Matt Lewis - be patient
NSW Veterans Cricket | July 28, 2023
“I wished I’d been a little more patient”.
These are the words of Matt Lewis who was selected in the Australian Over 50s Cricket team to play at the Over 50s Cricket World Cup in South Africa in March 2020. Sadly for Matt and all participants Covid cut short the World Cup after just 2 games.
Growing up in Chullora, Matt had plenty of sporting talent. He was playing cricket for Bankstown Cricket club in the Sydney Grade Cricket Competition and had been spotted by Rugby League Coach Warren Ryan and his school’s sports master as a talented number 6.
Playing 2nd Grade at Bankstown in 1989/90 season at the age of 20 Matt took 6 wickets in an innings at the same time their first grade opening bowler tore a hamstring and many in the club were suggesting Matt was about to make his first-grade debut.
It was not to be as the selectors promoted another promising fast bowler who was 17 and Matt stormed out of training on the Thursday and never returned.
“I was wayward, no father figure, I was silly”, he explains.
Disenchanted with cricket Matt was then invited by Warren Ryan to train with the Balmain Tigers Presidents Cup (under 21) in the NSW Rugby league competition. Whilst he was a handy player, he soon realized his body, after quite a few injuries wasn’t up to the standard required to make a career out of Rugby League and returned to cricket. This time playing park cricket with the Belmore Diggers.
Matt attended Western Sydney University, completed his degree and is now the School Principal of Lidcombe Public School in Western Sydney.
As a teacher with a sporting background, he has always involved coaching and helping kids enjoy and have fun playing sport.
Matt has been involved with coaching the Bankstown District Cricket Club Watson Shield teams for many years and just last season he experienced the sheer joy of coaching and helping kids have fun when his Bankstown Under 17 Watson Shield defeated Eastern Suburbs on the last ball to win the competition.
In 2003, Matt was appointed assistant coach of the NSWPSSA Primary School Rugby Union team and the coach was Barry Everingham, a teacher who’d played for NSW Country Rugby. Their first captain of that U12’s side, was Wallabies captain, Michael Hooper.
The two coaches soon found common ground as they both established their love of sport, particularly rugby and cricket. Barry also represented NSW Country in Cricket at various levels.
Fast forward to January 2019 and Barry calls Matt to see if he was interested in playing a game of cricket in Orange in February.
“Mate are you interested in coming to Orange for a hit and play for the Mid North Coast team?” Barry asked.
Matt’s initial reaction was that he was keen but when Barry mentioned it was a 3-day carnival playing Sunday, Monday and Tuesday Matt said he couldn’t because of work.
Barry convinced Matt it was a good idea.
“I didn’t even know Over 50’s cricket existed; I didn’t know anything about it all.”
“I’d just turned 50, so off to Orange I go to play 3 games with a mate, in the first game against Central Coast, I hit a 6 off the final ball off the innings to win the game. I also got another 42 not out against Illawarra. It was a fantastic time with a great team. Next things I know, I was selected to play for NSW Waratahs in the Cooper Finlay Cup against Queensland. I got 43* off about 19 balls in one game and 34 in the other. It was a fun couple of days. “
“A couple of weeks after that, I get an email inviting me to play in one of the NSW Over 50s teams at the National Championships in Perth in November.”
“National Championships, NSW, I had no idea there was such a thing, all I knew was I played a few games of cricket in Orange.”
Matt was selected in NSW Over 50s number two team, “The Waratahs.”
The Waratahs - 2019
Heading to Perth Matt wasn’t quite sure what to expect, as he only knew about half the team playing for the Waratahs. “It was another great week with some unreal people, we had a lot of fun.”
“I couldn’t bowl as I had a hip injury, so I was batting number 4.”
Matt finished the week in the top 5 runs scorers of the National Championships and was rewarded with selection in Australia’s World Cup Team.
“I couldn’t believe it, as a boy I dreamed about playing for Australia, I just didn’t think this was possible.”
Matt is also the National CrossFit Champion for the 50-54 age bracket. His son was a Rugby star and was keenly looked at for the young Waratahs Rugby Squad, one daughter danced all her life and is now professional dancer and the youngest is a National Champion in acrobatic cheer. Sport is in the gene pool as is the talent in the family.
Matt is now the proud owner of NSW Over 50s Blues Cap number 34 and Australian Over 50s Cap Number 48.
Whilst he still wished he had more patience as a kid, he’s forever grateful for the one phone call from a mate inviting him to play a game of cricket.
Matt Lewis is presented with his Australian Over 50s cap number 48.
