A plucky top order batsman who is a compulsive cutter and puller and can bowl deceptively straight off-breaks (arguably straight breaks) if called upon by the skipper to be a partnership breaker! I’m very hard to get out and can bat for long periods of time. Very good infielder and catcher in the slips. As a former A-Grade District Wicket Keeper I can don the gloves if required as well.
Cricket pathway:
I was born in 1974 in Alice Springs and played my first ever cricket on Traeger Park Oval in Alice Springs as an 8 year old playing Kanga Cricket as it was known back then. From memory I bludgeoned a couple of sixes over cow-corner but the highlight was meeting the great Rodney Marsh afterwards.
From 11, I played at McLaren Districts CC based in McLaren Flat
SAPSASA cricket - selected in the state team to compete in Sydney.
Invited to join Adelaide District Cricket Club where I played all through juniors (ie U14’s and U16’s) including alongside Dizzy Gillespie, who at the time was a short little upstart that bowled skidders!!
Promoted to seniors early in my final year of U16’s at Adelaide and came away with D-Grade Premiership that year. I went on to play a couple of more seasons in C & D Grade before
A Grade back at McLaren Districts, where we finished runners up.
Southern District CC where I played a season of C & B-Grade before earning an A-Grade berth in Round 4 of the first year the Club had earned A-Grade status. In the 25 or so years since then I’ve played over 150 A-Grade games at the club amongst time spent away.
State 2nd Eleven - SA Redbacks
Fremantle District CC I played 3 seasons in A-Grade alongside the likes of Shaun & Mitch Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile, ex-Zimbabwe International Sean Ervine, Brett Dorey and Chris Wood, who was funnily enough the son of my first ever favourite cricketer in Graeme Wood.
I’ve also had a couple of more recent stints at Brighton CC in the Adelaide Turf Comp , pursuing my coaching aspirations, which ultimately saw my return to SDCC in 2005/06 as Senior Coach and as a member of its inaugural A-Grade Premiership side.
My greatest cricketing achievements:
131 – Brighton Cricket Club at Brighton Oval (two years ago)
131 - SDCC B-Grade when I was much much younger. I tend to get to 100 and then loosen the shackles and ultimately get out.
3 for 10 or so - SDCC A-Grade versus Port Adelaide at Port Reserve (can’t remember the year). Ripped through their lower order in the Second innings when the game was already done and dusted and their blokes were trying to hit me onto the train tracks!!
There’s two that are hard to split. The first is making a ton for Fremantle in a day night one-day game at the WACA against the WA Country 11 with my Mum & Dad happened to be there to watch while visiting Perth for the first time since I had moved there.
Playing in the inaugural A-Grade Premiership for the SDCC at the ripe old age of 41 and making my age in runs against the first-class bowling attack Tea Tree Gully boasted at the time.
Weirdest Dismissal:
Run out when I had a Runner versus Northern District but it was my fault as after turning the ball down to fine leg I started walking out to square leg and at the same time signalling to the guys on the sight screen that it needed to be moved slightly but in doing so took the scenic route and was technically outside my crease as the throw came in to Graham Manou who promptly took the bails off. Still fuming over that one as I didn’t think it was in the spirit of the game.
Then there was the time against Kensington where the bowler pushed me over and then ran me out while I was still on the ground.
Idols, Grounds & inspiration:
While growing up both Scotty Hodges and Dean Jones were my childhood hero's, I loved listening to Bill Lawry or the late great Tony Greig, but I think that might have had a lot to do with good old Billy Birmingham’s impersonations on The Twelfth Man. Seriously funny stuff.
The WACA was my favourite ground having two innings there were 48 and 102 so happy to come away averaging 75. I am currently employed at the City of Onkaparinga as the Community Wellbeing & Recreation Services Officer
The WACA
The Over 50's National Grand Final was held here in 2019 between Victoria & WA
Best players
Shane George was seriously quick and appeared to enjoy hurting batsman rather than getting them out. His whippy action made it really difficult to anticipate the length, although you could have probably hedged your bets that most of the time it wasn’t going to be in your half!
Another State cricketer in Brad Young was the best Left-arm orthodox that was the ultimate competitor and never gave you an inch. Loved the opportunity for small talk too.
Shane Deitz is the most underrated wicket keeper I reckon our state has had. The same goes for Josh Barrett, both teammates at SDCC.
I have the most respect & admiration for Shaun Marsh. Unlike many state reps he always put his hand up to play district when he had the opportunity and when doing so always put in at 100%.
Peter Williams was my D-Grade Captain in my first ever senior season at Adelaide District CC. His guidance and mentorship started me off on the wonderful career I’ve had to this point. And that’s the reason why I so actively encourage young cricketers to play senior/men’s cricket as soon as they are capable as you learn so much more about the game by doing so.
Personalities in cricket
Shane Deitz loves to crack a joke, can be a classic Captain Grumpy at other times and would religiously buy Tim Tams for afternoon tea on the way to cricket but knock off half the packet before he even got there!
Playing for SDCC against Adelaide about 15 years or so ago now I lofted an off spinner (can’t remember his name but he had just arrived from NSW) over mid-off for four at Glandore Oval, so it obviously wasn’t a huge hit, and got sledged by the bowler for being a dirty slogger! Little did he know at the time it was probably my first ever lofted drive off a spinner in my career!
There’s two, both from Brad Wigney. The first was after a teammate of mine (ie Heathe Dedicoat) square cut Wigney for four and not even leaving his crease to run proceeded to arrogantly lean on his bat to which Wigney said “This bloke rates himself but no-one even knows who he is”.
The other was when at the top off his bowling mark with me facing he called out to the sidelines “Somebody call an ambulance!”
Who are the three sports personalities from around the world you would like to share a round of golf and a red wine with & why?
1. Shane Deitz – As I haven’t seen my former opening partner in crime and skipper in a long time and to reminisce about our glory days and hear of his experiences and learning gained from coaching at the international level would be great.
Shane Deitz playing for Vanuatu in an ICC game
2. Bruce McAvaney – The bloke is a walking sport Thesaurus!
3. Billy Bermingham – For comedy relief.
You’re now playing over 50s cricket, what the best part of playing veterans cricket and what advice would you offer anyone over 50 who is thinking about playing or joining a team?
As a new kid on the block I guess I’m about to find out but I’ve always said you’re a long time retired so while you can still play you should as cricket is all about mateship and the laughs and enjoyment you get from telling/hearing the stories (arguably tall tales) of times past is gold, even after the 100th time you’ve told/heard them!
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