Recollection: The day I kept to Shane Warne

It was just months before the famous “ball of the century” when a young sports reporter put on wicket-keeping gloves and saw a legend close up.

It was January, 1993 and the MPCA season had resumed after the Christmas break.

I was 22 and playing in Langwarrin’s First XI.

An exhibition game featuring local players and the Victorian cricket squad was to be played at Graydens Rd, Hastings.

Stars like Darren Lehmann, Damien Fleming, Merv Hughes and Shane Warne came down to play on that hot Sunday afternoon.

The Vics were mixed in with MPCA players to make up two teams and luckily enough I ended up on the same side as Merv and Warnie.

I was wicketkeeper.

Some of the other MPCA players included Paul Hartle, Rob Bedford, Craig Burch and Craig Symons.

Simon McEvoy takes evasive action as Paul Hartle throws down the stumps to run out Paul Nobes in 1993.

My memories of the day are clear.

I remember being blown away by the sheer class of master batsman Lehmann.

Also, keeping to the great Merv Hughes was both a highlight and a challenge, especially on the bouncy synthetic pitch. Revved up by the crowd, he let a few rip and they thundered into my gloves.

Merv also fielded at first slip next to me and we chatted between balls — a huge thrill for a cricket-loving kid from Langy. And he was bloody hilarious.

I also kept to SK Warne.

As fate would have it, this was four months before his famous “ball of the century’’ in England when he castled Mike Gatting in the first Test of the 1993 Ashes series, at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Merv Hughes lets fly as Wayne Phillips ducks for cover.

Admittedly, Warnie wasn’t operating at a hundred percent at Hastings on this particular day. He was more rolling his arm over and he probably bowled more offies and mediums than leg breaks, but it was clearly evident he was a champion spinner.

Nonetheless I’ve been able to boast in the years since that I did actually keep to Shane Warne. It’s a bit like an American saying he once played basketball with Michael Jordan.

Warne was only 23 but had already weaved his magic on the international stage — just weeks before he’d taken 7-52 to bowl Australia to victory against the Windies in the Boxing Day Test.

Shane Warne bowls Mike Gatting with his first ball in Ashes cricket in June, 1993.

The Vic players were fantastic that day at Hastings. They all stayed after the game for a cold drink, offered cricket advice and chatted with local players and supporters.

I had met Warnie previously.

Working as a reporter for Leader Newspapers, I interviewed him after his Test debut in 1992. He’d come out to Peninsula Grammar in Mt Eliza to help conduct a cricket clinic.

A teacher at the school, Peter Draper, invited me to come out and cover it and I got to spend about 20 minutes with the young Aussie spinner.

We sat together and chatted about his first game for Australia, his nerves and, I remember him telling me, the thrill of batting with David Boon.

Warnie had the mullet hairdo, the knock-about attitude and he was so genuine. He was helpful, friendly and talkative. To be honest, it was just like having a chat to one of my cricket mates.

A quality guy.

These might have only been fleeting moments with Shane Warne. But, for me, they are cherished memories.