HOWARD BARCLAY - LIFE MEMBER 1986

Howard Barclay, SPCC B Grade Premiers 1991-2, after the game.

I spent my early childhood years in Heywood. My father, Lin Barclay, was a very keen cricketer. He was a great influence on my career. I spent my summers learning cricket on the nature strips of Heywood and by attending training with my father at the Heywood Cricket Club as far back as I can remember. Don Sherwell was also a regular at training. My primary school teacher, Charlie Breadon, was also a significant influence on my career.

I scored for the Heywood ‘A’ Grade team from the about the age of ten. All of summer was devoted to the game.

I played my first competitive games of cricket for Hamilton College Under 14's in 1961 and part of 1962. The family moved to Geelong where my father and I were foundation members of the Highton Methodist Church team, playing in the Geelong Churches competition. In 1963 my schooling shifted to Wesley College in where I played in the U/15 and U/16 teams and finally in the First Eleven in 1966.

My family moved back to Portland late in 1964. My father joined North Portland Cricket Club. I played with the club when home, playing my first ‘A’ Grade game at age 16. When I returned to Portland permanently in 1968 I continued to play with North Portland. In 1970 I joined twelve other local cricketers to form the South Portland Cricket Club.

I made my first century aged eighteen, for North Portland Cricket Club against Wesley.

I recall in those early seasons of cricket in Portland the PDCA participated in two inter town competitions, the Glenelg competition and the Mount Gambier competition. Portland played in both of these, so there was plenty of cricket with games stretching from Penola to Lake Bolac

At that time, the PDCA only played in the Ballarat Country Week. I recall going to Ballarat Country Week in my first season and the week following, I went to Melbourne and played in Melbourne Country Week with the Casterton-Coleraine Cricket Association. They were short and looking for players. I played cricket for two weeks straight.

I left North Portland to start the South Portland Cricket Club in 1970. Most of the players lived in the area and Cavalier Park had just been constructed. I am very proud to be a foundation member of the South Portland Cricket Club. Those early years required a lot of work as we did not have any club rooms and the ground had many stones and remnants of tree roots all over it. It kept us occupied between balls throwing them over the fence.

I am South Portland Cricket Club's first centurion. We were playing North Portland and had been defeated on the first innings. I remember North's captain, Barry Payne, saying as they came off the ground that they were going to beat us outright next week. I was determined to keep them in the field the whole of the second day and I made 124 not out. The game was at Cavalier Park and of course it was against my old team mates, including my father.

When I was at school I opened the . However, when I reached the First Eleven, the coach tried to change my action. I lost all rhythm and gave it away.

When I went to South Portland, we did not have a keeper so I put the gloves on, which I enjoyed. I was really just a backstop and I was happy to hand the gloves over when keepers such as Merv Aitken and Kevin Saunders played for the club. I did enjoy being in the field as well.

I played in and lost many finals with South. Colts, in particular, had terrific sides. My timing was not good in relation to premierships. When South's "B" Grade won consecutive premierships in 1983-1984 and 1984-1985 I was in "A" Grade. When "A" Grade won consecutive premierships in 1987-1988 and 1988-1989 I was in "B" Grade. Don Sherwell and Kevin Tobin were in the same boat.

I was very happy to captain the South "B" Grade premiership side in 1991-1992. There were a few of us over forty and the rest were mostly kids. It was this mix that won it for us. It was fantastic to win a flag with Don Sherwell and Kevin Tobin. We defeated Heathmere in the final.

The following year we made the grand final again which was played against Flinders. I pulled a calf muscle in the semi-final and was doubtful for the final. Whilst I played, I was not required to run as I made a golden duck in the middle of a hat trick.

My last game is very memorable as Kevin Tobin, whom I first played with at North Portland, ran me out for a duck without facing a ball. This is now a long standing joke with us.

I have captained South’s ‘A’ Grade team, the ‘B’ Grade to a premiership and was Club President for two years.

It is hard to go past Selwyn Williams as a batsman at South. Selwyn made runs over such a long period of time. He rarely failed. Peter Richardson was a lovely batsman to watch.

Ron Howland was the quickest bowler I saw at South but John ‘Buster’ Grey, for sheer consistency, was the best. I remember playing against him when I was a kid of sixteen. He took out my leg stump in the first innings and did the same thing in the second innings. He could bowl all day.

Some of the better batsmen I saw from other clubs include Doug Beasy, Kevin Huppatz, Gordon Dusting and Ron Emmerson (although we did not see the best of Ron ).

The better bowlers from other clubs include Russell Stuart, Greg Frost and Max Ballantyne. Ballantyne had a terrible temper which I don’t think helped him. He was not quick but could swing the ball. I remember one day he kicked the stumps over and then threw the ball into the swimming pool after being knocked back on three LBW appeals on consecutive balls. He moved the ball so much they would have been hard to give. He was reported. However, the hearing by the PDCA Executive was a bit of a fiasco. This brought about the introduction of the Independent Tribunal.

Arnold Brewster was the best all rounder from Portland. He was a first class batsman and fielder. He was a quick bowler and also bowled leg and . He played against India in a Victorian Zone side when they played in Portland.

Harry Taylor and Linton Smith from Tyrendarra were also great all round cricketers, as was Merv Wombwell who played at Heathmere and Drumborg.

After I retired from club cricket I played in Rotary teams both around Australia and overseas. I toured New Zealand in 1998. I played against former New Zealand Captain Bevan Congdon and I saw him off when I opened the batting.

I played again in New Zealand in 2002 which was brilliant. It was the World Festival of Cricket held by Rotary every two years. There were teams from England, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

In 2010 I went to South Africa for another World Festival of Cricket.

I have played at Australian Rotary Festivals regularly. It is a good standard of cricket.

I was made a life member of South Portland Cricket Club in 1986.

I remember South as a club was struggling to survive in the late 1970's. However, Don Sherwell, Ted Leahy, David Hillas and Rod Clancy all came to the club. Along with the likes of Bill Parsons they made a huge difference. These men were good cricketers and good clubmen. The club has never looked back.

I was very involved with the Portland & District Cricket Association. I was secretary at the age of twenty in my last year at North Portland. I did this for two years. I then took on the treasurer's role which I did for twenty-two years. That was long enough.

The PDCA was accepted into Melbourne Country Week in the early 1970's. I went to eleven Country Weeks and organised these with Russell Stuart. I very much enjoyed it as you just turned up and played cricket. We did not have to organize anything but the cricket team. It was always difficult to get players and I would sometimes get a couple of mates from Melbourne to play under assumed names so as we did not lose our place in the competition.

One of the best games I ever played in was against Mansfield at Country Week. Don Sherwell was the captain of Mansfield. We batted first and made about 230. I made 80 that day but they still pipped us. Don has been a friend since we grew up in Heywood so to be opposing captains added a lot of interest to the match for both of us.

I am very pleased the PDCA continues to have a Country Week team in Bendigo. These matches are very important for both the development of cricketers and the game.

The PDCA pushed very hard for a turf at Hanlon Park in the 1970s. We were resisted by the Council and the Football Club for years.

We eventually got a turf wicket in and India played here in 1981. It was a huge success and the only time an international game has been played in Portland. I was very proud to be part of that event. Gavaskar, Chauhan, Doshi and Binny all played for India.

Early in the 1984/1985 season, we hosted a one day game between Victoria and in as part of Portland’s 150 th celebrations. was playing for Victoria and David Boon and Patrick Patterson were playing for Tasmania. There was much speculation that Boon was going to be picked for his first Test. David Richards, the head of the Australian Cricket Board, rang Hanlon Park during the afternoon. I took the call and had to find Boon. Boon had more than a half hour conversation with Richards and I reckon during that time he drank four tinnies. He was told he would be playing in the first Test at the ‘Gabba.

I received my PDCA life membership the same year as Selwyn Williams and Gordon Dusting.

I was amongst the first inductees into the PDCA Hall of Fame in 2004.

Statistics:

"A" Grade:- 131 games, 3,054 runs @ 26.55, 6 ducks, 14 x 50s, 2 x 100s, HS 124*. 5 @ 17.4, best bowling 2 for 12, 51 catches.

"B" Grade:- 88 games, 1,701 runs @ 26.16, 7 ducks, 8 x 50s, HS 80*. 53 catches, 1 stumping.

"C" Grade:- 3 games, 63 runs @ 21, HS 38.