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The 1970s
Officials, players, members and/or supporters first noted this decade
K. Anderson, Jim Barber, John Barrett, Paul Bendall (Premiership player 1984/85), Malcolm Blight, Anthony Borghesi (wicket-keeper), Ed Borghesi (wicket-keeper, Premiership player 1984/85, 86/87 & 89/90), Kevin Breheny, Paul Briglia, Peter Burgess, John Curtain, Hugo Dillon, Brendan “Bugs” Ellis, Pat Fennelly, Kevin Fisher, Roger Franich, Nigel Hack (an Old Launcestonian in Melbourne for the annual match), Justin Healey, Gerald Heaslip, Tony Heffernan, Mark Hennessy, Doug Howard, Peter “Rolly” Howard, Tim Houston, John and Mick Keaney, Kevin and Paul Lally, Frank McGrath, Chris Metzner, P. Millard, Tony Morgan, Mike Nicholls, Jim Nicholson (noted for diving full length forward at square leg to catch a ball deflected from the silly mid-on fielder’s head), John Nicholson, John Noonan, K S & K P O’Shaughnessy, Brendan O’Sullivan, Michael “ Perc” Plunkett, Gerard Sholly, Steve Sinn S.J., Brian Smith, Jim Smith, Nick Vale, Peter Westfield, Brendan Wilding, Marshall Worthington, Graham Yallop (1 game), Paul Yelland, Alan York.

During the 1970s, the Club played various non-competition games against teams such as the Gentlemen of Ballarat at either of Ballarat Grammar School and St. Pats, Ballarat, Old Kilmore Collegians at Kilmore, the Wangaratta & District Cricket Association country week team at Wangaratta, the HMAS Cerberus Cricket Club at HMAS Cerberus, Westernport, the Customs Department (courtesy of Brian Lugar) and a visiting Canadian Cricket Association XI (a large proportion of the British Columbia team originally from the West Indies), the Cricket Club of India (inflicting upon it its second loss out of 24 games played in its tour across Australia in 1976/77) and Pentridge Prison

1970/71
This season commenced disastrously with a washout and two games affected by ground unavailability. The fourth game was lost to Old Melburnians No.2 side. The next game against MCC “A” was lost on the first innings but the Club was on the way to outright victory with the “As” on 6/80 when chasing 144 when stumps were drawn. The team failed by just 5 runs to defeat outright MCC”C”, the reigning premiers.

Highlights:
The opening stand of 107 runs was made by Greg Gibson & Jack Martin in the second innings v. MCC “A”.
MCC “C” was dismissed for 58 runs. Chris Collins took 7/33 and Greg Gibson followed this with 58 not out in the team’s total of 112 runs. The “Cs” declared at 8/129, leaving 70 minutes for the team to make 70 runs, a target narrowly missed.

The team lost the OLs 202 to 136 (Top score - Lou Zachariah 35).

1971/72
Averages/aggregates (if known):
Bowling: Lou Zachariah

Highlights:
Lou Zachariah (7/41) v. Old Wesley
John Zachariah (7/37) v. OMs.
The OLs leveled the series at 6 games all ­ 123 (Jack Martin 63) to 5/126 (Brian Smith 71 not out, Paul Yelland 4/31).

1972/73
Captain: Leo Borghesi.
Highlights:
John Zachariah: 5/36 (from 9.7 overs) v. MCC Colts.
The team lost the away game to the OLs, 5/214 to 205, giving the OLs the lead in the series.

1973/74
Captain: Leo Borghesi.
The results were far from favourable ­ one win and eight losses (one outright but four narrowly, one by 5 runs, one by one wicket and two by two wickets each). The outright loss was suffered when the Club was able to find only 8 players to bat in the first innings and 7 in the second innings in the match against MCC “A”.
The team may have recorded its lowest score in its history to date, all out for 26 runs against Old Wesley (“OW”). This match looked to be headed for an outright loss when OW declared immediately after securing first innings points. However, the tables turned to a point where the Club was able to declare its second innings at 5/102 (Brendan Wilding 46 runs) and then reduced OW to 6/24 (Bill Carroll 3/10 & John Zachariah 3/12) but ran out of time for a win outright.

Averages/aggregates (if known):
Batting: Peter Fraser (303 @ 27.54).
Other batting: Brendan Wilding (298 @ 24.83).
Bowling: Bill Carroll (19 @ 12.10).
Other bowling: Alan Woodley (13 @ 19.84), John Zachariah (11 @ 17.27) & Brian Smith (10 @ 16.90).

Highlights:
Peter Fraser 109 runs, Brendan Wilding 45 runs, Mick Mulcahy 51 runs, & , Gavan Woodruff 4/42 & John Zachariah 3/73 v. Old Scotch No.1 side (a narrow loss - 240 to 9/243).
Brendan Wilding 78 runs & Bill Carroll 4/69 v. Old Camberwell.
The defeat of MCC”B” with Brendan Wilding 71 runs, Alan Woodley (3/58), Brian Smith (3/51) & John Zachariah (2/7).
Peter Fraser 68 runs, Peter Stanley 36 runs & Alan Woodley 8/40 ( in a 5 run loss to Hawthorn-East Melbourne).
Mark Roberts: 52 runs v. St. Kilda.
Brendan Wilding: 46 runs of a team score of 102 runs in the second innings v. OW.
Lou Zachariah: an unbeaten 24 runs of a team score of 48 runs in the first innings of an outright loss to MCC”A”. The Club’s second innings yielded only 56 runs. The low scores were hardly helped by the above mentioned shortage of players
Bowling partners:
Brian Smith (5/67) & Bill Carroll (3/45) v. Old Melburnians No.1 side which fell to 8/142 in passing the Club’s 6/137.

The Club defeated the OLs 9/191 runs to 113. Peter Stanley scored 58 runs & Brendan Wilding 37 runs and 3/20. This again leveled the series.
Graham Yallop scored 52 not out for the Club in a social game against a British Columbian team.

1974/75
Captain: Leo Borghesi.
Averages/aggregates (if known):
Peter Fraser was the Club’s and competition’s chief run scorer.

On the occasion of the visit to Launceston, the team was given a Civic Reception following a promise by David Gunn that he would grant one if he was elected mayor. Despite the warm reception, the Club proceeded to defeat their hosts, 107 to 7/118, with two former OLs (Brian Smith 58 and Mark Roberts 22) making the bulk of the winning score, including their 66 run partnership for the fifth wicket

At the AGM on 24 September 1974, Life Membership was awarded to Lou Zachariah who was described as early as November, 1955 by Alan McLean (himself subsequently made a Life Member of the Club) in “Laurels” No.55 “Then, once again, ‘the evergreen’, Lou Zachariah will be seen in action. He is the nucleus around which the team functions, as he is, secretary, baggage man, and all rounder!”

The Minutes of a meeting of the Club Committee (John Burnes, Peter Fraser, Leo Borghesi, Bill Carroll and Gavan Woodruff) on 19 November, 1974 included a resolution as to “Match Trophies: Resolved that a trophy be presented to any member of the Club performing any one or more of the following performances in a match during any season of the Club:
a. (a) A bowler who takes seven wickets in an innings or ten in a match.
b. (b) A batsman who scores 100 runs in an innings.
c. (c) The wicket keeper who takes six wickets in an innings or ten in a match.
d. (d) A bowler who takes a hat trick.
Resolved further that this be adopted as a rule of the Club.”
It has not been revealed whether this rule ever came into force or practice!

1975/76
Captain: Peter Fraser
This was not a successful season although the Club defeated the eventual Grand Finalists in the last two home and away games finishing in tenth place of 14 teams. The Club was looking forward at the end of 1975 to the services of new recruits Gerard Sholly, John Noonan and John Keaney and regaining older hands, both school masters, Brian Smith (Caulfield) and Peter L’Estrange (Xavier) after school examinations.

Averages/aggregates (if known):
Batting: Gerard Sholly (43.2).
Bowling: Bill Carroll (11.9).

Highlights:
Gerard Sholly: 5 wickets v. Old Camberwell.
Gerard Sholly: 72 runs v. Old Haileybury.
The OLs game was not played due to bad weather, a circumstance which gave birth to a second trophy for these games, “Burmes’ Blunder”. In the interests of efficiency, John Burnes, the Club’s President, had two silver plates engraved, one naming OXCC and the other the OLs as winners. As neither result eventuated, the plates were attached to a new shield.

The Australian Cricket Society defeated the Club by 5 runs.

1976/77
Captain: Mick Mulcahy.
Only 2 games won this season v, Hawthorn-East Melbourne (“HEM”) and Old Camberwell. It was also heavily rain affected. The Club played 22 players during the season but had lost the services of Gerard Sholly to Fitzroy firsts and Peter Fraser to the Balwyn sub-district team.

Averages/aggregates (if known):
Batting & Bowling: Brendan Wilding.
Top run scorer: Peter Howard (222 runs).

Highlights:
Peter Stanley 56 runs & Jim Barber 76 runs (9/281 declared) v. HEM (138).
Bowling partners v. HEM: John Zachariah (4 wickets), Gavan Woodruff (3 wickets) & Trevor Gowera (2 wickets).

Steve Sinn: 70 runs v.MCC “A”.
Brendan Wilding: 55 runs v. Old Scotch & 7/41 v. Old Haileybury.

The OLs were defeated on one of the worst weather affected pitches seen in Tasmania. The OLs were dismissed for 58 runs (Brendan Wilding 6/29 & Gerard Sholly 4/27) but it took a six run last wicket stand by Mark Roberts (2 not out) and Lou Zachariah (4 not out) to get the required runs. Bill Carroll top scored with 15.

1977/78
This season marked the return from Sheffield, U.K. of Dr. Jack Martin, soon to make the front page of “The Age” as the “English Professor” who beat a very fast ton off Max Walker in the latter’s short lived career for Old Caulfield after his move to Packer’s World Series Cricket. Max was subsequently banned by the MCC from competing in the Club XIs.
Despite the bright start by Jack, this may well have been the least successful in the history of the Club with only one win with 8 losses and 2 draws recorded. However, if there is any comfort to be found in it, the highest score against the Club was 205 all out by Old Haileybury.

Averages/aggregates (if known):
Batting: Brian Smith (175 runs @ 35.00).
Other batting: Peter Stanley (259 runs @ 19.92).
Bowling: John Zachariah (23 @ 13.60).
Other bowling: Brian Smith (24 @ 13.75) & Peter Burgess (21 @ 17.85).
President’s Trophy: Peter Burgess.

Highlights:
Chris Metzner: 5/56 v. Old Haileybury.
Brian Smith: 8/22 v. Old Scotch No.1 side.
Brian Smith: 74 not out v. MCC “C”.
Peter Burgess: 5/60 & 2/67 v. Hawthorn-East Melbourne (“HEM”).
Peter Stanley (50 runs), Leo Borghesi (32) & Mick Mulcahy (35) v. HEM.
Brian Smith (58 runs) & Peter Stanley: 49 not out v. Old Trinity.
Brendan O’Sullivan (40 runs) & Leo Borghesi (30) v. Old Scotch No.2 side.
Murray Laming (59 runs), Mick Mulcahy (47) & Peter Stanley (31) v. Old Camberwell.

Bowling partners:
Brian Smith (4/19), John Zachariah (4/35, with 2 stumpings by Peter Stanley) & Chris Metzner (2/63) v. Old Wesley.
Brian Smith (4/49), Peter Burgess (3/29) & John Zachariah (2/27) v. Old Trinity.
Bill Carroll (4/16) & Peter Burgess (4/24) v. OMs.
Peter Burgess (5/60) & Brian Smith (4/49) v. HEM.

The Club defeated the School on the Xavier Family Day in February 1978.

The touring OLs were also defeated 8/ 193 to 156. The Club’s main scorers were Peter Burgess (55 not out), Mick Mulcahy (43), Peter Stanley (34) & Doug Howard (32). On the bowling side, the honours went to Bill Carroll (3/42), John Zachariah (4/57) & Brendan Ellis five tight overs conceding 7 runs.

1978/79
There was a significant improvement in the Club’s results with 7 wins, 2 losses, a drawn game but 2 washouts. From the low scores in the matches, it appears that the weather may have affected many games or the quicker bowlers were keeping the ball to themselves. Indeed the spin bowlers only delivered 27 overs after the Christmas break whereas Ley and Smith bowled over 60 and 50 overs respectively during the same period. The Club won games with scores as low as 60 all out v. Old Scotch No. 1 side (53 runs), 2/84 v. Old Camberwell (83), 9/91 v. St. Kilda (79) and 6/86 v. OMs,. There was only one high scoring game where in excess of 200 runs was scored by both sides, when the game was drawn when the Club responded to MCC “Cs” score of 3/292 with 9 down for 234 runs. In a washout v. MCC “A”, the Club also reached 232 all out.

The Club finished out of the finals on percentages, with third, fourth and fifth equal on 42 points.

Highlights:
Brendan O’Sullivan 85 not out & 1/52 (19 overs), J. Healey 2/39 & John Zachariah 4/43 (17 overs) in a losing side v. Hawthorn-East Melbourne (“HEM”); 9/179 to 141.
Peter Fraser: 52 runs v. OMs.
Peter Stanley 65 runs, Brian Smith (57) & Mick Mulcahy (35) v. MCC “A”.
Marshall Worthington 73 runs, Jack Martin (31), Peter Fraser (34), Brian Smith (40 not out) & John Zachariah 3/82 - MCC “C” 3/292 v. OXCC 8/234..
Jim Dwyer: 59 not out & Gavan Woodruff 32 not out v. Old Scotch No.2 side.
Brian Smith: 5/42 v. St. Kilda, &, 5/55 v. Old Wesley.
Chris Ley: 5/20 v. Old Caulfield Grammarians, &, 6/17 v. OMs.
Win by all rounders: Chris Ley (4/34 & 11 not out), Brian Smith (5/42 & top score of 21) plus Mick Mulcahy (19) - OXCC 9/91 v. St. Kilda 79.
Tenth wicket partnership; 69 runs (no extras) - Brendan O’Sullivan (59 of his 85 runs) & John Zachariah (10 runs) v. HEM.

Bowling partners:
John Zachariah (4/16) & Nick Vale (4/34) v. Old Scotch No.1.
Chris Ley (4/22) & Nick Vale (3/20) v. Old Camberwell.
Chris Ley (5/20) & Brian Smith (4/28) v. Old Caulfield Grammarians.
Chris Ley (6/17) & Brian Smith (3/16) v. OMs.
Chris Ley (4/59), Brian Smith (3/32) & Brendan O’Sullivan (2/39) v. Old Scotch No.2 side.
Nick Vale (41 runs), Peter Fraser (23), Chris Ley (4/34), Brian Smith (2/20) & John Zachariah (2/29) on defeating University (117 to 8/119, after a collapse from 3/106).
Brian Smith (5/55) & Chris Ley (3/61) v. Old Wesley.

Another win was achieved over the OLs. The OLs elected to field and dismissed the team for 132 (Gavan Woodruff 65). The OLs were all out for 108 (Gavan Woodruff and John Zachariah 3 wickets each).

1979/80
Another win was achieved over the OLs at Xavier. The Club batted first and raised a score of 8/202 (Peter Stanley 91). The OLs responded with a score of 183 runs with the weighty bat of Reg Green taking him to 97 runs when he was caught out just short of the boundary line. Brian Smith took 5/68 and Gavan Woodruff 4/46. To this point, the 20th year, the results were OXCC 12 wins, OLs 7 wins and the washed out fixture in 1976.