Evan 'Banger' Bancroft - MC
Redlands Tigers Cricket Club | February 09, 2023
Evan Bancroft, known to all as ‘Banger’ is a passionate Tigers man.
Starting out with Easts as a 17 year and still playing over 40’s cricket, Banger has such an infectious personality he brings a smile to all.
He can talk, in fact he does it professionally as an MC and he shares some great tales as we look back at his journey playing the game.
What year you were born?
1962
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
I was playing in Rabaul PNG with the men as a 12 year old. I dropped a catch and didn’t bat, maybe it was a sign.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
I played at primary school in PNG then school cricket at Churchie and Wynnum North High School. My junior cricket was with the Vikings then I played all my grade career with Easts, now Redlands.
Winter cricket with a club as a junior called St Oswalds and had a few great years with Tickles
I played a season in England with Winchmore Hill which was a lot of fun.
What other sports do you play?
Golf very poorly
At what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
I played in Easts Under 18s at 17 and then played fourth grade the year after.
At what age did you make your first-grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed on debut?
I was 27 years and we played Sandgate. It was a great thrill as I never thought I would get the chance to play first grade. I took 2 wickets and scored 23 not out batting 11.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
Express pace when bowling to Primary school kids but in first grade I’d be considered a medium pacer inswing bowler which unfortunately gets picked off in first grade. If I had an outie I’d have played 100 Tests.
I batted in the top 7 or 8 in seconds to thirds and 10 or 11 in firsts.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
110 in 3rd Grade for Easts against Norths on Bottomley 2. The wicket was nicknamed the moon and I only answered to Neil Armstrong for the rest of the night. Greg White said enjoy the celebrations Banger as you won't score another one. When I was in the 90s the Norths players said the same thing. They were also telling me to keep my head down and get the hundred as it’d be like the man on the moon, a very rare occurrence.
Then when the umpire told me to put my head down I knew it was my day. Whitey was right, I never did score another one, it was my only ever 100.
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
6 for 12 in 4th Grade and in the same innings David ‘Spacey’ Trower got 4 wickets and we rolled the opposition for 30 after we were all out for 40. It was a wet wicket and our captain Steve Campbell won the toss and batted. It was a good call in the end!!
Who have been the best fast bowlers you have played against?
I didn’t bat very long against them but all the legends in my only full year of first grade. Rackemann, Tazelaar, McDermott, Rowell, Kasprowicz, Muller (he could bowl and field and is a ripping bloke), Brendan Creevey, Mick Mainardt, Scott Williams and Bob McGhee
Non first class, Brendan Buckley, Danny Mullins and the fastest spell was Brett Mortimer, he was actually scary. He smashed my box into pieces.
Who has been the best three spinners you have played against?
Malcolm Franke, he told me “you’re not fit to clean my boots Bancroft and why are you playing first grade”, I loved his honesty.
Brett Henschell was very good and I will also mention a good mate as he went to Wests for a year, Greg Ward, he had so much ability on and off the field.
Queensland Veterans Cricket
Who has been the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
Peter Clifford and Stuart Law both had so much time. Mark Gaskell just smashed grade attacks and Glenn Trimble was scary, there were lots of good ones.
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Steve Storey hit 170 on the same day I made my debut against Sandgate, it was ridiculous how well he hit the ball and every innings Greg Ritchie played was worth watching.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
I’m very biased here as I played with him, Peter Anderson for pure glove work was a genius.
Ian Healy was fantastic as well and went on to be Australia’s wicket keeper of the century but I didn’t see a lot of him first hand as he was on the telly most of the time for Australia.
We had some great club keepers in Brisbane, Peter Drinnen, Spud Murphy, Ian Duncan, Gavin Fitness and Ian Elks plus many others.
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
At Easts Mal Freeman was just hard and loved winning. I loved Brendan Buckley and Brendan Creevey from Sandgate. Even though we were tailenders Bucks and I would always bounce each other first ball. I loved blokes like John ‘Buz’ Stower, Barney Elder, Dean Tuckwell and Bruce Ibbotson as well. The list goes on, so many great blokes, sorry only two I know.
Mal Freeman
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
My third grade skipper Jock Macleod was a great skipper, he was a very smart human and that transferred to the field. Mal Freeman and Greg Ritchie who shared the captaincy in 89 when we won the premiership.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
This is a big club but for pure comic genius David ‘Spacey’ Trower.
We played with a bloke called Desmond Keen and Spacey called him Two Three. I asked him why? And Spacey replied, “There is already a Desmond two two”.
Don Smith, Greg Ritchie, John Salter and Kent Waddell after a few beers all a close second.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
I was captain of 2nd Grade in 1991 and we had a very good side that eventually won the flag. We played it very hard on and off the field.
QLD cricket rang me and said that we needed to tone down our banter and I told the lads before play “if you are going to sledge please make it funny.”
First ball Wayne Clayton bowls and the batsmen plays and misses. Peter Torr at short leg said to the batsmen, “Nice Shot (with an expletive starting with C)”. He then turned to me and said “is that funny enough skipper”. The whole ground including the batsmen and the umpires just lost it.
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
In a first grade game I was batting 11 and Mal Freeman was 96 not out and we’d put on 20 for the last wicket and needed 6 to win.
Rowdy (Mal Freeman) said to see out the last ball and he will score the winning runs and get his 100 in the next over. ‘No worries”, I said to the skipper.
Malcom Franke tosses one up like I’m some sort of 6th grader and I decided that I could hit it down the ground and onto the roof of the Crab Pot. I thought Rowdy scores a 100 every second week so no big deal, this is my time.
I swung so hard and was stumped by three yards. I walked off the ground, got in the car and drove home. No team mates stopped me either. It was the only time in my career I never stayed for a beer after the game.
Who was your childhood hero?
Greg Chappell, Kim Hughes and Jeff Thomson
Evan as MC on stage with Hughes, Chappell and Thomson
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Tiger Woods, just to play golf with him, Keith Miller (RIP) and Garfield Sobers
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Frank Tyson, Tony Cozier and Bill Lawry
What was your favourite ground to play at?
The dirty old dump but Bottomley now Peter Burge Oval was sacred. The ground at Winchmore Hill was magnificent.
Was there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
I honestly just loved cricket and loved the tough cricket and drinks after the game from all teams. Many of my closest friends today were opposition players. I did enjoy games against Toombul and Sandgate in the latter stages of my career.
The sledging at times was absolutely brutal but I never ever saw one bit of that carried over the white line. As an older cricketer it was a lot of fun watching our young blokes after the game saying “Are you seriously going to drink with those F… Wits.”
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
The three premierships. I captained two, one in thirds and one in seconds (great teams and lucky I was captain so I could be in the teams). To win a first grade premiership in my only full year in firsts was incredible.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
All premierships are fantastic but I would have to say the second grade premiership because of the game.
We were 9 down in both innings passing Valley total. Our no 11 Wayne Clayton slogged a four after playing and missing three times in the over.
Unfortunately I dropped a very good player and bloke in Jamie Timmins who was in a form slump for a third grader in Ben Armstrong. Ben scored 140 not out and won the game for us. I still to this day feel for Jamie.
The Valley side was full of champion blokes including my good mate Gavin Brown. We felt for them as well as the game could’ve have gone either way.
Who are the players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
Can't answer this one from people that are still with us. Would be like picking your favourite child so I will go with a few blokes who are no longer with us.
My late brother Andy, Russell Hinchcliffe and Peter ‘Sting’ Charles. Throw in Jimmy Wilkin, Mark Hayde, Peter Sherman and Paul Hutchison and I reckon I would have a ripping afternoon. Maybe John Salter as the token bloke still with us alive to add some spice to the sledging banter.
Who is your favourite sports movie or documentary?
Any replay of Queensland first Sheffield Shield final win
What’s the one thing about you most people don’t know about?
I used to suffer from nerves a lot and I’d vomit before going out to bat. A lot of team mates and even the opposition thought I had been on the drink.
I was dry reaching on my way out to bat in my first grade debut. Trevor Barsby said “Banger you waited this long to play A grade and you have been on the drink the night before your debut. “ I just smiled..
What are your hobbies?
Love the horse races, spending time with my family and believe it or not, I’ve enjoyed gardening in the last few years.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
I can’t specifically think of anything but I was brought up to respect people and try and find the good in people.
What is your current occupation?
Professional Master of Ceremonies and Speaking. Due to COVID-19 I have been helping my wife Jo with her Real Estate business and the Just Havin a Crack podcast with my mate Greg Blake, it’s a lot of fun.
Let’s give your wife’s employer a plug?
My wife works for Ray White Metro West so if you’re selling in the Western Suburbs give us a call.
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
I still play over 40s for Redlands (just) and coach at Gregory Terrace and also do some participation coaching work with QLD cricket. All a lot of fun.
Redlands Over 40s team
If you were running Cricket Queensland what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in Queensland remained strong and successful on and off the field?
I think QLD Cricket have really turned it around in the last few years and are doing a great job.
I think the old chestnut in grassroots always needs extra help. Peter Anderson suggested recently on our podcast to push first grade cricket starting time back to 12pm and play till 6pm would keep the 30 plus year olds in the game longer. That would help the young blokes coming through. I liked the idea but can see the argument both ways, maybe try it in 2nds first and see how it goes.
