The Cricket Club’s Past Players Day was a great success with about 60 club “legends” taking in plenty of hospitality under the marquee on Park 9 last Saturday. The past players enjoyed watching the performance of the Club’s A grade team running rampant over a hapless Goodwood side while they talked up their own past performances over Coopers and BBQ. Many of the club’s former movers and shakers were there including Messrs Hassell, Hollard, Fairhead and the Moffat brothers. Club immortal Greg “the Colonel” Sanders stopped by to sign autographs. Brenton Gibbs jetted in from Brisbane to try and taste the success he could never manage in his time with the club. Stalwarts such as Chopper Read, Greig Graham, Ces Stevens, Ben Cunningham, Punter Arnoul, Max Van Dissel, Jim Freemantle and Henry Cleland were in attendance. Pontifexs were everywhere as were some members of the former Old Collegians Cricket Club with whom we amalgamated in the 1990’s namely Chris Davies and Peter and Mark King. Jonty Johnson, Babbling Brookes and Stu Harkness all lamented their early retirement from the game. It was agreed that Nigel Parsons with one arm was a better player than Dan Orken with two.

Shaw & Partners, financial advisers, generously sponsored the event and our thanks go to them. The Club’s raffle was well supported – our thanks also to the sponsors who donated the raffle prizes – among them Tidswell wines, Serafina jewellery, Peter Buttery (Gemtree Wines) and Sir Richard Hockney for offering up his castle at Port Willunga. Will Rayner scooped the Escape Travel voucher first prize.

The success of the day was essentially down to the hard work of Sam Richardson ably support by Chris Drew, James Dalwood and Michael Siciliano. Adam Perryman’s work behind the bar was exemplary.

Special thanks to the Club’s historian, statistician, archivist, conscience and puppet master Andrew Heitmann for his tireless efforts in tracking down and inviting past players to the event.

RED RED RED