University cricket life member reaches massive milestone

University cricketing icon Rob Phillips etched his name into Toowoomba cricket history after his wicket on the weekend. Check out his story here.

Rob Phillips took his 500th wicket for University Cricket Club in the Toowoomba Cricket competition on Saturday. Picture: Kevin Farmer

University B-grade cricketer Rob Phillips etched his name into Toowoomba cricket history on Saturday as he claimed his 500th wicket for the club in his side’s clash with Met-Easts Red.

Mark Alexander was caught by Henry McCurran off Phillips’ bowling in the 28th over of the game to give the Univeristy icon his milestone scalp.

Phillips is just the fifth player to claim 500 wickets for the club and to be amongst such esteemed company was an honour not lost on the Uni bowler.

“I do look at our club stats and see our really good bowlers have got to 500 and there are only a few of them,” he said.

“So to be with that group of blokes like Chris Webster or Greg Hilder, who have been at our club for years who have got 800 wickets and more, I would be pretty proud of that achievement.”

The self-described “slow-wobbly” bowler has been taking wickets for four decades at University and remains a threat with the ball to this day.

“Once upon a time I was a little medium pacer growing up, but these days it is a few short steps and just see what happens,” Phillips said.

“I used to always say I was a batsman who could bowl a bit but the last few years the numbers probably suggest I have had that wrong for 40 years.

“I am probably a bowler who can maybe bat a bit.”

Phillips’ cricketing career began with University in 1984 and the people he has met along the way has been what has kept him at the club for so long.

Rob Phillips claimed his 500th wicket for the University Cricket Club on Saturday. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“I think everyone would say this about their own club, but you just meet great people,” he said.

“Obviously I love cricket, so that got me into the game 40 years ago and then we had a good run of years through the early days, so you just believe you’re at the best club in town so why would you go somewhere else.”

In terms of career highlights, Phillips has always been a humble member of the team and loves to celebrate teammates’ achievements as much as his own.

“I have been lucky enough to play in a lot of grand finals,” he said.

“We have probably lost as many as we have won, but I have been lucky enough to play in big games.

“I love cricket as a team sport because I am an average cricketer so I don’t mind celebrating when my other mates do well.

“Celebrating what others do has been pretty special as well.”

In terms of personal milestones there was one moment that stands head and shoulders above the rest for Phillips.

“I was lucky enough a couple of years ago to have a good game where I took 14 wickets in a match,” Phillips said.

“It was a bit of good luck and good fortune, that was a good day.”

Off the field, he has been just as heavily involved with the club as he has been on the field.

“I got life membership for the club in the early 2000s after 20-odd years,” Phillips said.

“I was president for the club on a couple of occasions as well and I’ve always kind of been involved in trying to help direct the club in some way shape or form.”