John Boyd - instrumental on and off the field
Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club Sydney | July 04, 2023
Interview - Bob Wilson with John Boyd
John Boyd is a fellow Life member of Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club, formerly Waverley Cricket.
John had the honour of being named as one of the 50 contenders for Waverley – Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club team of 125 years - a tremendous accolade
I have known John Boyd for a mighty long time and he has been instrumental in guiding young players in Cricket and Rugby both on and off the field both as a player and a coach.
I had a number of questions for John and we appreciate the opportunity to share his journey and significant contribution
What year you were born?
1960
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
Yes, I played a Thursday afternoon game for sport when I was 6 years old, dressed in a white short sleeved shirt and white shorts while at St Therese school at Dover Heights. My first competitive game was when I was 9 in the 10A team with Waverley College and we played against Sydney Grammar at Centennial Park. They had a tall fast bowler by the name of Guy Reynolds who whipped through us and we were all out for about 15. I would later play Green Shield and Poidevin Gray with Guy at Waverley District Cricket Club and we were part of winning the A.W. Green Shield for the club in 1976.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
I played cricket at school (Waverley College) from the age of 9 and was drafted into the 1st XI squad at age 14 by a great mentor Br. Brian Murphy, who many around the Sydney cricket scene would remember.
The same year I started playing Green Shield for Waverley, (Judge) John Foord, father of Rod, who was a team mate at school and at Waverley, encouraged me to try out for the team coached by Micky Bell. Our first game was against Western Suburbs at Waverley Oval. The West’s team had an opening bat name Spicer, a huge guy with a full beard, a captain named Dirk Wellham, and a keeper named Greg Dyer. As it turned out a bunch of young Waverley cricketing upstarts upstaged the Wests team for a surprising victory. I think West’s went on to win the shield that year. It was the start of a very long association with the Waverley, now Eastern Suburbs Club.
Other than the Waverley College 1st XI, I represented the Combined Associated School for 3 years in the NSW Schoolboys championships. In 1978 I was chosen in the NSW Schoolboy side as Vice-Captain to Craig Hogan. That same year I made the NSW U-19 team that played England Youth at the SCG.
I had one season at Sutherland before travelling to the UK. Over a period of 10 years I played for Leith Franklyn Cricket Club in Edinburgh, Tring Park in Hertfordshire, Lewes Priory in East Sussex. I was lucky enough to be invited to play for the Duchess of Norfolk XI at Arundel Castle and a few games for Sussex 2nd XI, before returning to finish my career back at Waverley.
John Boyd takes a wicket for Waverley College in 1977
What other sports do you play?
I played rugby at school and made the 1st XV. Also played for CAS 1st XV, NSW Schoolboy 2nd XV and won a 3rd grade premiership with Eastern Suburbs.
Who is your favourite sports movie or documentary?
Can’t honestly say that I have one but if I had to pick “The clash of the Titans” or “The Blindside”
What’s the one thing about you most people don’t know about?
That I am a passionate gardener and fisherman.
What’s your highest score in senior cricket?
My highest score was 201 for Waverley in 1st Grade v Hawksbury at Waverley Oval.
What has been your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
3 for 28 for Waverley 1st grade v Sydney or 6 for 35 for Lewes in the Sussex League.
Can you tell us which players in the club we should be looking out for in terms of higher representative honours?
As I have been working with school students for the past 26 years, the player is Matthew Jenkins who is now playing with Norths.
Who have been the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
Wayne Holdsworth- Opened the batting against him at Waverley Oval with a howling Southerly behind him, Les Andrews (keeper) and the slips looked like they were standing on Bondi Rd!!
Mike Whitney- Whit was always at you. He also had a great short ball and a champion bloke.
Andrew Jones- Milton was very deceptive and had great pace on his day and was able to move the ball both in the air and off the seam. I always found him difficult to face and enjoyed our many battles.
Who has been the best three spinners you have played against?
Abdul Qadir- I played against him in the Scottish League and apart from David “Cracker” Hourn, he was the biggest spinner of the ball.
Murray Bennett- Maxie was not a big turner of the ball but he was always at you.
Aitken – Not sure if it was Robert or John, I only ever knew them as Micky and Mini!!!
Who has been the best 2 batsman you’ve played against?
Steven Barry Smith- He was probably the hardest hitting batsman that I played against, super confident. He scored 52 against us in his first 1st grade game for Bankstown at Waverley Oval. Tony Greig made comment of his stature as he strode to the crease. In Tony’s 2nd over he dropped one in short and the ball ended up on the hill near the old scoreboard. Tony’s only made one more comment during this inning, “This kid can play”. I also played in a game at Trumper Park where Steve scored a double ton.
Steve Smith
Mark Taylor- Tubs always scored runs against us even though it was a limited number once selected to play for NSW. Excellent technique and very patient at the crease.
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
The double ton that Steve Smith scored against us at Trumper Park and a ton from Dirk Wellham in the dark again at Trumper to win the game. I will never forget Dirk telling one of our fieldsmen, John Harris, “it is red and round with 6 stitches and it’s half way up that hill, so go get it” when Harris had complained toward the umpire that he couldn’t see the ball in the fading light.
Who has been the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Steve Rixon hands down
Who has been your funniest team mate?
David “Cracker” Hourn, the king of rhyming slang and blow-ups, especially when umpires either turned down an LBW appeal to his flipper or called him for a No Ball.
Who was your childhood hero?
Doug Walters and I couldn’t believe that in my first season in 1st grade I played against him at Waverley Oval. He only managed single figures as he nicked off to a Greg Geise outswinger. I later did many coaching clinics with Doug. A really great man.
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
I have been lucky enough to have meet them already, all cricketers, Dennis Lillie, Sir Vivian Richards and Imran Khan
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Dead heat between Jimmy Maxwell and Kerry “Skull “O’Keefe
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Skill- David Hourn, he could turn the ball on glass, long before Shane Warne, and having fielded at slip to him he should have been given loads more LBW wickets. Umpires just couldn’t read his flipper, just like the batsmen.
Competitive spirit- Tony Greig, to me he was the complete competitive cricketer.
What did you enjoy most about playing cricket?
I always enjoyed the challenge whether with bat or ball. Also, the banter with both teammates and the opposition and that the sport gave me the opportunity to play the game that I love in countries overseas, which opened up a whole new world of challenges and opportunities.
Waverley College 2015 CAS Premiers - John Boyd Coach
What has been your most memorable moment in cricket?
I have three that really can’t be split.
1.Scoring 128 in the A.W. Green Shield final in 1976 to help the side win the competition.
2.Playing my first game at the SCG.
3.Scoring my 201 at my home ground Waverley Oval
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
A 1st grade game v Balmain at Drummoyne Oval. Day 1 started after lunch due to overnight rain and we won the toss and bowled. At stumps on day 1 we had bowled Balmain out for around 156 and in reply were about 4 for 90. Day 2 saw another late start due to rain and very slow progress as we crept towards the total with Andrew Jones and Neil Maxwell keeping the pressure on with every delivery. As wickets fell our number 11, David “Devo” Lucas finally arrived at the ground, still dressed in his dinner suite from some formal the night before.
In the end he wasn’t needed as we passed the total, lost our last wicket and Balmain went in to bat again. At tea the game seemed destined for a 1st innings win to the Waves with Balmain at 0 for 19.
This proved not to be the case as after the tea break our pace attack of Devo and Lurch “Chris Lane” hit their straps. The ball just kept finding the edge and some great catches were taken at slip, one especially sticks in the memory by Peter “Chook” Lovitt a one hand effort at full stretch diving to his right a centimetre off the turf.
The end result saw Balmain dismissed for just 28 and leaving Waverley 26 for an outright victory, which was achieved in just 5 overs, without the loss of a wicket and I had the pleasure of hitting the winning run.
What are your hobbies?
Cooking, Fishing, Gardening
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Always remember that it is just a game, play hard, have fun and always have respect for the opposition.
Are you still involved in cricket?
After retiring from playing in 1995/6 I coached the 1st XI back at my old school Waverley College for 23 seasons until pulling back 2 seasons ago. I am now doing skill work with the junior boys on the training days after school.
My hope is that they enjoy the game as much as I have.
So, my ambition is to provide them with some of the tools that will help them to continue to learn, enjoy the game and have some personal success along the way, while learning how to be part of a team and showing respect for the sport and the opposition.
Here is Boydy’s Coaching experience
CRICKET
Waverley A.W. Green Shield – 5 seasons in the 1980s.
Combined Sydney A.W. Green Shield for 2 seasons in the 80’s.
Waverley Cricket Club Coach- for 3 seasons directly in the 80’s.
Waverley College 1st XI for 23 seasons
Combined C.A.S. 1st XI for 6 years
Doug Walters Cricket Camps, which became Australian Sports Camps 1982-2009
Youth Development Officer for Sussex County Cricket Club 1991/2
Life Member of Eastern Suburbs (Waverley) Cricket Club
RUGBY
Coach of the Waverley College 1st XV 1999-2001
Coach of the Combined C.A.S. 2nd XV 1999-2001
Presently doing skill coaching with Waverley College
