Jack and his Grandfather - special
Pat Culpan | June 01, 2023
I have scored many memorable matches in my 45 years of scoring 1st Grade or higher, including multiple Test and International limited over matches all over this world, I have scored 230 two-day premiership matches for my current club as well as limited over matches, so I have seen many memorable moments and matches. Matches won off the final over/ball, hat tricks, great run chases, bowlers getting 10 wickets in an innings (I’ve score that twice) and many other memories, however there is one match which stands out in my recollection and memory.
It was the weekend of the 18th & 19th January 2014 and Valley District Cricket Club had a two-day match against a very strong Toombul side at our home ground of Peter Easton Oval in Brisbane in the Queensland Premier Cricket. Valley skipper Andrew Gode lost the toss for us (which he has a habit of doing) and Toombul decided to bat. After the loss of their skipper Glen Batticciotto when the score was 55, first class players Matt Renshaw & Charlie Hemphrey put on 234 for the 2nd wicket and Toombul went on to declare at 5/369.
We got off to a shocker with current Bulls/Heat player Lachlan Pfeffer out for a 2nd ball duck and we lost regular wickets. With the score at 4/118 enter 20-year-old Jack Wildermuth who despite losing wickets at the other end at regular intervals, went on to score his current career high 1st Grade score of 153 off 190 balls and saw us through to a winning score of 7/370 with only a handful of balls remaining.
What made this game so memorable was the on the second day when Jack was batting, his grandfather Graham Bizzell, who himself had played 30 first class games for Queensland was in attendance. Graham had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and only had a matter of a few weeks left, this would be the last game Graham got to see his grandson play. The embrace between grandfather and grandson on the playing field after Jack had won the game still brings a tear to the eye.
We had only won one premiership match prior to the Christmas break, this game was the start of us winning the last five games on the trot and Valley going on to win the Grand Final. Jack who scored a half century in the Grand Final travelled to England for the off season a couple of days later, and within a couple of weeks had to fly home for his grandfather’s funeral.
So yes, I have scored some high-level games with some absolute superstars doing some wonderful feats, but for raw emotion this is my favourite memory.
