Pocket Profile: Hamish Porter - Western Suburbs District Cricket Club

Western Suburbs District Cricket Club Sydney | January 24, 2025

Hamish Porter is a leg-spin bowler who joined Western Suburbs District Cricket Club at the beginning of the 2024/25 season.

So far this season, Hamish has proven to be a valuable member of the Western Suburbs fourth grade side taking 14 wickets at an average of 18.93, including best figures of 3 for 43 off 18.3 overs in a dominant victory against Randwick Petersham.

Aside from his bowling, Hamish is known for his strong fielding skills and the high level of energy he brings to the team during gameday.

Here's our player profile with Hamish.

Chemist Warehouse Ashfield is a proud sponsor of Western Suburbs District Cricket Club

Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey? Where you’ve played, clubs you’ve played for?

I’ve played cricket as long as I can remember, starting in the backyard with my brothers and Dad. I started competitive cricket at 7, playing in a local U11 team with my older brother, and have spent most of my cricketing life at Kensington District Cricket Club in Adelaide. I moved across to Sydney in 2024 and joined the Magpies for the 2024/25 season.

What was the highest grade you played, and can you remember how you performed in your first game in that grade?

Back in Adelaide I managed a handful of B Grade matches, including a t20 flag. I was in far too early for a number 11 in my first game, but managed a 30* to scrape us past 100. It was a similar story in my first game at Wests – we didn’t get the chocolates and no wickets to speak of.

If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?

I am primarily a Leg-Spin bowler, and I like to think that I can offer a bit with the bat.

What are your strengths as a player?

I have always prided myself on my fielding, and see it as a skill that allows me to contribute regardless of the grade I am playing in. Additionally, I really enjoy the tactical side of the game and trying to out-think the batters as a bowler.

What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?

I have taken 5/ twice but sadly they were not scored on MyCricket. Officially, my best bowling is 4/5 in an U13 match. Because of the rules, my last ball was a wide which I could not re-bowl to try for my fifth!

Who are the two players you admire most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?

I went through all of my junior cricket with Lloyd Pope, and seeing how he has handled the rollercoaster since breaking onto the scene with his U19s performances has been very impressive. Even when his performances at state-level weren’t what he wanted, he was always coming back to our trainings and doing all the extras, including passing on little tips and tricks to the spin group.

Another player I always admired was Michael Davies. He gave back to our club more than anyone else, and more than he probably had time to. Over the last few years his work took him out of Adelaide quite regularly, but that didn’t stop him from captaining one of the senior teams, joining the club’s committee and fighting with all the levels of government so we could get new clubrooms.

Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with? And if you could add a few words to why

When I was a fresh face in senior cricket, I had Jamie Panelli as my captain. He played A Grade for years (he even played with my Dad) and was playing in the lower grades to help out the youngsters coming through. He was able to calm me down while I was being whacked all over the park, and introduced us to some of the planning and reflections that the A Grade would use to drive their performances. Now that I am in a similar position as one of the older players in the team, I hope that I can pass on at least some of this experience and play that calming role in the team.

Who has been your funniest team mate?

I’ve spent the past few seasons with team mates who are close to 10 years younger than me, so anyone who isn’t talking about the latest TikTok/YouTube fad is in my good books.

Who was your childhood hero?

As a leggie, it has to be Warnie. I don’t think I would have been bowling Leg-Spin otherwise. As a kid, it was pretty special to watch him dominate Tests and really turn matches off his own back. As I grew older, I would always tune into his specials at the Lunch Breaks, and his attitude of always believing he would get the batter out the ball immediately after getting hit for a boundary has always stuck with me.

What was your favourite ground to play at?

It is very hard to go past my old home ground at Kensington. We had three ovals next to each other, so when one team finished early, we would suddenly have a crown of our teammates lining the hill and yelling support. Saying that, I have enjoyed playing at new grounds each week in Sydney and have been regularly sending photos back to my old team mates (I’m a sucker for a good white picket fence).

What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?

Our school’s first XI had an annual four-day match against one of the nearby schools. In year 11 we played at home and we had most of the school watching as we took 7 wickets in the final session of the fourth day to secure the win. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.

What are your hobbies?

This past year has been all about exploring Sydney and NSW for me. I’ve been exploring new beaches, heading to the Blue Mountains for some hiking, and trying to soak in as much of the different entertainment options as I can. If I lived closer to a beach, I’d buy myself a surfboard as that is something I have always enjoyed.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

As a leggie, we all grew up hearing of all the variations that Warnie could bowl, and of course we would try to imitate that. But if you are beating the batter with your stock ball, then staying patient with that will lead to more dot balls, and that leads to more wickets.