Redlands Tigers Cricket Tales - One Fine Day in 1999
Redlands Tigers Cricket Club | February 09, 2023
Two former Easts/Redlands players share their recollections about the team that won the One Day premiership against University of Queensland in 1998/99.
Paul Stenhouse (first-grade cap #497)
A great mix of experience and youth on that side and some seriously good players. I think six guys played first-class cricket with two representing Australia.
I’d just returned from knee surgery and played a 2nd-grade game the day before, getting 120 or something like that against Sunshine Coast. Got an unexpected call to back up in this final...so glad I did play. My time was coming to an end, think I played one more season in firsts before knowing the knees were cooked and it was time for the younger guys to get their opportunities.
This was the first trophy in the top grade for Easts-Redlands. It was very special because I was a member of the 1989-90 First Grade premiership side, which was the last trophy for Easts top grade before the merger.
The move to the Redlands was a big thing at the time, but on reflection, the vision of the committee and those that did the deal was outstanding. The facilities at Wellington Point are second to none around the country for a grade club. Peter Burge Oval is a fine memorial for the great man.
Hutch (Paul Hutchison) - he could do just about everything once he set foot on the turf. No longer with us, RIP mate.
Hoody (Steve Hood) - what a classic bloke, massive ticker, bowl all day, and drink and smoke all night. Just couldn’t understand what he was saying when out at night, but he’d always finish the sentence (whatever it was) with a big laugh and his arm around your shoulder.
Ryan Poole - remember him keeping at Norths with me beside him at first slip and he had a bit of an ‘accident’....said ‘Rock - can you just check’ - yep, he had to go off at the end of the over for a bit. Good bat along with his glove work. Never really got the opportunities he deserved, but I enjoyed being beside him at slips. Did fire up at times....good for a laugh.
Shaggy (Matt Hayward) - so much said by other guys in posts about him, gee he could bat. So much talent.
Wesley Aspeling - pretty quiet from memory but a great arm and could swing the ball both ways, think he came into his own once us older blokes finished.
Damien MacKenzie - great fella, and quick. Hit the ball a mile too, so proud to see a kid you played with get a Bulls cap. Generous too, gave away so much of his kit, I still have stuff in an old coffin. Hated getting out, very cranky young man.
Brilliant reconnecting and playing Over 40’s this year with Wesley Aspeling and Damien MacKenzie from this side.
Watto (Shane Watson) - unbelievable success for the 16yr old that came into our first-grade side when I was 32 and his skipper. He worked so hard and was hard on himself, but wow, didn’t it pay off. His move to Tassie made him and didn’t he cop it from the Qld guys, unfairly in my thoughts, but he got the last laugh and was capped many times over than the ones that were bagging him. Rate him as a bloke too.
Spud (Brad Murphy) - has played and coached all over the world and I doubt anyone could guess how many first-class and test players have been under his guidance at some point. Knees were worse than mine and used to eat Voltaren like Smarties to get through. Tough as nails and might block the first ball he faced, but after that, do not be short leg!
Fish (Craig Stone) - what a good fella, watched him come through as a kid, into a genuine quality all-rounder. He sat in dressing rooms with some legends of the club and was always positive with bat or ball. I never used to go out much, but when Fish, Jezza, Pooley, Hoody, etc were with you, was always a good time and some ordinary dance moves!
Mahbo (Jimmy Maher) - another of a long list of first-class players that came to Easts/Easts Redlands to captain the firsts before becoming the Queensland Captain. His record speaks for itself, seriously good bat and so so fast between wickets. I ran myself out one day when he got a 200 against Souths after being dropped from the Bulls team....couldn’t keep up with him. In a different era, he would have played more than one-day games for Australia. How good in the field....and at City Rowers!! Still, the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on TV post the Shield win being interviewed on the Footy Show. He was stitched up, but gotta give it to him, he owned it, faced the music, and powered through. One of the best I’ve played with.
Matt Petrie - consistent bowler and a lovely kid, pretty quiet when we played and did well in the years post this photo. One of the youngsters that I was pleased to see did well. The move to Valleys worked too, but hope he enjoyed the time with the Easties. Great to see his young family growing now too.
Daniel Payne - how good a fieldsman was this bloke! He and Mahbo in the team meant any singles in the circle weren’t easy! Again, wonderful to see a youngster be successful, pretty sure he won at least one Shield. Outstanding and could bat....not a basher of the ball, but good cricketer. Underrated bowler by many, other than himself, always wanted a bowl.
Kiwi (John Thorburn) - our stalwart scorer. Didn’t own a car I don’t think but travelled by train or catching a lift to games the entire time I played. Did a thankless job and wore the same clothes to games every week I reckon. Handed me a wagon wheel after I got a duck at the Gabba ......he got a reasonably short response where he could put the wagon wheel. One of the iconic characters from the Crab Pot.
Dom Cassell
There’s plenty to remember about that day and the time in general at Tigerland. We were still kind of finding our identity as a club after moving to Wellington Point from Coorparoo in the mid-90s and it was a dry few years without many finals appearances or silverware to show for it. As a young(ish) bloke on the fringes of the top grades, I remember looking at that team and wondering who you could displace from it to get a spot. For me the answer was nobody!
In the times before live streaming and MyCricket you had to go to the game to know what was going on, and there was a pretty good support base at AB Field that day. The tiger boys certainly made a lot of noise and started the party pretty early. Well before the result of the game was known!
The grand final itself was a pretty low scoring game (they’re always the best), there was nothing in it with the scoreline being 168 to 165. When we set a Uni team containing all sorts of first-class players 169 to win it seemed like it would be a tough ask. But we just kept taking wickets at crucial times and held on for a great win. I remember Macka bowling the house down especially but every bowler and fielder had a blinder to be fair. The boys barely put a foot wrong which was exactly what had to happen from ball one.
