Frankston cricket great Dennis Prendergast made a life member of Cricket Victoria

Dennis Prendergast vividly remembers his first “big job” in cricket.

Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club president Dennis Prendergast has been made a life member of Cricket Victoria.

Dennis Prendergast vividly remembers his first “big job” in cricket.

He was seven and the offer came from his dad, Bill, who was volunteer curator at Frankston Cricket Club’s oval in Cranbourne Rd.

On summer afternoons, Bill would ride his bike from the family’s house in nearby Beach St, towing young Dennis behind on a three-wheeler, to the oval to tend to the pitch and surrounds.

Over the railway tracks they went, cricket on their minds.

Dennis would watch his dad prepare the wicket, admiring his expertise and attention to detail. Then one day, Bill asked Dennis to be his “official assistant curator”, with his first role to mark the white lines.

“I remember my excitement of him asking me,” Dennis said.

“He said ‘Don’t splash, don’t make a mess, just paint between the grids’.”

Looking back, Dennis says it was a significant moment in his life. He was in a role of responsibility and he took it seriously.

“I came to realise there was more to a club than just playing,” he said.

Dennis Prendergast (left) with his mum Shirley, dad Bill and brother Kevin.

It’s a value that stayed with him as he’s served his beloved Frankston and Frankston Peninsula cricket clubs over the past 50 years.

At 69, Prendy is in his 28th season as president of either Frankston or Frankston Peninsula cricket clubs.

His huge contribution to cricket was recognised last month when Cricket Victoria gave him life membership during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

He was inducted alongside five others, including former Australian player and Victorian administrator Tony Dodemaide.

Prendergast played his first game of cricket at 11, in Frankston’s under 16s, at what is now the Heat’s main ground, Butler Oval.

“It was dirty and dusty, with a malthoid wicket,” he said.

“I can remember the pads were too big for me. I rolled down the hill when I went into bat.”

He made a duck that day but it didn’t put him off. Far from it. Within a decade he was captain of Frankston and his passion for the club and the game was set.

Prendy was a talented player — a middle order bat who liked to whack it — with Frankston’s VJCA and Sub District sides.

Bill Prendergast (left) with his sons Kevin (middle) and Dennis at their Beach St, Frankston home.

He enjoyed premiership success and was part of quality sides. But his biggest legacy would be off the field, especially in the early 1990s when he combined with Bill Foley to campaign for Frankston to be accepted into the Victorian District competition.

It took five years of hard work but the dream became reality in October, 1993 when the newly formed Frankston Peninsula took to the field against North Melbourne in the VCA District competition.

“Bill and I walked to the middle of the pitch and shook hands and said, ‘well, there we go’,’’ Prendergast said.

“He said, ‘well done Prendy’, I said, ‘well done Bill’, and we walked off and said ‘let’s enjoy the moment’.

“That was special.”

Bryce McGain played in that first game and later went on to play Test cricket for Australia. He well remembers Prendy’s passion.

“He’s laid back and I love the way that nothing seems to be taken too seriously but underneath he’s a seething competitor,’’ McGain said of Prendergast.

While First XI premiership success has eluded the Heat in its first quarter of a century, the structure for future success is firmly in place.

As for Prendy?

“I’ve advised the club that this should be my last year as president,” he said.

Frankston cricket will always be indebted to Dennis Prendergast, a true club legend.