Spinners Hkcc

[Pricilla Igoe]

RowanMcGregor first started playing cricket in Sydney with Northern Districts in 1975. After 4 seasons with Northern Districts Rowan moved down the Pacific Highway to play for Gordon Cricket Club for 7 seasons before moving across to play in Perth for 2 season.

We moved to Melbourne when I was 5 years old and my first game was playing for Beaumaris State School team in the Primary School Metropolitan Championship. I was probably 9 or 10 years old; I think I got a handful of runs, maybe 8? The following year I left to come back to Sydney and our team won the Metro Championship. It wasn't a bad side!

Hard to do briefly! After coming back to Sydney I played for Pymble U12's, Normanhurst U13s, then through the age groups at Shore. In the holidays I played Green Shield for Northern District, reaching the final in 1970/71.

Missed a third year of Green Shield by 1 day! My family moved to Hong Kong; although I stayed in Sydney at boarding school, I played in the Christmas holidays in Hong Kong, on the old ground at Chater Road. A great experience, and also where I scored my first century in cricket.

Later I played Grade with Northern District, then Gordon. After I moved to Perth in 1986 I played for Claremont Cottesloe (now Claremont Nedlands). I then moved to the UK and played 6 years at Wimbledon CC and also became a Playing Member of the MCC in 1990.

In 1994 I moved to Hong Kong with my job, played for HKCC sides and represented Hong Kong in International Cricket (aged 40!). I played for MCC and my village (Moreton CC) in Oxfordshire when I returned to the UK in 2000.

I also played a bit of what's called Jazz Hat cricket with Stragglers of Asia. I have also been on many tours; to the UK, US, West Indies, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, France, Germany, Channel Islands. And - bizarrely for an Aussie - I toured Australia with the MCC.

In 1975, age 18, I was graded in 3rds at Northern District (I was late into Grade because I repeated 6th form at my boarding school). That first season I was also in the NSW U19 team and got picked for Australia U19.

When I got back to Grade, I got put back in 3rds; we did end up in the final, losing to a wash out. Pretty much the rest of the U19 team were in 1st Grade at other clubs, but my time in the 3rds might have done me a favour, as the next season I was in 1sts and probably more ready for it. After about 6 First Grade games I was added to the NSW Colts squad and started going to State training.

Nov 20 1976 and I had just turned 20. We played Sutherland at Caringbah. The two opening bowlers Dave Russell and Graham Barry were the same two who had opened the bowling in the Green Shield final back in 70/71 that we lost. I played on from a ball bowled by Graham Barry for 1. Ross Turner the future ND's skipper made his debut in the same game. I think we batted 6 and 7.

I always reckoned a guy from Manly called Dave Milligan was the quickest guy I played against. I think he got injured a bit, but he was a handful and always seemed to be fit enough to play us! I got caught in the slips off him down at Graham Reserve once, and they were back about 30+ yards.

Then for a third I would throw a blanket over Geoff Lawson, Dave Chardon, Len Pascoe, Mike Whitney, Dave Gilbert, and David Colley. Finally, not that he was fast, but Ken MacLeay in a grade game in Perth was impossible to hit off the square. Good track, he just kept hitting the splice. He bowled one of the most economical spells ever in ODIs, and I am not surprised.

I played against a guy called Peter Ferguson in a Super grade game once and he completely bamboozled me with his left arm wrist spinners. He was playing then for Southern NSW, but had previously played for Wests.

I had played with Steve Whitfield at NDs, but playing against him on a turning track wasn't my idea of fun. Of course David Hourn, Greg Matthews, Paddy Grattan-Smith, Mark Ray, Murray Bennett, Wayne Mulherin. Mick O'Sullivan, Tom Shiner and others are all worthy of mention, but the first 3 are seared on my memory.

In Sydney Grade, I would go firstly for Les Johns the Rugby League great. What a talent! He got a hundred for Sutherland aged nearly 40 against us (NDs) at Somerville Oval which had a sporty deck to say the least. We had a top attack too.

I played in an era when the wickets were not that great. Certainly where I played! Rarely did we play on a road and the good innings on flat decks don't stay in the memory quite as much as when the conditions were challenging.

Against perfectly good bowling on a helpful wicket he gradually took control and got 121 not out, from a score of about 180. Played all the shots and just worked us around. We ended up getting about 160 in reply which was a huge effort. He was just on another level.

We had some big battles which probably over the years ended up a draw. He would huff and puff and stare with those crazy eyes. And bowl his heart out. Massive effort every ball. And I decided that he wasn't going to get me out....over my dead body stuff.

After playing him I'd have bruises everywhere; he hit me in the throat once. Years later I ran into him at a function at the SCG and with a huge smile he said there were two guys he hated more than any other in Grade. Me and another opener called Jamie Baker.... a very nice guy from UNSW. I took it as a huge compliment! Great competitor and a great bloke.

I played with a phenomenal bowler at Wimbledon called Simon Dyson. He would get hatfuls of wickets at very low cost year after year. I was on an MCC Tour of Australia with him in 1994/95 and against very good sides at both the MCG and SCG he got 5 wickets each time. A Corinthian in spirit, he was nevertheless one of the great 'workers' of umpires. He was offered County contracts a few times but resisted - a great Amateur.

I was in Neil Marks 2nd's team for a few games at NDs and he was very good. On a tour I was captained by Mick Hill from Newcastle and John Rogers (father of Chris). They were both very good, but a tour isn't quite the same, and both would have been great in Grade. Pat Fordham from Hong Kong was very good.

The late Brian Riley was involved in a great exchange one day at Chatswood. We were playing Petersham and chasing about 150. My old opening partner Mike Falk and I were trundling along nicely at about 0-80 and Petes were getting frustrated. One of the Bain brothers induced a nick from Falkie on the last ball of an over....'not out and over' said the umpire.

Riles chucked his cap down and proceeded to kick it over to his new fielding position. The very correct umpire coming in to take the next over was the nice David Freed...a lay preacher. Riles passed him and in a loud voice proclaimed.....'They **** heard that one up at **** Grace Bros David!! (Grace Bros being the big department store that loomed over the ground in the distance). To which the reply came, in a very clipped manner. 'Yes Brian, and they also gave it not out up at Grace Bros!' It took a while for play to resume with Riles still muttering away.

Plenty. Most embarrassing was after dismissing Penrith just before stumps and having to face one over to finish the day at Chatswood and their big quick Peter Clough steaming in to bowl. He bounced me (of course!) and I hooked a four. You can imagine all the chatter with just an over to go. I decided to put the hook away and facing the last ball he gave me another short one, which I pulled away from....or so I thought. It just nicked my glove on the way down the leg side. I then had to endure the hooping and hollering as I walked off. Last ball! Next week I turned up and just read the paper, watching. That was embarrassing

Doug Walters. Without a shadow of doubt. And years later I played against him out at Old Kings and we both scored hundreds in the same game. Only thing was, I saw his, and he never saw mine. The following week he and Greg Matthews went off to play a Shield game, and we managed to chase down their score. And they'd been replaced by bowlers! The scorecard is a prized possession

The grounds that you get runs at are always good. But the surroundings of Church Road at Wimbledon takes some beating. The All England Tennis Club opposite, look up the hill to St Mary's Church, sailboats on the lake. A busy club bar. Love it there.

I am very competitive so cricket satisfied that aspect of my personality on the field. But I enjoyed the camaraderie of team mates and opposition afterwards. One of my biggest influences was a guy called Chris Brown at Wimbledon. He wasn't everyone's cup of tea. He would say in the dressing room after the game (even if the game had been moody) that we needed to go and drink the fixture back. In other words, end on good terms with the opposition. And if we were in the bar talking amongst ourselves he would chide us. We had to get in and drink with our opponents.

Early days (just 14) playing in a Green Shield final at SCG No 2. We lost to Andrew Hilditch's Sutherland, but it was such a thrill. Seemed like the big time - full scores in the paper, lunch in the Member's Stand. And, years later, to walk out to bat at Lords for the MCC. Down the stairs, out through the Long Room. A dream come true.

Probably beating Randwick down at Coogee in the early 80's. We were going through a very fallow patch and Randwick were riding high. A premiership team. I honestly can't remember too many details, but it got down to them being 9 down and needing something like 4 off the last over to win. Trevor Chappell was bowling it to Trevor Jay. A couple of balls went by and Trevor C bowled a bouncer and Trevor J gloved it through to Mick Cox and we won. Afterwards at Randwick Rugby Club we enjoyed ourselves and the Randwick blokes just moaned. Was a good tonic for what was then a lowly team.

I had just joined Gordon after a poor year at Northern District. We played Mosman at Killara and I got a few....maybe 40. The following week we were washed out and ended up at the Greengate Hotel for a drink.

Barry Knight - who I had never spoken to before came over for a chat and told me he thought that I had batted well the week before. He said he'd dropped one short and I hit him off the back foot, and then he pitched one up and I drove him though the covers. He then said he didn't know where to bowl to me.

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