Premier Cricket 2018-19: Fitzroy Doncaster batsman Peter Dickson enters top-10 runscorers
FITZROY Doncaster great Peter Dickson joined exalted company on the list of Premier Cricket’s top 10 runscorers after cracking his 15th century.
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IT’S a record that puts him up there with some of the greats of Premier Cricket and underlines his status as one of the competition’s greatest ever batsman.
With his 15th century on Saturday, Peter Dickson joined exalted company on the list of the top 10 runscorers in the competition’s 112-year history.
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Dismissed for 11 in Round 1, the 35-year-old needed another six runs over the weekend to dislodge Brendan McArdle from the top 10.
Dickson typically did it in style, hitting a run-a-ball hundred to finish 100 not out in the Lions’ six-wicket win over Northcote to take his career tally to 9396 runs from 281 innings since his First XI debut in 2000-01.
Dickson, possibly in his final season, said he knew he was “thereabouts but didn’t know I was in the top 10” until contacted by Leader.
“It feels a bit weird I suppose because you never really think of yourself in the calibre of the people that are in the top 10,” Dickson said.
“You know the names and the people ahead of you and you think those guys were unbelievable players.
“It’s a really nice thing to achieve and I suppose it’s something when you retire you’ll think of.
“To be able to play for so long and to play at two great clubs, in particular Fitzroy where I’ve played the majority of my career, I’ve been very lucky.”
The top 10 list is a Who’s Who of Premier Cricket — the great Warren Ayres, Fitzroy legend Gary Watts and John Scholes hold down the top three positions.
Test men Jack Ryder and Peter McAlister still sit in the top 10 nearly a century after they last pulled on the pads, while Andrew Kent and Darren Dempsey are the only other batsmen to hit 10,000 District/Premier runs.
Perhaps Camberwell run machine Simon Hill (9651 runs) and Dickson could join that group this season?
“When you hear those names it is very humbling and it’s also sort of funny — Gary Watts I didn’t play with but is a fantastic name in the Fitzroy Doncaster history,” Dickson said.
“I obviously played a lot with Ayresy, who was an idol of mine when I grew up and was watching Victoria.
“Then getting the opportunity to open with Ayresy throughout my early days at Melbourne was a huge privilege and then obviously played a lot of cricket with Andrew Kent as well, who is a great friend of mine.
“Simon Hill and I played underage stuff together so it’s nice to be in the calibre of people I’m really close with as well.”
Dickson also needs another three scalps to join the 200-wicket club, but could be hard pressed nosing Andrew Perrin, Trent Lawford, Chris Moore, Ejaaz Alavi and Sam Elliott out of the attack this season.
“I tell everyone at the club when they see me bowling in the nets ... I remind them I’m stranded on 197,” he said.
“I don’t know my batting (records) but I’ve always remembered that when people give me a bit of stick about my bowling.
“I really miss bowling but unfortunately I think I’ll be stranded there because there are six or seven guys in the ones who bowl a lot better than I do.”
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