Scotch College

Cricket's in their blood

Melvilles and Sinclairs at the 2005 Tait Cup dinner (left to right): James Sinclair, Peter Melville, Rob Sinclair, Hugh Sinclair, Geoff Sinclair, Hugh Melville, John Murphy (Scotch 1st XI coach), Andrew Melville.

After last year’s Tait Cup – the annual APS cricket match between Scotch and Geelong Grammar School – the Scotch 1st XI coach, John Murphy asked seven people to step forward (see photo).

They were representatives of the Sinclair and Melville families, whose collective cricket pedigree at Scotch can almost be mentioned in the same breath as Scotch’s legendary McLeod boys of more than a century ago – at least in terms of appearances for the Scotch 1st XI. Two of the seven – Hugh Sinclair and Andrew Melville – had that afternoon carried on the tradition as members of the Scotch 1st XI.

Unlike the McLeods, no member of either family has gone on to represent Victoria and Australia, but their passion for the game, their all-round sporting ability and their school leadership qualities are evident in their school records. Here are the statistics:

The Melvilles

• Hugh (class of ’42): School Vice-Captain ’42; Prefect, ’41/’42; 1st XI ’41/’42 (Vice-Captain, ’42); 1st XVIII ’40/’41/’42 (Vice-Captain, ’42); Captain of Morrison ’41/’42
• Rob (’71 – Hugh’s son): Prefect ’71; 1st XI ’71; 1st XVIII ’71
• Peter (’76 – Rob’s brother): Prefect ’76; 1st XI ’75/’76; 1st XVIII ’76
• Andrew (’05 – Peter’s son): Probationer/School Officer ’05; 1st XI ’04/’05; 2nd XVIII ’05

The Sinclairs

• Geoffrey (’47): Prob ’47; 1st XI ’47; 1st XVIII ’47
• Rob (’74 – Geoffrey’s son): Prefect ’74; 1st XI ’73/’74; Captain of Music ’74
• Ian (Rob’s brother): Prefect ’76/’77; Vice-Captain of the School ’77; 1st XI ’76/’77; 1st XVIII ’76/’77
• Andrew (’80 – Rob’s brother): Prefect ’80; Captain of Music ’80; 1st XI ’80
• James (Rob’s brother): Prefect ’87, Captain of Cricket ’87; 1st XI, ’86/’87
• Hugh (Rob’s son): Prefect ’05; 1st XI ’04/’05; 1st XI hockey ’05; Captain of Hockey ’05

Melville/Sinclair sports footnotes

Hugh Melville’s father (also Hugh), who played in the Scotch 1st XVIII in 1907, was in the same team as H H Bowden (later to become a famous long-serving Scotch master) when Bowden kicked 21 goals against Xavier on the old East Melbourne ground. This was Bowden’s final APS match.

History repeated itself, when Hugh (junior) played in the 1941 1st XVIII team in which John Fraser (later to be tragically killed in an RAAF wartime training accident) kicked 21 goals. Scotch’s score that day against Geelong College was 30.22.202 to 2.9.21, a margin of 181 points. Fraser kicked 101 goals in APS football.

James Sinclair played 1st XI cricket for Richmond in Victoria and South Perth in WA (including plying in a premiership at the WACA Ground), and for Mosman in Sydney. A highlight for James was a century at Punt Road Oval. 

One less fond recollection is opening the batting at Punt Road on a glorious day with a typically perfect batting pitch. In the first over, James hit a ball past short leg, called for a run and ran to the bowler’s end, only to find his partner unmoved. Returning to the striker’s end, James was run out by less than a metre for a duck – having almost run two! His team-mates were bemused to find James spending the remainder of the first two sessions weeding the rose garden in front of the Richmond Social Club. At tea, James was called to be 13th man for Victoria at the MCG, and delivered wicketkeeper Darren Berry’s mouth guard to the middle of the ground. ‘Is that representing Victoria?’ asks his brother, Rob.

James also played Old Scotch football, captaining the 1988 under 19 premiership side.

Old Scotch triumphs in Hendry Prior Cup

Rear: Tim Hosking, Tim Aurel-Smith, Rob Asthon, Andrew Fekete, Dylan Best, Hamish Dick.
Front: Simon Dick, Mark Gnatt, Rick Maplestone, Tim and Eddie Shearer, and Paddy McKenna

A committed and united Old Scotch team won back the coveted Hendry Prior Cup on Sunday 19 February on the Scotch Main Oval. The cup is at stake in an annual contest between Old Scotch and Old Geelong Grammarian cricketers.

Batting first under gloomy skies, Old Scotch started solidly and then cashed in over the last 10 overs, posting a respectable 212 from its 40 overs. (Tim Hosking scored 45, Paddy McKenna 40, Tim Shearer 35 and Rick Maplestone 21.)

The Geelong Grammar team was in early trouble at 4/35, and was eventually bowled out for 143. The best of the bowlers were Paddy McKenna (2/20 and later named player of the match) and Simon Dick, 4/32. The trophy has now been contested for 11 years.