CC1968
SEASON 1968-69
The Annual General Meeting of Morwell Cricket Club was held at the Morwell Recreation Reserve Club Rooms where the following office-bearers were elected:-
President: Jack Dykes
Vice Presidents: Norm Abbott and Colin Mahoney Snr.
Secretary: Allan Mathieson
Treasurer: Fred DeBono
C.G.C.A. Delegates: E Ross, N Abbott and J Dykes.
In Morwell Cricket Club's proud history only a few times has it not participated in finals unfortunately this was one of those season's and both A and B Grade did not make the four.
A Grade's season was one better forgotten as they finished the home and away games on the bottom of the ladder winning the wooden spoon.
The highest individual score by a batsman was 72 by skipper Allan Mathieson against Moe High School. Allan narrowly missed another fifty by a single run against Newborough. Other batsmen to score fifties were Jack Wilkinson who reached the half century milestone twice with scores of 54 against Newborough and 63 versus Morwell United, Fred DeBono scored 61 versus Morwell United and Joe Langley 53 versus Yallourn.
As for the trundlers no bowler captured five wickets in an innings however Colin "Mouse" Mahoney had three consistent bowling stints of 4-42 against Moe High School, 4-47 versus Yallourn, 4-38 against Newborough whilst Club President Jack Dykes snared 4-50 against Moe.
In the first game for the season Morwell were bundled out for 105 runs against Yallourn at No.2 Oval, Yallourn. Joe Langley top scored with a memorable 53 runs, facing the Association's most feared bowling attack that boasted the quickest bowler in country Victoria if not the whole of Victoria John "Jumbo" James. Jumbo was backed up with the accuracy of left arm quicks Ron Cox and Ray Grieve with former South Melbourne off spinner Norm Byrne providing the slow bowling.
Author's note: I was playing for Yallourn at the time. This innings stands out vividly in my mind because the faster big "Jumbo " and Ron Cox bowled, the more Joe snicked and glided them all around the park. I don't remember him hitting one ball along the ground! Every run scored was either just over the fieldsmen's heads or would drop safely just in front of their groping hands. Nevertheless it was a very effective and valuable innings in total team score of 105.
cc1968
Morwell A Grade's best team batting performance during the season was against Morwell United when Morwell declared 2 wickets down for 194. Jack Wilkinson top scored with 63 runs whilst Mal Castelow 12 remained the not out batsmen. Fred DeBono scored 61 and his opening batting partner that day John Rutherford made 22. Unfortunately rain intervened and the game was washed out with Morwell United 0-17 in reply.
B GRADE.
B Grade also finished out of the four this year.
Norm Abbott was again the club captain. The highest individual batting score was Norm Trembath's 110 not out against Newborough in the second innings. This was the only century scored by a club
member this year. However, wicket keeper Trevor Burgess scored two half centuries with 67 against Moe and 62 versus Latrobe as did Trevor Whitmore with 82 against Morwell United and 77 against Newborough. Tom Kennedy knocked up 78 against Latrobe.
Bowling wise Dennis McFarlane fired Moe out for 53 with the fine bowling figures of 6-18 including a "hat-trick". Evergreen leg spinner Ted Ross was the main-stay in the bowling department with six hauls of five wickets. His best individual performances were 7-27 and 5-32 against Moe, followed by 7-53 against Newborough High School, 6-47 versus Latrobe, 5-32 against Morwell United and 5-38 versus Newborough. Other bowlers to take five wickets in an innings included Arch Sutton with 5-26 against Newborough, Joe McMullen 5-49 versus Morwell United and Mal Castelow 5-33 against Newborough.
Scores above 200 runs:-
MORWELL 7-218 defeated LATROBE 135
T Kennedy 78, D McCalman 30, N Abbott 25, T Whitmore 25,
G Stewart 27 n.o., E Ross 6-47
D GRADE: No D Grade details can be found in the local press and the club does not have the score books in its possession at the time of printing.
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