Cranbourne Cricket Club premiership reunion: Terry Bell recalls 1960-61 A Grade flag, 60 years on

As Cranbourne Cricket Club prepares to mark its milestone flags reunion, one of its oldest premiership players recalls the sport in simpler times.

Terry Bell played in Cranbourne's 1960-61 premiership, he's an Eagle, through and through.

Local cricket was a different beast when a 20-year-old Terry Bell was running around for Cranbourne Cricket Club in 1961.

Cranbourne Shire icons EG ‘Ted’ Allen and Greg Clydesdale were the driving force in the club’s only team – a side featuring legendary spinner-keeper pairing George Harvey and Polly Waymouth.

Bell was but 20 and, in those days, “you kept fit with cricket in the summer, footy in the winter and tennis in between”.

“It was entirely different in those days, it was very basic, you trained Thursday nights up at the nets and you all had a bowl – there wasn’t much coaching going on – and then they’d pick a side, but there weren’t many extra players left over,” Bell said.

“The afternoon teas were the high point, they were done by the mums or the wives – sandwiches fresh scones, jam and cream sponges, all the good old tucker.”

The club was often reliant on those who relocated to Cranbourne to field a side.

“In those days, people moved into the area for work and you always hoped they played sport,” he laughed.

While Clydesdale — who has a square in Cranbourne named for him — and “disciplined” Ted — the club’s old ground at the racecourse was named in his honour — were the team’s leaders, it was namesake Ray Allen who starred in the Eagles’ 1960-61 A Grade premiership victory over Berwick, which marks its 60-year anniversary this season.

In an epic clash that went four innings, Berwick batted first and made the highest total of the match with 123, Ray snaring 5-42 with leg spinner Harvey chiming in with 4-44.

The Eagles fell 33 runs short of the total, shot out for 90, only Ray’s 30 providing any resistance.

Terry Bell still has the 1960-61 Jock Cowe Trophy he won for the club's batting average in the premiership year.

But Cranbourne was a long way from finished with Ray, 4-16, and Harvey, 3-10, rifling through the Berwick line-up for just 55.

Needing 88 to win, Ray Allen made a mockery of the chase, slapping 59 as the Eagles passed the total, four wickets down – his contribution nine wickets and the highest score in each of the Eagles’ innings.

“He (Ray) would have got them at a fair clip too,” Bell exclaimed.

“He came from interstate I think, might have captained or coached the footy team.

“He was a good guy, community-minded, a medium-fast bowler who was a good striker of the ball. A natural sportsman.”

While he was quiet in the grand final, Bell delivered the Eagles victory in the semi final with a brilliant 98, named the local newspaper of the day’s cricketer of the week.

The report read: “With six wickets down for 96 runs, Cranbourne needed 100 runs to win. 20-year-old Terry stepped onto the crease and knocked up a great score of 98 including 10 fours and a six. It was literally Terry’s hand that won the semi final for Cranbourne.”

Bell, now 80, said he was never much of a drinker, and he recalls the celebrations well.

“They all went over to the pub at Tooradin, then we went to Charley Adams’ afterwards and I was as crook as a dog – I didn’t drink much – and I went home and I could hear the celebrations still going,” he said.

Bell won the club’s batting average in the premiership season – named the Jock Cowe Award for a club supporter, an old Scotchman who lived in and ran the milk bar opposite where Kelly’s Hotel still stands in High St.

Despite that, he calls himself “just a trier” at sport and, now 80, he’s had some heart surgery, but still hits the links at Cranbourne Golf Club as often as he can.

“You never really got taught how to play cricket, I would have liked to have gone to a public school where you got taught, but I had a bit of ability, but never really got taught,” he said.

*Cranbourne will hold its anniversary premiership reunions at the Casey Fields Ovals 2&3 clubrooms on Saturday, February 20. All welcome. Please bring a mask to adhere COVID-19 protocols. More details – Cranbourne Cricket Club on Facebook or Marty Kelly: 0413 931 642.

The 1989-90 Cranbourne Turf 1 Premiership team.

Flags being celebrated are those that mark milestones this season and last season, as we were unable to hold a function due to COVID-19:

1935-36 – A Grade – 85 years

1960-61 – A Grade – 60 years

1964-65 – A Grade – 56 years

1980-81 – Turf 2 – 40 years

1985-86 – Women – 35 years

1989-90 – THREE PREMIERSHIPS, 31 YEARS

Turf 1

C Grade

F Grade

1990-91 – C Grade back-to-back – 30 years

1999-00 – Turf 4 – 21 YEARS

2004-05 – Turf 2 – 16 years

2010-11 – Turf 3 – 10 years

2015-16 – 2 premierships, 5 years

Turf 1

One Day

The now iconic photo of Matthew ‘Cheeks’ Chasemore hitting the winning runs in Cranbourne’s 2015-16 Turf 1 Grand Final reverse outright. Picture: Jason Sammon

A list of premiership players from the celebratory years is below – if you know any of these people, please inform them of the event, the club wants as many of these players along as possible:

1935-36

A Grade – 85 years

Ray Christie

Harry Cockcroft

Ernie Rolston

Rupert Blake

Charlie Perry

Bob Houghton

Rupert Foster

Johnny Bethune

Tommy Blake

Charles Rolston

Roger Burton

1960-61

A Grade – 60 years

Ted Allen (c)

Charlie Adams

Ray Allen

George Harvey

Terry Bell

Polly Waymouth

Greg Clydesdale

Charley Morley

Dave Collett

Jack MacKay

B Thomas

1964-65

A Grade – 56 years

The club records have no team list

1980-81

Turf 2 – 40 years

Roger Roscoe (c)

Bill Wakefield

Doug Funnell

Rod Jones

Mal Gillard

Lyle Woodman

Dave Harrington

Noel Stephens

Jim Street

John Johnson

Rod Linton

1985-86

Women – 35 years

Anne Tarbolton (c)

G Schmidt

Pauline Barritt

Megan Worthington

Christine Hexter

F MacDonald

A Flentjar

A Hexter

C Currie

Leeanne Roach

Lisa Cooper

1989-90 – Three premierships, 31 years

Turf 1

Peter Campbell (c)

Paul Archer

Peter Kelly

Jeff Halsey

Harold Grundell

Rohan Higgins

Richard Hammond

Rob Sidebottom

Rob Walters

Greg Hammond

Geoff Rees

C Grade

Wayne Ladner (c)

Peter Hope

Steve Redgen

Steve Roy

Ash Oats

Alan Hamilton

Rob Ralph

Stuart Andrews

Paul Lydall

Rob Neil

Josh Lawson

F Grade

Rod Oats (c)

Murray Pratt

Jason Stephens

Dave Mason

Ron Elton

Ray Kelly

Mark Preston

Neil Stott

Colin Wilson

Kevin King

Todd Martin

1990-91

C Grade back-to-back — 30 years

Wayne Ladner (c)

Dave Kelly

Andrew Laird

Neil Armstrong

Steve Redgen

Steve Roy

Brett Shrouder

George Cooper

Rob Neil

David Roach

Chris Van Rooye

1999-00

Turf 4 – 21 years

Peter Kelly (c)

Silvio Marinelli

Mark Woodall

Aaron Warn

Bill Louden

Aaron Ledan

Wayne Cornwall

Shane Doig

Dave Carson

Matt Cooke

Stuart Mills

2004-05

Turf 2 – 16 years

Ross Woodall (c)

Mark Woodall

Jason Hameeteman

Ash Oats

Rodger Alister

Jim Alister

Matt Moore

Shaun Petrie

Nick Eurell

Andrew Toan

Steve Miller

2010-11

Turf 3 – 10 years

Matt Moore (c)

Cameron Kelly

Dene North

Dave Spencer

Matt Weller

Chris George

Dustin Peebles

Russell Weeding

Clint Ayres

Zac Harland

Adam Carland

2015-16 – 2 premierships, 5 years

Turf 1

Steven Spoljaric (c)

Matt Chasemore

Brayden Roscoe

Brandon Tyzzer

Jake Harrington

Lucas Ligt

Stuart Plunkett

Jordan Cleland

Cam Dinger

Cameron Kelly

Martin Kelly

One Day

Brad Nicol (c)

Omid Said

Hlexiell Ruaporo

Sotirios Solomonidis

Adam Trindafillou

Sean Murnane

Jeremy Sonn

Tom Minton

Jamie Love

Dean Nicol

Chris Piastrino