2017/18 President's Report
Season 2017/18 was again a great season for our wonderful club. Over the past 15 years we have been the benchmark of Newcastle District Cricket and Season 17/18 was no different.
We ran 2nd in the Club Championship, 2nd in 1st Grade (Beaten Finalists), 1st (Premiers) in 2nd Grade, semi finalists in 3rd and 4th Grade. A grade C&S did their usual trick of dominating the season only to lose the final. Our two lower grade C&S teams provided both the opportunity and pathway for their cricket. Thanks to Steve Leathley and Gordon Dryborgh we topped our pool in U21 only to lose the semi final. Our U/15 team showed great improvement while at the other end of the scale our Masters team once again were very successful only to go down in the semi.
We set our targets high and our recent history is the envy of all clubs.
This can only be achieved by organisation and hard work! A big thank you goes to our new coach, Troy Goodwin. Troy has settled into the position like the old pro he is. The future is bright!
We were once again The Herald Club of The Year, the 6th time in 7 years and for the 1st time we won The Lords Taverners Spirit of Cricket Award.
We had 3 players, Simon, Sam and Paddy in the NDCA Team of the Year.
Simon scored 507 runs @ 46 with 2 hundreds giving him a total of 32 1st grade centuries (2nd only to the great Greg Geise with 36) with many more to come!
Sam Palmer 29 wkts at 12.48 was 2nd in NDCA Bowling, whilst Tim took those amazing 41 wickets and must surely be near the most wickets ever in 1st grade.
Congratulations to all our teams and their captains. Simon in 1st grade remains the “King” of MDCC. Our first grade probably over-achieved in terms of the number of changes in the team. Simon and Troy led the batting, the old man, Tim O’Neill just gets better with age and took an astonishing 41 wickets in 1st grade! Sam Palmer won the District 1st grade bowling average and Patrick Holahan was 1st grade keeper of the year.
Our 2nd Grade side were once again Premiers! Led by veteran Steve Baker they beat hot favourites Charlestown in a nail biter final. The team was a great mix of young and experienced with the likes of Dave Celep, Steve, Mick Eccleston, Harry Colbert and Trent Bush, with outstanding prospects in Sam Holding, Liam Bench, Rowen Davis, Courtney Moulton and many others. Well done!
Thirds and fourths both finished 3rd and bowed out in the semi finals. Great thanks to the 3rd and 4th grade captains, Matt Jordan and Julian Giles .
Our Junior sides did really well, our U/15’s were very competitive and all boys will be available again this year! U/21 had their best year for quite a while winning their section undefeated only to go out in the semi finals. Zac McGuigan was the leading run scorer in the competition with 156 runs at 40.
Our future is bright!
For the past 7 years, our club has built up a wonderful relationship with Kotara Tigers Junior CC. This relationship has grown to the point in Season 2017/18 where we had over 30 players from Tigers in our senior teams!
At their recent AGM the Tigers club decided to change their club name to Merewether District Junior Cricket Club Tigers. This was the pathway both clubs dreamed about years ago that is now reality.
The impact on MDCC will be significant and our club can only get stronger. We the seniors must ensure the benefits to the juniors are real and progressive.
Many thanks to Tiger’s President, Murray Granger and a number of earlier executive of Tigers, Darren Linsley, Jason McKendry and Katherine O’Connor for their vision and drive that has seen this come to fruition.
Your club committee, as you are no doubt aware, has been planning and developing new synthetic nets at the northern end of Townson Oval.
Well after nearly 2 years of planning, negotiating, frustration and eventually completion, the nets are up!
These nets were only made possible through the Community Building Partnership Program.
We obtained a $15,000 grant that together with $30,000 from our own hard earned funds has resulted in the fine facility we now have.
This facility will be ready for use next week! Your committee has named the nets “The Bert Mullen Complex” in honour of Life Member, Bert Mullen.
Bert, for over 30 years put up our training nets for practice, usually on his own!
An Official Opening will take place in September.
The Project could not have been completed without the “heroic” efforts of committee man, Gordon Dryborg and old boy and sponsor Steve Pratt. The support, counsel and patience shown by these men got us over the line! (Thanks to Treasurer, Darryl Daniels who kept signing cheques!)
Our club has many unsung heroes, your committee, in particular Secretary David Stanbridge and Treasurer, Darryl Daniels who simply keep our club ticking.
Our curator, Dave Edwards and his silent partner, Peter Grime our responsible for the beautiful condition we find our home ground, centre wickets and practice facilities each week. Peter doubles up at empire Park helping Tom Anderson at what is a difficult job!
To all our helpers from scorers to afternoon tea people (George and Maureen) go my gratitude.
In the coming season we will face many challenges! With the retirement from 1st grade of Troy, Sam and Ben the opportunities for some of our younger players are obvious. The ball is in their court. Hard work will see a group of new stars representing our great club!
Good Luck ! Ken Beckett (President)
