Patron: Ricky Ponting AO Volume 35, Number 1 Summer 2014 OUR ANNUAL FOOTY LAUNCH LUNCHEON FEATURING DANNY FRAWLEY DETAILS OF THIS FANTASTIC EVENT DATE: Friday, 28 March, 2014 TIME: 12 noon for a 12.30pm start. VENUE: The Kelvin Club,Melbourne Place, CBD. COST: $75 for members; $85 for non-members $750 for a table of ten. BOOKINGS : Bookings & moneys need to be in the hands of ACS Secretary Wayne Ross at P.O.Box 4528 Langwarrin, Vic 3910 by no later than Mon 25 March, 2014. Cheques should be made payable to the ACS. Wayne’s phone number is 0416 983 888 or email him at [email protected] OUR GUEST OF HONOUR Continuing the array of big names as our special guests at our wonderful Kelvin Club Luncheons comes our annual footy launch luncheon, this year featuring St. Kilda icon Danny Frawley. St.Kilda captain in 177 of his 240 AFL games, Danny was an All- Australian in 1988. He was one of the great defenders in the competition for a decade or more in the ‘80s and early’90s. Later he coached Richmond into September. He is now President of the AFL Coaches Association and is a lively presenter on Fox Footy who is well known for his love of one percenters – the spoils, the knock-ons, and his own classic Golden Fist Award. A close mate of Tony Lockett, Nicky Winmar, and Trevor Barker, Danny will be entertaining with a capital E. This event is truly unmissable. Our gold sponsor and one-eyed St.Kilda man Michael Lefebvre will host Danny and a table of any other of our ACS Saint supporters. First in, best dressed. OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS Editor: Doug Manning Telephone: (03) 9876 3909 Email: [email protected] Mail: PO Box 89, Ringwood, Vic 3134 Scoresheet Summer 2014 - Volume 35, No. 1 FUTUREFUTURE ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES AND AND EVENTS EVENTS An Evening with the Queenslanders Wednesday, 12 March, 2014 – Hans Ebeling Room, Mel- bourne Cricket Ground. The details of this ACS event: DATE: Wednesday, 12 March, 2014 TIME: 6.30pm for a 7.00 pm start. VENUE: The Hans Ebeling Room at the MCG. Enter through Gate A off Brunton Avenue and then take Lift 2 to Level 2 at the MCG COST: No charge. Members & friends of the Society are welcome. CARNIVAL TIME. The ACS has entered teams in the following cricket carnivals: The Vintage Cricket Over 60s Championships in Auckland, NZ Sun 30 March – Sat. 5 April, 2014. The 16th Golden Oldies Cricket Festival at Cape Town, South Africa 22 – 29 March, 2015. Any members thinking of attending should contact David McNamara on 0412 105 100 or email him at [email protected] THE PRESIDENT’S PIESSE Champion-to-be Neil Harvey had only just turned 13 when he Following the game Fitzroy’s scored a century in each innings for Fitzroy thirds at Old Scotch captain Bill Vautin asked in the Metropolitan Cricket League’s grand final on the last two Melbourne’s captain Arthur Dickens Saturdays of March in 1941-42. He’d if he’d like to meet young Harvey… borrowed his brother’s bike and ridden ‘I think he’s going places Artie.’ the two miles from the family’s rented ‘Meet him?’ said Dickens. ‘Don’t house in Argyle St., Fitzroy past the you think I’ve seen enough of that MCG and onto Old Scotch. little so-and-so out there (in the middle)?’ Harvey was thrilled even to be playing. He’d made 77 in the final home-and- It was our pleasure to host Neil and Neil with fellow guests his lovely wife Barbara, along with David Cameron and David Hobson away game but a real Harvey clan felt older, more which included his son Bruce, wife Deb and experienced players nephews Graham and Jeff, who like Neil were Neil Harvey, now 85, would be included long-time Fitzroy first XI cricketers. with ACS president Ken Piesse for the final. The day after our event, Harvey, 85, had a A schoolmaster at bronze statue unveiled in his honor at the MCG, Falconer Street Central allowed him to joining a pantheon of greats including Don borrow one of the school’s Harrow-sized Bradman, Bill Ponsford, Keith Miller, Dennis bats, complete with Edgar Mayne’s signature Lillee and Shane Warne. on the face. Our congratulations to Neil and our thanks to him and Barbara for coming down early to be With his bat and gear in a Gladstone Bag all with us. It was a special day, highlighted at the perched on the handlebars, it was a wobbly start by Australia’s best known operatic tenor ride there but a triumphant one back as he’d David Hobson, who sang four songs from his made 101. By stumps Fitzroy already had a new album Endless Days, accompanied by his first innings lead. MD and master piano player David Cameron. ‘No-one was more surprised than me,’ said It was another great ACS event, one of the very Harvey, a Bradman Invincible and our guest of best in memory, Ken Woolfe called it the best honor at our January ACS tribute luncheon. since Don Bradman in 1973.Praise indeed. The new Harvey statue at the MCG. Thanks everyone for your support. His father, a caretaker at the local Lifesavers Pic courtesy MCC/SDP Media Ken Piesse – President factory, had promised his boys 10 shillings if they ever made a 100 and Neil was to double N.B.:The editor’s account of the record-breaking Kelvin Club Luncheon which the Society held on Thursday, 30 January, 2014 in honour of Neil it up the following weekend. When the game was called off Harvey will appear in the Autumn. 2014 edition of “Scoresheet” due for early, he was 141 not out. publication during May. Editor: Doug Manning Telephone: (03) 9876 3909 Email: [email protected] 2 Scoresheet Summer 2014 - Volume 35, No. 1 RECENT EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES AN ACS – MCC ASHES FILM NIGHT – a tally of 41 Test hundreds to his name. He was also the two JIM STYNES ROOM, MCG - MONDAY, 13 OCTOBER, 2013 time winner of the ICC Player of the Year Award, the four time winner of the Allan Border Medal, and the Cricinfo Player of the Members of the Cricket Society combined with members from Decade award. the Friends of the MCC Library Group to constitute a well informed and enthusiastic group of cricket lovers who gathered Our President Ken Piesse had much pleasure in presenting a in the Jim Stynes Room at the MCG on the night of Monday, cheque for $5,000 to Mr. Trevor O’Hoy, the CEO of the Ponting 13th October last to view a first-class documentary film based Foundation as a token of the Society’s support for the sterling on the 1954 – 55 Ashes series. The film was drawn from the work which the Foundation is doing to help relieve the suffering comprehensive cricket film library in the possession of Glenn among children who have been diagnosed with cancer and their Gibson, a good friend of both the ACS and the MCC group. We families. On the were fortunate that Glenn was on hand to comment on the action night we were from time to time, although the film also had its own team of able to sell over expert commentators who followed the action as the English 100 copies of team under the leadership of Len Hutton travelled around the Ricky’s book country winning friends for cricket wherever it went. “Ponting At The Close of The England team of 1954-55, it will be recalled, was a Play”, each particularly strong side. In addition to Hutton who led the side of which was cautiously but sensibly, the team boasted Compton, Edrich, autographed Evans, May, Cowdrey, and most significantly a strong bowling by Ricky as he contingent led by Bedser, Tyson, Statham and Appleyard. The stayed to sign Australian side which did battle against this formidable England copies after the line-up was led by Ian Johnson and featured such fine players as conclusion of Morris, Burke, Miller, Lindwall, Ron Archer, McDonald, Hole the formal part and Benaud. of the meeting. Ken Piesse presents a cheque for $5000 to the Ponting Foundation The older members of the audience who lived through and Ricky told could recall this memorable series of Ashes contests, of whom us that at that time he was engaged in a round-Australia tour your Editor was one, sat enthralled as the documentary took us promoting the sale of his autobiography “The Close of Play”. through the various Test matches as well as many of the state The book was indeed a magnum opus. It consisted of 295,000 and up-country games. The film traced the fortunes of the two words, some 699 pages and many photographs of Ricky with sides as this historic Ashes series unfolded before our very eyes. his family and Ricky in action at the crease. It was an honest Particularly vivid in this observer’s memory was the footage warts-and-all account of his life and relationships on and off the on the Melbourne Test match which featured the maiden Test cricket field over the nearly 20 years of his career, Ricky said. century of Colin Cowdrey and the electric bowling of Keith He recalled two of the most stressful times in his career were the Miller on Day 1, and the decisive fast bowling of Frank Tyson occasion when as a young and inexperienced captain just before the and Brian Statham on Day 5.