Star Washington Park batsman Andrew Verrall dies at the age of 30

Andrew Verrall is being remembered as a fine batsman in the South East Cricket Association and an exemplary clubman at Washington Park Sharks.

Andrew Verrall (left) with the Longmuir Shield.

Washington Park Cricket Club has been numbed by the death of popular clubman and premiership player Andrew Verrall at the age of 30.

Verrall learned at the start of last season that he had cancer.

Still, he played in Round 1 for the First XI in Woolnough Shield and cracked 50 off 63 balls.

He had another match a fortnight later but the cancer turned out to be aggressive and in the following months it gave little peace to a young man noted for his fitness and strength.

Andrew Verrall died on Tuesday, August 3, shattering his family and his many friends at the cricket club.

The Sharks, in the South East Cricket Association, pride themselves on being a family club and president Chris Gorrie said the loss of Andrew Verrall was a heavy blow.

“We’re a community club. We love the game of cricket, but you get involved in a club like ours not so much for the game, it’s for the friendships and the connections,’’ he said. “And when you have a tragedy like this, it’s hard to comprehend and sort of compute. It hits really hard. The Verrall name at our club is an institution.’’

Andrew Verrall batting for Washington Park.

Gorrie added: “He was as fit as a bull, that’s what makes it harder to comprehend. Strong. Massive throwing arm. Hit the ball a mile. And always laughing. It’s not fair.’’

The Verralls have a long association with Washington Park, which was formed when the Shannon Park and Washington clubs merged for the 1985-86 season.

The Verralls were attached to Shannon Park.

Tony, Andrew’s father, counts as a club legend, having played more than 300 games and served as a premiership coach and a trusted guide for many junior cricketers.

Tony’s brother Phil was a leading batsman and figured in the 1989-90 premiership in Longmuir Shield, the top grade of the competition.

In 2015-16 Andrew himself became a “Longy’’ premiership player as the Sharks bested an East Sandringham team featuring former Test player Brad Hodge. Chasing 8-216, Washington Park hit 7-217, and Andrew Verrall’s crucial hand of 65 took in a 125-run partnership with Ryan Heywood.

That season Verrall and Heywood also shared a 223-run stand against Bentleigh Uniting, both hitting centuries.

Andrew Verrall completes a run for the Sharks.

A few years earlier Andrew also figured in the club’s Woolnough Shield premiership.

In both flag-winning seasons he topped the batting averages.

Andrew had started in the juniors in 1999 and the club said he displayed “great skill, leadership and sportsmanship from the outset’’.

In his Under-16 season he had a few games in the Quiney Shield senior team.

And in 2008-09 at the age of 18 he burst through with a century in Longmuir Shield, 107 against Bentleigh ANA (that same season he also thrashed 203 not out in an I Grade game).

He finished with 186 senior matches and his club regarded him as one of the premier batsmen in the SECA and a “true great’’ of Washington Park.

“He has been highly respected by teammates and opponents and recognised with SECA representative and team of the year selection,’’ the Sharks said.

“His on-field leadership was recently rewarded being appointed as First XI vice-captain in 2019-20 and he has been an active and valued member of the club committee for nine years and a much-loved junior coach.

“We will dearly miss ‘AV’, who leaves us way too soon. He’s been a great person, a great clubman and a great cricketer, but he’ll never be forgotten and his contribution to our great club on and off the field will live forever.’’

Andrew is survived by his parents, Tony and Ann, sister Melissa and partner Mena.