Premier Cricket 2018-19: Cricketers recall the gruelling conditions they played in on Black Saturday

It’s been almost a decade since Black Saturday, a day etched into the memory of so many people. As February 7 approaches, cricketers recall the gruelling conditions they played in that day, as Melbourne sweltered through its hottest day on record.

Current St Kilda coach Glen Lalor cools off during Black Saturday.

They are conditions as unimaginable as they were unforgettable.

As Victoria burnt during the Black Saturday bushfires, it is difficult to fathom cricket was played across Melbourne as firefighters fought to save lives and homes.

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Cricketers will tell you conditions on February 7, 2009 were the toughest they ever faced.

A decade on, memories from that day remain.

The death toll from the bushfires was 173, more than 2000 homes were destroyed and communities were wiped off the map.

The mercury hit 46.4 degrees — the hottest temperature ever recorded in the city — while wild winds and smoke made for a furnace.

Premier Cricket did not have a heat policy 10 years ago, only allowing for extra drinks breaks as players pushed through near-delirium.

Glen Lalor attempts to keep cool.

An ‘extreme conditions policy’ has since been introduced.

Former Camberwell Magpies wicketkeeper-batsman Glen Parker made his only First XI century that day, spending four hours at the crease against Ringwood.

Despite Parker’s knock of 105 not out, the game ended in a draw as the Magpies fell five runs short of the Rams’ 281 after facing 103 gruelling overs.

Parker recalls a “hot, smoky, northerly wind in your face all day”.

“It was horrendous conditions. You could smell the smoke, you could see it in the air and it was a disgusting day in terms of playing cricket,” Parker said.

“I just remember it was hot. It was so hot. At the time we probably didn’t understand the significance of what was going on in terms of the fires and how catastrophic it all was.

“The sky was almost red, it was an unbelievable day and extraordinary we played.

“That’s the toughest day I’ve ever had on a cricket field. I just remember coming off the field and all I wanted to do was sit down. It was by far the hardest conditions I ever played in.”

Former Australian quick John Hastings made 109 over 260 minutes batting for Footscray at Merv Hughes Oval, helping the Bulldogs chase down Melbourne’s 264.

Hastings, who played many games in countries such as India during his international career, said the conditions on Black Saturday were among the toughest he had played in.

“I just remember when I came into bat, I thought, ‘far out, are we going to play?’” Hastings said.

“There were big, black clouds of smoke hanging around and we obviously heard there were bushfires going on.

“We were all a bit nervous and worried about what was going on but it probably wasn’t until the days afterwards when everything was broadcast and telecast that we knew how bad the fires were.”

Players were allowed extra drinks breaks during the extreme heat.

Melbourne all-rounder Justin Graham sent down 19 overs of off-spin in energy-sapping temperatures.

He said Hastings launched him for “quite a few sixes”, with the gale blowing the ball out on to Farnsworth Ave.

Graham said the conditions were “comfortably” the harshest he played in during his decade-long Premier career.

“Relentless is probably the first word that comes to mind,” Graham said.

“Everyone knows it was blowing a gale and it was blowing towards their thirds and fourths ground at a million km/h.

“Blokes were walking off at the break quite delusional.

“Ash Middlin was the keeper and he came in and was trying to take his shoes off and started mumbling all sorts of crap and no one knew what was going on. It was bloody extraordinary.

“My last half a dozen overs, I reckon I was only bowling off two steps. It was just relentless, it didn’t stop all day. The wind just blew all day — it was horrible.”

Current Melbourne skipper Matthew Brown was an up-and-comer in the Second XI a decade ago, recalling the heat “like it was yesterday”.

Play was delayed at Windy Hill as wind kept blowing the bails off.

Brown spent six hours in the oppressive conditions to finish unconquered on 176 as the Demons’ chased down Footscray’s declared tally of 7-330.

“I think I was in early and it just felt like you were in a fan-forced oven all day,” Brown said.

“I remember late in the day getting a drink run out and my hand was cramped around the bat handle and I couldn’t open my hand to get the bat out so someone had to do that for me.

“The sky was black and you could just sense that something wasn’t right and you had the smell of the smoke in the air, too.

“It’s only looking back now as to how crazy it was that we played.”

Former Footscray quick Michael Kelliher ran in for 23 overs, carried off “after two or three over spells and put in the shower like a four-year-old”.

“You’d lie in the shower and come back on after an over so the other bloke could come off,” Kelliher recalled.

“I remember it being real tough to breath and then at the tea break they took the temperature and if I’m not mistaken it was 50 degrees in the middle of The Albert.

“There’s been humid days and there’s been days where teams play on a flat track and they’d hit you around but in terms of trying to breath, I remember the smoke coming over The Albert and you couldn’t get air in because you were just inhaling smoke.”

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