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Wednesday, 1 March 2000
TWO DECADES OF THE WANDERERS
The North Eltham Wanderers Cricket Club Inc. celebrates its twentieth anniversary in October 2001. It was in this month in 1981 that our Club fIrst fielded senior and junior teams under the Wanderer name in the Diamond Valley Cricket Association. In nigh on two decades of the Club's existence, it is estimated that nearly five hundred players have represented the Club in senior match competition. Many of those players are obscure, long-forgotten names who have since pursued their cricket and social interests elsewhere. However, some of the original senior and
junior players from the first two years of Wanderers history are still in one way or another very much part of the Club to this day. As we head towards our twentieth birthday, it is an opportune time to recognise the loyalty and commitment of these people and thank them for their service to the Club: Steven Leighton, John Crossman, Duncan Watt, Ash Chapple, Phil Harris, Dale Robertson. The current Committee of the Club anticipates that the twentieth birthday of the North Eltham Wanderers will not go unrecognized. Such an occasion would be an ideal time to celebrate and reflect on twenty years of sporting and social history, celebrate past victories, catch up with old faces and remember the days when our great Club was working hard to establish a sporting name and identity which we as current members and supporters now enjoy. Such celebrations would also be a perfect catalyst and springboard for the Club in its future aspirations as a premier sporting club in the local community and Diamond Valley Association.
We look forward to current and past members and their families joining us in our birthday celebrations next year. After all it is the birthday of your Club.
Wednesday, 1 March 2000
AN OVERVIEW OF THE SEASON 1999-2000
The Wanderers began the season fielding five senior teams in the DVCA for the second successive year. In addition, six junior teams took the field and one Over 40 Veterans team in their second year of the Sunday Ringwood and District Competition. In all twelve teams wore the Wanderers colours in season 1999-2000 - as many teams in anyone year in the history of the Club. Senior teams were fielded in Money Shield, Money Reserve, D, E and G Grades. Our 5th XI G Grade were defending the premiership from the previous season. For the third year our Club was lead by Darren Leighton as Senior Coach and Club Captain and in all sixty-three senior players and sixteen junior players represented our five senior teams. Another fifteen represented our Sunday Veterans team.
Although the Club missed the talents of a number of regular players from previous
seasons and lost the presence of others during the year, we welcomed to the Club for the first time such names as Scott Eastwood, Tony Forster, Michael Jarvis, Toby Johnson, Lachlan McDonald and David Harris. We also saw the return of players Duncan Watt, Chris Jose, Andrew Ridsdale and Chris Salvatore. These players all made fine contributions to the Club both on and off the field and hopefully will continue to do so for many years to come. From our juniors, the Club welcomed to senior ranks Nick Agius, Heath Appleton, Nathan Land, Nathan Lewis, Clint Monger, Mark Stacey, Travis Wacey and Andrew Wadey. My sincere apologies to any players who have been missed in the above-mentioned categories. Further to this, a number of players from the Veteran's team declared themselves available for the odd Saturday games across the season. For the first time in at least five seasons, we did not have a senior team representing the Club in the Finals series. Even though we did lose the talents of a number of seasoned players across the Club or could not rely on their consistent availability and with our senior list being inexperienced and comparatively young, this is a most disappointing result. It is an unacceptable result that we all must aim to rectify next season. Fortunately, three of our junior teams, the Under 16's, First XI Under 14's and fledgling Under 12E team raced into the finals with great distinction. However, this is not to say our senior teams were never competitive. On the contrary, as our ladder placings indicate, all our senior teams proved most competitive throughout the season and in the case of our Second XI, probably unlucky to miss the finals after suffering only three losses in a highly competitive grade. If you toss in a few matches where the results went right down to the wire or where wins were thrown away by bad luck or just bad cricket, the scenario could have been considerably different. Our First and Third XI's would more than attest to this. However, on the playing field mediocrity is not good enough. In an Association that is growing and becoming increasingly more competitive, the need to review, address and improve our on-field playing operations is essential if we are to be one of the premier clubs in the competition. Our off field strength and unity is the envy of many clubs, it is up to us now to support that on the field, in our training, coaching, recruitment and in the development of our young playing personnel. The season, however, was littered with many memorable team and individual highlights. A club record ten centuries were scored including one from Club Junior Champion Matt Reid in the Under 14's while Darky and Robbo continued their century making fight. Apart from their on-going battle and wily veteran Ian Allen's E Grade century, all players who reached three figures, scored their maiden century for the Club. Congratulations to all our centurions. May you post many more. Four players also reached the nineties with the bat only to fall a few perilous runs short of the magic three figures - Andrew Stacey, Steve Leighton, Al Mann and Steve Page. Congratulations on your efforts. The individual perfonnances of bowlers of the ilk of Brett Temple, Cain Harper and co. must not go unnoticed. The extraordinary keeping talents of Tony Forster; the record breaking batting partnerships; the come from behind wins; the lusty hitting of Chris Salvatore and Clint Monger; the slashing cover drives; the quick fire fifties and the dour last wicket stands of our young juniors in senior ranks; and many others like them are the memories and highlights that we can take from a long, often painful, yet ultimately enjoyable season on the field. But ladder rankings between five and seven for our six senior teams must be a bitter disappointment for us all.
Let's all make the Wanderers happen bigger and better next year. No excuses. |
