Cricketers you have met

[Bomber Bears]

Met Phil Jaques and Stuart Clark is about 03/04 season, they came down to have a chat to the rep players. Stuart Clark is a great guy, friendly and pretty funny, discussed how you have to keep your cool even tho he wouldnt have minded putting a cricket stump through a few umpires from time to time.

Once sat next to Brett and Shane lee's parents when I went to see NSW vs Victoria in a Shield match at North Sydney Oval with my grandpa when I was about 8 years old, before Brett Lee had really made his mark. Shane Lee was a decent guy when he came over, that was a good game as well, The Waughs, Bevo, Slater, Taylor, Matthews etc playing for the Blues and Warne and Reiffil both in the Vics side.

We managed to get Ricky Ponting as our clubs number one member a few years back as well, he came down to meet our side and we had a photo which went on the back of the local rag, was a nice enough guy.

Also saw Dean Jones and Kerry O'Keefe at some weekend at Bowral a few years back, and saw Glenn Mcgrath after a half marathon a bit over a year ago, said something like wish we had you over in england to him.

 

[Bourky23]

used to work for a quite well known nursery in melbourne........delivered a van load of plants to shane warnes place in brighton......amazing set up around his pool was a good bloke too helped me unload the plants and gave me a stubby from his outside bar

legend status = acheived.

the jealousy is overwhelming.

 

[The Convert]

Played a season of indoor cricket with Jonathon Agnew. Genuinely nice bloke and quick off 3 paces.

Met and bowled to Hilditch in the nets quite a few times many years ago. Didn't think that much of him then (good with bat though) but a whole lot less now.

 

[Bingle_21]

Was in St Kitts in the WI in '07 for OD World Cup. Was staying next door to the marriot where SA, Netherlands, Scottish and Aussies were all staying. Went there most nights for the restaurants and the casino. saw most players from all 4 teams at different stages.

Spent a fair bit of time one night talking and drinking with Dougie Brown from Scotland, he was a good bloke. Also chatted with Brad Haddin and his missus playing roulette (he was bored sh!tless training and not playing), was a good bloke and his missus was a champ too. Also was playing poker in the seat next to Glenn McGrath and had a chat about what a joke it was that Haydos had been given an honourary citizenship of St Kitts & Nevis for making the quickest ton in a WC.

 

[mattymac]

hookesy and wayne phillips did a coaching clinic for our district team when i was a kid just after their mammoth partnership

botham, lamby and a few other lesser poms whose names escape me used to come in once in a while to the country pub i was a quasi-local at in northamptonshire. viv made an appearance once aswell. top blokes to have a pint with except beefy who is a bit of a knob. all very knowledgeable on aus shield cricket and cricketers from the 70s and 80s

mcgrath and lee at the tour game against northamptonshire in 2005 but i was pretty hammered at the time. they were both pretty confident we'd haul the series back in at that point

andrew hilditch used to live across the street from me when i was a kid. wish he still did ...(@%$!#)

 

[SNAITHY]

Long story short.....in 93 a mate n I landed in England to follow the ashes around, no tickets, no idea. Earls court bp's first night met a dude who was best mates with Holdsworth. Next day he took us to Lords to watch the last Texaco cup odi. Sat in members next to Molly Meldrum, and infront of two of the hottest chics ever. Molly had a chic with him and I was blind telling stupid jokes, Molly loved it introduced himself. After match our new friend tried to get us into the Lords dressing rooms, me n Mac waited down stairs while he went up to see Holdsworth n get ok. Molly comes along, chics not allowed in rooms, he asks us to look after her while he goes see A.B. Me and Mac dressed the same, tell kids we are Vic players, sign autographs and pose for photos. Molly comes down half hour later, thanks us, invites us to a small 'gathering' that night. Our mate comes back, up we go into the Lords dressing room. All the boys are there some still in whites, some naked (Healy is super hung....maybe Molly was visiting him??) drinking xxxx and celebrating....
Two hours later we are in a hackney carriage with Boony, on way to MM's motel. Boony canned Bobby Simpson the whole way there...top fella. We get to the motel and wind up sitting round a huge round table with Molly, A.B and all the Aussies bar Warnie and M.Waugh......who we saw leave the ground earlier with the two hot chics we were sitting with in the members.........drinking and eating till all hours.
All on our first day in England. I'll never forget it.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

Played junior hockey with Stuart MacGill (and coached by Terry).

Also lived across the road from Kim Hughes.

 

[Donnie Darko]

Saw michael vaughan taking cash out of a bank in the 90s before he got in the england team.

 

[lemon chicken]

Years ago I played footy with Bryce McGain. He was a pretty decent local footballer, won league B&F's, gave it away when he got a Vic contract.

Devon Malcolm gave me his English version Greg Chappell hat at a Boxing Day test and then went on to be Warnies hat-trick wicket in the same game.

 

[skipper kelly]

McGrath gave me a wave in a test match at the Gabba.

 

[Port85]

Brian Lara, at the Oxford Hotel in North Adelaide the last time he played at AO. Was really nice, but when my mate and I asked for a photo he was happy to oblige but his minder (or team minder) came over and stopped us. On the way out my mate asked if he could have a hug (we were both smashed), and Lara randomly agreed, my mate still maintains that was the best hug of his life.

Also met Clarke, Symonds and Hopes on a different occasion at the same hotel after an ODI, prob 2007 I think. Didn't really talk to Roy or Hopes but we bought a couple of rounds of tequila at the bar and offered Clarke one and he shouted another round later, so he was ok. He was cracking on the Greg Blewett's missus something fierce though (Blewett's missus may have been separated from Greg at the time, no idea).

Cosgrove was also there hanging around those guys that night, he was pretty smashed, kept giving everyone hi-fives, but it was pretty normal to see Cossie out and about in Adelaide anyway.

 

[Doctor Feel]

I met Richie Benaud once at Adelaide oval, I asked him for an autograph and he replied in his voice "not today, sunny"

 

[Wacky Tiger]

Played some junior cricket with Ferguson and Tait.

Got to bowl to the Australian, English and Sri Lankan teams in January 1999 on the day Murali got called for chucking at Adelaide Oval against the Poms and the Lankans threatened to walk off.

For the Aussies i bowled to Boof Lehmann, Greg Blewett and Michael Kasprowicz. First ball i bowled to Boof was a yorker and it broke the toe of his bat, in hindsight i probably should have asked if i could keep it as a momento as all he did was heave it over the net and get a new one. Would have had Blewy caught behind once and Kasper just smoked me everywhere, obviously wasnt working on his defensive game, haha

From the other two teams i bowled to Adam Hollioke, Mark Alleyane and Ashley Giles and then from the Lankans Hashan Tillakaratne, Aravinda DaSilva and i cant remember the 3rd.

Otherwise i remember as a kid watching a Rebacks game and Siddons and Blewett were batting, as they came off for lunch we rushed to them to get autographs Blewett blew us off with a not now kids and Siddons stayed for a few minutes to sign a few and thank us for coming along to watch.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

I met Richie Benaud once at Adelaide oval, I asked him for an autograph and he replied in his voice "not today, sunny"

No doubt he was expecting the

'Who should I make it out to...'

 

[davo99]

Done a few valuations with my dad on the husseys house. Awesome blokes David gave me one of his old bats and bowled to me at the nets. Related to Marsh's Mitch is serously weird his brother is ok pretty quiet. Had a net privare session with Mitchell Johnson he bowled one at his fastest at me scariest moment of my life also gave me some batting tips top bloke also got to see his gf (smoking hot). Also met Punter a couple of times at north games guess ive been lucky

 

[TassieSaint]

Saw Boonie out and about one day and asked for an autograph when I was a young fella.

He told me to **** off.

Haha have heard similar stories from a few people. Played footy against his son as a junior, but walking past him after a game once he gave me a look that said 'Yes, I'm Boonie... now piss off' so I didn't bother asking for an autograph or anything. Don't think he really ever took to being a role model.

Living in a small place like Hobart you see a few cricketers out and about whenever a test is on. Have seen a group of the Sri Lankan boys including Murali, Gilchrist and Lee, Richie Benaud and Shoaib Malik at various times plus a bunch of Tassie state cricketers. Also watched Kamran Akmal drop 3 practice catches in a row in the nets the game he got dropped I think at Bellerive, people were taking the piss but he still signed autographs after so seems like a decent bloke. Only bloke I've ever actually talked to though was Watto back when he played for Tassie and I was a kid, came to a clinic and gave me some batting tips.

 

[big_sav]

had a few beers with phillip hughes last ashes at the edgbaston test after day 1 when he got dropped that morning. funny bloke but a little arrogant. was sooooo pissed off he got dropped. i guess i can be partly to blame for him gettin in trouble for drinkin that nite and wasnt too happy when my mate started dancing with his "girl". pretty funny

 

[Fred]

Played golf with Alan Hurst years ago. Seemed a good bloke.

 

[spookism]

I was a finalist in the recent 12th Man comp for the All Star Twenty20. Great time meet a few players, Boof Lehmann is the best value - had a few drinks with him. Also got to have a few drinks with some of the younger players after the game - Warner is a little tank and love a drink.

 

[BORK]

The day Brian Lara scored a double century at Adelaide Oval in 2005 we walked past
Ponting and Gilchrist on Nth Terrace, a friend of mine said "How you doing Punter" and reached out for a handshake which was treated with silence, an eyeballing and no acceptance of the handshake.

I knew someone who lived in Hyde Park for a while next door to Shaun Tait during his retirement from cricket stage. I didnt speak to him but saw him and mates carrying a few cartons inside. I heard from my friend who lived there that this was a common occurrance.

Spoke to Justin Langer while he was practicing in the nets at the back of the members stand at Adelaide Oval at the end of day 1 against the Windies in 2005. He seemed a pretty decent bloke. Went on to score 90 odd the next day.

 

[BORK]

Forgot to mention Darren Lehmann as a secret santa at a work christmas function. A lucky person had a B&H with him. That guy said to me that night that all he needs is a cigarrette with Warne and his life would be complete.

 

[outabounds]

Dean Jones- absolute tool
Jason Gillespie- ok
Andrew Symonds- major tool
Hodgey- not much up top

 

[Torpedo12]

I used to do abit with the AIS which got me meeting different sportspeople, i also played afl which got me to meet Warne, ripping bloke, loves a good feed. Met Shoaib Akhtar back when he toured, i think the 04-05 season. Absolute dog of a bloke, but when he is pissed he is the funniest bloke. He got with 6 chicks that night. Also have dinner with Ponting and Rianna a few times a year. Always a good feed at their joint.

 

[Brad Goodman]

Mentioned on here previously but Carl Hooper is married to my cousin so I generally see him once or twice a year.

Nice little story at the end of Inside Cricket on Fox Sports last night.

 

[Ill Chicken]

Done a fair bit of net bowling to the Aussies/touring sides. Played grade cricket against/with a few decent players. Best experience was staying back to bowl to Lara and Ponting for over an hour on separate occasions.