Mark Maddock - listen to what's important
Flinders Cricket Club | June 13, 2024
Mark Maddock is a decorated cricketer within the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association.
Mark has won numerous individuals awards and is a multiple premiership winning player and captain. He is also a Life member of Flinders Cricket Club
Let’s find out more about mark’s journey in the game
What year you were born?
1973
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
It was Doveton North in the DDCA U14s and I took 4/10 (I don’t mention I also bowled 7 wides which wasn’t counted in your figures back then.)
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
Doveton North (juniors), Endeavour Hills, Emerald, Rosebud, Flinders, Boneo and Stillington in Yorkshire
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in senior cricket?
Turf 3 in the DDCA for Doveton North aged 14 against Parkmore. I was batting at 9 and didn't think I was going to get a bat but the opposition were on a hat trick after the first two balls of the day.
What was the highest grade you played and can you remember what you were feeling when you were selected and how did you perform on debut?
Played Country Week Div 1 for Yarra Valley and can remember the off-field shenanigans much better than my on-field performance.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
Allrounder who liked batting time
What were your strengths as a player?
I always felt I had limited talent compared to some of my peers but excelled in the mental side of cricket.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
149 for Emerald CC v Healesville (1st XI)
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
7/28 for Flinders v Seaford Tigers
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
Terry Doyle – Great bowler who could wipe a fly off the end of your nose if he wanted to
Mark Grenville – when he was fully wound up there was no one quicker, he was the reason I went out and bought a helmet
Jason Nagel – Played with and against him over a long period of time. Amazing longevity and consistently got the ball to move both ways
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
Sanjeewa Weerasinghe – bowled his overs quickly and had a wrongun that was really hard to pick
Lyle House – leggie who could really make the ball fizz
Kaine Smith – once he got his line and length set, was extremely hard to knock him off it.
Mark Maddock wins the Robert Bond Medal
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
Stuart Peck – Played with him at Boneo and against him. Could change gears easily and was the best puller of a cricket ball I have ever seen
Gareth Wyatt – always thought you were half a chance against him but could make a lot of runs really quickly, the same with Nick Christides
Scott Morone – loved to bat for long periods of time and was extremely difficult to get out
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Tim Peebles belted 197 against us at Flinders for Seaford one day in a little over 40 overs. It was brutal!
Was there any bowler in particular who for whatever reason always seemed to cause you a few problems?
I’ll spin that around and say that a batsman who loved smashing sixes off me for fun was Ricky Thompson from Crib Point.
Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used to?
Played Red Hill at Flinders one year against Nathan Haythorpe who the competition probably didn’t see enough of. He was 6 ft 8 and on this day he was really fast. Got hit a few times but managed a 60 not out and batted most of the innings.
Mark Maddock with Shane Beggs as they awarded Life Membership of Flinders Cricket Club
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
As well as being in the top 2 or 3 batsmen I played with, Jamie Symes was the best keeper I have seen.
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Shane Beggs is a gun bat who is still going strong at age 50 and has no qualms about bouncing blokes in the nets at 7.30pm off 19 metres
Glen Collett always gave his everything as a fast bowler when I played with him at Boneo. Was sometimes hard to captain as he bowled his best when he was right on the edge.
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
Dwayne Field has been a great leader who was able to galvanise a team or the club behind him. He has been the link at Flinders between the older generations of players and the younger ones coming through
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Dwayne Field, Just supply alcohol and props.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
Two incidents spring to mind. Gav Symes once went out to bat without a bat and got all the way out to the middle before he figured something wasn’t quite right and then there was a time a Doberman ran onto the field and took my legs out from under me while I was fielding at square leg.
Who was your childhood hero?
Viv Richards, who I got to meet when one of his best mates Collis King played at Flinders for half a season. I wanted a photo, a drunk Collis pulled my head into the shot and I accidently headbutted Viv who just gave me one of his death stares.
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Michael Jordan, Craig Bellamy and Paul Roos
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Ricky Ponting
What was your favourite ground to play at?
B A Cairns reserve Flinders
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
3 1st XI premierships and 2 league medals for best player
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
I think my first grand final win as captain coach of Flinders in 1999/2000. A lot of time and effort went into getting the best out of everyone in the team that season.
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
Let’s go with my golf trip mates Shane Beggs, Jamie Symes and Matt Burns
What are your hobbies?
Still heavily involved in cricket and golf
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Hear everything but listen to what is really important.
What’s your occupation?
Secondary Schoolteacher
If you were running a state cricket association what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
On field – I think trying to retain kids in senior cricket is a massive priority as a lot of local comps including the MPCA are relying on older players to maintain the quality of the competition.
Off field – I would localise cricket as much as possible. Ideally, we want to be able to have a drink with the opposition and be able to go back to our own clubs to celebrate the achievements of other teams. Too often I drive past clubs and they are empty by 8pm on a Saturday night.
