Scotch College

Peter Ashton hangs up the Whites

The Old Scotch Cricket Club was the runner up in the MCC competition for season 2004–05.

Old Trinity proved too strong in the Grand Final and won comfortably.

The Club had a great year and is looking forward to a big 2005–06 season.

If you are thinking about playing a bit of cricket but keep putting it off, please consider having a go next season and help our success.

Several years back, while still playing for another club, I was asked to fill in and field for Old Scotch Reds. A catch was soon hit my way and I did enough to hang on. For the rest of the day, one older guy from Old Scotch kept asking about my cricket background: could I play for Old Scotch, who I knew at my current club, where I batted/bowled etc. etc. That was of course Peter Ashton – and once I joined OSCC, had the pleasure of batting with him several times. Always encouraging, winning or losing, always competing and concentrating 100%, and often providing the spine for a batting lineup that desperately needed him to ‘stick around’. Now in retirement, he is still odds on to show up to watch a game (or field in slips if we are short for a couple of hours) and if he doesn’t visit he will ring to find out the result.

I am sure all associated with OSCC over the years would like to congratulate Asho on his career and thank him for his dedication.

As long as I’ve known Asho I have always thought he was old. Harsh but fair. Which to me made his cricket skills and approach all the more admirable. So we have asked him a few questions to enlighten us all on his entire cricket career, including his time at OSCC, which is of course long and distinguished.

RICK WESTERN

Interview with Peter Ashton

Editor: What year did you commence playing at Old Scotch Cricket Club?

Peter: My first season with OS was 1980–81. I had retired from 12 years of cricket with Hawthorn East-Melbourne and Melbourne University and considered I’d play a season or two to ‘wind down’!

Editor: Previous Clubs played at since leaving Scotch College prior to joining Old Scotch?

Peter: In 1967 I played at Hawthorn East-Melbourne, then transferred to Melbourne University for the six years I was there, then back to HEM. I played in all XIs, with a total of 25 District First games. A highlight was facing (unsuccessfully) John Snow in front of a packed Ormond College crowd on the Uni Oval in 1972 v. Carlton. My team mate Geoff Courtis (Scotch ’66) nearly hooked Snow for six that day in an excellent knock. Two Uni teammates (Sheahan and Higgs) played Test cricket, as did Bob Cowper at Hawthorn.

Editor: How many games approximately have you played for Old Scotch C.C.?

Peter: I’ve kept a diary of my cricket since early schooldays. A quick count came up with 249 games for Old Scotch.

Editor: Positions held at Club?

Peter: I was captain for five years in the 1980s, President for approximately three years and on the committee at the club for approximately 12 years .

Editor: Most memorable batting performance?

Peter: My recent teammates would justifiably consider me a ‘stodgy’ batsman, but in my youth I was considered a hard-hitting bat, if a little impetuous! three of my five ‘tons’ for OS have been in [40-over] one-day games. A memorable ton for me was against MCC in 1987 when Rick Western and I put on over 180 for the fifth wicket.

Editor: Any memorable bowling performamces?

Peter: My bowling has been a disappointment at Old Scotch, especially when I recall my District First XI career, where I twice snared 3/30-odd, including a Test scalp. The Club XI batsman consider me ‘cannon fodder’, and opposing batsman often eagerly encourage me to have a trundle!

Editor:Team highlight?

Peter: A highlight was winning my only premiership in 1998–99, a bit lucky, but we deserved success after close misses in ’96 and ’97. Another happy memory was in about ’88, when we collapsed to 9/80 against Hawthorn East-Melbourne. Rick Sherwen and Ian Bowden put on about 90 for the last wicket, with Rick doing all the scoring, and ‘Bowds’ doggedly holding up an end. Rick, in fact, went from 76 to 100 in four successive balls off the opening bowler, a very rare feat in any sort of cricket.

Editor: Best Old Scotch players seen during your era at the club ?

Peter: Doug Lording, Gary Bennett and Roger Crow were all highly competitive match-winners. But it’s hard to leave out the Partons, Sinclairs, Al Jones and the English leggie(!), Pat Trimby.

Editor: Best three opposition players played against in MCC XI competition?

Peter: It was an honour to be able to play against Colin McDonald (who I think still holds the record for the number of APS centuries, not to mention a fine Test record). Tony Hargreaves from Richmond and John Boucher from Wesley are others who consistently performed well against us, though late in his career, Tony had trouble with Gary Bennett.

Editor: What are some of the major changes in general you have seen in cricket over the last 20–30 years?

Peter: Australian rules football is responsible for major changes in cricket at all levels, I think. Now that even the amateurs start training in mid-summer, players have to decide between football and cricket. Cricket is the loser, since the footy commitment is so great, players want a rest in the off-season. I think this has an effect right up to first-class level, and may explain the surprisingly small number of Victorians who make the top level. Thank heavens Shane Warne was an ordinary footballer!

Editor: What do you see as a vital ingredient in maintaining the Old Scotch Cricket Club as a strong and vibrant club for years to come?

Peter: I’d hope that perhaps in the future Scotch could establish a reputation as a ‘cricket Mecca’ with repeated success in APS cricket and with the Old Boys in the Club XI comp., much like Xavier and their Old Boys in footy. This is possible if coaching standards are kept high at school, perhaps with some input from high-achieving Old Boys. Of course Old Boys who love their cricket should have a go at the ‘Big Time’ (Premier Cricket), but if they don’t make it, or haven’t the time for the commitment, they should give the Old Boys comp. a go. They’ll get a lot of fun out of it. What a tragedy for a Scotch cricketer to give the game away at the age of 18, and bask in the false glory that he ‘Coodabeen a Champ!’

Editor: What is the most enjoyable part of playing at Old Scotch Cricket Club?

Peter: Old Scotch plays on great cricket grounds, with top-class turf pitches. The games are competitive, but usually friendly and enjoyable, and played in the proper spirit of cricket.

Lastly, a piece of cricket trivia for the ‘buffs’. What have these cricketers got in common? K. Stackpole, C. McDonald, I. Chappell, R. Kanhai, P. Sheahan, R. Cowper, I. Botham, J. Dujon, J. Snow, A. Hurst, J. Higgs.