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Dennis Hourn - respect and an eye for talent

Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club Sydney | May 02, 2023

Dennis Hourn made his First grade debut for Waverley Cricket Club on 23 March 1968 and the proud owner of First Grade Cap number 409.

Waverley Cricket Club is now known as Easts Cricket Club and Dennis is a Life Member and took 555 wickets for the club over a career spanning 25 years.

Dennis is a storyteller, is passionate about the game of cricket and its traditions and has a keen eye for talent.


What year were you born?

I was born on 9 September 1949 about half an hour before my brother David William who I think arrived on this planet with his hand wrapped around a cricket ball. It was nearly stumps before play started however as we were very premature but had the benefit of being incubated in the only humidicrib in the country at that time and which we had to share. If we had have gone to full term we would have had an extra season in Green Shield and PG’s!

Where did you go the high school?

St. Anne’s Bondi Beach, then Waverley College.

Do you remember your first ever game of cricket? How old and how did you go?

Yes. Here is my report I sent to my Dad, who worked at the time for the Commonwealth Employment Service in Parkes, on the game played at Dudley Page Reserve, Dover Heights in January 1961. There were three of us and the clash/fixture was between West Indies and Australia. Lindsay, our elder brother, was Colin McDonald, David was Gerry Alexander, Sony Ramadan and I was Wes Hall, Frank Worrell, Garfield Sobers and Cammie Smith. What other players were assigned to my brothers was not recorded.

But the good news was that Hall, Worrell, Sobers and Smith preformed pretty well. I had a blinder!



Where did you play your junior cricket?

Waverley District Cricket Club – Green Shield (Premiers 1963/64) and Poidevin Gray.

Which clubs have you played for?

Waverley District Cricket Club

How old were you when you first played grade cricket, what grade and for which club?

I was still at school, age 16 and was selected in the last round for the Waverley Cricket Club 3rd Grade at North Sydney Number 2. Many of my contemporaries would find this hard to believe but I opened the batting and scored 92.  My batting went pretty much downhill thereafter as I worked my way down the order only to be denied a number 11 spot because it was owned by D W H.

What age did you make your first grade debut?

Age 18, shortly after leaving school.

What was your best bowling figures in first grade? Who against and which ground?

9/72 against Cumberland at The Kings Ground. I actually took the 10th wicket however it was called a no ball. Brother David Hourn then proceeded to take the tenth wicket being the number 11 Bob Cadden, caught by a screamer at cover by Bob “buckets” Rheinberger. I knew as soon as Cadden smashed the ball to Bob, who I never saw drop a catch, I would be left stranded on nine for. David and I took 17 of the 18 Cumberland wickets to fall that match. In first grade Dave and I shared, in an innings, all ten wickets twice in our careers and nine wickets twice.

Who were the best three batsman you played against in Grade cricket during your career and if you could add a few words as to why?

Bob Simpson – had perfected the art of eliminating all risks, especially early in an innings and his running between wickets was a revelation.

Brian Booth – I swear he used a wider bat than regulation or so it seemed. Always had plenty of time. Very rarely played and missed.

Doug Walters – punishing bat who didn’t play to the accepted “steady as she goes” approach of the day. Was absolutely brutal on the bad ball and he hit the ball incredibly hard.


Bob Simpson


Who were the three bowlers you admired most in terms of skill and competitive spirit in Grade cricket during your career and if you could add a few words as to why?

Mick Pawley – bowled a really “heavy ball”. Would be a sensation on the current “bunsens” that are dished up in first class cricket these days. Had a great action and one of the best arm balls I have ever seen at any level. Very similar bowler to Derek Underwood, just a little slower through the air.

Steve Bernard – Frightening on a deck offering any assistance. Very dangerous bowler as he jagged the ball back into the right hander at will. The enormous leap at his delivery stride was very intimidating. He was always in at your ribs. His grade record was phenomenal.

Jeff Thomson – No comment required. No helmets either.  

What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?

Winning the second grade grand final against Petersham at Petersham Oval in 1981.

Who’s been the biggest influence in your cricket career?

Twin brother David. Never known a more committed player.

I consider Dave to technically one of the great spin bowlers. His repertoire was amazing. He imparted prodigious leg break spin, I honestly don’t know anyone who has ever spun the ball more. He had a very difficult to pick wrong un, a back spinner that went through like a mulli grubber, an impossible to pick flipper or zooter as he named it because it came unusually out of the bottom of his hand and not the front, a top spinner that really fizzed and a 95 kph leg break. Also, when conditions dictated, bowled a mean left arm orthodox. Unfortunately knee and eyesight problems put a real handbrake on his career. Several, including Alan Border on a poll on Fox a couple of years ago, have stated that Dave was the best player they played with or against who didn’t play for Australia.

It is hard to argue against that. At the age of 40 David was enticed back to play first grade for Waverley after a hiatus of 6 seasons due to knee injuries. Shortening his run up and in incredible pain from his knees, which necessitated he field in slips where he was about as mobile as Douglas Bader, he played just eight games in his return season. Despite his mobility problems he still took 37 first grade wickets @ 13.95 that comeback season. The next season at age 41 and with even worse crippling knee injuries took 48 first grade wickets @ 16. Unfortunately he was forced to retire after that due to his knees which, of course, has since been replaced. Dave missed more than 10 full seasons in first grade due to his knees but still managed to take 655 wickets. A fit D. Hourn would have definitely threatened the thousand wicket mark.


 


Who was the funniest cricketing team mate?

Rod Richards, a great mimic. His Melbourne Cup calls in the Waverley Grandstand “Back Rooms” will never be forgotten.

Who was your most annoying team mate?

I don’t think I should answer that question but perhaps Bob Rheinberger. If you got a lift to the ground in his car his proudest boast was that he had never been overtaken. It led to some hair raising trips.

Who is your favourite all time cricketer?

Garfield Sobers, enough said.


Garry Sobers


What was the best win you were involved in?

The second grade final 1981. Waverley batted first and were all out for 162 and Petersham looked to have the game well in hand but were dismissed for 152 and I was lucky enough to get the last wicket when bowling to their number 11, Graham Wilkin. The ball just clipped the bail which spun around and seemed to take an age to hit the deck.

I coached juniors for many years and I always said to the kids you will forget many of the games you play but you never forget the finals. I was very fortunate then to win four competitions with Waverley, Green Shield 1964, two second grades and first grade 1975/76 with the immortal Tony Greig as captain of a team in which we all played bit roles to the great Tony.

What did you enjoy most about playing Premier/Grade Cricket in Sydney?

The camaraderie, the fact you played against first class and test players on a regular basis and that you made friends for life. Club swaps did not occur often so club loyalty was strong. Cricket was the ultimate egalitarian society. You had great mates and you did not know what they did for a living, their beliefs, how much money they had, what their orientation was – nothing. It was very uncomplicated - you were just friends in cricket. And they remain so to this day.

Was there a particular team you really looked forward to playing and why?

Yes St. George at Hurstville Oval. Always provided a good deck which had a bit in it for everyone. And we always respected the tradition of this great club. It is one of the great viewing grounds in the world.

If you’re in the middle seat of the middle row of Qantas QF1flight to London which team mates would you choose to on your left and right?

On my left Jason “Cats Head” Swift, funniest man in cricket.

On my right Geoffrey Boycott. Better than reading any book on cricket, he could talk you through the game from takeoff to landing.

Did you have any cricketing superstitions?

Not really, but I did hate bowling into the wind. Unfortunately for me, for several seasons, our captain Dick Rowland, was my fellow opening bowler.

Which ground in Sydney club cricket did you enjoy playing at the most?

Sydney Cricket Ground Number 2. Best wicket in Sydney with plenty of pace and bounce but beware if you bowled off line you would get punished. It was at this ground in 1976/77 when Boycott scored most of his seven centuries that season for Waverley in first grade. That seven centuries is still the record for first grade in Sydney.

What’s the best advice you ever received?

Keep the ball up. If you are going to bowl short pitch it short on or just outside off stump. Also “where in the field tomorrow so let’s give Dimitri’s Bar and Bistro a miss”. The latter advice I sometimes ignored.

Are you still involved in Cricket and if so, in what capacity?

Not anymore but I am the unofficial historian for our cricket club and I am a keen follower of Sydney Premier cricket. It would be remiss of me not to add that the best cricket I have seen over the last few seasons has been grade premier cricket. It has to be one of the strongest, most competitive cricket competitions going around.

You often get the unexpected. For example in 2012 I was at Waverley Oval watching a second grade game against Penrith. Easts dismissed Penrith with one hours play left and East's opening batsman Angus Robson and Lee Kirk had to weather an opening spell from none other than a very young Patrick Cummins. After his first blistering over I rang my brother and told him to get to the oval because I said I think I’ve seen the quickest bloke since Jeff Thomson 40 years before. I sent emails to many that night saying so and added that is what is so good about Sydney grade cricket, expect the unexpected.



Do you like the modern game and what can the game do to make it better?

Concerned at the saturation, especially the 20/20 format. The wickets worldwide, with perhaps the exception of the UK, have become a bit bland, slower and lower. The move to shorten test cricket is short sighted and hopefully won’t get traction. I would never begrudge players the money but it has certainly introduced a new perspective to the game especially with up and coming players many of whom are under a lot of pressure.

What advice would you offer a young 13 year old who has the ambition of playing test cricket?

Enjoy the game. Listen to experienced players and get grade exposure as soon as you can. Eliminate mistakes and try for consistency.

What are your hobbies?

Photography, reading, especially history, travelling, cruising and sport. And my grandkids.

What is your occupation?

Retired now but was a commercial property administrator most of my working life for the Commonwealth Government. Actually worked at the three tiers of government, Commonwealth for 29 years, NSW State government 5 years and Waverley Council my last 12 years.

You may as well give your employer a plug, who do you work for?

Retired but if you want good working conditions can’t go past government employment which is why now, when government jobs are advertised, unlike when I started, the people and culture manager, nee human resources manager, personnel manager, staff clerk, pay clerk gets inundated.

Are there any lessons from your time in cricket that you take into work or life in general?

Yes a champion team will always beat a team of champions. And you will not succeed at any endeavor unless you are prepared to work as a part of a team.






Comments

Both D Hourns are part of the DNA at Waverley/Easts. A privilege to have been around them and their influence, both in terms of cricket but also in terms of being part of a team/club.

About Me

Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club Sydney

https://eastscricket.com.au
Sydney, Australia
Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club (Waverley)(ESCC) has been a community cricket club since 1894. In that time is has been of service to thousands of families both in the Eastern Suburbs area and beyond.