A veteran club cricketer is enjoying his ‘Un-Retirement’ in Melbourne.
Peter played for 15 years in the Queensland Sub-District competition (for a number of clubs, veering between B and C grade) before moving to Melbourne for work earlier this year.
He chose to happily retire after the move, instead playing indoor soccer on Wednesday nights.
But come September, Peter started getting the urge again.
“All my old teammates were posting about the new QSDCA season and their pre-season nets. I started to think, ‘maybe I could have another crack?’ The soccer was fun, but it wasn’t the same. I buggered up my ankle mid-year and didn’t even mind missing a few games.”
Pulling his kitbag out of the shed (which luckily he was too lazy to throw out), Peter joined his local VSDCA club (Victorian Sub-District Association) to see if he still had it.
“The leggies came out pretty well and I batted fine. The C grade skipper was impressed and said he’d give me a run in their team. It’s only one-dayers on matting, but cricket’s cricket.”
Though Peter got a huge shock in his first game in early October.
“It was f*****g freezing! I was so cold I had to ask the umpire to wear a jumper over my whites when I was bowling. Bloody Mexican weather! I’m told it gets warmer after Christmas, but we’ll see. Winter was bad enough!”
Peter’s wife, Michelle, is happy he’s back playing cricket.
“I love my husband dearly, but I’m so glad he’s back playing cricket! I got used to having Saturdays to myself and the kids. And he’s always too tired to do anything Saturday night or Sunday, so we basically have the weekend to ourselves again. And when the kids are in bed, I get the telly to myself.”
Peter’s new teammates are happy to have him around.
“He’s a good bloke, a decent bowler, can bat in the lower order, and is reliable in the field,” said his captain Adam. “But he keeps calling that stupid rugby code ‘footy’. But we can keep taking the piss out of him until he starts watching Aussie rules like a normal person!”
The Gurgler presents stories of the Park Cricketer, where we explore the lower reaches of the great game of cricket from the suburban ovals and rural grounds across Australia.
