Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week our community was very proud to welcome the Irish cricket team to Randwick to play a friendly 50-overs match against the mighty Randwick Petersham Cricket Club at Coogee Oval. The Irish cricket team has based itself at Coogee in the lead-up to the World Cup. At a reception at the Randwick Town Hall last week some members of the Irish cricket team expressed to me how they felt at home in Coogee. They could not believe the number of Irish accents they had encountered walking up and down Coogee Bay Road and Arden Street. It was a great indicator of the fraternal relations that exist between Ireland and the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

The game was a hard fought contest. It was in a 50-overs format. I am pleased to report to the House that Randwick Petersham reached the visitors' total of 255 with five wickets and seven overs to spare. Nonetheless, it was a great performance. A great day was had by all. I was particularly pleased that the Irish Ambassador, Noel White, and the Irish Consul General, Jane Connolly, were there. They unveiled a plaque along with Mike Whitney, the President of the Randwick Petersham Cricket Club. Congratulations must go to the Irish cricket team, to Randwick City Council and in particular to those at the Randwick Petersham Cricket Club who put a lot of work into this, in particular my good mate Mike Whitney.