WEATHER

Northern Rivers District:

Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog inland. Slight chance of a shower. The chance of a storm. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

Thursday. Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a storm. Light winds becoming northwest to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then tending south to southeasterly during the afternoon.

Northern Tablelands District:

Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog in the north. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a storm. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then turning north to northeasterly during the day.

Thursday. Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a storm. Winds northwest to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending northwest to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning then tending south to southeasterly during the evening.

New South Wales: Isolated to scattered shower and storms developing into the afternoon. Storm possibly severe about the inland, extending over the ranges by the evening with damaging winds and heavy rainfall a risk. Daytime temperatures near to above average. Westerly winds though the inland, tending northeasterly about the coast. Thursday. Scattered showers and storms about the east, shifting to the northeast into the day. Storms possibly severe about the northeast. Clear and sunny in the west. Daytime temperatures near average in the northeast, otherwise below average elsewhere. North to northwesterly winds in the northeast, tending to a fresh and gusty south to southeasterly otherwise across the state.

Byron Coast: Winds: Northeasterly 15 to 20 knots turning northerly during the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cape Byron during the afternoon or evening. Swell: Easterly around 1 metre inshore, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres offshore north of Yamba. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Coffs Coast:

Winds: North to northeasterly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the afternoon or evening. Swell: Northeasterly around 1 metre. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Gold Coast Waters:

Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming northeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the day then tending northerly during the evening. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: Easterly around 1 metre inshore, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres offshore. Weather: Mostly sunny.

The Sportzologist

Although Australia were victorious in the Border-Gavasker Trophy, winning the series 3-1, India’s premier fastbowler Jasprit Bumrah, was an unstoppable force against Australia this summer.

The way that Bumrah dominated our batsmen, reminded me how Englands John Snow did a similar dismantling operation for his country on the infamous Ashes tour of 1970-71.

As a wide eyed eleven-year-old, I was able to watch this series on television, as this was the frst time our national broadcaster the ABC, had provided ball by ball coverage of Test cricket, albeit in ghostly, grainy black and white, flmed with a solitary camera behind the bowler from only one end.

John Snow, who had reinvented his action in his mid-twenties, became a bowler of genuine speed and with his habit of targeting batsmen with short deliveries, he found the pace and bounce of Australian pitches much to his liking.

Snow’s aggressive and hostile bowling, which had all the Australian batsmen ducking and weaving, was a decisive factor in England winning back the Ashes by a 2-0 margin.

The Sussex fast-bowler, fnished with 31 wickets at 22.83, the best return by an England bowler in Australia, since Harold Larwood’s 33 wickets at 19.51 in the 1932-33 Bodyline series. By winning that series, Ray Illingworth became the only English captain, to win the Ashes in Australia without losing a match, in a series of fve Tests or more. Also, in another rare occurrence, England did not receive one single LBW decision from the Australian umpires, during the six completed Tests matches.

Australian opener Keith Stackpole, through his powerful stroke play, was the only batsman to weather the snowstorm. If the frst ball of a Test match was there to be hit, then Stackpole’s solid frame would launch into it.

In the series, Stackpole accumulated 627 runs at 52.25 with a top score of 207, however, that 207 scored in the frst Test at the Gabba, was clouded in controversy when he was not given runout on 18, by Australian umpire Lou Rowan.

Stackpole, who was a master of the hook and cut shots, was the frst aggressive opener I saw and he set the blueprint for Australian players like Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden and David Warner to follow.

In a controversial move by selectors, 36-year-old

Victorian opener Ken Eastwood, on the back of 737 runs in the Sheffeld Shield at an average of 122.83, was selected to replace the incumbent Australian captain Bill Lawry, for the historic seventh and fnal Test at Sydney.

Lawry was reportedly told of his sacking from the captaincy and Test side by a radio broadcast, as the Australian selectors headed by Sir Donald Bradman, apparently couldn’t get in touch with him.

In this his one and only Test for Australia, Eastwood scored just 5 and 0, however, in an error by offcials he has two baggy green caps. In an interview many years later Eastwood stated, “They gave me two caps to try on for size, and nobody asked for the other one back, so it stayed in my bag.”

Famously the third Test of this series at Melbourne was washed out without a ball being bowled, resulting in the hasty arrangement of the frst One Day International (ODI) on the scheduled ffth day, January 5, 1971.

The 40 eight ball over a side match attracted 46,000 spectators through the MCG gates to watch Australia defeat England comfortably by fve wickets on the same ground they had won the frst Test match in 1877.

With England having to win the 1970-71 series to take possession of the Ashes, the fnal result was in doubt till the last session of the seventh Test.

The Clarence River Cricket Association has been able to donate more than $1700 to cancer charity the McGrath Foundation after the association’s Pink Stumps Day.

The carnival of T20 cricket was held at the McKittrick Park complex in South Grafton on December 21 and featured some stunning cricket as well as great support from the cricket community.

CRCA president Anthony Dickson thanked the clubs who played and those who came to support the event.

“We think it was a successful day, we hope all who came down and supported the event had a great time socialising and watching some great cricket,” he said.

BALLINA MAHJONG

RESULTS – 10 JANUARY

2025 The results from this week’s

Ballina Mahjong game are in! Congratulations to the top players:

1. Ronda Taylor

2. Coral Lavelle

3. Jan Boardman

4. Valda McLerie

5. Margaret Bryant

Other players’ rankings include:

• Pauline Kearney

• Jan Rhodes

• Lorna Simpson

• Vanessa Reynolds

• Barbara Ellan, Gail McDonagh, Kath Hubbard

“With donations, the barbecue and the raffes we raised a total of $1726.80.

“That money will go to the McGrath Foundation to support those individual’s and their families who are impacted by breast cancer.

“We thank all the local businesses and members who dug deep and gave generously to support a great cause.”

Dickson also thanked the local businesses who dug deep to provide prizes for the raffes held at the ground during the carnival.

They were:

• Content Stone

• The Book Warehouse Grafton

• Naeco Blue Seafoods

• Dan Murphy’s

• @ Bunnings Grafton

• Horseshoehooky

• harveyjewellers grafton

• South Grafton Ex Servicemens Club

• Full Function

Remedial Therapy

• Sportspower Grafton

The McGrath

• Joy Lowien

• Gladys D’Anna

• Lynda Lovett

• Carol Meyer

• Susan Allan

• Jenny Lang, Pam Farrell

• Kathy Pickles

• Cindy Smith

• Janene Jarvis

• Ann Hewitt

• Shirley Atkinson

• Lisa Wong

• Wendy Thornton

• Sally Lowry, Yvonne Weddup

• Jan Small

• Jan Henley

• Ramsay Roper

• Pauline Bolte

Join Us for Mahjong!

Mahjong is played every Friday at 12:30pm at the Ballina Bridge Club. New players are always welcome, regardless of experience.

If you’re interested in joining, please contact Shirley on 0423 384 647. Come along and enjoy a friendly game in a great community atmosphere!

CHERRY STREET

CROQUET CLUB: LATEST SPORTS

RESULTS AND UPDATES

Ricochet Croquet Results

• M. Field & D. Scott defeated R. Allen & N. Poynting: 13-11

Foundation raises money to fund McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities across Australia and invests in their professional development to ensure people with breast cancer receive the highest standard of care.

The foundation has 233 McGrath breast care nurses, who help people and their families experiencing breast cancer by offering medical expertise, clinical care and psychosocial support, for free.

From the time of diagnosis and throughout treatment, the foundation’s nurses are available to help.

So far more than 143,000 families have been supported since 2005, but the foundation looks to build on that record.

More nurses are needed to meet the growing rate of breast cancer diagnosis in Australia.

McGrath Foundation nurses work across Australia including

• N. Watts & J. Hannigan defeated J. Doust & R. Poynting: 14-9

• Bev Bill defeated D. Jones: 12-12 (Bev Bill won by tie-breaking rule)

• P. Bolte defeated N. Barnes & M. Russell: 14-12

• B. Wellings & Bev Bill defeated C. Edlund & P. Bolte: 12-12 (win by rule)

• Brenton Bill & N. Watts defeated J. Doust & W. Gilmore: 16-14

• R. Poynting & D. Scott defeated P. Waters & N.

Poynting: 7-6

• M. Russell defeated R. Allen: 14-6

• J. Hannigan & M. Field defeated J. Doust & M. Russell: 12-11

• N. Barnes & P. Bolte defeated N. Watts: 17-12

• D. Scott & B. Wellings defeated R. Poynting & N. Poynting: 14-9

• H. Young defeated P. Scott: 13-10

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

• Club Championships Entry Deadline: 19 January 2025 o Late entries will not be accepted. o Categories include:

- Association, Ricochet, and Golf Croquet

- OBE, Novice, Singles, many regional and rural centres, where breast cancer treatment and support may be harder to reach.

The McGrath Foundation has become one Australia’s most recognised and respected charities since Jane and Glenn McGrath’s very public experience with breast cancer.

When Jane was diagnosed with cancer for a second time, she had the support of a breast care nurse, who both empowered and comforted her, and her family.

This experience set the mission for the foundation, which has become an enduring commitment: to ensure every family experiencing breast cancer has the support of a Breast Care Nurse, no matter where they live – for free.

Doubles, High & Low Doubles

- Handicap Singles & Doubles

• Club General Meeting: Thursday, 6 February 2025, at 12:00 PM o Venue: Cherry Street Croquet Club

New Members Welcome Cherry Street Croquet Club invites individuals of all ages to join this vibrant community sport. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a novice, there’s a place for everyone to enjoy the game and camaraderie.