Swannanoa Cricket 125th Reunion

Swannanoa Cricket Club

1884 – 2009
Reunion 6 – 7 February 2009Following the very successful centenary
celebrations of October 1989 current club members felt a 125th reunion was in order especially as cricket is once again being played at the Swannanoa Domain after a break of 7 years.
The pitch has been restored, the historic pavilion is
also being refurbished and the Hall will be the
venue for the social functions.You know it’s a social game of cricket when one team brings out 15 batsmen and ends up facing five overs more than the agreed maximum. But you also know it’s serious business when a club stalwart like Trevor Findlay dons his white meatworker’s coat and does the umpiring.This was Swannanoa Cricket’s Club’s 125th anniversary reunion match, bringing together about 80 past and present players and supporters for a weekend of tall stories interrupted by cricket.The Waitangi weekend fixture started with a Friday night warm-up at the Swannanoa Hall, which was enough to encourage some players out of cricketing hibernation and into action the following day.The game itself followed the tried and trusted format of Past players versus Present, although the Present team was started to see a generous baker’s dozen of experienced club identities lining up to bat.

Longtime club member Lance Ryan started the batting for Past with an unexpected duck, but the innings gathered steam as the following batsman shook off some rustiness.  The innings was finally declared over at about 150 when no more supporters were willing to put on pads.

The present team started their reply in controversial fashion, with umpire Trevor Findlay ruling opening batsman Tim Fulton run out at the non-striker’s end off the first ball of the innings. Past players’ captain Gordon Fulton saw it differently however and called the batsmen back, no doubt relishing the chance to remind his son of his generosity. The game see-sawed from that moment; the ambitious strokeplay of the Present players more than matched by the wile and cunning of their elders. The scorebook records a narrow win to the Present players but no-one will remember it that way by the next reunion.

Having officially opened the new club pavilion earlier in the day, the evening moved on to a dinner in the Swannanoa hall, where Lance Ryan made up for his batting failure by entertaining all as the night’s MC. None of the stories told there can be repeated, but congratulations to Tony Polson who was made a life member of the club for more than 30 years service. Thanks to the team of organisers for putting together a memorable weekend. The organising committee is already mustering for 2034.