Tim Welsford - it’s a marathon, not a sprint
Carlton Cricket Club | February 17, 2023
Tim Welsford joined Carlton Cricket Club for the 2005/06 Victoria Premier Cricket Season after spending 7 seasons with Northcote Cricket Club.
A highly regarded all-round cricketer Tim was a very welcome addition to Carlton and was the first grade captain for a number of years.
Tim is a member of Cricket Victoria 200 Club having played 249 first grade games, 99 for Northcote and 150 for Carlton.
Tim scored 5,293 first grade runs at an average of 25.57 and he hit 5 centuries and 24 half centuries.
With the ball Tim took 406 first grade wickets at an average of 21.97 with best figures of 7 for 65. He took 5 wickets in an innings on 13 occasions and once took ten wickets in a match.
Tim played 5 first class one day games for Victoria in 2004 and 2005.
Let’s find out more about Tim’s journey in the game
Tim Welsford takes his 400th wicket in Victoria Premier Cricket
What year you were born?
1982
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
Filling in for my brothers Under 16 team at the Kangaroo Flat Tech School oval in Bendigo, Vic. Not sure who is was against but I contributed 2 to the total thanks to a healthy edge past slip.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
Played all my juniors at Kangaroo Flat CC in the Bendigo District Cricket Association, then had a couple of years in seniors at Kangaroo Flat before transitioning to Melbourne to start district cricket (now premier) with Northcote CC.
The late Doc Jain was the catalyst to get me to Northcote and at that time the first grade team had just won the premiership and had 7 contracted Victorian players. I thought if I could get a game at Northcote I could get a game anywhere. After 7 seasons at NCC I transferred to Carlton CC where I played another 8 years.
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
The seconds when I was 16 versus South Melbourne at the Harry Trott. A typical rain affected round 1 match in Melbourne.
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
The next week versus Ringwood at Bill Lawry Oval. I was 16 but as I mentioned, we had a huge amount of excellent and experienced players so I really didn’t have to do too much. I was there to listen and learn. Batted lower order, made 2 and got run out at the death, I think. Took at least one wicket, caught at mid-on with someone trying to bomb me back over my head. I would have tried to hit me out of the park too.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
I was an all-rounder, the stats would say stronger bowling than batting.
Tim Welsford
What were your strengths as a player?
I could swing the ball and was reasonably accurate and liked hitting the ball straight which suited both Bill Lawry and Princes Park No 1
What was your highest score in senior cricket? For which club and where
140 not out for Carlton against Northcote at Princes Park No 1, Tim Buszard also got a big hundred that day and we put on 250 plus.
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
Not sure if I’m honest, couple of 7 wicket hauls, one against Melbourne at the Albert comes to mind.
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
Dirk Nannes- absolute wheels and I’m confident he had no idea where they were going
Pete Siddle- seriously fast in a low scoring semi-final at Dandenong on a bowler friendly wicket
Shane Harwood- high rapid action, proper fast, regularly angry and extracted steep bounce
Dirk Nannes
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
Shane Warne- say no more
Abdul Qadar- I was wicket number 72 for him in that season
Bryce McGain- rarely bowled a bad ball, great variation, got the ball to drop out of the air
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
Warren Ayres- strong all around the ground and was so difficult to get out
Michael Klinger- would always get off strike when you didn’t want him to, had every shot
Graeme Rummans- big game player, could seemingly drive and cut the same ball
Warren Ayres
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Evan Gulbis time and time again getting big hundreds in finals. Great that he’s still doing it. Travis Gloury batting with a broken hand against Dirk Nannes in the semi-final against Hawthorn. Michael Allen got a superb hundred against Warney in a grade game.
Was there any bowler in particular who whatever reason always you to cause you a few problems?
Most of them although Matt Albers comes to mind. Hit me in the shin in front of middle year after year.
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?
Always in finals matches when all the state players came back. It was a totally different level.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Darren Berry, Tim Ludeman, Nathan Pilon. All were a different class behind the sticks, particularly standing up which they did regularly to me.
Nathan Pilon
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
I was so very lucky to learn how to play the game with a few of these guys. Darren Berry, David Saker, Tim O’Sullivan, Adam McGinty, Travis Gloury. They set the bar seriously high.
David Saker
You played 5 one day games for Victoria, how do you look back on your career and did you ever think about going interstate?
I wasn’t quite good enough as either a batter or a bowler to play regularly at that level. I was a reasonable option for couple of seasons where teams could play 12 and have a super sub as I could come in a bat or bowl in the second innings (I think I was 12th man 16 times in two seasons).
But I wasn’t nailing down a regular top 6 batting position or first 3 with the ball. When my contract wasn’t renewed at Victoria I did enter the draft but wasn’t picked up. I thought about moving states at that time but was able to get work and transitioned out of the professional cricket space reasonably quickly.
Tim Welsford and David Hussey celebrate a one day for Victoria
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
For the record, Shane Warne is the best captain I played under by a mile. I think it’s a shame he didn’t have more opportunity to do it more often. He captained a game for Victoria and we were significantly undermanned against a full strength WA team and we did it in a canter. He just knew how to unpick players and read the game.
At a grade level I learned from some particularly hard-nosed captains and when I began as skipper at Carlton I fell into the same model. The game and the players changed dramatically in that last decade and I now wish I was quicker to adapt to a new way.
Shane Warne bowling for Victoria
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Too many to name. I really cherish the change room environment and the banter.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
No names but I did enjoy getting involved in on field communications.
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
Getting caught at deep long on for the twelfth time in a season taking on the fielder is pretty embarrassing.
Who was your childhood hero?
Like every other kid who grew up at that time, Dean Jones. So cool, so good. I watched all four days of a rain affected tour match at the QEO in Bendigo between Victoria and England just waiting to catch a glimpse of him. I stood in line with a thousand others to get Deano to sign my copy of “My Call”.
Dean Jones
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
I now live on the North Coast of NSW and if I had the power to meet people it wouldn’t be anyone new. I’d be in a beer garden with my old cricket mates, I miss them dearly, both in Melbourne and in England. One thing Covid has done for me is emphasise the value of these friendships.
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Skull (Kerry O’Keefe), great entertainer.
What was your favourite ground to play at?
MCG, Albert, Junction, Bill Lawry or Princes Park
What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
No particular teams, just finals. One day or two days finals. Strongest teams, often the state and national players (early days) were available. Awesome cricket.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
For me personally two matches- Victoria v West Indies under lights at the MCG, and Victoria v World XI at the Junction. Incredible to be part of those two matches.
Tim Welsford celebrates a wicket with Victoria wicket keeper Adam Crosthwaite
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
Reverse outright win in a semi-final versus Fitzroy at Princes Park was the most amazing match I’ve ever played in.
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
I’m not having three, get them all in.
What are your hobbies?
Golf and fishing get more than their fair share of my time over the weekends now. I am lucky where we live has excellent options for both.
The Carlton boys - Tim Welsford with Chris Salm, Nathan Pilon, Nick Austin all retired at the end of the 2014/15 season
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
No formal involvement anymore. Like most I enjoy reading the scores each week looking for familiar names.
If you were running say Cricket Victoria or another State what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
Not for me to say, particularly as I’m employed by another SSO but I am sure we could solve it at the BBQ mentioned above. The reality is I work in the same office space at the Northern NSW team at Cricket NSW- I see daily the awesome work they do and the passion they have for cricket in the area. The vast majority of people involved in any sport are trying to make it better, sometimes people just come at the solution from different angles.
