
By Paul Pickering
NOBLE Park Cricket Club will raise its bat in recognition of a memorable century next week.
The club will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a gala dinner at the club’s Moodemere Street headquarters on Saturday 9 February, inviting Parkers past and present to salute a fine innings.
As preparations continued for the centenary bash this week, Noble Park president Craig Ortland took time out to reflect on the club’s distinguished history.
While much of the club’s early records and memorabilia was lost in the early 1980s, it is believed that Noble Park played in a forerunner to the Dandenong District Cricket Association after the club was founded in 1908.
Having bounced around into a number of different regional leagues, Noble Park finally got its long-awaited chance to step up to the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association in 1991.
Along with the move to the ‘subbies’, the Parkers return to Moodemere Street – after a six-year tenancy at nearby Ross Reserve – was one of the most significant chapters in the club’s history.
The homecoming coincided with the establishment of the Noble Park Football Social Club, paving the way for the development of the plush facilities which have become the envy of the association.
But for Ortland, whose 11-year tenure as president has followed 24 years as a player and administrator, the golden memories will always be linked with on-field success.
While back-to-back flags in the 1983-84 and 1984-85 were a highlight, Ortland says his fondest memories have come from the summer of 2005-06.
Namely, it was a pre-season phone call from his friend – and former Australian Test swing king – Damien Fleming that he recalls most vividly.
“It was the best phone call I’ve ever had,” Ortland laughed.
“He rang me to say that he was coming back to Melbourne, he was interested in coming down and would it be okay if he got a game.
“I didn’t believe it at the start, but he played every game and had a great year.”
As Ortland recalls, Fleming’s influence in the grand final against Malvern will go down in Noble Park folklore.
After the Parkers had been dismissed for just 134 on the first day, Fleming combined with Ashley Perera to produce a mesmerising spell before stumps.
In what Ortland described as one of the greatest hours of cricket he has seen, Fleming took 4/4 in nine overs as Malvern was reduced to 9/16 at day’s end.
“They were unplayable,” Ortland said.
“It was a hard, green deck and they were bowling very short and very quick.
“That was the only premiership he (Fleming) had ever won and he stayed in his whites all night.”
No doubt Fleming will be feted upon his return to the club as a guest speaker next Saturday night.
Another iconic figure at Moodemere Street is club champion and games record holder Geoff Richardson.
Richardson has scored more than 5000 runs with Noble Park and is still padding up in the twos at the age of 51.
In recent times, the club has been keeping a keen eye on former Noble Park juniors Peter Siddle and Kumar Sarna, who honed their skills with the team before leaping into the national spotlight.
Looking ahead, Ortland says Noble Park will be eyeing a promotion to the Premier Cricket competition, but he concedes that the club may have to be patient.
In the meantime, the celebrations will begin with a past players day at the club this Sunday, before the suits and evening gowns are dusted off for the centenary dinner the following Saturday.
Tickets for the event, which include a two-course meal, are still available at $30 per person.
For bookings or more information, call Craig Ortland on 0416 101 396.