AUSTRALIAN CRICKET SOCIETY 54th Annual Report & Financial Statements 2020~2021 to be presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Australian Cricket Society Incorporated on Friday, 20th August 2021 Australian Cricket Society Inc. Established 1967 President's Report It is my pleasure to report on another highly successful and buoyant year for the Australian Cricket Society in 2020-21. Despite all the challenges of lockdowns and the nation’s roller- coasting battle with Covid-19 we have been able to complete a dozen functions in the last 12 months, albeit the majority by ‘Zoom’, allowing us to make another substantial donation to our gold charity partners the Ponting Foundation. Among the Zoom guests were Test offspinner Ashley Mallett, authors David Frith, Dan Liebke, Craig Dodson and Wes Cusworth and leading Australian women Annabel Sutherland and Rachael Haynes. We were also pleased to hold our annual dinner, which Covid- 19 had precluded from being held in 2020. Cricket’s fraternity and friendships were never more important than in July when our dinner guest, Test fast bowler James Pattinson was in touch on the Wednesday, telling me that a personal issue precluded his attendance for the Friday. There was just 48 hours to go and Victoria’s head coach Chris Rogers stepped in. Chris Rogers demonstrating how high the Master should be raising his arm when bowling! Pic by Johann Jayasinha - SNNI The ultimate insider in Australian cricket, a champion player and an even better bloke, Chris spoke for an hour about the Vics and the Aussies and also about his memorable 2013 Ashes trip when he broke through for the first of his five Test centuries at Durham. More than 100 attended – that was the maximum figure allowed – and once again we were able to make a decent contribution to Ricky and Rianna’s Foundation. This event and all the others were again expertly and seamlessly organized by our evergreen secretary for the last 12 years, Wayne Ross. It was my privilege on the night to award him with Life Membership of the ACS. With typical good humor his first words were: ‘About time!’ th The Australian Cricket Society’s 16 Life Member Pic by Johann Jayasinha - SNNI Among the capacity crowd was our living Legend Doug Manning, now 90 not out and still hail and hearty. I joined Wayne and his wife Rhonda at Doug’s big birthday. It was a long drive from Frankston way to East Doncaster, so I said to Ronnie on arrival: ‘I’m going to get you one of the best glasses of red wine you’ve ever had.’ ‘No you're not.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Take a look.’ Over on the ‘bar’ was a variety of soft drinks – Doug’s new retirement community home not yet having its liquor license! Despite the lockdowns – and in Melbourne we had four stretching more than six months – we have been able to successful entertain most of our members. The June Zoom session with David Frith, cricket’s leading author and historian, was a beauty. We stepped up our flow of newsletters, releasing them at the start of every month and with a few in-between as well; extra communications welcomed by the membership which I’m glad to report remains at 300-plus. Upcoming next year, international travel allowing, we intend touring Sri Lanka and in 2023 Susan and I will again head up an ACS Ashes tour for the Lord’s Test and the west country Citadels of Devon and Cornwall. We love to have a week of ‘r and r’ before heading into London for the cricket. We're so fortunate, unlike many tours, to have access to Test tickets for every day of every match via our gold travel partners Events Travel. One late winter function we particularly anticipated was the opportunity to have lunch with the cricket-loving Governor-General of Australia, His Excellency David Hurley, who agreed to launch a biography of Vietnam veteran Tony Dell, the only living Test cricketer to have seen active service. Tony’s biography ‘And Bring the Darkness Home’ is explosive. He witnessed events in Vietnam humans aren’t supposed to see. Just days before returning to Brisbane, he and six of his mates lost their way in the blackest of jungles an hour south of Saigon and decided to bed down for the night. Just as they were settling, 200 Viet Kong marched straight at them. One cough, one noise, one crackle of their radio and they were dead. The enemy kept marching and Tony was so traumatised he couldn’t speak for almost an hour. His life fell apart after Vietnam; his mood swings leading to a marriage breakdown and years of separation from his three children. It wasn’t until he was in his 60s living in his mother’s garage that he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder. His biography is a cracker and we were rapt when His Excellency said ‘yes, I'll come’. It shapes as one of the great events in our 54-year history, right up there with the night in 1973 when Sir Donald Bradman made the feature address at one of our early annual dinners. One initiative we are particularly proud to have achieved was the successful launch of the Bendigo Bank/ Australian Cricket Society Academy Scholarship Squad with 12 boys and girls enjoying six weeks of in-depth cricket coaching from Keith Jansz, one of the great club coaches I have worked with. Keith provides the tools for the kids to advance. The trials for the second intake, for 2022, will again be held at Phil O’Meara’s club the Kingston Hawthorn Hawks in the New Year. We once again enjoyed a full cricket season, despite the ongoing pandemic. Only one of our matches was abandoned through lockdown. The Over 60s enjoyed time in Echuca where we played in first division, while the Wandering XI’s grand finale match was against Harry Moffitt’s SAS lads at Frankston. We also hosted several ACS Over 70s games. My thanks to the co-ordinators of the teams: Sam Ferguson, our head of cricket David Long and Ian Gibson for Head of Cricket, David Long all their hard work and dedication. Pic by Johann Jayasinha - SNNI Thanks, too, to our committee, particularly ‘Rossy’ and treasurer Brian Tooth. Drew Payne had a great first year of vice-presidency, his duties including management of the Academy. Our Pavilion annual magazine was again our standout publication, Mark Browning again responsible for much of the editorial, thanks Mark. And thanks to Hark Media’s Anthony Hall for its production. Our long-time ‘warm up’ man Geoff Poulter was again a star of our footy launch function, delayed by 12 months until April. We again finished in the black to the tune of $188 and member numbers continue to be strong. We hope our members can continue to support us and also our gold partners whenever they can. This support will be pivotal as we look to further advance our goals and ambitions upcoming. KEN PIESSE, President since 2006 ACS Committee 2020~2021 President: Ken Piesse Vice Presidents: Drew Payne and William Craddock Secretary: Wayne Ross Treasurer: Brian Tooth Committee: Pam Bishop, Marino Bovo, Geoff Craig, Keiran Croker, Sam Ferguson, and David McNamara. In addition, ACS Member, Stuart Stockdale, attended our meetings as an observer (David McNamara did likewise for the Taverners group). During the season a number of Portfolios were allocated to each Committee member, plus a few others in their particular fields of expertise, as follows: Finance Sub-Committee Brian Tooth (Chair), Wayne Ross and Ken Piesse Playing Sub-Committee David Long (Chair), Ian Gibson, Ken Piesse, Sam Ferguson and Geoff Craig Publications Sub-Committee Ken Piesse (Chair), Pam Bishop, Drew Payne, Mark Browning (Editorial) and Bruce Godden (Artwork) Functions Sub-Committee Ken Piesse (Chair), Wayne Ross, David McNamara and Brian Tooth Scholarships Sub-Committee Drew Payne (Chair), Pam Bishop, Ken Piesse and Keiran Croker Merchandise Officer Marino Bovo Sponsorship Officers Geoff Craig and Marino Bovo Membership Officer Keiran Croker Website Sam Ferguson . Because of the restrictions imposed as a result of COVID 19, ZOOM meetings were undertaken between July and November 2020. The Committee met at Pam Bishop’s residence in January and at Caulfield CC in February and March 2021. From March we met at Upali’s Sri Lankan Restaurant in Glen Waverley. We thank ACS Member, David Cruse for his assistance and support. The Committee met on eleven occasions. Drew Payne, Wayne Ross, Pam Bishop, and David McNamara attended each Meeting, Ken Piesse and Brian Tooth attended ten, Sam Ferguson attended eight, Marino Bovo, Geoff Craig and Keiran Croker attended eight and Will Craddock who resigned from the Committee attended two. Stuart Stockdale attended eight meetings as the Taverners’ Victoria representative. MEMBERSHIP Patron Ricky Ponting Ambassadors Tony Crafter, Rodney Hogg, Merv Hughes, Melanie Jones and Bryce McGain Honourables Paul Barker (CV), Earl Eddings (CA), John Evans, Stuart Fox (MCC), Bruce Godden, Andrew Ingleton (CV) and Keith Jansz Corporate Sponsors Westminster Lawyers Michael Le Febvre and Julian McDonald Bendigo Bank – Doncaster East and Templestowe Village Ian Goldsmith and Paul Thompson Cricketbooks.com.au Ken Piesse McLardy McShane Don McLardy Hark Media Anthony Hall Personalized Cabs Phil Rowan Events Travel Glenn Hedley GENERAL MEMBERSHIP As at the end of the 2020~21 Season the Society had 305 Ordinary Members, made up as follows: Victorian Members 236 Interstate Members Qld 14, NSW 25, Tas 4, SA 7, WA 3, NT 1 54 International Members 7 Associate Members 4 Club Members 4 2019~20 2020~21 Patron 1 1 Life Members 10 9 Members 274 305 Associates 5 4 Juniors - Corporates 7 7 Honorary 6 9 Ambassadors 8 5 312 340 In addition to these, the Society selected twelve Cricket Scholars and a Journalism Scholar.