Mark Thornton - always acknowledge applause and accolades
Queanbeyan District Cricket Club | February 05, 2023
Mark Thornton had a long and distinguished cricket career playing in the ACT. Mark has won multiple first grade premierships and represented ACT from under age team’s rights through to the seniors.
He was part of a record breaking ACT batting scorecard and now lives on the Gold Coast running his own business.
Let’s find out more about Mark’s journey in the game
What year you were born?
1960 in Bankstown and we lived in Panania. Left Sydney and moved to Canberra when I was 6.
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
1969 at Queanbeyan . No idea how I went as I was more interested in Rugby League back then.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
We moved to Canberra in 1970 and I attended Marist College until 1977. I played under age cricket and First XI with Marist and I was selected in the Marist “Australian XI” in 1977 with Peter O’Reilly who was my class mate all through school.
I was selected for the ACT from under 14s, through to Schoolboys, Colts and seniors in 1982. I also played grade cricket with South Woden from 1975 until they were merged with Woden in 1984. I went to Queanbeyan as Captain Coach in 1985-1989.
We won the 1st Grade Premiership 3 years in a row plus 2 one day comps and 2 twilights (a forerunner to 20/20) in my time there. I also played in 1982 South Woden and 1985 Woden Premiership teams.
I had always played Rugby Union as well, including a game for the ACT, but my continuing shoulder problems curtailed that career. This enabled me to play in England in Durham in 1985 and Bolton in 1988-90. I met a lady in Bolton who I married in 1990 and moved to the Gold Coast on my return to Australia. I was appointed Captain Coach of Mudgeeraba in 1990 but was forced to retire due to work commitments in 1992.
After trying to play Golf for 13 years I was coaxed into playing cricket again in the inaugural over 40s comp in 2005 for Broadbeach. I was 45 and ruptured my ACL in the first year. I came back and ended up playing through to 2019. I became captain in 2009 and we won 3 premierships in a row again. We actually won 4 in 5 years.
As I was getting older my talent and fitness started to wane as did my training regime. I’ve played quite a few game with the QLD Cricketers Club from 2013. I did get a start in one of the QLD over 50s sides in Orange in 2018. I’ve played a couple of games for the Gold Coast Over 60s and I might give it one last crack if I can regain some fitness.
Queanbeyan District Cricket Club First Grade premiers 1985-86
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
I first played with South Woden in 1974/75 at the age of 15 and had a fairly good year in 4th grade.
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 the following season in 1976/77 at age 16, and was runout for 22. I also bowled a few overs. Our club had imported the then ACT Captain Kerry Owen as well as a few others that year and came last. The following year I was promoted along with Peter O’Reilly, John Bull and Peter Stanek and we made the semis.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
A little complicated. I started as an opening batsman, then opening bowler, then middle order batsmen. I debuted for ACT as an opener and toured NZ with ACT side in 1982. We then played NZ in 3 one day games at Manuka and another against the first Sri Lankan team to tour Australia.
I then had a 6 year self-imposed exile from Rep cricket and returned as a number 7 and first change bowler and vice-captain.
What were your strengths as a player?
I knew my limitations but was reasonably handy at most things (except fielding perhaps). I could attack when required and was consistent, however I got out myself out way too many times when set. I could bowl tightly when required and I was a wicket taker. I have a fairly good captaincy record also.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
110 for ACT in my second game as opener vs Southern NSW. Got a few 90s including 97 batting 9 when we scored 728 in a semi.
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
7 for 47 for Astley Bridge in 1988 and 6 for 34 for Queanbeyan. My best bowling however was 4 for 68 off 34 straight overs uphill into the wind with a terrible hangover in what was to be my last game with South Woden against the top side that year. The other opening bowler that day was a 16 year old Greg Rowell who was about 2 feet shorter than what he is today.
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
Ken McLeod was rapid and he tried to kill me one day. I had managed to avoid him all year. I had often had a drink with him socially. Anyway when our Premiership run came to an end we played our arch rivals Easts at Manuka. They were captained by Neil Fairbrother (no love lost there). They had batted over 5 sessions to shut us out of finals. Then we had 90 minutes to bat. Our normal number 3, who is the current Australian over 50s captain, didn’t want to bat that day so I went in and faced the music.
Kenny bowled me 5 bouncers in a row, I hardly saw them. Fairbrother and Eugene Nix were sledging the crap out of me. It was actually quite funny looking back at it but terrifying at the time. The Frost brothers who opened were running byes off his bouncers.
I was honoured to face Richard Hadlee vs NZ as an opener and was lucky to get a bat on the first 7 or 8 balls I faced. He hit me in those old rubber thigh pads in the same spot about 3 balls in a row. Anyway our opening partnership was 50 in the first two games I got 20 odd but we both got ducks in the third game.
Canberra didn’t have any real quick bowlers at the time. I played against a few in West Indians in Bolton. Vasbert Drakes was sharp but I got a few against him.
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
I remember coming up against a South Australian in the 1977 Schoolboys carnival Malcom Dolman. He won bowler of that carnival. He was a Chinamen bowler. The ball used to “fizz” at you.
My old mate Graeme Smith in Canberra took around 1000 wickets over 20 years. He took 4 for 5 in a semi at age 49 in his last season for us.
I played a West Indian in England , Clyde Butts. The wickets were very ordinary and bounced and fizzed, he was very awkward.
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
Jamie Siddons, Mark Taylor in England. I did get them both out cheaply but they both smashed us as well.
I played against Dean Waugh and batted with him in a charity game against a Lancashire team in Bolton. We put on 120 and I got 30 and I could go alright. He smashed them everywhere. We didn’t get tired from running between the wickets.
I played with and against a young Michael Bevan, you could see he was going to be special.
My three best team mates were John Bull, Peter Solway and Peter O’Reilly.
Jamie Siddons
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
I saw Jamie Siddons get 125 against us in Bolton. He got out to a slow office, he still had 20 overs to go I reckon he could have got 250 that day.
Was there any bowler in particular who whatever reason always you to cause you a few problems?
A guy called Dene Moore in Canberra. He won heaps of competition. He was brilliant on a seaming Canberra wicket. He got me first ball in the Grand Final
Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used to in grade cricket and you really had to knuckle down to survive?
I enjoyed representative cricket and usually performed fairly well. I also enjoyed playing top players. I did well against Mark Taylor in England dismissing him cheaply twice when he was breaking all sorts of League records.
Also in the mid-80s a lot of County and future Test players started playing in Canberra. This lifted the standard of the competition and you had to lift your own performance to compete. They were a great benefit to everyone people like, Mike Watkinson, Neil Fairbrother, Steve O’Shaunessy, Ken Mcleod and Gordon Greenidge.
We had good local juniors coming through such as Bevan and Rowell who went on to bigger and better things.
Gordon Greenidge
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Michael Carruthers at Queanbeyan was really talented and a great bat, Steve Haynes an ex county player was our captain when we were in our teens and in Bolton a guy called Karl Krikken who went on to a county career.
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Neil Bulger was a champion player and could do anything, I believe he is still playing at 70. He was a gentleman but let me tell you he was competitive. He could drink for Australia as well.
Daryl Stevenson came across as a joker but could play and could hit a very long ball.
Neil Bulger at the opening of Neil Bulger Oval
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
I didn’t have too many as I captained a lot starting at the age of 20. Probably Steve Haynes was a bit older than us and had good experience in County cricket. Mike Watkinson captained a few times and I learnt a bit off him as well.
Mike Watkinson - former Lancashire Cricket Captain
Who was the umpires you admired most in the way they were able to manage a game?
Not sound unkind but they were a fairly ordinary bunch in Canberra in the 70s and 80s. There was one known as Big Eddy a fairly large man. He didn’t live far from me so I often gave him a lift when he umpired us. I don’t recall being given out LBW whilst he was umpiring.
A Gold Coast umpire Les Garraway is a great guy.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Graeme Smith and Phil Gerrans in the Schoolboys. John Fish in over 40s.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
The McLeod over I mentioned earlier.
Another time we played Phil Gerrans who I mentioned above and was a very good player. He was hit on the pads absolutely plumb but he was unbelievably given not out by an umpire who was life member of his club. To his credit Phil “walked” on an LBW.
Technically he wasn’t out, but he had to walk out of his crease to get to the dressing sheds. The ball had trickled out to gully and one of the boys picked it up and threw down the stumps so he was actually run out. He took it very well but it was funny.
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
Golden duck in my first First Grade Grand Final at age 18. I vowed I’d never do it again. Dropping a catch at mid on and being hit in the mouth and nearly knocked out was quite amusing to some.
Who was your childhood hero?
Doug Walters. I was lucky to play against him in a Tooheys Cup game in 1982.
Doug Walters
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
I used to love listening to John Arlott as a small boy during the English tests we listened to on the radio. I like Kerry O’Keefe and Mark Waugh out of the current lot.
What was your favourite ground to play at?
Kingston Oval Canberra-it was good to bat and bowl on. I loved batting at Manuka but hated bowling there.
What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
In Canberra we always got up for games against Easts and Weston Creek. We had the wood on both of those teams most of the time and they were our closest competitors.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
A few spring to mind. Winning the twilight and being named man of the series in 1985 after being out for nearly 4 months with a snapped Achilles is hard to beat. Got 4 for 15 in semi and 74 in final. The Tooheys cup game at Bruce Stadium batting with Tony Grieg and being man of the match in front of 10,000 people was great, and from a team perspective scoring 728 in a semi final was surreal.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
Any of the Grand Final wins. 1985 twilight, 1986 record breaking 728 in semi.
An over 40s semi win was a bit special. We had only scored 114. They were 3 for 97 with 8 overs left. A batsman had just retired at 40. They came to the last over 9 for 112 and the retired batsman came back in and he was bowled off the last ball of the last over. It was a great “choke”
Broadbeach Over 40's
Mark Thornton and Peter Clifford - Cricketers Club
What are your hobbies?
Walking on the beach now is enjoyable, something I couldn’t do in Canberra or Bolton!
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
After playing well in that Tooheys Cup game I received a great ovation. I was a little embarrassed and kept my head down. Our team manage pulled me aside and said to always acknowledge applause and accolades. I never forgot that.
What is your occupation?
I have my own Mortgage Broking business Thornton & Co.
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
If I get fit again I’ll play over 60s.
