Darren Kingdon - plan ahead
Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club Sydney | June 26, 2023
Darren Kingdon made his first grade debut for Waverley (now Easts) at the age of 18 in 1987.
He scored 2,420 runs at an average of 41 before moving to Queensland where he played 7 first class games scoring 176 runs with a highest score of 59.
Darren is a former first grade captain of the Dolphins and was one of the 50 nominated contenders for the Waverley/Easts team of 125 years. A tremendous accolade to his contribution to the club.
Let’s find out more about Darren’s journey in the game especially what he is doing now professionally.
Where were you born and in what year?
Dubbo, 1969
Do you remember your first ever game of cricket?
Had to check with the old man. I was 7 playing under 12’s and had a game at South Kempsey Primary School. I scored 20 odd not out and do remember being pretty chuffed with myself so after the game went up to my Dad - the coach - expecting some well earnt recognition, but got nothing.
Where did you play your junior cricket?
Kempsey on the Mid-North Coast of NSW.
Darren Kingdon with Rodney Davison - NSW PSSA carnival
Which senior clubs have you played for?
In Premier Cricket
Waverley (later Easts) – Sydney (1987-97)
Norths – Brisbane (1992-94)
Wests - Brisbane (1995-99)
How old were you when you first played grade cricket?
Left school and went to Sydney at 18 to play for Waverley after having played Green Shield there a few years earlier. Started in the thirsty 3rds and scored a ton fortunately.
What age did you make your first grade debut for Easts in Sydney?
Still 18 the following season. Mark England got me with an arm ball for a duck out at Campbelltown. Hadn’t seen one of those before.
What prompted the move from NSW to Queensland?
There was a log-jam to make the NSW team. I’d spent a lot of time in the QLD region growing up so was pretty easy to head north and was a lot warmer than Tassie. So, Greg Matthews contacted Ian Healy and I headed up there.
What was your highest score in First Grade?
173 (Brisbane)
Who were the quickest bowlers you came up against?
In no particular order:
Craig McDermott – Cleaned me up soon after moving to Brisbane at Graceville Oval one day. Have had a clicking jaw ever since.
Glenn McGrath – Don’t believe the speed-gun. He was quick at Caringbah Oval and bowled from the top of a building.
Brett Lee – I faced a bouncer from him at Mosman one day and remember seeing all my Easts teammates on the hill belly laughing at the manner in which I escaped. I think an epileptic fit was mentioned.
There were also plenty of other guys like Wayne Holdsworth, Chris Killen (best sledger), Ken McLeod, Andrew Jones and Simon Cook that felt just as quick on their day.
Who were the 3 best spinners you played against?
Greg McLay, Murray Bennett and Paul Jackson.
Who were the top 3 pace bowlers you played against?
Geoff Lawson, Craig McDermott and Glenn McGrath. They all gave you nothing.
Waverley/Easts First Grade Premiers 1991/92
Who were the two players in Sydney and in Brisbane you admired most in terms of their skills and competitive spirit?
Mike Whitney – Always at you from first spell to the last.
Matt Hayden – Seemed to use willpower to score his runs.
Who played some of the best innings you’ve seen firsthand in either Sydney or Brisbane grade cricket?
Hard to pick just one. Michael Bevan couId take the mickey out of any attack and he did with ours one day at Easts where he pretended to not to even watch the ball while playing some shots.
Andrew Symonds could clear the rope, I found out the hard way and no total was safe with him. Brett Williams was one of the few that got the better of spin legend David Hourn in a game in Sydney and I don’t think Martin Love ever finished an innings against us with less than three figures to his name.
You played 7 first class games for Queensland. How did you find the challenges of first class cricket compared to Grade Cricket?
The visibility at the first-class grounds was better than most grade grounds but obviously the quality of bowling was better and more cut-throat. There was also some pretty serious sideways movement at the Gabba back then. It’s really about taking advantage of the starts and converting. I had a few runouts, played a few bad shots and didn’t convert a few digs I should have.
Do you remember how you found out you’d be making your debut for Queensland, what were the emotions and what is your memory of your first game?
Think my flat-mate told me one Saturday night after he watched the ABC news. I don’t remember a phone call, it was more about finding out if it was true. The game itself was a low scoring game on very green Gabba and I think we were beaten in two days by Tasmania. I remember getting caught down legside off Chris Matthews on the first day for a duck to what I thought was an easy glance to leg but instead hit it straight to Jamie Cox.
Are you able to share a moment, an experience playing first class cricket where your thought gee a particular player was a cut above the rest? If you can describe the moment and why the player seemed so special
Matt Hayden. He was unbelievably fleet of foot for a big unit. Plus, he was literally scoring half of QLD runs in those days. A machine.
Also Carl Rackemann. Nobody wanted a bar of Mocca bowling downhill at the Gabba, or most other places for that matter. Prodigious bounce.
You were selected in the top 50 contenders for Waverley/Easts Cricket Clubs team of 125 Years. How special was that and what did it mean to you to be a contender?
It was just pretty cool just to be remembered and to catchup with some legend team mates in Cracker Hourn, Kyle Thompson, Mark Patterson, Geoff Nixon, Peter Lovitt, Adrian Tucker, Jimmy Smith, Lee Kirk, Anthony Stuart, Michael Benikos among other old boys. It’s a special club and place to play cricket. So much of the history of the game of cricket is rooted there but also all Australian history as well and every Sydney cricketer is drawn to the “back room”.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
Probably facing Malcolm Marshall off 18 yards on those spitfire turf practice pitches at Waverley Oval is something I won’t forget in a hurry. He’d stand at the top of his run pointing to the top of his head yelling “Deeeeeeekaaay mun”. At least he was a friendly killer. But overall being part of that winning the 1992 team would have to be up there.
Who’s been the biggest influence in your cricket career?
My Dad Bob, he dragged me around the grounds early on and got me started in the game.
Who was the funniest cricketing team mate?
David Hourn with Greg “Moey” Matthews a close second. Also the best spinners I came across.
Who is your favorite all time cricketer?
Dead heat between Barry & Viv Richards.
What was the best win you were involved in?
Probably a win against North Sydney in the year we won (92). I think we were winless after a couple of games and things were slipping away a bit. Malcolm Marshall still hadn’t arrived, regular captain Paul Pritchard was on World Cup duty and Greg Matthews on state duty.
We were short and even had the lead singer for the Cockroaches bowling for us in Johnny Field (we doubled as his entourage post-stumps that season). Anyway, we seriously under performed with the bat and had nothing to play with on a belter at North Sydney Oval but somehow scrambled a win through to series of run outs, great fielding and tight bowling. Kyle Thompson tells me I bowled him for 42 overs that day which is something he still complains about. There were no OH & S officers around the grounds back then.
If you’re in the middle seat of the middle row of Qantas QF1flight to London which team mates would you choose on your left and right?
Greg Rowell and Chris Mills. But there would be a shortage of leg room.
Did you have any cricketing superstitions?
Not really, but maybe I should have!
Most favorite ground to play at?
Waverley Oval & the old Trumper Park
What’s the best advice you ever received?
I think Ian Healy used to say take the hard option.
What advice would you offer a young 18 year old who has the ambition of playing test cricket?
Surround yourself with great players and make yourself accountable. Find great mentors and ask plenty of questions of those that know. Be hungry.
What are your hobbies?
I play a bit of golf. Like reading about cricket, boxing and finance history, watching old films and spending time with the family.
You operate a very successful financial services business and have written a book “Master Your Super – and drive your SMSF to big profits.” With all that is going with COVID-19, what’s your advice on what people should or need to be doing to feel more financial secure?
Know where you are now financially. Look under the bonnet and take a greater interest. Ask more questions and build your own financial education and strive towards gaining more control. Find mentors, not advisers. Most people are tired of dealing with financial middlemen that don’t eat their own cooking but do eat your returns. Hence the book.
You may as well give your employer a plug, who do you work for?
I started Kingdon Financial Group in 2012 which is a small boutique advisory firm run out of Brisbane. We enjoy helping clients protect and grow their assets, providing strategic advice and running a Family Office for select families, specializing in super and estate planning.
Are there any lessons from your time in cricket that you take into work or life in general?
Make things happen as it won’t fall in your lap. Have a plan and be accountable to it. Find great mentors, someone that keeps you on the ball and asks you all the hard questions.
