From the Sidelines: Cricket volunteer in the spotlight

From the Sidelines: New Chronicle feature stories turn the spotlight on our region’s dedicated volunteers

Clayton Forknall is a keen cricket volunteer and part of the team that developed the Darling Downs Bush Bash League.

CRICKET: Clayton Forknall is a self-confessed cricket tragic.

He played the game during his high-school years in Maryborough but admits his skills were not the best.

A move to Toowoomba eventually resulted in Forknall retiring his bat in favour of umpiring the game.

“I am a cricket tragic, I love the game, but if I’m being honest I was never that good,” he said.

“When I moved to Toowoomba I started umpiring but I did take a break for a while so I could focus on uni.”

Forknall never lost his love for the game though and when time permitted he returned as scorer.

“I started scoring for Wests and they welcomed me with open arms,” he said.

“The great thing about the club is the culture.

“Everyone is part of the club and its success.

“You might not be out there playing but everyone is appreciated.

“I love being involved in the game as a scorer, I’m a statistician by day so that type of thing appeals to me.”

Forknall is also a regular in the representative cricket scoring circles and more recently has been the man behind the Darling Downs Bush Bash League curtain.

“Kent (Reimers) does have a lot ideas and I guess he’s right when he says I’m there trying to make them work,” Forknall said.

“It’s great working alongside Kent and Tony (Anderson) they’re both very passionate and energetic blokes.

“And it’s humbling to know that the work we’ve done to establish the DDBBL is having such a flow on effect for cricket in Toowoomba and at the same time the concept is being picked up elsewhere.

“I think you only have to look to our performance at the recent Bulls Masters competition as prime example.

“The DDBBL helped better prepare our players for that competition and it’s pleasing to know I’m part of that success in a way.

“The challenge going forward for all of us is to keep it (the DDBBL) fresh and make sure it grows.

“The last season has only just finished but I’m already looking forward to the next one.”

Originally published as From the Sidelines: Cricket volunteer in the spotlight