Ton up: Main Ridge celebrating 100th season of cricket

Main Ridge Cricket Club was formed in 1921-22 and has enjoyed wonderful summers. Now it’s time for its 100-year celebrations.

Main Ridge's 1994-95 1st XI premiership team.

It’s time for Main Ridge Cricket Club to raise its bat, 100 not out.

Formed in 1921-22, the club was originally called Main Creek but changed its name to Main Ridge in 1926.

This Sunday, the club will hold its centenary celebrations at its club rooms at Ditterich Reserve.

Ralph Ditterich, regarded as the father of the club, was instrumental in getting things going in those early years.

While the club has won only two First XI premierships, in 1928-29 and 1994-95, it has prospered in so many ways.

Main Ridge's 1928-29 1st XI premiership side.

The foundations of its strong junior program was built by the phenomenal work of the likes of Ken Longmuir, Graham Wilson and Kevin Wyatt.

Main Ridge has produced four Premier Cricket players, Robert White (Fitzroy), Ben Claypole (South Melbourne), Brad Rossborough (Prahran and Kingston Hawthorn) and Jordan McCulley (Kingston Hawthorn).

Lloyd Hosking. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Gareth Wyatt has been one of the club’s greatest champions and only recently went past 10,000 runs.

The great Lloyd Hosking has played over 500 games for the club, starting in 1965 and is still going strong.

Main Ridge historian Greg Hay says there’s something about Main Ridge that makes people stay once they have a game.

Some of the club’s most famous families are the Ditterichs, Wyatts, Barkers, Bryants, Rigbys and Iapozzutos.

“There are generations of families still playing now and their forefathers played when Main Ridge was formed,” Hay said

“The Barkers are up to their fifth generation of playing for Main Ridge.

“I’ve been at the club for 30 years. I’m one of the recent ones.

“When I came to Main Ridge I said, ‘how good is this place?’

“The place gets in your blood.”

Greg Hay.

Hay has written the Main Ridge Cricket Club history

The 123 page book includes statistics and lists the 758 players who have played for Main Ridge.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot over 100 years but when you consider in the 1920s, 30s and 40s the club only had one side,’’ Hay said.

“They didn’t start their Second XI until the mid fifties.”

Hay said one of the most interesting pieces of club history is a scorebook from the 1940s.

“I found a scorebook from 1940 and the last game was in March,” he said.

“The very next page was the first game after the war. It was like, wow…encapsulated in one page is this hiatus because of World War Two.”

This Sunday’s centenary celebrations will include the announcement of a Main Ridge team of century.

Main Ridge president John McEncroe said everyone was welcome to join the celebrations.

“It’s an open invitation to anyone who has been involved in the club over the years to get along on the day and come and say g’day,” he said.

McEncroe said Main Ridge was a unique club.

“We’re blessed with having one of the most beautiful grounds and locations in the comp,” he said.

“We suffer from remoteness in some ways, we don’t have a school associated with the town. We don’t have a feeder club or a footy club associated with us so it’s always a challenge to field four senior sides and three junior sides but we manage to do it.

“It is a great club.”

Celebrations are from 11am on Sunday.