Kyle Thompson - believe and compete

Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club Sydney | April 06, 2023

Kyle Thompson made his first grade debut for Waverley in 1985 as a 17 year old fast medium bowler and right hand batsman.

From 1985 to 2003, despite a stint playing Premier Cricket in Victoria, Kyle took 300 first grade wickets in Sydney Grade Cricket (NSW Premier Cricket) at an average of 24.54 with best figures of 7 for 52 and he took 5 wickets in an innings on 9 occasions. He also scored 3,201 runs at an average of 24.

Kyle was twice named the Bill O’Reilly medallist in Sydney Grade Cricket for being the best cricketer in the competition in 1991/92 and 1992/93. In 1992/93 he shared the honour with Randall Green.

Kyle was the ultimate competitor who thrived when the going got tough and he was recently awarded a tremendous accolade when selected in Waverley/ Eastern Suburbs Team of 125 years. A mighty achievement.

Nowadays Kyle is the School Principal at The SCOTS PGC College in Warwick Queensland

What year you were born?

1968

Can you remember you first game of cricket?

It was in the Under 12Cs for Sylvania Heights Youth Club. I took 1 -17 and made a duck. Clean bowled but still waited for the umpire to give me out.

Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?

After junior cricket, I played Grade cricket for the original Sydney District CC. Then Waverley/Easts CC in Sydney, Prahran CC in Melbourne, Wimbledon CC in England and finally South Sydney DCC in the Sydney Shires competition.

What other sports do you play?

I played a bit of football (soccer back in the day) and now am a very ordinary surfer.

Who is your favourite sports movie or documentary?

I just finished watching “The Last Dance”. A fascinating insight into elite sport and what it takes from a personality as well as talent standpoint to succeed like no other.

What’s your highest score in senior cricket?

123 not out on debut in fourth grade for Sydney DCC as a 14-year-old against Gordon at Killara Oval. In first grade, 117 not out against Manly at Waverley Oval.

What has been your best bowling figures in senior cricket?

Playing for South Sydney in a first grade Shires match I took 8/38 and 10/43 in the same match. In first grade (NSW Premier Cricket) I bagged a 7 for against Petersham a lifetime ago.

Who have been the best three fast bowlers you have played against?

I played against Brett Lee a few times and he was always quick. However, he went crazy one day at Waverley Oval (after dropping a simple catch) and bowled at a million miles an hour. It was next level quick. He hit one of our player in the helmet and he had to be stretchered off. The next over he cleaned me up breaking the grill of my lid with a ball I saw all the way but could do nothing about.

Andrew Jones also used to bowl some heavy balls running down the hill at Drummoyne Oval. There always seemed to be a bit more grass on that wicket when we played him.

And, at the risk of giving more than three, playing for Prahran vs Melbourne, their attack consisted of Brad Williams, Dennis Hickey and Martin McCague. On a damp day, that presented the odd challenge.

Finally, playing with Malcolm Marshall I got to see the best ever. Control, swing and great pace. For an outstanding bloke he also had a nasty streak when bowling.

Who has been the best three spinners you have played against?

Greg Matthews, Adrian Tucker and David Hourn. I was lucky enough to play with and against the first two and with David. Mo Matthews was the ultimate competitor, spun the ball hard and owned what he did brilliantly. Tuck I am sure would have represented Australia if he didn’t take time off cricket to pursue professional interests in London when he was entering his prime. A very smart and competitive cricketer he always seemed to get the best players out.

David Hourn has been spoken about repeatedly. I got to play with Cracker at the end of his playing days, when he had no knees and poor eyesight. He still made very good players look average and had an amazing flipper and wrong ‘un. I can only imagine how good he would have been at his best. Everyone I know says he ‘should have played’.

Adrian Tucker

Who has been the best 2 batsman you’ve played against?

I was lucky to have played in a time where you played fairly regularly against Test and Shield players – the Waughs, Taylor, Seabrook, Green, Slater, Hodge, Jones etc etc.

So, putting aside reputations the hardest bloke to bowl to for mine was Michael Bevan. It didn’t matter what you did or where you bowled he played you to all parts of the ground at his own will. He could do things as a batter most people couldn’t dream of.

Randall Green and Wayne Seabrook were two others that always seemed to get runs against us, and in the most damaging of ways.

Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against

The original Steve Smith mad a double hundred against us at Trumper Park. He never looked like getting out and hit the hardest on drive of all time off my opening over. On a seaming, turning wicket he was an example of controlled aggressive batting at its finest.

Who has been the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?

I most enjoyed playing with Mark Pratt – he was annoying and very competent. A great team mate and a serial pest to the opposition. I saw a fair bit of Brad Haddin when he played for Easts and I was coach. A great talent but a better bloke and very professional in all his cricketing work. Paul Ryan also went alright for a country bloke, even if he kept wanting to stand up to the stumps.

Who has been your funniest team mate?

Three-way tie – Greg Small, Jason Swift and David Hourn. The first two were deliberately funny, Cracker was, at times, accidentally so.

Who was your childhood hero?

Dennis Lillee – wasn’t he everyone’s?

Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?

I’m not sure there is anyone I’d line up to meet from a sporting context. I find it more interesting meeting people from different facets of life in general. For example, cattle farmers from Western Queensland, those living in remote communities, and experiencing different cultures from overseas such as the highlands of PNG or the remote islands of Indonesia. Variety is the spice of life and all too often we gravitate to what we know instead of what we don’t.

Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?

Jim Maxwell – the sound of summer through the car radio on the way to the beach. And, Kerry O’Keefe for obvious reasons.

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

I enjoyed playing under Mark Patterson’s leadership. He was an aggressive captain who didn’t let the game wander. Could bat too. And, again didn’t let the game wander with bat in hand!

Paul Prichard was another who taught our side how to win in the early 90s through his competitive nature and knowledge of the game. Another excellent leader who took people with him.

Greg Matthews’ competitive nature and great skill I found challenging in a good way. Playing with Greg, you couldn’t help but grow as a cricketer.

Waverley First Grade - 1991/92 Sydney Grade Cricket Premiers

What did you enjoy most about playing cricket?

The dressing room. It’s the only thing I miss – the hours spent after a game.

What has been your most memorable moment in cricket?

There are too many to list and no one memory stands out. A few are: winning the 1st Grade competition with Waverley, playing overseas, coaching a premiership at Easts, the friendships. Probably the most humbling was being named in the Eastern Suburbs/Waverley Team of the last 125 years.

What are your hobbies?

Work has become pretty all-encompassing in recent years. I surf a bit when I can and enjoy food and wine.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Believe. And bite off more than you can chew and chew like hell.

Waverley/ Eastern Suburbs Team of 125 years