An Unexpected Saturday Sporting Experience

 

 

On Saturday I had a totally unexpected sporting playing experience. While my knees are shot and also work now prevents an active cricket coaching role, I have ended up back at my original club, Payneham CC, being on the committee for our 150th year celebrations.

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1070770219720359/

 

Any enquiries re anything Payneham and the 150th year reunion, please call me on 0414678815.

 

Anyway, back to Saturday. I worked and then went to Rostrevor to watch the A Grade game. On arriving the score was 8-130. I thought 150 odd and we’re at least in the game.

 

We started bowling, taking 2 early wickets and then Rob Westley, whilst fielding, hurt his knee badly. He tried to stay out on the ground but it was pretty obvious he was in worse nick than me. Looking around I was the only option, so into the change rooms and Robbie was in pain even just attempting to take his shoes off. Anyway, on the ground I go with Robbie’s gear fitting surprisingly well (Payneham folk will remember far better than Chris Underwood’s many moons ago). I went on the ground with a positive attitude of really wanting the ball to come to me and even managed to get a left hand on to a fiercely hit drive and prevent a four (I did tell the batsman straight away hope you haven’t got a lotto ticket tonight as it can go in the bin now). I really enjoyed fielding and feeling part of a team environment again, having a chuckle as Chris Ansell attempted to get in the head of a Rocs batsman batting against the cagey left arm spin of Mark Barber, it very nearly succeeded as well as an attempted huge slog resulted in the ball missing off stump by millimetres. At 3-98 Rocs were on top, enter Lochlan Roberts who had bowled well in his first spell, taking the first wicket, but he proceeded to blow the game apart taking wickets with the last 2 balls of his 8th, wickets with the first 2 balls of his 9th over, a double hat-trick! Then another wicket on the last ball of his 9th over, Greg Rose took a wicket with a juicy full toss and then Lochlan took the last wicket in his last over. Rostrevor collapsed losing
7-12 with Roberts finishing up with 7-23
(it’s the second incredible match winning performance from Roberts this season following on from his 60 batting at Number 11, putting on 97 with Greg Rose for the last wicket to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat against Hope Valley).

 

Saturday was a great reminder how enjoyable team sport is, to be involved in an A Grade win playing under the leadership of good mate Jake Boerema was a pleasure. A few of the players mentioned that I got involved more in the game re suggestions to the skipper the longer the game went, well never being a Marcel Marceau that was always going to happen, this old bastard loved it!. (James Stagg cheque is in the mail for the praise re not getting my hand out of the way in the field)

 

Payneham CC nickname is The Dukes, named after the remarkable secretary of over 60 years Keith Duke. Payneham had previously been called the Knights which just didn’t have any particular meaning or history to the club. Anyway I was mowing a lawn and it just occurred to me re the name, it happened to be Payneham’s AGM the following week, I brought it up, it went to a vote and was basically passed with unanimous approval with in 30 seconds. Payneham CC will always be extremely grateful to Peter Argent (regular
Almanac contributor) for nominating the club and then being successful as the inaugural ABC Grandstand cricket club of the year. We were the first club to honour an individual re naming a clubs nickname in this manner in the country.

 

Back to Saturday I will always be grateful for having a unexpected pleasurable sporting experience, all the best with your knee Robbie.
The Payneham CC song just happens to be the same as the Norwood FC song, so there were no problems with me being very vocal leading the celebrations.

 

Go The Dukes and love to get anyone and everyone involved in our 150th year celebrations.

 

Payneham 153 (Predgen 48,Fitzsimons 35) def Rostrevor 110 (Thomas 51,Rahaly 35,
Roberts 7-23, Stagg 2-35)

 

Comments

  1. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says

    Carn’ The Ashwoods doesn’t have the same ring to it.

    Are Peter Williams and/or Terry Goodwin still involved at Payneham?

  2. Luke Reynolds says

    Swish- Carn the Rulebook’s??

    Great to see you back out on the field Malcolm, have you been asked to play in a lower grade next week? Surely you’re good for some runs in the lower middle order.

    All the best with the 150th celebration, Payneham are lucky to have you helping out with it, am sure it will be a huge success.

  3. Time for a comeback rulebook

  4. Jake Boerema says

    I love your commitment and I wouldnt be surprised if your left hand is still ringing. Just for the record its not the first A grade game you have sub fielded in over the years. I distinctly remember Jason Morgan injuring his knee, you borrowing some junior kids whites and sporting the short longs chased leather for the entire afternoon. All jokes aside, your contributions on and off the field are much appreciated and a key to the success of any good sporting club.

  5. Great read Book – move over Jonny Rhodes.

  6. Great commitment to the Payneham CC Rulebook- on and off the field!

  7. Most cunning use of a sub fielder since Gary Pratt!

  8. Geoff Wilson says

    Well done Malcolm, great commitment to The Mighty Payneham Dukes and you were part of a great victory. Well done to young Roberts on another match winning performance. Go The Mighty Dukes.

  9. Dave Taylor says

    Hi Rulebook, i always enjoy your AFL and cricket pieces but am usually too busy to reply! But hearing of your exploits with Payneham CC (I had no idea that was your first club!) brought back fond memories of my time playing A1 and A2 Adel Turf for Para Hills in the late 70s/early 80s. This was after I left my junior District Club (then Salisbury which became Northern Districts) and before i moved to play cricket with the mighty Blacks in 1983.
    Anyway, and while my recollection is a bit rusty, I can recall several games against the PCC A grade boys in A1 or A2, some at your great home pitch that was always ripe for runs!
    I reckon it was 1979/80 that our Para Hills A’s knocked off your boys in the A2 Grand Final – but would love you to check from your mountain of club stats if that recollection is correct. I reckon you guys made an ordinary score and we polished them off for a couple of wickets only?
    Anyway, it caused me to reflect on those years where the standard in Turf at A2, and then A1 for the next couple of years, was unbelievable. I was 20 in 1979 and was one of only 2 youngsters in our side (see below), but the rest were seasoned A grade district/state players that were looking for a bit of extra beer money towards the mature end of their careers – meaning they were about 30 and seriously old compared to me! But I reckon the matches I played in A grade turf were tougher than A grade district in subsequent years – talk about bouncer barrages for young smart arse openers like me – and with no helmet and definitely no protection from the umpires!
    I’ve taxed my memory for some names in that A2 Para Hills team that won the 79/80 GF (I think that was the year) and this is what I’ve come up with:
    David Curtain from Pt Adel – our Captain with useful mediums and who hit the ball as hard as anyone I played with.
    Peter Curtain, also from Pt Adel who was a seriously good leg spinner
    Denis Willshire – cagey swing bowler and solid bat who played A’s at Propect
    Steve Thurbon (the only other young pup who had played junior state stuff with me), but who opened our bowling and then went on to play years of A grade district.
    Chris Luck and Bevan Harris, both top batters who came to us after A grade careers at Prospect and I think East Torrens.
    Bob Dew, our first drop and a great keeper who came from A district club I can’t remembet.
    Lawrence Humphries, who was our other fast man and a local PH boy who never played district, but when TJ Jenner faced him the following year (When TJ joined Para Hills) TJ said he was the fastest bowler he ever faced! That guy was seriously quick and my recollection is that he had those PCC boys jumping all over the place back in 1980!
    Anyway mate, thanks for bringing back those great memories with your post. Happy for you to log this on your “comments” page if you like. You might have come across some of the above names, but all I can say is the Para Hills boys were unbeatable in whatever year that was that we won the A2 GF!
    Best of luck with the PCC celebrations and let me know if you can dig anything out of the club records on that clash with PH all those years ago.
    Cheers, Dave

  10. Geoff Wilson says

    Hi Dave, enjoyed your comments on Rulebooks exploits, I just need to comment on a couple of points. In 79/80 Payneham defeated Kilburn in the A1 Final. Para Hills defeated Old Scotch in the A2 Final which was played at Payneham Oval. I see you got 49 and Lucky got 50 no, you won easily, by 8 wickets.
    Payneham have only ever been in A2 for 1 season, 2006/07 and won the premiership that season.
    I could not agree with you more about the standard of cricket back then, like you I was young and learning very quickly from the very good and experienced players in our side.
    You had some great names in that side, ironically a lot of them came to Payneham, which I had the pleasure in playing with for a number of years. I talk of Dave Curtain, Peter Curtain, Bob Dew, Lawrie Humphries and Chris Luck.
    I would of played 12 seasons or so with DC, one of the smartest cricketers I have played with, Bob Dew one of the best keepers, all of those boys were very good players.
    I played a lot against Steve Thurbon and had some great battles and runins with Turbo.
    Great to read your comments, always good to hear from cricketers from that era.
    All The Best.

  11. Malcolm Ashwood says

    Swish no Peter or TG are no longer involved but both are coming to the 150 th year dinner.Luke surely I am now the incumbent so I start in the A grade ? Seriously no chance re ever playing a game again and thank you.Raj no chance thanks Jake.Thanks TC and Dave just rapt we won.Thanks Paul.Geoff yes Lochlan has had two incredible match winning performances.Dave Micro Taylor thank you we finally established it last night that Para Hills def Scotch and in the same season Payneham def Kilburn in the respective A2 and A1 grand finals what is remarkable is how many of the Para Hills guys also played for Payneham in David and Peter Curtin( very accurate comments on both ) Bob Prowler Dew a outstanding keeper,Chris Gobbledock Luck and the quick,Lawrie Humphries thank you a few memories there

  12. Jeff Milton says

    Where were you fielding?
    No doubt using your pace in the cover area.

  13. Malcolm Ashwood says

    Short cover Milts definitely no running

  14. Mal, just read Geoff’s post and am so glad we ended up figuring out that it was Old Scotch not PCC we played in that final! I guess it was 38 years ago and my confused memory probably did come from us having played the match at Payneham oval – thanks heaps to Geoff for confiming that detail.
    Amazing that Geoff could put his hands on those scoreboard stats from the A2 game – if you’d asked me last night Mal re those details I would have had no idea! But thanks to Geoff I can now recall that Lucky and I did put on a few runs that day! I now also vaguely recall that it was the second year in a row that Old Scotch had lost the A2 Grand Final.
    Geoff, you’re right about Turbo, he was a great bowler and had a mean in-swinging bouncer! Steve and I grew up together at Para Hills and as a junior he was also a great bat.
    Thanks Mal and Geoff for bringing back some great memories. Leave you to post this, thanks Rulebook, DT

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