John McMonigle, the lanky, shy, 6’4” gentle-giant who became an Ovens and Murray ruck star, passed away recently, aged 87.
Old-timers recall ‘Long John’ playing a significant role in the great Wangaratta Rovers teams of the late-fifties.
Rovers’ coach Bob Rose engineered a recruiting coup when he enticed McMonigle and his Glenrowan team-mates Neil McLean and Pat Tully to try their luck at the W.J.Findlay Oval in 1957.
The trio became crucial members of the Hawks’ first-ever premiership the following year – Tully as a dogged, long-kicking hard-hitting full back…..McLean as an agile left-footed, adaptable half-forward……and McMonigle as a tower of strength in the ruck…….
The big fellah almost didn’t make the ‘58 Grand Final……A nagging foot injury, which had troubled him for several weeks, cast a cloud over his availability…….As a last resort, Club Doctor Matt Rohan talked him into having some pain-killing injections, which enabled him to get through the big game……
He controlled the ruck duels against Wodonga’s Tom Awburn and Percy Appleyard, as the Rovers ran away in the last half, to win by 49 points…..
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John McMonigle was a mere 18 year-old when he played in the first of three successive Grand Finals for Glenrowan in 1954.
The Tigers hadn’t won a flag since 1925, but under the guidance of Mac Hill – a Wangaratta school-teacher, former Collingwood player and football guru – they recruited strongly and took out the Benalla & District League title the following year.
McMonigle had a big spring, and could palm or punch the ball with equal dexterity, to wherever required …
Legend has it that, in a match at Devenish, his punch from the centre bounce landed in the hands of Glenrowan forward flanker Maurie Webb…….Perhaps unsighted, the umpire unwittingly blew the whistle for a mark…..It was to become a trademark of his ruckwork….
John was so dominant that O & M football was destined to be his pathway……But even then, it took a considerable amount of persuasion for him to leave the clutches of his home club…….
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Bob Rose believed that, had he so desired, the Rovers’ number 24 could have undoubtedly played League football.
His tight-knit family and his passion for bee-keeping, which had been handed down through three generations, were among the reasons he gave for rejecting St.Kilda’s approaches when they pursued him in 1959.
Instead, he helped the Rovers to another Grand Final – a hard-fought affair against Yarrawonga – which is regarded as one of the greatest of all-time – in which John’s opposite number, burly Alf O’Connor, snapped the clincher in the dying seconds.
One of the finest of his 52 O & M games came in the 1960 decider, when he waged a great battle with former St.Kilda ruckman Lindsay Cooke, and helped power the Hawks to a convincing 23-point triumph over Wodonga.
With that, the boy from Glenrowan faded from the scene, preferring the serenity of tending to his bee-hives in the bush, as opposed to being caught up in the hurly-burly of football……
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He continued on, however, with his cricket career, which had also been nurtured at Glenrowan………His height enabled him to extract good bounce from the pitch and his ability to ‘wobble’ the ball in the air made him one of the Wangaratta Social competition’s premier fast bowlers.
A fellow Apiarist and fine leader, Lynton Briggs, was in charge of The Glen at the time……..During a period of transition, during which they changed their name to United, they took out the 1960/61 WSCA premiership.
After stepping up to the Wangaratta & District Cricket Association the following season, United’s Grand Final defeat to Rovers ( in which John captured 3/29 ) was to prove the forerunner to a period of dominance by the club during the sixties and seventies.
In 1963/64, McMonigle’s 3/34 against Rovers helped United to the first of their 10 WDCA flags as a stand-alone club, whilst his brother Graeme top-scored with 119……..
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Veteran Rovers fans often reflected, when the name of ‘Long John’ McMonigle was raised, that there’d probably never again be such a laid-back footballer……until, that is, his eldest son Neale arrived on the scene in the late-seventies.
‘Big Macca’ fobbed off accusations of nonchalance and unpredictability, to become a 108-game, 377-goal, dual-premiership Hawk star…..adding further lustre to the McMonigle football tradition……
We’re sitting around the Kitchen table chewing the fat with a former international cricket captain…..
The grin that is permanently etched across his cheery countenance is a family trademark…..so is the aura of positivity that he exudes……
Now, before you think I’m big-noting about crossing paths with a Legend of the game, permit me to introduce you to Ian Hildebrand, ex-City Colts opening batsman…..environmentalist, biologist, educationalist and passionate, long-time promoter of Peruvian cricket….
Firstly, I’d better clarify the Christian name…….He was nicknamed ‘Harry’, after Harry Butler, the Australian naturalist, who hosted a popular TV show, ‘In the Wild’…….
He’s been Harry ever since ….
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In a previous era I knew him as ‘Hilda’, a tall, rangy, energetic ruckman who spent a season with the Wang Rovers in 1986……He melded perfectly into the playing group, as if he’d been there for years…..just as he did when he was playing cricket….
He recalls ‘getting the shit belted out of him’ one day, when he was 17, playing footy with King Valley, but wouldn’t trade any of his sporting memories for the world.
“In my cricketing heyday I played City Colts juniors on Saturday mornings, then with City Colts seniors in the afternoon and with King Valley.C.C on Sundays…..that was my life…..there was no problem getting a game if you wanted to play….”.
“Played my first senior game with City Colts when I was 15…..went to Country Week…..Geez it was a great life….”
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The eight Hildebrand kids were reared in the King Valley.
“Our old man (Alan) had the Phillipson Street Pharmacy in Wang …..His skill was in communicating with people…reaching people…caring for ‘em. Customers would come in…..he’d have a chat with them…sometimes he’d send them away to have a cup of tea, or do something else…”
“His bottom line wasn’t about selling something to them, it was caring for people….That’s what he did really well….”
Harry recalls taking the second-youngest, Bruce ( aged 3 at the time) to the High School with him, on the School Bus….
“Mum was having Louise ( the baby of the family)….Dad was in the Pharmacy, and there was nobody to look after him…..So here’s Bruce sitting up with me in the Geography class ! “
“I spoke to the kids at the High School today, actually……Told ‘em I haven’t been bored for as long as I can remember, because there’s always something to do for someone else…..”
That seems to be the philosophy of the Hildebrand clan ……..
Harry, Bruce and John Hildebrand, in days of yore
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He diverges to expand upon the sporting achievements of his two younger brothers:
“John (‘Sniffa) was doing his apprenticeship at One-Mile Motors…..’I was at Uni, at the time, and said to him: ‘Mate, go and do engineering, ‘cos you’ve got the talent for it.’……..But he was adamant about finishing his apprenticeship…..”
“Later on, he and a mate decided to drive around Australia…….When they got to Alice Springs, ‘Sniffa’ stayed, worked as a mechanic at an engineering business, took it over, and built it up……”
“He had a pilot’s licence, and used to fly out to remote places and do repair work……..But he found that, if he wasn’t there, checking all the work, the complaints started coming in……And that ate at him….Just like Dad, he always wanted to do the right thing by people……”
“So he built the business up big, sold it, jumped in a car and drove across to Airlie Beach, where he ran into a mate who was working on Ragamuffin, a 21-metre Maxi Sailing Yacht…….”
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John’s expertise in Hydraulics led to him becoming highly sought-after by operators of race boats – particularly those competing in the coveted Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race .
After travelling overseas he ended up in Sydney, and was snapped up by Bob Oatley, the wealthy owner of Wild Oats XI, the ultimate nine-time winner of line-honours in the famous event. John oversaw the installation of its systems, winch package and hydraulics, before eventually heading over to New Zealand in a similar role on the maxi – Speedboat.
On his return to Australia, he worked on the mini-maxi’s Loki and Limit……With his burgeoning reputation, it was no surprise that he and his family were flown to Bermuda by the American group, Oracle Team USA, which contested the 33rd and 34th America’s Cup.
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“In recent years he helped run the Australian maxi-yacht, Comanche……Fair dinkum, what he doesn’t know about yachting isn’t worth knowing,” Harry says.
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Bruce’s football journey also began at King Valley……He featured in the ‘Roos’ 1993 Thirds premiership before showing huge promise in a season with Wang Rovers. Whilst studying Sports Science at R.M.I.T he played with Coburg and Springvale, and represented a VFA Under 19 team.
Whilst continuing his studies in Perth Bruce spent time in the WAFL…..His enthusiasm for Pilates led him to the U.K, where he trained with leading international teachers.
His devotion to Human Movement has seen him serve as consultant strength coach to the Australian Ballet, and also train AFL footballers, Olympic athletes and Australian Netballers among his clientele as a highly sought-after Pilates Teacher-Trainer in Melbourne…..
Two of the Hildebrand girls, Sally and Kaye are School-Teachers, Louise and Anne are trained Nurses, whilst Ruth and her husband Eddie ( Costenaro ) run Whorouly’s Remel 185 Function Centre……
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Harry had played footy with Amateur club Monash Blues, and was teaching at Wesley College when he made a decision in 1996 which changed his life….
“It would have been easy to stay here and live the comfortable life, but I thought I’d test myself and expand my horizons……” he says.
He decided to live and work overseas…….and ended up in Peru. The plan was to stay for 10 years…….He’s now been there for 25, and doesn’t look like returning any time soon.
“Vanessa ( his Peruvian-born wife) has been over here a few times….We laugh about the fact that she’d willingly come here to live…..but it’s me that’s holding things up…..”
“When I come home all my mates are talking about their retirement plans……I’m not planning on retiring……Heck, I’m only 59…..I haven’t thought about that yet….”
Harry’s the assistant-principal at Markham College, in Lima, the Peruvian capital. He says he learned a lot of things in the King Valley – and the 76 countries he has visited – that he has applied to teaching kids in Peru.
“Terrorism is disappearing there, to some extent, but parents have grown up with it…..They tend to be protective of their kids….”
“My students can stuff up completely, and I have to let them do it, because that’s how they learn…..But I just have to make sure they don’t fall off the edge of a cliff….”
“ I challenge them, and they come up to me later, and say: ‘I didn’t know I was capable of that.’…..”
“I say: ‘I’m creating the environment for you to discover what you’re really about…..Whilst everyone’s giving you the easy way out, you’re never going to be able to find out what you’re really capable of….’ “
“There’s so many magical things about Peru, I can’t begin to tell you….”
“Peruvians dance to everything……We did a Concert at Markham last year, as a fund-raiser for building some houses for families living in makeshift huts, post-earthquake…..The kids loved it…..”
That’s when he became ‘Harry the Rock Star’.
“We raised $50,000; enough to build 35 houses.”
“The reason I’m still there is that Peru’s got lots of problems, and I want to do something to help them. I’m in a position where I can empower kids to do something for their country…..”
“And besides, there’s such a freedom about Latin America.”
It was on a trip to the Amazon ( about an hour and a half’s flight away from Lima) with about 60 students, not long after he’d arrived there in 1998, that Harry first met Vanessa.
“She has a boutique hotel in the Amazon; a Wellness and Conservation Health Resort, and is a Biologist as well….I thought, gee, she’s a bit of alright…..Five years later we married….Our son Luca, who’s 14, reminds me of my brother Bruce at the same age……he says he’s half-llama, half-kangaroo…..”
“It’s mind-blowing how beautiful the Amazon jungle is….There’s not many tourists….Vanessa loves it….”
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Cricket was introduced to Peru over 160 years ago, when the British were invited over to the newly-independent country to help with the construction of the Railway system.
The Lima Cricket and Football Club was born.
“It’s a beautiful place, with a nice Turf wicket……When I first turned up, there was a British bloke called Viv Ash, who had a rum and coke in one hand and a notebook in the other,” Harry recalls.
“He’d write your name down and say: ‘Righto, looks like we’ve got enough blokes for a side’….And that was cricket in Peru 25 years ago….”
“There were some good players, and some ‘shockers’…..I said to Viv (I’m a bit of an organiser, you see ): ‘Why don’t we do this, and that……’ “
“Viv’s gone: ‘We’re gonna host the South American championships in 1999’……and that’s what we did…..The principal at Markham College – a Rhodesian – made a Turf wicket….we used two grounds, and ran the tournament…..So I played for Peru….It was awesome…”
The South American Championships at Sao Paolo
“There were six teams….Faoud Bacchus, who played 20 Tests for the West Indies, was playing in the Masters, for Guyana…. Argentina won the tournament…”
“I was just hooked; we got a chance to play good cricket and meet people from these different countries.”
“We played the next South American championships in Buenos Aires, and I went over and captained Peru…..the Brazilian skipper, who’s now one of my best mates, had played county cricket for Kent……It was just the most amazing tournament….”
“I made good mates from the other countries, and we formed Cricket South America…”
“A bloke from Argentina, called Grant Dugmore ( a bloody good cricketer, and an ex-South African ) said to me: ‘Harry, you’ve gotta join the International Cricket Council; they’ll cover a lot of your expenses, like flights and accommodation…….and help you develop cricket in Peru.”
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Harry was now President of Cricket Peru, and they ran a tournament under the direction of an ICC Development officer.
“It was a raging success; the bloke put in a report, and got back to us to let us know us that we were accepted as an Associate Member of the ICC. – Affiliate Member No.100 in the world……Now it’s almost impossible to get in….”
“The next thing, I’m captain of Peru at the ICC tournament, featuring countries like Panama, Chile, Argentina, Turks & Caicos, Belize and Brazil, with all expenses paid…umpires were flown in.”
“You had to have had seven years living in a country before you were eligible; had to hand in your passport……there were no ring-ins allowed…”
“So we had these glory years……they gave us $25,000 to help develop cricket in Peru. At the S.A championships in Santiago, Chile, I stood up and said: ‘Righto, I’ve had this much fun playing cricket…..Here I am, living the dream, playing with all you blokes. But if we we want this to be sustainable we have to develop the game in our own country….”
“In 10 years time it’s my wish for a Peruvian kid to be standing up here doing the captain’s speech….So developing cricket in Peru is what it’s all about….We started putting cricket in schools…….out in the provinces as well….we’ve got an Australian female development officer…..we’ve got women’s cricket……”
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If you need convincing that this former WDCA batsman has evolved into the ultimate cricket hot-gospeller, let me quote the following, from the Cricketing Monthly:
“On an overcast Saturday in November 2014, a tall, bow-legged Australian stood in the centre of a shabby concrete stadium in the Magdalena del Mar district of Lima, waving his Peruvian identity card in one hand, and a cricket bat in the other. He was addressing a group of 6 to 16 year-olds in highly-accented Spanish.
“ He said: ‘Look, I know you Peruvians love your football, but you haven’t been very successful at it, so why not give it a rest and try the second most popular sport in the world’ ?
“Harry Hildebrand, the long-time El Presidente of Cricket Peru waxed lyrical as our small group of cricket pioneers watched nervously from behind a goalpost on the Astro-Turf football pitch.
“We were there to expand the gene pool of cricketers in Peru. The signs were not particularly auspicious, as the kids, fresh from football practice, and still wearing their Ronaldo and Messi T-shirts, gazed uncomprehendingly at him……..
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Harry’s convinced that cricket is making an impression in this far-flung outpost of the game…..
”We’ve improved a lot. When we’ve hosted ICC tournaments we’ve had Seniors, Juniors and Women’s divisions…….It’s bloody hard to organise.”
“But we were initially ranked 100th in the world; we’re now number 56……that’s awesome….
Post Script: We made contact yesterday with Harry, who’s now back home in Peru, to catch up on the latest……”….Been pretty busy here, ,” he told us……”We took 150 kids to build 15 houses last week-end….and went in to help a community whose houses were filled with mud from some landslides………Then last night I played some Aussie songs at the Peru-Australia 60-Year Event, with 500 people…..”
Just another week-end in the life of Cricket’s Hot-Gospeller.
W.D.C.A President Alf Kendall, beside Prime Minister Bob Menzies, as he is introduced to players at a Club match in 1962. Member for Indi, Mac Holten, is at far left.
It’s afternoon-tea-time at the Gardens Oval……..I’m procrastinating whether to dive into the array of ‘Sanger’s’…. try the iced Donuts….or have a crack at the sliced Watermelon …..
Meanwhile, the rich history of the B.D.C.A captivates me……. I’m drawn to the Honour Boards, which chronicle the sterling service of Benalla’s legends of the game who, for decades, helped maintain the town’s reputation as a country cricket stronghold.
Keith Sherwill, for instance, was a dominant presence for more than half a century……..His off-sider Tom Trewin – also the local MLA from 1961-‘82 – was Association President for 29 years……..Now, there’s devotion for you….
Rovers President ack Maroney holds coach Neville Hogan‘s hand aloft after a Premiership victory.
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I was a mere whippersnapper when I witnessed at first hand, the influence of two Administrators of similar status……
Jack Maroney was already part of the furniture at the Wangaratta Rovers when they joined the Ovens and Murray Football League in 1950.
‘Old Wally’ was a man of action, commanded respect and didn’t mince words, even though, by calling a spade a spade he fell out with the odd dissenter.
Working-bees were his specialty……In typical fashion, he’d be wielding a shovel as he barked instructions, his shirt unbuttoned, slouching dacks precariously held up by a piece of baler twine.
You’d see him towing a set of harrows around the Oval during the off-season….or with several sheets of re-claimed corrugated iron tied to the roof of his company vehicle, obviously destined for a maintenance project at the ground…..
A Livestock Auctioneer by occupation, he began as the Rovers’ property-steward, and became President in 1959, just as the Hawks were entering a Golden Era……When he retired from the Committee in 1977 he’d left a lasting impression.
They named the Clubrooms after John Walter Maroney, to commemorate the mountain of work that he put in at the W.J.Findlay Oval………
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WDCA Legend Clem Fisher providing an impromptu lesson for budding High School cricketers. Malcolm Smith, behind the stumps, enjoyed a long District career with Hawthorn East-Melbourne.
Clem Fisher was a giant of Wangaratta cricket…….During his playing career, he bowled with tons of aggression and, as a prolific opening batsman, loved launching an assault on the quickies……
Despite his forthright manner people acknowledged his unstinting love of the game and eagerness to do what was best for cricket……particularly as a consultant to clubs who were installing Turf pitches in the early 50’s.
He managed to rub plenty of opponents up the wrong way…….many of whom regarded him as a ‘shocking sport’…..a ‘stubborn prick’…..and ‘as tough as old boots’.
No surprise really……He was reared on the family farm, ‘Glen’, at East Wangaratta, where his father John, a fierce competitor, laid down a concrete wicket, and taught his sons the rudiments of the game.
Clem Fisher in his element – rolling wickets
Clem emerged as a star during the thirties, when Wangaratta established themselves as a Country cricket power.
A decade later, whilst still piling up the runs, he was installed for his first term as WDCA President….
When he took a step back after four years at the helm he continued to exert an influence; as Manager of the WDCA’s representative sides, a sounding-board on Association matters, and as a father-figure of the game…….
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Fisher and Alf Kendall, who became WDCA President in 1956, were polar-opposites as personalities………and were destined to lock horns.
Alf hailed from Cumfelinfach, a tiny coal-mining village in the south-east of Wales……Although his family moved to Australia in 1924, he retained a distinct British brogue, and his tall, elegant stature gave him the presence of a Business Professional…..which he was…….
He was posted to Wangaratta in 1943, as an adviser and accountant during the construction of an aluminium factory.
Scrap metals would be melted down in hot mills and sent to Sydney as aluminium ingots, which would be used for making aeroplane parts.
After the war, Bruck Mills, a Canadian firm, took over the factory and Alf was its first employee, then became a member of the company’s executive staff.
When Social competition team Alumatta, to whom he was connected, morphed into Bruck Cricket Club in 1947/48, he was part of the inaugural team which competed in the WDCA.
A handy, economical off-spinner, his modest ability was dwarfed by his intense love of the game and his desire to see Bruck play a prominent role in Wangaratta cricket.
To that end, five years later, Mac Holten, a prominent post-war District cricketer and star Collingwood footballer, who had led Wangaratta to four successive footy flags, was lured to Bruck as its ‘Sporting Adviser’……
The following season, 1953/54, Holten’s brilliant, undefeated 136 piloted the club to their first WDCA flag…….Kendall, who was rising 47, was one of three members of the original Bruck team to feature in the Premiership win……..
Bruck Cricket Club – WDCA Premiers 1953/54. Alf Kendall is second from left, front row. Mac Holten is on the far right , front row.
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Alf Kendall retired from the playing-field in 1959, but by now his influence on Wangaratta cricket had become far more pronounced…..
He had succeeded a fellow Bruck stalwart, Stanley Messenger Arms, as WDCA President in 1956, with the stated aims of forming an Umpire’s Board, helping to establish a junior competition in the town, and taking Wangaratta to the top in country cricket.
He played a significant role in the first two……..and was at the helm when rain washed out play in the 1957 Provincial Country Week Final, with Wangaratta being declared the winners.
He helped to procure a match against the touring South Australian Sheffield team, which met a North-Eastern XI at the Showgrounds in 1957.
But It wasn’t all beer and skittles for Alf, particularly in the aftermath of the 1957/58 WDCA semi-finals…….
The Semi’s were scheduled for the Labour Day long week-end……A heavy downpour prompted the Association Executive to transfer the second day’s play ( Monday) from the sodden turf wickets, onto concrete ‘tracks’ at South and North Wangaratta.
The result was that Bruck and Magpies won through to the Grand Final………. Old combatants Kendall and Fisher were involved in considerable verbal parrying after it was alleged that the venues had been transferred so that Kendall’s side – Bruck – would not be denied the opportunity of reaching the Final….
Kendall and WDCA Secretary ( and fellow Bruck clubman ) Bernie Morris angrily refuted the claim, which, they said, was a ‘despicable insult’…… Bruck captain Mac Holten, they maintained, was the person who had suggested the change of venues……
Alas, Magpies went on to win their first WDCA premiership, in a thriller – 170 to 164………
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It was a proud moment for Alf Kendall, and Wangaratta cricket, when the city won the right to host Peter May’s touring M.C.C team on the Showgrounds in February 1959. Considerable planning had been undertaken and a brand-new Grandstand, named after Show Society President, W.B.Richardson, was unveiled for the occasion.
Premier Henry Bolte opens the W.B.Richardson Stand before the M.C.C v Vic Country game, 1959. Alf Kendall is on the left of photo. Clem Fisher is on the right.
Modern-day cricket buffs, who were just approaching their teen-age years on that memorable occasion, can still recall being at close quarters with legends like Trueman, May, Laker, Dexter, Subba Row and Graveney.
But trouble was brewing behind the scenes…….
The Showgrounds landlord, the Wangaratta Agricultural Society, were incensed that they had been short-changed for rental of the ground for staging the big game.
A matter of £6 pounds 10 shillings was at stake…..At the height of the dispute, when criticism was being hurled back and forth, one Show Society committee member described Alf Kendall as ‘one of the most awkward persons I have ever had to deal with’…….
The disputed amount was subsequently waived by the Show Society.
More fireworks ensued the following season, when Fisher was voted out of his position as Association Vice-President.
It had emanated from a flare-up between Fisher and Kendall at the Annual Meeting….. Kendall accused Fisher of not supporting him in his criticism of the Showgrounds Committee of Management….
The barbs continued to fly at the next Delegates meeting, when the Wangaratta and Magpies Cricket clubs forwarded letters attacking Kendall for his criticism of Fisher and Max Bussell.
The President’s response was that: “There was a personality clash last year, and it must stop, as it creates unrest.”………
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Alf Kendall had served an eventful eight years as WDCA President when he passed away, whilst still in office, in September 1964.
His successor was Clem Fisher, who held the reins for a further ten years. The old warrior, whose name is perpetuated on the cricket pavilion beneath the Showgrounds’ Richardson Stand, died in 1978, aged 73……
Kendall and Fisher, despite their their contrasting leadership styles, had guided Wangaratta cricket through a successful – if sometimes controversial – 18-year period…………..
I look forward to the annual pilgrimage to Yarrawonga’s Stan Hargreaves Oval……….
Situated on the eastern fringe of the town, a white picket fence surrounds a beautifully-thatched green sward, and a typically hard, true centre strip…
The balcony, which is situated on boundary’s edge, provides an excellent, sometimes rowdy viewing area……and leads into the Pavilion, which is, as usual, a hive of activity on match-day……
The Bar has been fully operational from the start of proceedings today , and there are more than a few of the locals sampling the amber fluid…….A giant TV on one wall screens the races from Caulfield and Rosehill…….On another, the uninterrupted vision of the current game is available to those who can’t be bothered craning their necks around to glimpse the action in the middle…..
They look after you a treat, the Lakers…….There’s always ample tucker on hand……….But someone offered the finest piece de resistance I’ve ever had as a scorer – a large plate of piping-hot fresh fish….
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You know you’re always going to be in for a hell of a contest against the Yarra-Mul Lakers, who exude confidence and have become a traditional WDCA powerhouse.
They keep rolling out talented youngsters to complement the array of stars who’ve kept them at the top for more than a decade.
But today’s game, I sense, has a bit of extra meaning for them…….Their opponents, reigning premiers Rovers-United-Bruck, knocked them over in last season’s semi-final and they’re keen to exact revenge.
The Hawks, on the other hand, haven’t tasted success over here for six years……There’s a hint of summer finally in the air….. two top sides are in action……you couldn’t wish to be in a better place than Hargreaves Oval.
I’m not disappointed………it proves to be a fantastic, high-standard game……….
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For the Lakers’ experienced openers Reed Clarke and Matt Casey, it’s ‘steady as she goes’ in the opening overs….
Left-handed Clarke, in particular, has decided to knuckle down, and provide support to his more adventurous team-mate. But they must have wondered what demons the wicket had in store for them when speedster Paddy McNamara incited a couple of venomous early deliveries to jump and spit.
You could see the Hawk skipper licking his chops, but that proved to be the only sign of mischief that the pitch displayed .
Tall and imposing Casey, whose only other knock this season had been an undefeated century against Delatite, looked completely at ease and again emphasised his standing as one of the competition’s top batsmen.
A solid, stylish defence is his keynote, but he dealt severely with the occasional overpitched delivery and he and Clarke guided their side to 0/ 51 at the 20-over mark.
There was really no cause for concern at the slow run-rate as the Lakers, with a lengthy batting list, reasoned that they could apply the pressure later in the innings…..The RUB bowlers, however, deserved credit for their accuracy and discipline.
The first twist in the game came after the drinks break, when Hawk speedster Brady Bartlett ended Clarke’s 76-minute stay at the crease…..He enticed him to nick one…..Keeper Perera did the rest….
Then youngster Zac Fraser swung wildly at a Bartlett delivery and middle stump was uprooted……A few balls later Corey McIntosh fended at a spinning delivery from South African leggie Koot Pienaar, who dived to take a brilliant catch mid-pitch…..
Suddenly the Lakers had slumped to 3/67.
But there was no more joy for the Hawks for some time, as veteran Matt Knight helped Casey to take charge of the game.
They added 40 in just 32 minutes……There have been few more aggressive stroke-makers than the solidly-built left-handed Knight in the last decade ……His innings of 28, which included 5 fours, ended when he skied one and was caught in the deep off McNamara.
Casey’s adventurous attempt at a second run brought his fine knock of 68 to a close, but he had piloted his side to a total of 6/137 at time; a target which, to my mind, would take some catching……..
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The RUB innings could hardly provided a starker contrast to the solid foundation provided by Yarrawonga-Mulwala.
They were in immediate trouble……
Lakers speedsters Corey McIntosh and Angus McMillan cut a swathe through their upper order to have them reeling at 3/19.
A solid response was required……It was up to young skipper Paddy McNamara and a contributor to many such rear-guard actions – Jacob Schonafinger – to right the ship.
The runs came, firstly at a trickle…… then, as ‘Schona’ produced some deft cover drives and began pushing the ball behind square, the total began to mount…
Alas, he played all over one from Jacob Bartlett and was gone for 19. Five balls later, Matthew Whitten departed and the Hawks had tumbled to a disastrous 5/42.
Their prospects looked precarious, but McNamara found a capable ally in his new partner, Lucky Perera – a renowned cool-head in a crisis. .
They added 46 runs in close to even-time to resuscitate the innings. ‘Lucky’ was the dominant partner, but McNamara played an anchor-role, as he set about crafting his finest – and highest – WDCA innings.
Again disaster struck….Perera pulled a full toss from Ben Kennedy and was caught for 28…..the Hawks were 6/88 – still 50 runs away from victory..
Brady Bartlett and Matt Winter both produced valuable cameos, as the target began to inch closer.
There were 15 runs required, with eight wickets down, when irrepressible Blake Nixon, freshly promoted from A-Reserve, marched purposefully to the crease.
Not content to be cast in a subsidiary role, Nixon proceeded to carve 13 runs off nine deliveries to help steer the Hawks to an unlikely victory.
At the other end McNamara, who had played the perfect foil during his 143-minute stay at the crease, for his unbeaten 46, stood in the background, as Nixon began his victory lap of Stan Hargreaves Oval…..
It was, they said, the Grand Final that the WDCA had craved………a fluctuating, high-standard clash between two of the competition’s keenest rivals ……..
It featured dashing stroke-play, more twists than a winding mountain road, a dramatic batting collapse…….and finally, one of those last-wicket stands that evoke the suspense of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller………
Firstly, I must offer a disclaimer……….I wasn’t there…….and wasn’t party to the pressure-cooker atmosphere that someone mentioned resembled one of those classical ‘Local Footy Derbies’………
Instead, as the game progresses, I’m relying on periodic score-updates. Early on, they verify my pre-game trepidation ………that Wangaratta-Magpies’ brilliant Indian all-rounder Pranav Menon, is going to have a profound influence on the game.
The trouble is, when you’re bowling to ‘Prav’, he’s so dominant, and scores so quickly, he can take the game away from you in a jiffy…….
His third-wicket stand with skipper Jack Davies adds 100 in just 80 minutes, before Jack is skittled by left-arm quick Paddy McNamara for a handy 36……But by now the Pies are 3/126, and headed for a huge total.
Brady Bartlett, whose 25 wickets have rounded off the Hawk attack nicely this season, collects another timely scalp when he traps ‘Prav’ in front eight runs later. His 59 off 64 balls was, I’m told, an essay of fluent, wristy strokeplay.
From then on in it’s a matter of the Wang-Magpies lower-order eking out crucial runs – and the Hawks keeping them in check. Despite the best efforts of the bowlers, the Pies finish with 8/163…….Bartlett (3/31) and McNamara (3/23) take the bowling honours.
‘Runs on the Board’ is a well-worn adage in finals cricket…….Four runs an over, against a side which, time and again this season has been able to put the screws on their opposition, is a tough proposition.
But I’ve got faith in Bailey Dale and Luke Whitten, who have developed into a handy combination. Luke seems to have been inspired by Bailey’s cavalier stroke-play and has, himself, become more uninhibited……..The extent of this partnership could, I believe, determine the match…….
They’re off to a flier, and the updates I’m getting ( scoring at almost eight an over ) indicate that they’ve given their side a really handy launching-pad.
It’s 1/67 when Whitten is adjudged LBW to Zac Guilfoyle, but Dale and the incoming Jacob Beattie ( who’s also a free-wheeler) keep the run-rate flowing nicely.
When I succumb to temptation, and ring for someone to ‘paint the picture’, I’m told they’re 3/112…….Dale had skipped down the wicket to spinner Menon and had been neatly stumped by keeper Cooper Matheson for 45…….Beattie’s 22-ball knock had come to an end when the newly-introduced Nick Pell dismissed him for 28.
The Hawks had experimented with Beattie at first-drop, late in the season, with some success, and again, he had produced valuable, quick runs.
I’m delighted…..surely they should do the job from here……Only 50-odd runs, with heaps of overs in hand and plenty of batting to follow…….
Then the reports start coming through…….I’m informed later that the under-rated Pell is bowling ‘hand-grenades’……..6/120….7/129….8/131…9/136……
I receive an ominous four-word text from a knowledgeable Hawk….’Not looking good, KB’……. which sends me into the depths of depression….
Ah well, the dream’s over…….the boys have had a good season…….and the Pies deserve it. They’ve been outstanding all year ……..
I’m anticipating the final death knell……Half an hour passes by…….No word…Surely the game must be over by now…..
Then the belated message comes through………They’ve pinched it……..Unbelievable…
So I sit down to watch the live-stream this morning, to recapture the drama of this Grand Final of the Ages ( I note that there have been more than 820 views on You-Tube, which shows the interest in the contest ) ….It’s every bit as riveting as I’ve been told……particularly that last-wicket stand of 28 between Alex McCarthy and Brady Bartlett, which finally swings the pendulum the Hawks way.
Equally as interesting is the ‘chit-chat’ from the crowd, amidst the excitement from both camps:
‘Pelly…Pelly….Pelly…’ as the ex-Greta paceman is cutting a swathe through the RUB middle-order…….
‘He doesn’t have faith in ya mate…….Can’t ya handle the pressure, Bartlett….’
The partnership develops: A Bartlett pull-shot scoots to the boundary, as does a streaky shot backward of point………They chip 10 runs off one over, then Bartlett hammers a shot back at tiring medium-pacer Matt Gathercole, who just can’t grasp a difficult chance, with the score on 149….
A single here and a strong off-side shot there from McCarthy, who’s been solid, maintains the pressure……….It’s down to 11…..then another Bartlett boundary off Guilfoyle brings the crowd to fever-pitch………Seven to get…. another boundary reduces it to three……
And now they’re home……. Bartlett, whose handy all-round contribution has been as significant as anyone in the match, executes a strong drive, ushering in celebrations and commiserations among the combatants, neither of who deserved to lose………
ON REFLECTION 