Lachlan Stevens – student and teacher
Dean Tuckwell | April 08, 2023
Lachlan Stevens was a gritty opening batsman and useful left-arm orthodox bowler who played for South Australia & Queensland.
In 2005-06 he scored his maiden first class century against Western Australia and contributed 66 in Queensland’s victory in the Pura Cup final.
A keen student and lover of the game, since retiring from playing, Lachlan has forged a successful coaching career, as coordinator of high performance at The Cricket Academy in Brisbane and later guiding Western Australia to the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League in South Africa.
He has also coached in Tasmania & is currently assistant coach of the Victorian Sheffield Shield side and coach of the Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL.
What year you were born?
1978
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
Not really, I think I was about 5 or 6 and can’t imagine it was an overly impressive debut! Definitely had a Gray-Nicholls Scoop though.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
I grew up playing juniors and school cricket in Toowoomba. I met the great WEP Harris in my final year of School and was UQCC bound from then on.
I played grade cricket for University Cricket Club and The Adelaide Cricket Club.
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
I made my grade debut in 2nd grade under the leadership of the evergreen David Biggs and “Jock Rot” condition expert, Malcolm Thornton.
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
I was 17. Not sure who it was against, perhaps Redlands or Valleys, either way much like my first game of cricket, I think my appearance was brief.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
A batsman who bowled left-arm drifters. My fielding standards were dependent on the evenings before with Chris Torrisi and Steven Farrell.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
I'm sure I went for 200 against Wynumn one day when Broady made a double hundred, does that count? I had a day at Sandgate where I made 160 odd after we were in a bit of trouble early so that was satisfying.
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
Geez Tuck, you’re asking the wrong person! I’ve shut down my brain to avoid embarrassment. I did take ‘9 for’ one day in the Lancashire League, and they told me it was still well short of what Allan Donald had done for the Club a decade before. I had Chris Cairns caught at long off, off the back of his bat - hindsight says he may have done that deliberately.
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
I wasted Nathan Bracken’s time because he swung it big and slowly so I played at stuff I never should have.
Stuart Clark’s length to me was so good. I wasn’t sure how to score against him.
Joey Dawes, bowled what I think you’d call a heavy delivery.
But they were all good: Ash Noffke, Shane Jurgensen, Scott Muller, Greg Rowell, Steve Magoffin, Jimmy Hopes, Scott Prestwidge, Brendan Creevey, Paul Pink, Adam Dale, Sticks Argent, Matty Pascoe, Chris Swan – I could keep going.
Sorry to everyone who knocked me over who I haven’t mentioned. Mark Shackel, Brett Boardman and Scott Walter from Uni were pretty handy too.
Nathan Bracken
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
I faced Warne a couple of times, he was very bored and to give himself something to do he started calling me Phil Tufnell.
Dan Cullen was too good for me in his younger years. Drifted it both ways.
And Scotty O’Leary was as well. Thank goodness he finally came to Uni.
But again quite a few should get a mention: A young Dan Doran could knock you over from nowhere, Beau Casson was so hard to pick when bowling well and Nathan Hauritz was very clever.
Who has been the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
At all levels: I once saw Damien Martyn play a different game to everyone else.
I played against Martin Love in a couple of City vs. Country muck arounds’ so I’ll count him.
Stuart Law was so good to watch up close, he just dissected your team for fun at times.
Around the Club grounds I loved watching Jerry Cassell, Justin Poole, Craig Philipson, Stevie
Paulsen and Aaron Nye from a style point of view. Stevie Farrell and your good self, Tuck, were scary hitters of the cricket ball.
Damien Martyn
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Now that’s a difficult question to answer! Obviously so many good ones by people every week in cricket.
I’m going to go with Ryan Poole in a low scoring shootout against NSW in a Colts game. He counter attacked when we were in trouble and gave us enough to bowl at in the second innings. Was great cricket to watch.
Was there any batsman in particular that stirred the emotions and competitive spirit where you really wanted their wicket?
I was just grateful to be having a bowl. Matthew Hayden hit me onto the bowling greens at Valleys one day and Brett Boardman was good enough to pace it out for me during the tea break – he reckoned he stopped counting at 134 paces as they were in the middle of an end and didn’t want to interrupt. Always fun bowling to guys you grew up with like Hopesy, Nysie or Sol.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Wade Seccombe – I’d never seen anyone else do the things he did. He was also so selfless in how he kept. It was never about how comfortable he was, was always about creating the most chances.
Wade Seccombe
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Gavin Fitness was such a great competitor to play against – his Sandgate side were too good for a lot of sides in the late 90’s. Craig Philipson was so skillful at times – he made nicking off early almost enjoyable as an opening batsman.
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
Geoff Foley was excellent but again I think Craig Philipson was the best I played with (he’s not even giving me anything for this). Astute tactically, good manner with all players, selfless and wonderfully attacking in how he approached the game. Knew when to put himself to fine leg for a few overs if required.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Chris Torrisi by the length of the straight. Impersonations of humans and machines, joke retention and telling. His storytelling was without peer and he was rarely effective with women so always there until the end of the evening. Making Martin Love laugh often is the only evidence required to back that up.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
1. Andrew Courtice setting a fielder for Matthew Mott.
Motty, “Ah gees Dog, it’s my only shot”.
AC, “Matthew, there are 359 other degrees on the field”.
2. Opening the batting against Sandgate. Gavin Fitness walks past me on his way behind the stumps and turns to speak to Brendan Creevey at the top of his mark, “Now Creeves, normally I’d ask you to step up and do the job for us. But you’re bowling to Lachie today, so I’m going to have to ask you to step down in order to get it done”
3. In a game against the National Cricket Academy, I think it was Ash Noffke beat Dom Thornley’s bat through to Fatty Fitness, “What a waste of our taxpayer dollars you are”.
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
I lost track of most of them. Tripped trying to come down the wicket in a One Day Final against Wynumn, that didn’t end well.
Who was your childhood hero?
Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Stefan Edberg.
Stefan Edberg
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Jurgen Klopp, Steve Kerr, Gareth Southgate
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
All time, Richie. I don’t listen to too many anymore, let’s go with Mel Jones.
What was your favourite ground to play at?
St Lucia No.1 was a really good home ground to play at. The Gabba wicket was fun to play on. East Redlands ground was always a fantastic surface.
What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
I don’t think Uni (for me anyway) ever really had a rival or grudge match as such. Sandgate with Fatty, Jerry, Creeves, Matty Goggin, Paul Pink etc. were good value, mostly because they were beating us so easily they started to take the mickey out of each other.
What do you enjoy most about playing cricket?
The people in the dressing room.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
Hitting a drive in front of point. Anytime I batted with Chris Torrisi, Scott O’Leary, Craig Philipson or Nathan Reardon. I took a catch to finish a Shield Final – that was enjoyable.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
Not sure, a few good ones with Uni. Best celebration of a win hosted by Michael Buchanan in 2006/07 I reckon. John was fortunately away winning a World Cup at the time.
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
Torrisi, O’Leary, Farrell – but there’s lots who you’d love to have along.
What are your hobbies?
Has this turned into a dating site?
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Not sure advice given is often for the receiver as much as it should be. Best to learn things for yourself
What is your current occupation?
I’m a Cricket Coach
Let’s give your employer a plug, who do you work for?
Cricket Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades
If you were running Cricket QLD what would be your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
Not sure that’s for me to comment on. The game is hugely subjective and yet a lot of people you speak with always seem to know the exact answer. What I would say is winning and losing in cricket happens for so many reasons, and often not for the reasons people outside of teams think, so black and white solutions are very rarely effective. There are far too many variables.
If you’ve got some good people on your staff to hold things together and give opportunities to good cricketers then that’s a pretty good start. You don’t control what players do in games and you don’t control how the current generation coming through has grown up. It’s how you help them prepare and learn about themselves that matters most.
