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Q: In 1975/1976, my first season at St Peters, the A Grade players formed a formidable squad combining a group of seasoned players, with a selection of younger fellows being” blooded” for future experience.
All the Club’s records and score-books have gone missing ,apart from an incomplete minute book, so to my best recollection the A Grade team that represented the club throughout that season comprised, Stephen Mc Mahon, who was thrust into the captaincy, based on “Sydney- experience”, Bede Ryan, Ian Watts , who I have referred to previously, Stuart McDowell, David Mitchell, Keith Smith ( wicket-keeper), David Armitage ( Snr), Luke Foster, John Thompson, Mark McCann and youngsters, Stuart Hutton, Brian Bower and David’s sons, David (Jnr) and James Armitage.
All the Club’s records and score-books have gone missing ,apart from an incomplete minute book, so to my best recollection the A Grade team that represented the club throughout that season comprised, Stephen Mc Mahon, who was thrust into the captaincy, based on “Sydney- experience”, Bede Ryan, Ian Watts , who I have referred to previously, Stuart McDowell, David Mitchell, Keith Smith ( wicket-keeper), David Armitage ( Snr), Luke Foster, John Thompson, Mark McCann and youngsters, Stuart Hutton, Brian Bower and David’s sons, David (Jnr) and James Armitage.
https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/443/kevin-pike/blog/1086/the-70s-a-story-of-premierships-and-club-spirit-at-st-peters-cricket-club
blog post
The atmosphere at the St Peters Club’s watering hole on Saturday after cricket was wonderful! Mind you this was in the days before RBT started changing our bad habits for the better. The Club’s ...
question
Q: Country club cricket in the 1970’s was, I suspect at an all-time high, both in standard and player numbers. It saddens me now to see that in many country- townships, cricket is either non-existent or close to it. When I was recruited to play with St Peters Cricket Club in Armidale in its 1975/1976 pre-season recruiting campaign, I gained the impression that St Peters was a club on the way up.
The next decade in fact proved to be the “golden era” for St Peters CC. On a recent visit to the cricket archives in Armidale, Mike Porter, the President of our Regional Association for over three decades, presented to me the historic records of premiership teams, with St Peters winning over the ensuing decade, five club championships, three A Grade Premierships, one 2nd Grade Premiership and two 3rd Grade Premierships.
St Peters was a club that was managed well during my many years there. There was an emphasis on supporting and promoting junior cricket with many senior players like Bede Ryan, Ian Watts and Brian Gream, spending many seasons coaching junior school and representative teams on their Saturday mornings, before their competition matches in the after-noon. These fellows made a huge impression on generations of younger cricketers, through their dedication and obvious love for the sport. They imparted not only the cricketing fundamentals, but also the importance of tradition and respect for the game.
I remember early on in my introduction to the senior players, Ian in a semi-serious mood during after match pub celebrations (or was it commiserations?), stating one of his often quoted dry one-liners- “You need a sense of humour to play cricket”!
The next decade in fact proved to be the “golden era” for St Peters CC. On a recent visit to the cricket archives in Armidale, Mike Porter, the President of our Regional Association for over three decades, presented to me the historic records of premiership teams, with St Peters winning over the ensuing decade, five club championships, three A Grade Premierships, one 2nd Grade Premiership and two 3rd Grade Premierships.
St Peters was a club that was managed well during my many years there. There was an emphasis on supporting and promoting junior cricket with many senior players like Bede Ryan, Ian Watts and Brian Gream, spending many seasons coaching junior school and representative teams on their Saturday mornings, before their competition matches in the after-noon. These fellows made a huge impression on generations of younger cricketers, through their dedication and obvious love for the sport. They imparted not only the cricketing fundamentals, but also the importance of tradition and respect for the game.
I remember early on in my introduction to the senior players, Ian in a semi-serious mood during after match pub celebrations (or was it commiserations?), stating one of his often quoted dry one-liners- “You need a sense of humour to play cricket”!
https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/443/kevin-pike/blog/1053/you-need-a-sense-of-humour-to-play-cricket
blog post
Chapter 2 - You need a sense of humour to play cricket!Country club cricket in the 1970’s was, I suspect at an all-time high, both in standard and player numbers. It sadde ...
question
Q: Memoirs and Journey of a Cricket Tragic - Kevin Pike "The early days"
One of Dad’s great friends was John O’ Brien, who was also like my father, a dedicated family man, and both raising large families in Armidale. John was a lovely, big bear of a man. He was a well- known grazier in the area, and owned Tilbuster Station and played with Easts Cricket Club in Armidale.
“ Kevin “,he said ,”You can bowl that red leather ball at me as fast as you like and I will hit that moving ball every time, but try as I might ,do you think I can hit that little white golf ball on the ground standing still!”
One of Dad’s great friends was John O’ Brien, who was also like my father, a dedicated family man, and both raising large families in Armidale. John was a lovely, big bear of a man. He was a well- known grazier in the area, and owned Tilbuster Station and played with Easts Cricket Club in Armidale.
“ Kevin “,he said ,”You can bowl that red leather ball at me as fast as you like and I will hit that moving ball every time, but try as I might ,do you think I can hit that little white golf ball on the ground standing still!”
https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/443/kevin-pike/blog/1028/memoirs-and-journey-of-a-cricket-tragic-kevin-pike-quotthe-early-daysquot
blog post
Chapter One “Early Days and my cricket stories begin”My family moved to Armidale, a Cathedral City on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales early in 1956, at the ag ...
question
Q: When it comes to inter-state sporting rivalry, nothing whets the appetite of sporting enthusiasts more than NSW against Queensland!
In 2002 Kevin Pike recalls being at the Gabba Test (Hayden’s Test) and running into an old school mate, Geoff Gallagher, who played with the Queensland Cricketers Club. Queensland Cricketers Club, I knew, played their season as a Veterans Touring side and soon after with Geoff’s introduction I met the famous Lew Cooper, manager of QCC. Lew was a gentleman of cricket and a great raconteur and after several telephone calls between us we set up the annual clashes between Armidale Golden Oldies and QCC with the first match played at Federation Park, Tenterfield on 9th March 2002.
In 2002 Kevin Pike recalls being at the Gabba Test (Hayden’s Test) and running into an old school mate, Geoff Gallagher, who played with the Queensland Cricketers Club. Queensland Cricketers Club, I knew, played their season as a Veterans Touring side and soon after with Geoff’s introduction I met the famous Lew Cooper, manager of QCC. Lew was a gentleman of cricket and a great raconteur and after several telephone calls between us we set up the annual clashes between Armidale Golden Oldies and QCC with the first match played at Federation Park, Tenterfield on 9th March 2002.
https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/443/kevin-pike/blog/1027/cooper-finlay-veterans-cricket-ndash-state-of-origin
blog post
When it comes to inter-state sporting rivalry, nothing whets the appetite of sporting enthusiasts more than NSW against Queensland!In 2002 Kevin Pike recalls being at the Gabba Test (Hayden ...
