Newcomb cricketer Frank Canadillas to play his 450th match for the Bulls

A BPCA veteran has revealed the biggest highlight of his five-decade career: playing alongside his son after a long health battle.

Newcomb’s Frank Canadillas bowls against Collendina in January, 2003.

Set to play his 450th match this Saturday, there’s one period of Newcomb Cricket Club veteran Frank Canadillas’ BPCA career which clearly stands out the most, despite winning close to 10 premierships.

Canadillas, 61, first played for the Bulls back in 1980-81, and over that time, he’s managed to win a flag in every division, from ones down to fourths, and in all five decades.

However, it’s been playing alongside his son Luke, 28, the past few seasons which has given Frank just as much joy.

Luke has recently come back to the game after a long health battle which prematurely halted his career about 14 years of age.

“He’s got Crohn’s Disease, he got it really bad so he didn’t play for a lot of years,” Canadillas said.

“That’s why I’ve ended up playing the last couple of years, with my son.

“He’s going to play this game too, my 450th.

“We batted together last year and we both made ducks (laughs).”

Frank Canadillas with his son Luke. Picture: Newcomb Cricket Club.

Canadillas, who works at Westfield shopping centre in the CBD, will play his 450th senior match in the BPCA’s one day competition.

More of a fill-in these days, Canadillas actually retired against Queenscliff close to a decade ago, earning himself a guard of honour.

However, it wasn’t long before the Bulls were calling on him to chip-in midway through the following season.

“I had to play against Queenscliff again,” he said.

“They said: ‘we’re not going to give you another guard of honour’ ... I ended up taking six wickets (laughs).”

Canadillas said he was never a naturally talented batter, starting off in the fourths at number 11 before working his way through the grades, eventually become a top tier opener.

He also developed himself into a crafty off spinner who could hold up an end all day: he has claimed a club-record of 691 wickets at an average of 14.9 apiece, complementing his 7005 runs at 20.

Frank Canadillas bowling for Newcomb in January, 2003.

“I wasn’t a gifted cricketer so I did the hard yards, batting at number eleven in the fourths,” he said.

“I became an opener in the fourths, then worked my way to the thirds, opened, seconds, opened, ones opened.”

He estimates he’s won about “eight or nine flags”, but is the only Newcomb player to win a premiership medal in all four grades.

His last first grade title came at the age of 44 in March, 2007 against Ocean Grove; during a season where he won the club’s bowling average and came runner up for the league, bagging close to 40 wickets.

Obviously a mad keen cricketer, Frank wonders if the game has the hold over young people like it once did.

“It’s hard now (to fill teams),” he said.

“We had four sides, six junior sides (in the past).

“Personally, I think there’s too many clubs in Geelong, it’s not like the old days.

“Young ones now play until they’re 15, 16 and then can’t be bothered fielding all day.

“The commitment’s not there.

“I think a lot of clubs are suffering.”

Originally published as Newcomb cricketer Frank Canadillas to play his 450th match for the Bulls