Eastern Cricket Association: Milestone, century and hat trick as Burwood Uniting Canterbury puts on a show
There was a milestone, a century, a hat trick and one very proud dad looking down from above as Burwood Uniting Canterbury delivered against Mount Waverley Catholics.
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Sometimes cricket throws up a script that’s a little out of the ordinary and “You’re having a lend of me aren’t you?” is totally justified.
Last Saturday at Lynden Park, Burwood Uniting Canterbury Cricket Club’s ECA Burt Shield clash with Mount Waverley Catholics had more twists and turns than a Shane Warne leggie.
And family was at the heart of it.
Club legend Andrew Hillyer padded up for his 450th game, playing alongside his son Josh who is captain of the Bulls’ first XI.
Then, after winning the toss and batting first, the Bulls posted 1-271 bankrolled by opening bat Andrew Lammardo who hammered an unbeaten 153 with a stunning 13 fours and 11 sixes. Andrew was playing alongside younger brother Ben.
But in a game of milestones, Saturday marked the ninth anniversary of the passing of club legend Tony Blackwell and his two sons, Jake and Shayne, were also in action while the team wore black armbands in memory of the Bulls great.
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Mount Waverley’s chase was progressing nicely and, with wickets hard to come by, Josh Hillyer turned to Shayne Blackwell as a second spin option.
In his third over Shayne snared a vital wicket, caught by the skipper who dislocated his finger in the process and had to leave the ground and, later, ended up in hospital.
Shayne chipped away and eventually turned the match with a hat trick in his seventh over.
And the points were secured when Shayne nabbed the last wicket, and a five-for, courtesy of a catch from his brother.
The feel-good movie of the summer.
“It had everything and everything fell into place,” Shayne said.
“It was pretty weird how it all unfolded. I took more wickets on that one day than all season in that grade.”
When he claimed the third scalp of his hat trick Shayne took off, finger raised to the sky in honour of his father before being mobbed by his Bulls teammates and embracing his brother.
“I reckon we got some help from above,” Shayne laughed. “(All through my career) whenever I was bowling, he’d be leaning over the fence and telling me what to do.”
That family played such a big part in the win is no great surprise to the hat trick hero.
“We’ve got that all through the grades as well,” he said. “Last week there were father-sons or brother connections in every team.”