Todd Campbell - leader
Hamilton Wickham District Cricket Club | February 17, 2023
Todd Campbell is Hamilton Wickham District Cricket Club first grade player number 146 and a former first grade captain.
Todd has the impressive record of being the premiership winning captain in Ham Wicks 4 first grade premierships.
He’s always been a leader so let’s find out more about his journey in the game
What year you were born?
18 November 1976.
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
Not really, I’m told I started playing for East Maitland as a 6 year old in the Under 10’s, but my earliest memories are playing for City United (in Maitland) as a 10 or 11 year old.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
I started off in grade cricket for City United in Maitland, went to Newcastle 1st grade as a 15 year old and played one season for Newcastle Uni. A brief stint at Balmain for Green Shield cricket and an odd grade game, before playing most of my senior career with the Hamilton Wickham 1st grade side in the Newcastle competition. I stopped playing relatively early as a 30 year old in 2006.
I also had a few stints overseas, in the Cheshire League in the UK, as well as in Queenstown (NZ) as well.
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
Debut in Maitland first grade as a small 14 year old. Batting at No. 4 I made 5 for City against Norths at Robins Oval. Caught at leg gully by Dominic Wilkinson off the bowling of Rod Faulkner (I actually still remember that one like it was yesterday).
Newcastle 1st grade the year after my debut was chasing leather. Waratah-Mayfield made 1 for 450 with Greg Arms making 218 not out. I remember batting ok in our innings the next week and getting a few but we finished well short.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
I was mainly a top order left hand batsman, bowled a bit of left arm orthodox rubbish when I had to.
What were your strengths as a player?
That’s always hard to say, but I would like to think that I was a team player all of the time and was never selfish when it came to my batting. I always liked to take the game on and score quickly and set the tone for my team.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
Ironically 135 in both the UK and Australia. Made 135 for Hamilton Wickham in first grade and 135 for Christleton CC in a T20 game (which was the first season of T20 cricket in the UK way back in 2003)
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
I honestly can’t remember. I did take a few 5 fa’s in Newcastle, and in the UK, but the figures escape me.
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
Easily Brett Lee when coming through the junior NSW ranks. He was something else and before any of his injuries he was the fastest bowler I still have ever seen.
Locally, I always really rated Chad White (Merewether) and Tony Parker (Southern Lakes) as two of the better fast bowlers I came up against over a long period of time.
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
Steve Storey (former Queensland shield player) spent a lot of time playing in Newcastle for Wallsend and was a fantastic role model for cricket in our region. I went through some very tough times facing him. There was one time when he even yelled out to me before bowling a ball “Soupy (my nickname), the next one coming is my arm ball and it normally gets you, so I thought I’d warn you”. You guessed it, I still missed it and was out LBW.
Special mentions to Mark Curry and David Wrixon who were both NSW Country and Newcastle spinners who were always difficult. I only played against Dutchy Holland in Newcastle a few times but didn’t get to face him that much.
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
The big 3 in Newcastle were always Greg Geise, Greg Arms and Mark Curry. All 3 of those scored big runs against teams I was playing in. After those 3 gents stopped playing the best batters in Newcastle and NSW Country were players like Simon Moore, Michael Gerits, Steve Mace and Glenn Grimmond who were all tough competitors in 1st grade, but awesome team-mates when playing for Newcastle.
Mark Curry
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Rhys Soper in the Newcastle 1st grand final of 2001, he made 222 out of 360 odd, and it was a chanceless knock. Rhys was in my opinion one of the unlucky few that never played first class cricket – he was a class player with bat, ball and in the field and deserved higher than his few appearances in NSW 2nd XI. If he was going around now in the times of T20 cricket he would be a superstar – I have no doubt about that. We played together pretty much from teenagers until we called time and we have been great mates for decades now.
Greg Arms (218not out) in my first ever Newcastle first grade game also deserves a mention.
Was there any bowler in particular who whatever reason always you to cause you a few problems?
Ha, there were so many! Three that made me feel terrible were B. Lee (obviously) but in Newcastle Steve Storey and a former NSW Country quick in Tony Parker. He bowled fast leg cutters to left handers and always had the wood on me as well.
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?
I remember very early in my cricket days a pre-season camp for a NSW junior side (not sure if it was for under 17’s or under 19’s) but back then they used to hold pre-season training camps at the NSW Academy of Sport in Narrabeen. It was in August, drizzling rain, cold, and on synthetic pitches. Dear old Rocky Harris started handing out new balls to Lee, Bracken, Dave Langsford-Smith, Jamie Heath and company and I just remember for the first time in my life thinking how the hell I was going to survive this session. They were hitting blokes for fun, me included. I’d never been hit in the helmet until that day and B.Lee hit me (It wasn’t the only time he did)
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
This may surprise a few people but Michael Jordan (a City United Maitland product like me who also came to play for Ham-Wicks as well) by the length of the straight. Jordo was the most under-rated player I ever played with, and was always first picked in any team I was captain of. Could keep up to the stumps to the quicks, can’t remember him dropping a catch or missing a stumping, and was such a great thinker of the game and advisor to me during our time together. Hands of velvet.
Who are the players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Greg Geise and Steve Mace were known hard-arse competitors in Newcastle and NSW Country cricket circles and I’d have to agree with that.
As team mates, Rhys Soper and Darren Herbert won many games for us at Ham-Wicks over the years with pure all-round skills. Another was Matthew Traill who was the best team-mate you would ever want. Trailly played Australian Schoolboys rugby, captained the Newcastle Wildfires and I remember batted out a draw in a first grade game with a broken arm and hand. He cut off the plaster before he went out to bat, and was using his broken arm to bat away bouncers. Didn’t duck or flinch once. Toughest hombre you could meet.
Special mentions to Steve Cowen and Steve Mudford who were fierce and loyal to me for my entire stint as captain of Ham-Wicks and were always giving 100% to the team victories.
Steve Mace batting
Who was the best captain or coach you had the good fortune to play with?
Without sounding like a knob, I was actually captain of most of the senior sides I ever played in, at Ham-Wicks for over a decade and before that in junior cricket. I’d probably say Greg Geise and Gary “Gus” Gilmour (although they were more our Newcastle coaches then opposing captains). Greg instilled so much discipline and thinking of the game (not to mention his fielding drills) and I learnt so much from him. Gus was more laid back but just had this presence that when he was around we were unbeatable and all smiling.
Who was the umpire you admired most in the way they managed a game?
Royce McCormack in Newcastle 1st grade springs to mind straight away. An absolute gentleman on and off the field, did it for decades, and always loved it.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Hard to single out anyone here, so many laughs over the years. Special mentions to Sam and Matt Webber, Andrew and Kirk Mullard, Terry Crittenden, and Darren Herbert.
Can you recall an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
I still laugh to this day of a NSW Country representative carnival game for Newcastle against Northern NSW. Picture a boiling hot day, on an absolute road, a slight hangover, where all you wanted to do is bat first. Simon Moore our captain won the toss and decided to bat (I was two metres away and heard him say BAT), and when our openers walked out the opposition were also padded up and walking out to bat. Their captain claimed ours had said “we will bowl” and thus a second toss was called in front of the highly embarrassed umpires and of course we lost it and bowled. There was so much anger and carry-on for the rest of the day. The Newcastle bowlers, ably led by Duncan McIlveen, were the angriest 4 blokes in the world that morning.
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
I’d told the Newcastle team that I was retiring from rep cricket after the NSW State Cup Final against Uni of NSW at the SCG. After a few hand-shakes and hugs before I went out to bat I went first ball for a golden duck – not ideal.
Who was your childhood cricketing hero?
I had two, and ironically in later life I’ve got to spend some great times with both of them.
Tony Fort, who was a Maitland junior who went on to play first grade with Northern Districts in Sydney and represented Newcastle and NSW Country many times. He was the proof to me that boys from the bush could mix it with the big guns in the city. Forty was my absolute local hero and after we both finished playing we have became close mates.
Tony Fort
And like any NSW cricketer of my time, Steve Waugh was just a god to me. I used to buy whatever bat he was using and remember being at the SCG for his final ball Ashes century. Fast-forward 15 years and I’m a proud member and supporter of the Steve Waugh Foundation (that raises much needed money for young Australians that suffer from a rare disease). Every year (pre-Covid) since 2016 we have done a week-long bike ride in different parts of Australia and I’ve had the absolute privilege to spend some time with Steve over this time.
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Lionel Sanders (look him up, he’s a beast)
Tiger Woods
Lance Armstrong
Lionel Sanders
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Ricky Ponting seems to predict things before they happen, Kerry O’Keefe for the pure laughter he gives me.
What was your favourite ground to play at?
No 1 sports ground in Newcastle (surely deserves more first class and T20 cricket opportunities) and of course the SCG on the rare occasions I had there.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
Was so young and so long ago but captaining the NSW under 17 side to an unbeaten national title is hard to beat. Playing at the Adelaide Oval for the final as a 17 year old was the biggest thing I had ever done.
Winning the Newcastle first grade grand final for Ham-Wicks in 2000 was very special. It was first win for the club in its history after Hamilton and Wickham amalgamated to Ham-Wicks in the 1960’s.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
The inaugural NSW Country Cup would be up there for Ham-Wicks versus Balgownie Wollongong. The concept of all clubs in NSW Country playing on a one-day 50 over knock-out basis was talked about for years and finally eventuated. We had a dream day chasing 250 odd, and getting them 2 down with plenty of overs to spare.
What was the most successful team you were involved in?
The Ham-Wicks 1st grade side I was lucky enough to be captain of from 1996 to 2006. We won 4 Grand Finals, 3 premierships, 3 NSW Country Cup Titles, and 3 Tom Locker Cup (Newcastle one-day cricket) titles.
Every time I think of the group of players in this team, and the titles we won it makes me smile.
What are your hobbies?
I’m totally into endurance sports these days, love my long distance triathlons and marathons. I’m a mid-pack finisher at best, but I enjoy still pushing the body into my mid 40’s.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
From Steve Waugh “Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?”
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
Unfortunately not. After I stopped playing, work and my career took over and I simply didn’t have the time. Things have changed for the better now, and my two sons are nearly old enough to be playing organised cricket so I think at some point soon I’ll be back around the game.
If you were running a State Cricket Association what would your 3 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
I’ll leave the argument of how to structure Shield cricket to those that have played it, but on a more regional level I think affordability, the time of play, and inclusiveness are for me the 3 biggest things that governing cricket bodies need to strongly consider.
Cricket is an expensive game with all the gear you need and I think this keeps a lot of people away. Every kid wants the best bat and all that goes with it and most families can’t afford to provide this. I’d like to see kids cricket equipment included in State Gov’t subsidy programmes, as well as local businesses purchasing equipment for schools to make the game more affordable.
I really think the traditional Saturday morning junior cricket time-slot needs a re-think. Across most of Australia our summer time sees daylight to 8pm, where as Saturday summer mornings are quite often the only family time that there is. I’d like to see junior cricket organised and played after school during the week with a lot more games (Tuesday and Thursday training replaced by games) and only more senior cricket on a Saturday afternoon. (You can get your 15 minute net session in whilst waiting to bat in a real game and all at the same time I reckon.) I understand ground availability is a limiter of this but I think moving away from Saturday mornings to weeknight games for juniors will improve participant numbers and grow the game.
The game also needs to become more inclusive to bring our first-nation peoples into our environment. The talent pool in Australia, especially in the bush regions, is so untapped and I think making it more affordable and inclusive can only make our game even better at all levels.
