Tony McQuisten Interview

Tell us about your first game of grade cricket.

I started in 5th Grade, after 16's. I played a full season in 5th Grade B's because I didn't like the 5th Grade captain. I told somebody that I didn't want to go play 5th Grade A but they misinterpreted it that I didn't want to go up the grades. So I just played 5th Grade B's all year, took a thousand wickets... think I showed you a couple of the trophies... took 7/34, 7/35 two weeks in a row... it was like 5 fa's every week.

Who was the best captain you ever played under?

Rod Wright was the best captain for sure. If there was nothing happening in a game he'd just say, "Change this, we'll do this, we'll do that" and you'd just get a wicket. A freak. He's a pretty strong captain, he knew what he wanted, knew what to do, when to bowl to, where to bowl to the batsman and that sort of stuff so... you'd just bowl, never used to think what you're doing, just bowl to your field... 

Who was the funniest guy you played with?

Well, it's probably the bloke that's still playing, DJ. DJ, probably Kiefer and Mick Bane, Muzzy in the one team, imagine that. There wasn't much quality cricket being played, but it was pretty good games. Pretty fun.

What was the best sledge you heard?

I do remember one sledge, it was Mick Hando. We were playing Keira and I was bowling, this guy had no idea, I was beating the bat. I think I beat him for about an over in a row. Mick was fielding at first slip and just got the ball, and walked up to him with the ball and put it into his face, didn't say a word (that's what it looks like mate try and hit it) sort of thing. That was one of the better ones I've seen...

What was your best achievement on the field?

Last game of the season, we had to win that game to get to the semi finals. It was at Ziems Park in Corrimal, we got 290 (or something like that) and they were chasing pretty well, I think they ended up about 31 short but that game I took 7/84 off 36 overs. Best Innings figures but that was pretty tough. We had an end of season trip the next day because we weren't expecting to make the semi finals, so we were playing University and we bowled the next day... I was too tight...

Who did you play most of your cricket with?

Shep (Peter Shephard), Shilby, quite a bit with Mick Allen - not a lot; Mick was either 1st or 3rd Grade. Rob (Sheeley), played a bit with Rob... trying to think who else...  Pete (Cleaves) was always either playing 2nd Grade or he was in 1st Grade. Had a bit of a competition with Pete to see who was up in 1st Grade, so if he played 1st Grade I'd be seconds, so... yeah played a lot of cricket with Pete.

Is there anyone playing today that reminds you of yourself?

(long pause...) Um... Nah... Mick Allen bowls a bit, he's on the spot all the time, moving it around, trying to out-think the batsman. A few of the young blokes coming through, they're just trying to bowl as quick as they can and knock their blocks off...

It changes when you get older, coming off three step runups, things like that. Try to work out batsmen and realize you're wasting so much energy running in just as quick as you can... just try and outsmart the batsmen...

What has changed during your time at the club?

You see a lot more of the other Grades now; because we were at Gibson Park there is no clubhouse or anything there so you would go out to the Ryan's or... not the Ryan's the Rex it used to be called - which is now Beaches. But you never got to see anybody, you never got to know any other results because we didn't have computers in those days so you didn't have the website we've got... which is pretty good.

You never got to see anybody unless you went to another Grade next week and find out how they had been going. So, the clubhouse has made a lot of difference to our club I reckon...

Knowing who the current life members are, how does it feel to join them as a life member?

It's an honour, I tell you it's a big honour. I probably played 12 years, maybe a little bit longer - those blokes played 20 years so, to me it feels a bit... don't get me wrong I'm happy to be a Life Member, if I had have played 20 years I might have felt more like I deserved to be a Life Member. But (to join) people I have known for a long time, I've known Shep since I was 16 so that's nearly 30 years... not quite 30 but... that's a long time. Patty Nolan I've known, he was my captain in 2nd Grade for a long time, Shilby coached me in Under 16's... so it's a long time. Mick Allen, I've known Mick for - it seems longer... Mick and Rob, you basically see around the club now you've known for so long, it's good...

Any chance of a cameo next season?

(pause and smile...) Maybe one game. As long as it's a day like today and not too hot...

Congratulations Tony -  NDCC Life Member. See Tony's profile here.

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