Sean Pietersz - know your strengths
Camberwell Magpies Cricket Club | February 15, 2024
Sean Pietersz made his first grade debut for Prahran Cricket Club in 1996. He had 4 seasons with Prahran, 8 for Camberwell Magpies and played 2 games for Fitzroy Doncaster in 2011/2012.
For Prahran he took 56 wickets in 38 games from 1996 to 2000 at an average of 26.16 with best figures of 5 for 44.
In 126 games for Camberwell Magpies Sean took 237 wickets at 21.38 with best figures of 7 for 25.
In Sean 2 games for Fitzroy Doncaster he picked up one wicket at 56.
In Victoria Premier Cricket Career Sean played 166 games and took 294 wickets at 22.41. He took 5 or more wickets in an innings on 6 occasions and 10 or more in 3 games.
With the bat Sean’s highest score was 60 not out in his career total of 880 runs.
Sean also spent two seasons playing for South Launceston Cricket Club in Tasmania Premier Cricket for the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons. He took 56 wickets in 29 games at an average of 14.75 with best figures of 6 for 44.
In first grade premier cricket Sean took 350 first grade wickets in 195 games at an average of 21.19.
Let’s find out more about Sean’s journey in the game.
What year you were born?
1977
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
I can’t remember my first game but definitely some memories from my first season. I was 8 years old and my parents enrolled me in the Heatherdale Cricket Club under 12’s team. I remember rolling out 2 heavy hessian mats onto a concrete pitch which it took about 12 kids to carry each mat from the club rooms to the middle of the ground. I also remember holding a brand-new Red King leather ball in my hand with a high stitched seam and that’s when I decided I wanted to be a fast bowler.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
Heatherdale Cricket Club - From as far as I can remember, I always played cricket and it started with playing in the backyard with dad (who was a cricketer also) and my cousin. My junior cricket was at Heatherdale Cricket Club where I started as an 8-year-old in the Under 12’s and progressed through to Under 16’s. During my Under 16’s years, I occasionally played for North Melbourne CC (Vic Premier Competition) in the afternoon with my dad in the 4th XI as a fill in because they didn’t have enough players.
Prahran Cricket Club - From juniors at Heatherdale Cricket Club, I trialled and got selected at the Prahran CC for the Dowling Shield competition (Under 16’s Vic Premier Cricket competition). I then progressed to senior cricket at Prahran CC where I played through all the grades from the 4th’s through to the 1sts.
Camberwell Magpies Cricket Club - In the 2000/2001 season, I made the move to a rival club and landed at the Camberwell Magpies CC.
South Launceston Cricket Club - I was then lucky enough to move to Tasmania for work opportunities and played 3 seasons at the South Launceston CC (Northern Tasmania Cricket Association) before returning to Camberwell Magpies CC for one last season in 2010/2011.
I also had the good fortune of playing Victorian 2ndXI and Tasmania 2ndXI cricket
Sean Pietersz shatters the stumps
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
My debut was in the North Melbourne CC 4th XI as a 14-year-old.
At what age did you make your first-grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
I was 21 years old and was selected to play day 2 of the game as I recall Ian Hewett was selected to play for Victoria, so I was allowed to replace him. I remember being overwhelmed by the experience and playing with and against guys I had admired and followed week in-week out through scorecards in the newspaper. I think I bowled about 17 overs, took 1 wicket and was cramping because it was a hot day!
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
A tall medium pace opening bowler who was always assigned to bowl uphill and into the breeze! I was a lower order batsman and thought more highly of my batting ability than maybe what I realised I was capable of…just ask my previous captains.
What were your strengths as a player?
Willingness to learn and never give up. On reflection, when I first started senior cricket, I didn’t work hard enough which I believe was purely due to lack of knowledge and self-belief. It was only when I went to Camberwell Magpies CC and a senior teammate taught me the importance of fitness, being physically conditioned & pushing boundaries which developed into strengths of mine. I also always looked for ways to improve and get the most out of myself. Whether it was having unique eating habits, finding alternative ways to get fitter, or pestering others with cricketing questions to learn more, I was never satisfied and always wanted to get better.
I would also say my other strengths were being able to bowl a consistent line and length, wanting to compete, and loved playing the game of cricket.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
In Victoria’s Premier Cricket it was 60 not out and it was for Camberwell Magpies CC in my first game against my old club Prahran CC at Toorak Park. It was an intimidating scenario as we were 7 wickets down for not many runs and Graeme Vimpani was in hospital after a Jon Moss bouncer went through the helmet and grill and busted his nose leaving blood on the pitch, which was visible every time I took guard. I managed to survive an early Bryce McGain LBW appeal trying to sweep and being hit on the pad (which should have definitely been out), however I progressed on and also hit my first and only 6 in Premier Cricket off a Hugh Van Cuylenberg bouncer! That 60 not out score was to the great surprise of my old team mates.
In Tasmania, it was 110 for South Launceston CC and the NTCA Oval 2 and I remember the captain running out at the end of an over when I was on 99 runs just to let me know what score I was on (we didn’t have a big scoreboard).
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
Playing for Camberwell Magpies CC at our home ground (Camberwell Sports Ground) vs Frankston-Peninsula. In that game I got my best figures in a match which was 11 for 53, in which I got 7 for 25 in the 2nd innings. It was an important game to keep us in the hunt for a spot in the finals.
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
It fair to say I am a fast bowling tragic and I analyse everything about fast bowling from the bowling action biomechanics, efficiency, swing, bounce, pace and it goes on…. So with that, I think it is worth noting fast bowlers I played with and against and although I have identified three with detail, there are a few I have also made special mentions on:
Brad Knowles – Camberwell Magpies CC:
As a team-mate and opening bowling partner, Brad could bowl frightingly fast and could swing it and move it off the wicket! He could generally scare and hurt batsmen and there was no drop in effort at any time, he would bowl with 100% effort every ball and the speed stayed at 140km/h plus from the first ball of his spell to the last!
Matthew Innes – Essendon CC, Victoria, West Australia: deceptively fast, swung the ball both ways, and charged in like a bull with amazing accuracy!
Luke Butterworth – Tasmania: I only had the pleasure of playing one game with Luke and it was a Tasmania 2nd XI game at Bellerive Oval but this spell of bowling was one of the best I had seen. He was returning from a back injury and trying to get back into the shield team. He bowled a spell of 16 overs straight and took 7/21 in which he bowled fast and swung the ball.
Special mentions:
Darren Groves – Frankston Peninsula CC: Although not extremely quick, he alibility to hit a good length was relentless, he could bowl all day, and there weren’t many games I played against him where he didn’t take wickets. His record speaks for itself.
Allan Wise – Richmond CC, Victoria, South Australia: awkwardly tall, hit the seam and bowled all day
Will Carr – Dandenong Cricket Club, Victoria: Fast, hit the wicket and his rise from Premier Cricket to State cricket needs to be acknowledged.
Ashely Robertson – Melbourne University Cricket Club, Victoria: A smart bowler, who bowled the best outswinger, and had the most efficient and fluent action I’ve seen.
Brad Knowles
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
I didn’t really face many spinners in my time as a batsmen, and I could never really read spinners either, but with my minimal interaction with spinners, my top 3 would have to be:
Bryce McGain: was accurate and tactical
Aaron Kellett: was a big turner of the ball for an off-spinner.
Andy Gower - Mowbray CC (Tas): a wise head with big ripping leg spinners and had plenty of chat to back up his skills
Bryce McGain
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
There are so many but the three that stand out to me are:
Clinton Peake - Geelong CC, Victoria. Gritty and determined batsman that had so much time to get into position especially against the quicks. Amazingly strong square of the wicket and would pull and cut balls off a good length. I reckon he made runs against us every time we played Geelong CC.
Peter (Pepe) Harper – Melbourne University CC, Richmond CC, Camberwell Magpies CC. Such a relaxed and gifted batsman. He made batting look so easy and nothing bothered him. He could nominate a spot where he wanted to hit the ball and no matter where you bowled it, he would hit it to that spot.
Brad Hodge – Melbourne CC, Victoria, Australia. You just need to see his premier cricket, first-class, and Test record and it’s easy to see why he’s in my top 3! An amazing batsman that smacked me to all parts of the ground every time I played against him!
Clinton Peake
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against? And if you could add a few words as to why
Matthew Elliott scored 201 in a semi-final against Melbourne CC with a strong bowling attack in Shane Harwood, Andrew McDonald, Phil Halbish etc. He was such a gifted cricketer and I had the pleasure of seeing many great innings of his, however there was something special about this one. His mindset was different. It was like he had a point to prove. He opened the batting and started very cautiously and was only around 50 runs after about say 50 overs and showed extreme patience. Then, after a break in play, he flicked a switch and hit the ball to all parts of the ground and some onto St Kilda Road! His next 150 runs came from what seemed to be about 50 balls!
Matthew Elliott
Was there any batsman in particular that stirred the emotions and competitive spirit where you really wanted their wicket?
The competitive spirit was always there no matter who the batsman was, however the emotions escalated when it was a first-class cricketer. It was always the drive to see whether I was up to the challenge and good enough to get them out! Also, any batsman from Melbourne CC or St Kilda CC stirred my emotions!
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Peter Roach was the complete package. He was a good gloveman, gritty batsman, extremely competitive and had a good premier cricket and first class record…and I should note he had plenty to say behind the stumps too! Ha!
I should also give special mention to Adam Crosswaite for his dynamic and acrobatic ability to take some amazing catches, and Jono Weinstock for his work ethic at training and in games.
Peter Roach
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Damian Shanahan at Camberwell Magpies CC: He was a smart cricketer and never gave up. He read the game well and had the ability to change the game with his decision making. He had an overbearing presence against the opposition and it was great to have him on your side, but more importantly he knew each of his team mates so well, their strengths and weaknesses, and instilled this confidence in them in which he knew would get the most out of them.
Matthew Elliott at Camberwell Magpies: Such a skilful and well prepared cricketer and thought so much about the game. His willingness to play premier cricket when he wasn’t playing for Victoria needs to be acknowledge. And when he did play premier cricket, he rarely missed out on making a big score. He was always willing to pass on knowledge and ask questions of you in a way that made you think more about what you needed to do as a bowler.
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
Damian Shanahan for all the reasons noted above.
Asanka Gurusinha at Prahran Cricket Club was good too. He managed to teach a very young team with minimal experience and not much past success, how to play with confidence and what was required to be a good cricketer and to win games.
Damian Shanahan
Who has been your funniest teammate?
Matthew Hayward, who was an outstanding cricketer from Qld and played a season at Camberwell Magpies CC was extremely funny. Everything he did, or said, no matter what the situation was, he’d always be joking around and did it with a laugh every time!
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
Whether it was against the opposition or amongst team-mates, there was always good banter. There was a time where we were fielding and when the new batsman came to the crease, we stopped play and pulled out a modelling photo of his from a magazine (he was a catalogue model) with a pen and asked him to sign it before he faced his first ball.
There was another time when I was at Prahran CC and we were playing against Carlton CC. They had Abdul Qadir as their pro and he got a heap of wickets that year. The week leading up to the game, a guy in our team Chris Seisun was gloating to everyone that he was going to reverse sweep Abdul first ball and he practiced it all week in the nets, keep in mind this was in the late 90’s so the reverse sweep wasn’t a common shot to play. Anyway, sure enough the first ball he faced against Abdul, he played the reverse sweep and hit a catch to 1st slip. We were in hysterics. The chairman of selectors was watching the game and it was fair to say that he never got picked in the 1st XI team again!
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
Being sent in as night watchman in my second 1st XI game to save face in what was a poor display of team batting, however I was out first ball! It was a long and embarrassing walk back off the ground!
Who was your childhood hero?
Curtly Ambrose – Fast, good bounce and a wicket-taker with plenty of swagger!
Curtly Ambrose
What was your favourite ground to play at?
Being bias I would say Camberwell Sports Ground because I got to play there every second week and it had a wicket where there was movement and bounce in the first session then flattened out throughout the day, making a fair wicket for both batting and bowling. However, being a bowler, I always enjoyed the bounce and carry when playing at Melbourne University and Frankston-Peninsula.
What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
St Kilda – at full strength they had a star-studded batting line up in Graeme Rummans, Nick Jewell, Michael Klingler, Shawn Craig, Tim O’Sullivan, Rob Quiney etc. It was an opportunity to challenge yourself against the best in the state and the prize scalp of any of them provided you with a sense of achievement.
What did you enjoy most about playing cricket?
The camaraderie and the mateship. It was also the competitiveness against the opposition and challenging myself to be the best I could.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
For me it was always the close games you weren’t meant to win but did win that stand out and a few semi-finals come to mind.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
Camberwell Magpies were playing a strong St Kilda CC in a two-day game at the Junction Oval and St Kilda CC batted first and decided to bat for all of day one and well into day two. Shaun Craig opened the batting and was one of the last to be dismissed on 160 plus. We finally dismissed them in the 133rd over for a total of 346 runs.
We were fairly annoyed and had 60 plus overs to chase the score. Most teams would have played for a draw and I reckon St Kilda were thinking we would do the same if they didn’t bowl us out first.
Our captain Damian Shanahan and coach Anthony McQuire had other ideas and we set a really structured plan to chase down the score and broke it down into three blocks of 20 overs each and set a target for each block. Everything went to plan and we chased it down with a few overs to spare.
Jon Moss who was one of the best allrounders I’ve seen scored an outstanding 123 runs. It was one of the most exhilarating run chases I was involved in and to do it against St Kilda made it even sweeter. I was the next batter in, but thankfully wasn’t required!
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
Dan Morgan – South Launceston CC: Dan is a must! He provides enough entertainment, wit and laughter that you don’t need anyone else there at the BBQ.
Jono Weinstock – always great for laugh and loves talking cricket – a bit of a cricket tragic and always has a new business venture idea on the go which I enjoy hearing about! He’d also suggest sneaking out for some Hungry Jacks after the BBQ.
Phil Halbish – Has a memory like an elephant so will keep us entertained with past cricket stories that I would have forgotten over the years! I’ll fling him the apron too and he can cook the BBQ!
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Tiger Woods – would love to walk around the course with him and get him to talk through every shot he is going to hit and what his thoughts are prior to the shot. He could also give me some golfing tips to help me improve which would be handy.
Phil Jackson – his success as a coach at the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers was at another level, and how did he manage to keep all those superstars and egos playing as a team.
Glenn McGrath – I would enjoy hearing how he prepared himself to be one of the best fast bowlers in the world through persistence and resilience. And apparently, he can name the batter of all of his 563 test wickets in order! Amazing!
Phil Jackson
What are your hobbies?
I’m obsessed with Golf and although I don’t play enough, when I do play I enjoy everything about being outdoors, admiring the course structure, the layout, and trying to beat it!
Spending time with my wife and kids and assisting with their sporting interests ie: coaching etc
I’m a bit of a ‘wanna be’ handyman too and love attempting projects around the house
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
From a cricket perspective it was “Know your strengths, but be able to adapt to the situation of the game!” and “consistency and pressure will get you more wickets than variation and the occasional jaffa”!
From a personal perspective it was “do what’s right” and “make good choices”.
What is your current occupation?
I’m a National Relationship Manager at CGU Insurance in which I have worked there for 25 years. It’s a long time at one organisation, but it’s a great place to work with so many great current and past employees.
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
Yes, and I don’t see myself ever not being involved. I am currently the Cricket Operations Manager and bowling coach at Fitzroy-Doncaster CC where I’ve been part of the coaching structure for the past 9 years. I also assist with my youngest daughter’s Stage 1 girls team at Nunawading CC.
Fitzroy Doncaster Premiers in 2015/16 - Sean Pietersz is the bowling coach
If you were running Cricket Vic what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
Don’t search interstate for cricketers, we’ve got plenty here in Victoria so we should utilise our talent pool. And reward and select cricketers to play for Victoria based on their performance in Premier Cricket or Future’s League. Too often now selection is based on talent ID and going through the underage pathway program.
Coaching a Premier Club is a huge commitment and Cricket Victoria should financially support cricket clubs more for this particular role.
