A detailed look at TDCA records

CRICKET

TDCA

THE Traralgon District Cricket Association season is drawing closer despite COVID restrictions causing issues for the region’s cricketers.

These roadblocks are just adding to the build-up of what will be a unique and interesting cricket season as a full year of one day games awaits all grades in the TDCA in 2021/2022.

This will be the first time in the TDCA’s history that a full season of coloured clothes matches take place, and while it will be a great spectacle for all of those who watch TDCA cricket over the summer it will be something that a lot of players must adapt to if they are to thrive in this specific format.

In the build up to the season perhaps now is a good time to take a look at some TDCA history, specifically the records that are held by individuals and teams that are so far away from being broken it would be safe to say that in 50 years’ time they will still be viewed as unbreakable.

P Veitch (244) and D Warwick (229) – 521* CATS vs Traralgon West 1997/98

THE greatest ever batting partnership in TDCA history happened back in the 1997/98 season when Traralgon West ventured up to Wes Pump Memorial Oval and were handed out an almighty pounding.

Back when more than just 40 overs were bowled in an innings in C Grade matches the Traralgon West C Graders got themselves a wicket in the first over of the day and CATS was 1/2 after that opening over.

Then, Darren ‘Niners’ Warwick teamed up with Paul Veitch on the small WPMO ground and they both exploded, smashing their opposition all over the park.

There has been 14 double hundreds made in the TDCA’s history of close to 100 years so for two to be made in the same match is no doubt special but incredibly unlucky for the opposition.

CATS ended up 1/523 at compulsory closure of the innings which in itself is a league record

as well.

Why it won’t be beaten: The next highest partnership in TDCA history is 301, made in A Grade back in the 1985/86 season by Gavin Paine and Terry Hunter for Imperials.

That is still a whopping 220 runs behind what Veitch and Warwick were able to achieve and considering that it took two double hundreds to set the record it’s safe to say that no batting partnership in any grade will ever be able to get close to this amazing statistic.

Alan Anton – 28 Country Weeks

ALAN Anton is no stranger to TDCA records and being regarded as one of, if not the best cricketer to have ever played in the league.

Anton has won 13 premierships, four LH Cox Player of the Year awards, made 18 hundreds, and won four league awards along the way as well. Anton’s career spanned the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s where he was so good he was selected in the Teams of the Decade for all three.

It’s no surprise then that he was selected to go to Country Week as often as possible but to make the commitment 28 times is just amazing.

To represent your association at Country Week is a great achievement and an honour, so much so that a TDCA Hall of Fame induction can be awarded after 10 years of Country Week commitment so to not only be selected 28 times all up but to also be one of the best players each time he went from his first selection in 1947 to his final Country Week in 1977 is outstanding.

Why it won’t be beaten: The fact that the Country Week format isn’t the drawcard it once was is one factor but now that work hours have changed, shift work is more common and more and more players find it hard to commit each year to the tournament means a week away from work and home is a lot harder for players to justify. There wouldn’t be too many players who could stay at the top of their game locally for 28 seasons let alone play representative level for that time either which is why this record will be around forever.

Nick Turnbull (Traralgon West) – 161.5 1998/99

ONLY two batsmen in the history of TDCA A Grade have won the batting average at the end of the season with averages over 100.

Toongabbie’s Tom Anton recorded an average of 132.0 back in 1979/80 and held the record for 19 years until an aggressive batsman named Nick Turnbull made 323 runs in the 1998/99 season and was only dismissed twice in the process, recording an average of 161.5.

It wasn’t like Turnbull slowly accumulated his runs and just made 30 not out each week as he did make a fantastic 103 not out during the season which was one of only five centuries scored that season.

Turnbull was an aggressive batsman which makes the feat even more impressive but he rode his luck for the season and achieved something nobody has got close to since.

Why it won’t be beaten: 300 runs is the qualification for league awards in the TDCA and to make 300 runs and only be dismissed once or twice in the process is an incredibly tough task. Considering only two players have been able to average over 100 in the league’s history means Turnbull will be able to dine out on this achievement for years to come.

Henry Elliot (Presbyterians) – 118 wickets 1928/29

THE TDCA was formed in 1928/29 with one day matches being played. These one day matches were played under different rules than what we have today and outright victories were often recorded as teams were able to bat twice if time allowed.

The grounds back then were nowhere near what the TDCA proudly play on today, with

plenty of long grass about, batsmen had to be prepared to loft the ball if they wanted to score runs.

This led to some big bags of wickets in the earlier TDCA years and no one took more than Henry Elliott, who recorded 118 wickets in the inaugural season.

Why it won’t be beaten: This doesn’t need much explanation, it was a different time all those years ago and considering the current TDCA seasons are made up of 14 rounds with 12 matches for each club a player would need to average nine wickets a match for the entire season to knock this record off. In the last 30 years some stellar seasons have been had by bowlers such as Mark Nicholls (Toongabbie) claiming 55 wickets in 1999/00 and Stevie Wright (Glengarry) taking 51 wickets in 2006/07, but again those aren’t even half of what Elliott claimed way back when.

Ex Students – B Grade ‘eight in a row’ 2012/13 to 2019/20

AN unbelievable premiership streak which has only just come to an end, Ex Students are proud record holders when it comes to how many premierships in a row a club has won in any particular grade.

The Sharks are a powerhouse club, boasting 42 premierships across all three grades and although stages of their history have been rich in success no other club has come close to achieving what the modern day Ex Students B Grade team has accomplished by winning eight premierships in consecutive seasons.

Why it won’t be beaten: The next best consecutive premiership streak in TDCA history is five which goes to the powerhouse Toongabbie team of the 1960s and then next in line is of course the mighty Morwell Tigers Yinnar Raiders team of the early 2000s who won four in a row. To maintain a strong enough squad which can not only make it to the grand final eight times in a row but to then get the job done as well is a truly remarkable effort and surely not one which will ever be replicated.

Frank Sartori – 180, 1952/53 and Col Scammell 9/51, 1986/87

IN recent seasons the TDCA has witnessed some amazing grand final performances from batters and bowlers alike.

Left arm quicks Nat Freitag and Keenan Hughes have both claimed six wicket hauls with the ball while Jordan Gilmore (2017/18) and Hayden Ross-Schulz (2014/15) are the most recent centurions in A Grade grand finals.

Anyone who witnessed these grand final performances would have been awe struck so to then add another 60 runs on top of these innings or another three wickets to the spells of bowling is bewildering that such feats have taken place before.

Why they won’t be beaten: There has only been five scores of over 180 in TDCA A Grade cricket before and a total of 14 nine wicket hauls as well.

To be able to have such a brilliant individual performance like what Sartori or Scammell were able to do is amazing in itself but to perform on the biggest stage against quality opposition is astounding which is why these grand final records will never be topped.

It is always good to discuss records of the TDCA and it is hope this gets some conversation started about cricket for the upcoming season.

If anyone has something they wish to bring to the TDCA publicity officers’ attention please email Tyron Bramwell at BRAMTYR1@lavalla.vic.edu.au or the TDCA secretary at scamdid2@hotmail.com.