast and said ‘Mr Richards, would you mind signing this please?’.

“So for the first time in my life, I dotted all my I’s,” Richards quipped.

PICTURES (from top): Members of the Ned Flanders Cricket Club made the trip down from Brisbane to meet one of their idols.

With Ballina ladies (from left) Lisa Diett, Helen Koellner and Tiffany Lane.

Signing an item of memorabilia purchased by John Casey, of Lennox Head.

Only too happy for a meet and greet session before speaking.

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Irvine (Casino Cavliers) and Crawford (Tintenbar-East Ballina) were strong performers for North Coast at the NSW Country titles on the Central Coast at the weekend.

Crawford had innings of 102 not out, 52 not out and 47.

Irvine, who scored an unforgettable unbeaten double century against Crawford’s team in the 2007-08 L J Hooker League grand final, scored an unbeaten century against Riverina.

The NSW Country team is:

Jeff Cook – Captain (Central North), Michael Coulter (Southern), Brett Crawford (North Coast), Aaron Flaherty (Central North), Tom Groth (Central North), Kaine Harmsworth (Central Coast), Mike Harvey (Central Coast), Anthony Hobson (Newcastle), Sam Irvine (North Coast), Andrew Maher (Newcastle), Simon Moore (Newcastle), Corey Shields (North Coast), Mark Curry (Coach), Graeme Creighton (Manager), Mick Ninness (Physio)

Country Championships Results:

Day 1 – 27th November
Newcastle 5-289 (Mark Dries 66 Steve Phillips 57 Steve Knight 2-13 Tom Quilter 2-93)  bt Western 194 (Sam Pararajasingham 38 Jason Ryan 30 Sam Webber 3-28 Darren Whittingham 3-37)

Illawarra 5-173 (Graeme Batty 51 Jon Cook 49no Chris Armstrong 2-27 Dean Crane 2-33) bt Riverina 5-172 (David Farrell 57 Grant Wells 41no Dale Scifleet 2-27 Matt Treuberg 2-42)

Southern 6-212 (Tim Hartshorn 54no Daniel Stevenson 45no Corey Shields 2-62) bt North Coast 7-210 (Brett Crawford 102no Matt Bell 2-41 Michael Coulter 2-57)

Central Coast 3-227 (Mick Harvey 94 Peter Gallichan 57no Shaun Robertson 52) bt Central North 226 (Ben Middlebrook 30 Andy Mack 29no Mark Smith 3-31 Kaine Harmsworth 3-76)

Day 2 – 28th November
Newcastle 6-306 (Simon Moore 133 Mark Dries 43 Darren Whittingham 29 Mark Littlewood 23 Troy Goodwin 22 Mick Harvey 2-36 Kaine Harmsworth 2-64) bt Central Coast 100 (Mick Harvey 35 Peter Gallichan 21 Nick Foster 3-12 Andrew Maher 3-23 Sam Webber 2-31)

Illawarra 230 (Graeme Batty 68 Michael Stephenson 38 Dale Scifleet 29 Josh Lehane 20 Chris McCarron 3-35 Matt Bell 2-45) bt Southern 139 (Brynley Richards 56 Kyle Connor 4-44 Matt Treuberg 3-25)

North Coast 8-200 (Sam Irvine 100no Brett Crawford 47 Nathan Schubert 5-62) bt Riverina 197 (Grant Wells 56no Chris Armstrong 28 Nathan Schubert 21 Ben Dower 21 Corey Shields 5-45 David Rees 3-39 Brad Robertson 2-37)

Central North 7-229 (Aaron Flaherty 61 Brendan Rixon 58 Simon Norville 37 Sam Pararajasingham 3-41 Ben Strachan 2-44 Tom Quilter 2-66) bt Western 180 (Cameron Rosser 57 Jared Clulow 24 Ben Strachan 24 Jeff Cook 2-4 Aaron Hazlewood 2-38 Ben Middlebrook 2-39 Tim Kensell 2-44 )

Day 3 – 28th November
FINAL – Newcastle 270 (Dane Macourt 52 Simon Moore 50 Darren Whittingham 42 Steve Phillips 28 Anothony Hobson 25 Stuart Tobin 2-30 Josh Lehane 2-35 Tommi Bozinovski 2-68) bt Illawarra 234 (Graeme Batty 104 Josh Lehane 48 Dale Scifleet 25 Andrew Northridge 24 Jace Lawson 4-33 Nick Foster 3-94 Andrew Maher 2-43)

3 v 4 Play Off – Central Coast 6-215 (Peter Gallichan 78no Mick Harvey 42 Andrew Littlefield 42 Chris McCarron 2-46) bt Southern (Daniel Stevenson 31 Tim Hartshorn 28 Michael Coulter 20 Andrew Littlefield 3-28 Kaine Harmsworth 2-27 Scott O’Brien 2-39)

5 v 6 Play Off Central North 2-316 (Simon Norville 148 Adam Lole 102no Aaron Flaherty 28) bt North Coast 198 (Brett Crawford 52no Corey Shields 41no Sam Irvine 39 ret hurt)

7 v 8 Play Off Western 1-193 (Jordan Moran 119no Cameron Rosser 50no) bt Riverina 192 (Chris Armstrong 61 David Farrell 33 Allen Edis 28 Tom Quilter 3-33 Sam Pararajasingham 3-22)

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Sir Viv will be the guest speaker at a Sportsman’s Dinner at Ballina Seagulls Rugby League Club on February 20, 2010, where he will give a 45-minute talk.

Former Australian paceman Rodney Hogg also will speak on the night.

Ballina Seagulls secured the coup last week. Without advertising the event, it had already sold about 100 tickets by Friday night as not just cricket fans, but sports fans in general, rushed to get tickets.

Such has been the response that the club is considering shifting the venue from inside the club to an outside marquee.

Seagulls Leagues Club can hold a crowd of 140 in comfort, but with the response already received, the club believes it might be worth the extra expense to set up a marquee which could hold as many as 300 guests.

Ballina Seagulls were offered the chance to host Sir Viv after holding a dinner in 2008 featuring Hogg, Doug Walters and David Boon.

The speakers’ representative told secretary-manager Mark Cribb that there was a possibility that Sir Viv would be available in February 2010, and Cribb was informed last week of his availability.

He had no hesitation in accepting the offer.

Sir Viv was a dominant force of the great West Indies teams of the 1970s through to the 1990s. He is the only West Indian captain never to lose a Test series.

He scored 8540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23, including 24 centuries. He also scored five centuries in World Series Cricket between 1977-79.

Sir Viv won 27 of 50 matches as a Test captain, and lost only eight.

In 1986 he became the scorer of the fastest-ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England in Antigua.

In 1975 a young Sir Viv helped the West Indies to win the inaugural Cricket World Cup, running out Alan Turner, Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell.

It wasn’t just statistics that made Sir Viv a cricket legend. It was also the way he went about his cricket: a swashbuckling attacking batsman with a never-say-die attitude and fierce competitive streak that often intimidated his opponents.

Tickets to the dinner on February 20 cost $120 and include a two-course meal and some drinks. For bookings, phone Mark Cribb on 6686 8100 or 0401 597 798.

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Ms Saffin said Grafton High School’s Rowing Club would receive $3000 towards its tilt at the  Australian National Titles being staged at Lake Barrington in Tasmania this week.

Managed by Kerrie Tarrant, team members include Briony Edgar, Oliver Couch, Fraser Hemphill, Sarah Jones, Cameron Kitcher, Nicholas Mills, Timothy Riddell, Nathan Sneesby, Adam Spies and Johanna Tarrant.

Ms Saffin congratulated individual recipients of  $500 grants – Wooloweyah swimmer Dylan Brown, Wollongbar water polo player Paul Carter, Ballina athlete with a disability Mikey Lloyd-Tighe, and South Grafton cricketer Kara Sutherland.

“Junior sportsmen and women often find it difficult to meet the costs of participating at major competitions in our capital cities, particularly when they live and train in a regional area like the Northern Rivers,” she said.

“The Local Sporting Champions program provides financial assistance for these emerging sports stars towards the cost of travel, accommodation, uniforms or equipment when competing at an official national sporting organisation (NSO) endorsed state or national competition.”

Ms Saffin also announced that an expert panel of  three high-profile sporting identities would assist her in assessing future quarterly rounds of the $1.6 million Australian Sports Commission-administered program.

The panel includes former Socceroo and SBS football commentator Craig Foster, who grew up in Lismore, Beijing Olympic Games silver medal-winning kayaker Jacqui Lawrence, formerly of  Old Bonalbo; and Southern Cross University lecturer and ABC Local Radio sports commentator Dave Arthur.

Ms Saffin urged young sportspeople in Page, including unsuccessful applicants from this first round, to make an individual or team application if they are eligible. More information is available www.ausport.gov.au/champions

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The Bachelor of Sport Tourism Management student beat applicants from all over Australia to win the voluntary placement, which is run through the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program (AYAD) – an AusAid initiative which aims to strengthen links between Australia and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and make a positive contribution to development.

Matt, who will be required to complete five assignments as part of his internship, said he felt prepared for the challenge.

“I’ll be working on the administration side of things as well as helping to organise events like the Prime Minister’s Eleven which involves hosting international teams from all over the Asia Pacific region,” said Matt.

“For my assignments I’ll be looking at topics such as how women can be attracted to the game at all levels, and how money can be raised through sponsorship for the Samoan International Cricket Association.

“I’ve worked on sponsorship for events like the Darrell Chapman Fun Run, so I’ve learnt how to approach companies with well-organised proposals, and the units of study I have done at SCU are directly relevant, so although I’m a bit nervous, I’m also really looking forward to getting into it.”

A lifelong fan of the game, Matt has played in local teams around the Lismore area since he was 13, progressing to coaching five to eight-year-olds at Evans Head from the age of 16.

In preparation for his trip, Matt recently spent a week in Canberra, where he met embassy officials and learnt about the culture of Samoa.

“I’ve heard that Samoa is a very spiritual country, and the people are very welcoming and friendly,” said Matt.

“I’ve never really travelled overseas so I’m excited to see what it’s like. I’m really looking forward to getting there and seeing what I can offer.”

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The Bush Turkeys team will tour New Zealand in January, while the Open team will travel to the Central Coast on November 29 to defend the NSW Country Cup title they won last year.

Hastings player Billy Newell has been named as captain of the senior team, while star Casino batsman Sam Irvine, who scored a sensational double hundred in last season’s LJ Hooker League grand final, has been chosen as vice-captain.

Myles McDowall will lead the Bush Turkeys, with Coffs Harbour’s Alec Byrnes the vice-captain.

The teams are:
Senior:
Billy Newell Captain Hastings
Adam Turner Dorrigo
Jon Cook Hastings
Joe Mennie Coffs Harbour
Scott Shephard Casino
Arron Jones Maclean
Sam Irvine V Capt Casino
Matthew Parrish Lismore
Chris Lawry Macksville
Arron Jones Maclean
James Larkin Manning
Kane Hamilton Lismore.

Bush Turkeys:
Arron Jones McLean
Nick Walker Manning
Andrew Lowe Hastings
Craig Rogan Kempsey
Marty Nicholls Kempsey
Alec Byrnes V Capt Coffs Harbour
Jeremy Cowan Lismore
Adam Meades Byron/Brunswick
Myles McDowall Capt Lismore
Jake Lewis Lismore
Joe Willman Coffs Harbour
Kane Hamilton Lismore.

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Selector Brett Crawford said the tour would depart on January 10 and return on January 24.

Cost is about $1200, plus your spending money.

Crawford says the team will play up to nine games, some in unique locations and on some of New Zealand’s best wickets.

Selection criteria: Each Council has four representatives.Players are invited, not selected, to participate.

“Players should be under 19. If there was a situation where, say, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old were nominated, preference may  be given to the older player on the basis that the 17-year-old would qualify in terms of age for the next tour in 2011,” Crawford said.

“This is a development team with the focus on development, not necessarily the ‘best cricketer’.

“Players must be considered good ambassadors. They will be representing their parents,associations, the Zone and Australia.”

Selectors will assess the nominations with a view to determining team balance, ie, not all opening bowlers or batsmen.

How to nominate:

Send a letter covering in general terms the following points:

• Age DOB
• Current playing level ie district colts, local first grade
• Performance at a high level, ie performed very well with the bat last season, good all-round performance
• Representative playing history if any
• Reason for the development opportunity, community activities, coaching of junior teams, involvement in local cricket association etc
• Description of player, ie, opening right-hand bowler, lower-order bat, part-time keeper, opening bat etc
• Why the nominee would benefit from the tour?
• Will your association support the player in anyway, ie fund-raise for tour expenses?
• Leadership Qualities ie current/former captain of colts, school
• Must be able to get an Australian passport.

Nominations close on Tuesday 6th of October with the team announced within two weeks.

Inquiries to Brett Crawford.

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“Mr Gilchrist will bring enormous energy and commitment to the work of the Council and I am delighted that he has agreed to take on this important leadership role for our national day,” Special Minister of State Senator Robert Faulkner said today in announcing the appointment.

“Adam Gilchrist is acknowledged for his outstanding contribution to Australian cricket. 

“He has demonstrated great drive and leadership throughout his professional career whilst maintaining a high standard of integrity. 

“His passion for Australia and his motivational leadership will be invaluable as the National Australia Day Council continues to build Australia Day and the Australian of the Year Awards in the coming years.”

Deputy Chair, Ms Shelley Reys, and board members Dr Bruce Walker, Mr Fergus Ryan and Mr Duncan Lewis have been reappointed. 

Continuing board members include Mr Ian Elliot and Mr Andrew Metcalfe.

Gilchrist’s parents, Stan and June, still live in Lismore.

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Cricket NSW has organised an eight-team mid-winter carnival from July 11 to 13 which will feature the best juniors in the north of the State.

The Far North Coast team contains four of the North Coastal Zone team that won the Statewide Platypus Cup Under-14 carnival last season.

NSW junior coach Michael Maclennan will be spotting talent at the carnival.

“The type of player most likely to succeed in the Twenty20 game will probably be an athletic type, who is fast, fit and agile,” FNC Junior Cricket administrator John McMahon said.

“Sensible aggressive strokeplay from the batsmen, plus big hitting, accurate bowling and dynamic fielding will be needed to succeed in this form of the game.”

The carnival will be sponsored by Power Education, which will meet the transport and accommodation costs for the players.

The FNC team is: Jordan Smith, Jake Hellyar, Dain Moreton, Lachlan Waugh and Mitchell Holland (Lismore); James Murphy (Ballina); Dylan Stoddart, Dylan Master, Sam Reading and Mitchell Anderson (Tweed); Mathew Barber (Mallanganee); Vincent Quigley (Brunswick Valley).

Coach/Managers: Neil Hellyar and Keith Wyatt.

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Far North Coast cricket executive John McMahon said the Lismore Under-12 cricket carnival will be held from Tuesday, January 6, 2009, until Thursday, January 9.

The carnival usually attracts 14 teams from throughout New South Wales and southern Queensland.

It will be the 26th year it has been held.

The Ballina Under-13 cricket carnival will be held from Monday, January 5, until Friday, January 10.

It also attracts teams from NSW and south-east Queensland.

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