Matthew Drain - always be positive
Essendon Cricket Club | February 03, 2023
Matthew Drain is a Life member of the Essendon Cricket Club
Matthew made his first grade debut for the club in the 1989/90 season and in a career where he played 131 games for Essendon and 23 for Carlton he amassed 4,791 runs at an average of 30.51 and scored 10 centuries and 26 half centuries. His highest score was 141.
In 1989-90 and 1993-94 Matthew won Essendon Cricket Club prestigious Mick Mitchell award for the players player of the year.
Matthew also spent two seasons playing with Sydney University in the NSW Premier Cricket Competition where he played 26 games and scored 4 half centuries.
A highly regarded leader Matthew during his Premier Cricket career was the first grade captain at Essendon, Carlton and Sydney University.
Let’s find out more about Matthew’s journey in the game
What year you were born?
1968
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
First formal game was January 1979 with Hadfield (Northern Suburbs Melbourne) Under 12’s at Gladstone Park. Got 1/15 with the Max Walker action and made 7.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
At 15 I was invited to train and play for the Essendon Cricket Club in 1984.
Played for Essendon from 1984 to 1996 and again from 1998-2000 (Captain/Coach 1993-1996)
I played in Sydney for Sydney University from 1996 to 1998. First Grade Captain in 1996-1997 after the captain got injured in Round 1. Co-coach of the Poidevin-Gray Premiership winning team in 1996-97.
Carlton Cricket Club 2000-2005 Captain/Coach 2000-2002, non-playing coach 2003-2005
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
Fourth grade 1984 v Waverley at Waverley and made 15 not out batting 8
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
I made my first grade debut for Essendon when I was 21 in December 1989 v Hawthorn. I was a 3rds, 4ths player for the previous 6 years playing only two 2nds games in that time. I was trying to juggle cricket and AFL (trying out at AFL clubs as well as playing VFA). I started the season in the 4ths after a late start to the season with a broken thumb and was filling in before going to play football in the SANFL with West Adelaide. I got into some form after being dropped first ball in the 4ths and 5 games later I was in the 1sts.
Our coach Simon Davis took a punt on me and we had a good personal and competitive connection.
I scored 21 in a one day game batting 7 after I was supposed to open but it became a one day game due to weather and I dropped down the order. I scored my first hundred five games later and won the first grade batting average that season.
In those days you played with and against first class at least half the time. So I went from watching players on TV to batting against them. The difference from lower grades to higher grades for me was preparation, determination and self-belief. After that year I decided to stay in Victoria and chase my cricket and football dream at home in an era you could try and do both. It was a sliding doors moment in cricket and life due to Simon’s decision to select me. Essendon in those days had a very strong side with Simon O’Donnell, Simon Davis, Jamie Siddons, Peter Young, Peter McIntyre, and a year later Alan Mullally. You certainly learnt how to compete.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
Opening batter, could not bowl and was a 194cm keeper in lower grades and when our very good first grade keeper at Essendon John Shannon changed clubs I kept in one first grade game. After dropping a catch off McIntyre and Mullally the 360 degree feedback was obvious…never again.
What were your strengths as a player?
Originally when I came into 1st grade I teed off, T20 style in a conservative era, hitting bowlers back over their head. I carried my bat one day with 122 not out in our total of 200 against Northcote who had Rodney Hogg, Adam Dale, Troy Corbett and Adam McGinty. However I was told I would never play first class cricket playing like that (probably wasn’t good enough talent wise anyway). By the time I made my 10th first grade hundred it took nearly 7 hours. In summary, strength of mind, knew what to play and not play with discipline.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
141 versus Dandenong in 1993 first grade and it began a long running on field battle with Ian Harvey that lasted a long time.
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
Do 44 wickets in the net one year count? …..all LBW. Terrible bowler at that level.
I did get 1/10 first grade for Essendon v St Kilda which was state player Shawn Craig. We didn’t play a spinner at the Junction Oval (bad move) so bought myself on and bowled a couple of dollar bills that Shawn wacked. Then one ball I could see all three stumps three quarters of the way down the track and in trying to hit it to Prahran Shawn missed it and was bowled. Unlucky for Shawn there was a big hundred on the cards given my lack of ability. Anyway I took the money and ran, not to bowl again that day.
I was so bad in my second year Simon Davis challenged me to a tennis match as he had a school tournament to play. The bet was if he won, there was a let’s call it a 1980’s type penalty in front of my teammates, and if I won (he was confident) I could bowl in a first grade game as he’d previously said hell would freeze over before that happened. Anyway, I won the tennis match and he gave me a bowl after preparing for 2 months at training at the Albert ground against Melbourne to Craig Bradley who was about 120 not out. I got what I deserved, a St Kilda Road tram ride for the ball.
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
A young Brett Lee at Mosman and a dreary day, the ball was fizzing in the air as it passed, never feels good
Merv Hughes -bowled the best over of his career to me (according to him) and made you play all the time, short and full
Hard to split David Saker competitor, swing and off wicket with a quick bouncer with Simon Cook and Brad Williams for pure pace at their best.
Special mention for Neil Maxwell, Brad McNamara and Jon Moss - none of them quick but found them hard to play
Merv Hughes
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
Shane Warne - it fizzed in air as well, couldn’t pick him so just tried to slog
Greg Matthews - didn’t turn it much but flight and drift and use of crease. Played first Sydney grade game against him v Waverley and there was no one behind square so I swept him second ball for four. As I ran down the wicket he looked at me and said “No one sweeps the king”
Abdul Qadir - when he won a Ryder medal for Carlton I couldn’t pick him and kept square cutting his wrong un to cover and then eventually to the keepers gloves
Shane Warne
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
Michael Bevan for Manly in a one day game - played at different timing and tempo to most I’d seen. Just impossible to plug holes as he found the gaps with ease.
Michael Slater - just dropped from the Test side he was playing for UNSW and was a little scratchy early but once he got going his drives were like rockets. One of our bowlers clapped a four he hit off his pads, I lost my mind and my head spun off as captain at mid-off…it was a different era.
Geoff Parker- playing for Richmond against Essendon and was hitting Peter McIntyre over cover with flat bat sixes. Many years later I worked with Geoff at Port Adelaide Football Club. A wonderful person and a very funny man. Great thing about cricket how it transcends many walks of life for us all.
Geoff Parker
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Two, both by Jamie Siddons. One against Dandenong he got 140 plus and we put on quite a few. He kept saying they were reversing the ball (yes reverse is not new for young players) and he didn’t know which it way it was going so it was time to slog and charge them. He went from about 30 to 80 in about 5 overs. He was also the best runner between wickets ever played with.
Another time against St Kilda at Windy Hill he made 200 and hit Shane Warne to every part of the ground.
Special mention to Peter Young, a magnificent back foot player, and Nathan Pilon. Never played with him but coached him at Carlton and he took Melbourne Uni apart one day scoring 50 to 100 in about 25 balls.
Jamie Siddons
Was there any bowler or batsman in particular who for whatever reason always seemed to cause you a few problems?
Bryce McGain was attacking and gave you something but it also roped you into making errors as he had good flight and drop.
Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used to?
Not really a step up as I’d played for about 7 years but Brad McNamara at St George one day. There was a bit in the deck and I batted for about 90 minutes for 10 runs> He didn’t get me out but he may as well have 10 times as he just made me look silly in the air and off the wicket.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Darren Berry, stumped me off the opening bowler in a Dowling Shield semi at 16, and obviously was a star keeper for many years. So clean and minimalistic.
Darren Berry
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Over the longer period in Melbourne District (Premier Cricket), Warren Ayres and Garry Watts for their consistency to get big scores and win games for their side every year. Special mention to Matthew Elliot, only played against him 2-3 times but his skills were amazing to go through the gears without hitting the ball in the air too often.
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
Simon Davis. He showed personal belief in me and was a great influence and mentor. He was hard and entertaining and read the game so well.
He had the old ball one day against Warren Whiteside (St Kilda) who was on about 80 and put 3 slips and a gully in and left mid-wicket open and kept mid-on straight, bowled very straight on a dead slow wicket, and kept saying I will let him hit through mid-wicket to get his 100 but I can also hit him on the pads and get him with the old windscreen wiper. Sure enough after 10 runs through mid-wicket he got him lbw, brilliant stuff.
I hadn’t seen Sniffer for nearly 30 years after he moved to Sunshine Coast and had tried to track him down. Ran into him a few weeks ago in Noosa and it was great to see him but also to say how grateful I was for the decision to select me in 1st grade and his support which were life changing in and out of cricket.
Would love to have played under Ross Turner at Northern Districts. Worked at Cricket Australia with Ross and travelled a lot with him. He was wonderful to talk cricket with.
Simon Davis
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Peter McIntyre was amusing, Alan Mullally was entertaining. John Taylor (ended up playing for WA) was very talented and even more talented with his humour. Any man that can do the Willy Wonka flute noise to a tee on the field has humour and talent.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
After I came back from Sydney to work in Melbourne we played against Footscray at the Merv Hughes Oval. Merv had been retired from first class cricket for about 2 years and was let us say just a little out of shape. He was not opening the bowling and coming off a shorter run up.
I said to my batting partner after a slowish start in the one day game, “Let’s step it up with Merv coming on”.
That didn’t happen. Merv beat me six balls in a row playing a forward defence and I wasn’t good enough to hit any of them. There were some robust advice during the six balls coming from Merv.
At the end of the over Merv grabbed his jumper, slumped to his knees and yelled, “That is the best over I have bowled in my xxxxxx career and I wasted it on that xxxx”
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
Hit the ball twice. I played a ball and it was rolling back onto my stumps so I hit it away from the stumps closer to the fielders and looked up to see Jamie Siddons was running towards me, so I ran. The Collingwood captain David Emerson appealed and I was given out hit ball twice
Who was your childhood hero?
Wayne Phillips (South Australia). He was a wicket keeper batter and I loved his style as I used to keep and bat through juniors. Many years later I worked with Wayne at Cricket Australia. A great man who has been a loyal friend and very generous to my son’s. So it was great to meet my hero. Flipper if you are reading this….no you are not my hero still.
Wayne Phillips
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Ang Postecoglou, Harry Kane and Jose Mourinho, love my soccer (football)
Deceased- Douglas Jardine, Harold Larwood, Bill Woodford. I really enjoyed reading about the history and stories behind the bodyline series.
Ang Postecoglou
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Ricky Ponting just sees the game
What was your favourite ground to play at?
Sydney University - great setting and atmosphere. Still have a print of the ground framed in my house.
What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
Melbourne - they were the yardstick and had many state players and it was always a great challenge and battle.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
Winning a senior flag (finally after 32 years of senior cricket) with Mt Clear Cricket Club in Ballarat.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
The flag with Mt Clear was played over 4 days and went down to the last day and we won by 6 runs. It was a great, intense quality game.
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
Craig Berger (Essendon) and Phil Hetherington (Carlton) terrific players who should have played for Victoria. Both good enough with very good records who won their teams many games. Great people, entertaining, very loyal and generous friends. Simon Matthews (Essendon) would provide the form guide and the sportie stories for the afternoon.
What are your hobbies?
Keeping fit, travel a lot and studying in some shape or form over the last 10 years.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
They only have 2 arms and 2 legs. If you are not going to be positive, don’t go out there.
You’re now playing over 50s cricket, what’s the best part of playing veterans cricket and what advice would you offer anyone over 50 who is thinking about playing again?
Feel very grateful to able to play again. Many people over 50 men and women need to go back to their youth not just in playing but focusing on what we can do rather than what we can’t do due to getting older, injury etc.
It is too easy to say we can’t do this or that. When we were young we concentrated on what we could do. So with that in mind work out what you can do with aim of wearing out rather than rusting out. Many examples this year in cricket that life is too short.
What’s your occupation?
Leaving elite sport management after 15 years and changing careers to study law, graduating in 2016, I do some part time teaching combined with some pro bono legal work and some consulting in the NDIS sector around compliance and legal frameworks
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
A little bit with friends in Ballarat and over 50’s veteran’s cricket. We have some games upcoming in Brisbane which should be fun.
You’ve had many years involved in Sport and Managing High Performance. From a cricket perspective what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket at the grassroots levels remained strong and successful on and off the field?
I think outside of the programs of participation the key is to educate coaches to teach the skills of the game. The technical aspects of teaching players how to bat and bowl in a simple way is imperative so players can understand and self-correct. It is harder to teach the technical aspects of cricket than say football or soccer so good coaches and coach education is vital. Cricket is a simple game if coached well.
In addition whilst participation is key in terms of numbers, teaching players that the game is not all about statistics is important. How many games a player wins for their team is as important as a season average of 50 with the bat and 10 with the ball. At junior levels, a player can win games for their team with a good partnership, a quick 20, or a key wicket or run out particularly in shorter form cricket. This can improve the enjoyment, confidence and development of many players.
