Former Australian batsman Rob Quiney to play for French Island Cricket Club

Victoria’s “overseas’’ cricket club is preparing for an influx of visitors after securing a star recruit. Here’s how the amazing story unfolded.

Rob Quiney hits Sean Abbott for a six in a Big bash League match at the MCG. On Saturday, he will play with French Island. Picture:Wayne Ludbey

Extra ferries will run.

A beer tent will be set up.

And Rob Quiney will be handed the keys to the island for a day when he plays a one-off match for French Island in the Mornington Peninsula association on Saturday.

The former Australian and Victorian batsman will be the first Test cricketer to play for the 120-year-old club, situated on Western Port Bay, when he lines up against Baden Powell’s Third XI on February 4-11.

It’s a big game; French Island is third on the ladder, while Baden Powell is in second spot.

Rob Quiney.

Quiney playing for Australia.

Quiney’s unlikely link with Victoria’s “overseas club” is all part of a clever recruiting ploy by the Islanders, who battle every week to field a full team.

“It’s basically just to try and drum up a bit of publicity,” French Island player and official Matthew Spark said.

“See if we can get a heap of people there and some of them might choose to play for us.

“It’s not so much, ‘let’s try and win the game’, it’s let’s see if we can get 200 or 300 crowd at our local ground.”

A decade ago French Island fielded two teams.

But it has struggled for players over the past five years and Spark said that without juniors and an influx of newcomers the situation ahead was dicey.

French Island is a small island with a small population located in Western Port Bay.

But the cricket team has a reputation for being competitive.

The Islanders made news before Christmas when it smashed 3-602, ignited by its skipper Ben King, who scored an MPCA record 321 not out.

Many weren’t aware the side only had nine players on that day and just seven when it fielded the following week.

Only last Saturday, French Island played two players short.

So, Spark said, something needed to be done to attract new players.

He said Island player Rob Phillips was mates with former Victorian cricket boss Shaun Graf, who helped get Bobby Quiney.

French Island’s cricket rooms have 120 years of history. Picture: David Caird

Spark said Quiney might be “shocked’’ by the standard in A1 Grade, where they play with a two-piece ball.

“In our grade he’s obviously far and above (the level) but we’ll try and keep a handbrake on it, it’s more to see if we can get a few hundred people there, that’s the plan,” Spark said.

Spark encourages cricket fans and tourists to “do the French Island experience” and catch the ferry to watch “Bobby blast off’’ on February 4 and 11.

Entry is free.

“Yeah, come and have a watch,” he said.

“We’re planning to run a couple of buses with every ferry.

“We’ll have our normal afternoon tea plus we’ll run some food throughout the day and we might even move the bar outside and have a bit of a beer tent in case we get a few extras.”

And Spark is certain Quiney will enjoy the experience.

“If he enjoys sledging — we don’t sledge the other team, we sledge each other — he’ll fit right in,” Spark chuckled.