Marvelous Milestones in NSW Men’s Premier Cricket

NSW Men’s Premier Cricket Round 7 will see some significant milestones reached for a number of NSWCUSA members across the grades.

Darren Goodger will become the third most-experienced First Grade umpire in Sydney Cricket Association (SCA) history as he officiates his 269th First Grade match, out of a total of 360 matches across all SCA competitions.

Having made his First Grade debut in February 2000 at North Sydney Oval, Darren has been in the middle for 21 Sydney Cricket Association Finals, including five Belvidere Cup Finals and five First Grade Limited-Over Cup Finals.

His on field career has also seen him officiate eight Second XI games, three Big Bash games, six List A matches as well as making his First-Class Debut in the New South Wales v Tasmania Sheffield Shield match at the SCG in 2007.

Darren has won the Association’s George Borwick Memorial Award a record seven times and the Panel 1 Award on nine occasions, including the last four seasons in a row.

He will be standing at David Phillips South as UNSW host Sydney University, his partner being Rodney Porter, making his First Grade debut.

Rodney hails from Maitland and has travelled to Sydney to officiate in NSW Men’s Premier Cricket since the 2017-18 season, standing in 31 matches over the previous three seasons.

The dedication Rodney shows in travelling down each weekend displays a considerable commitment to improving his craft, and he is regularly praised by captains for his composure under pressure.

After consistently strong performances in his 20 Second Grade matches, Rodney is deserving of the opportunity to officiate in First Grade.

Panel Two umpire Dean Martin makes his 100th SCA appearance when he takes to the field for the match at Howell Oval as Penrith host Fairfield-Liverpool in Second Grade. His partner for the fixture will be Glen Stubbings.

Panel Three umpire Rick Crocono also makes his 100th SCA appearance as Blacktown Mounties host Randwick Petersham in Third Grade at Jim Hanshaw Oval; Rick will be joined on field by Allan Owens.

The Association congratulates Darren, Rodney, Dean and Rick on their achievements, wishing them well for their milestone matches and hoping to see many more.