Neil Grice - surround yourself with good people
Veterans Cricket Tasmania | November 22, 2023
Neil Grice grew up in Richmond in Tasmania, a town located about 30 kilometres north of Hobart.
He spent most of his cricket journey playing locally before joining Lindisfarne Cricket Club in Tasmania Premier Cricket to play with his sons.
Whilst still playing for Lindisfarne Neil was selected in the Tasmania Over 50s to play in the Over 50 National Championships in Perth in 2019/20.
Neil was selected in the Australia over 50s squad to play New Zealand in Brisbane in August 2021 and continues to play for Tasmania in Veterans cricket
Let's find out more about Neil’s journey in the game
What year you were born?
1968
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
I started playing school cricket at Campania District High School in Tasmania where the school teams were coached by the Campania Cricket Club so it was a natural transition to go the Campania Cricket Club where I played until my 40s. I then re-located to Lindisfarne Cricket Club to play Premier League cricket with my sons. It was through members of the Lindisfarne Cricket Club that I got involved with Veterans cricket.
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
I made my debut in 2nd grade for Campania Cricket Club at the age of 15 as a top order batsman and wicket keeper.
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
I made my first grade debut the following season at the age of 16 with the Campania Cricket Club. Our first grade wicket keeper Eric Rolle was unavailable and I was selected to wicket keep. We won the game and all I remember is that I took an absolute blinder of a catch diving full stretch to my right.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
During my school years I was a wicket keeper who opened the batting most weeks. But like everyone at that age we all bowled as well. After playing grade cricket for the first couple of years I slowly transitioned out of keeping and more towards bowling of course it helped that I grew a foot. As I get older I tend to lean further away from the batting and more towards bowling as my main strength.
Since stepping away from 1st grade and dropping down the grades my batting has become more prominent to the point where last season I took on the challenge to open the batting (and bowling) again.
What were your strengths as a player?
My competitiveness. I hate to lose!!
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
9/49 playing 1st Grade Campania at Cornelian Bay against St Aidans in a 2 day game. I got the 1st wicket and the other opener took the 2nd wicket and I took 7 of those 9 wickets in my second spell.
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
Kim Hibberd – left arm bowler not express by any means of the imagination but who moved it both ways and landed it on a dime. Without a doubt the smartest and hardest bowler to score runs off.
Ian Richardson –again not the quickest bowler I have ever faced, but at you all day with ball and verbally, didn’t give you an inch. Just as happy to hurt you then get you out.
Shane “Smokey” Dawson – Never played against this guy in a game but played with him for several seasons, thankfully he was on our team as he bowled like the wind. He was scary quick.
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
There’s only really one - Ian Birchall - The best spinner I’ve seen. He was a leg spinner who could turn them both ways, quick through the air and really gave them a fizz.
Neil raises the bat after scoring 50
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
Ian Richardson- like his bowling extremely aggressive top order batsman and would pounce on anything short.
Harvey Cusick - extremely gritty left-handed opening batsman absolute wall to bowl at.
Lionel Sturzaker- never failed, would nudge singles all day and murdered anything slightly short, no ground was big enough.
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
A player I played with at Campania called Luke Jones played the best inning I have seen. Luke always batted at number 5 and was constantly criticised by the opposition for hiding down in the middle order and was one day challenged by an opposition side who at the time had the best bowling line up to open the batting, which Luke preceded to do and hit a chanceless 150 odd not out to win us the game.
Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used to in grade cricket and you really had to knuckle down to survive?
Played in an SCA association game against the Derwent Valley and there was a guy called Ben Lovell and they were all talking about if we don’t get this guy out we are no chance. Ben batted at 3 and didn’t give us a chance. He hit 200+ not out in a 55 over game and I thought WOW am I really good enough to bowl at these guys.
Neil playing with son Tom
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Darren Bacon.
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
When I first moved to Lindisfarne I bowled to a young Ben McDermott who was trying to make his way to State and National level – You could just tell by bowling at him in the nets his determination to make it and I thought wow what a different attitude this bloke has to those that I have played with and against in the past. It is something I will never forget and always admire about him.
Dale Kemp – His competitiveness and skill set with both bat and ball was exceptional.
Ben McDermott
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
Phil Mallinson. He wasn’t the best cricketer but just had a really good cricket brain. He was a leader’s leader. He knew how to get the best out of his players. He was the one who encouraged me to bowl and to bowl fast not just place the ball.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
I can’t pick between Bryan Moore and Nigel Grice. They would both have you in stiches and never took anything seriously.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
We played a semi-final against North Hobart. North Hobart were batting and I was bowling and I was nicked through the slips for 4 and I gave the batsman a spray. To his credit he gave back as good as he got. Only for the next bowl to be nicked through the slips again where both batsman stood in the middle of the pitch laughing and me giving him a bigger spray whilst assuming it was going for 4 again.
The gully ran down to retrieve the ball only to discover the ball had stopped half a foot short of the boundary so the fielder threw the ball in. The batsman then realised the ball hadn’t reached the boundary line and both batsman ran towards the keepers end. The ball was thrown into 1st slip and he realised both batters where running to his end so he through to the bowlers end.
In my hast to back peddle and run back to the stumps my spikes stuck in the pitch and I fell flat on my back whilst managing to still take the ball and whilst laying down threw the stumps down to the run the batsman out I’d previously given a spray to.
Needless to say I don’t know who was more embarrassed, me who was laying flat on the ground or the batsman who had been coping the spray. There was a large home crowd that day and the jeers from the crowd only made it worse.
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
I’m always embarrassed when I get out to a spinner.
Who was your childhood hero?
Bruce Laird
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Kerrie O’Keefe
?Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Gary Ablett Snr, Tiger Wood and Michael Jordan
Gary Ablett senior
What was your favourite ground to play at?
TCA Ground Hobart a great ground to play cricket at with a tremendous history.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
I’ve been fortunate enough to take a few hat tricks over the journey but 2 in particular stand out. One in a 1st grade grand final where I dismissed the first three batsman and another in a preliminary final.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
Grand final win with my son where I hit the winning runs whilst having an unbeaten 50 run partnership with the number 10 who scored 0 not out.
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
I’ve made so many close lifelong friends through cricket I couldn’t just pick three.
You’re now playing over 50s cricket, what the best part of playing veterans cricket and what advice would you offer anyone over 50 who is thinking about playing again?
Best part is no one has anything to prove and that everybody that plays, purely plays because they have a true love of the game. To anybody thinking of playing again I couldn’t recommend it more, you get to travel the country, playing the game you love and making friendships with like-minded people of a similar age who also have a love for the game.
Neil and his Tasmania Over 50s team mates after beating Victoria
What did it mean to you to be selected in the Australian Over 50s team to play New Zealand and Sri Lanka in 2021-22?
I was honoured to be selected to represent Australia and I am extremely proud to be the first Tasmanian over 50 Australian representative. Something I was not expecting at all.
What are your hobbies?
Travelling, the gym, golf, fishing, and getting out on my jet ski.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Surround yourself with good people and you can’t learn any younger.
What is your occupation?
I am a self-employed carpenter/builder, Grice & Co Construction.
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
Still playing in the grades at Lindisfarne and veterans’ cricket with LOXI and Tasmania
If you were running a state cricket association what would your priority to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
Getting senior players more involved at junior level.
