As the dust settles on the announcement that Melbourne is moving into a six-week stage 4 lockdown- so too it will begin to settle on my golf clubs. Clubs which had up until Sunday’s decision been getting a fair working over as I battled both my swing and the sludge that is winter golf in Melbourne.
That said, with no golf, pre-season or imminent start date for the cricket season, I took the chance to reflect- perhaps a touch more fully on a particular element that indisputably drove the success of Melbourne University Cricket Club to the Club Championship in season 2019/20.
The fun factor.
Shane Lee wrote on this platform recently about the importance of perspective in sport, neatly surmising “play sport, don’t let sport play you.” In cricket especially, this is easier said than done; if you don’t believe me, check out “The Grade Cricketer” for a crash course into the harsh introspective world of grade/premier cricket.
With this in mind, MUCC adopted a central focus on igniting and sustaining a sense of fun; the rationale being that coming to the cricket club should- first and foremost- be something that makes people happy. So, despite playing in one of the fiercest and hotly contested amateur sport competitions in the country, MUCC embraced, to the fullest extent, their role as a community sporting club; to create a positive and upbeat environment for everyone.
(A product of its environment; success for MUCC was all-encompassing)
Though the examples are far too many to explore in a story like this; I’ll take you inside the pickets at the Uni Main for the First XI’s round 8 clash against St. Kilda. The Saints, traditionally a dominant force in Premier Cricket, attract big names and are used to success, so naturally it was going to take a strong showing from the Students to knock them from their perch (or altar?).
Happily, Australian rock legend, Paul Kelly was in town this weekend, for the launch of his poetry anthology: Love is Strong as Death. So, on the Friday night, members of the MUCC first XI went and enjoyed a night of poetry with PK. (A University Club, right?) Fast-forward to the warm-up the next morning, and instead of a traditional game of touch football or the like, the Students warmed up with a poetry reading from Kelly’s book, by number four batsman and leading run-scorer, Andrej Yaksender. Yak, whose linear personality couldn’t align less with the literary works of Denis Glover, prepared for the match by reading the New-Zealander’s most famous work; “The Magpies.”
So, with teammates still in tears of laughter as the financier stumbled over the correct pronunciation of a magpie’s ‘quardle’, the Students bowled first and had St. Kilda 5/34 just prior to lunch. Opening quick Mark Stafford stormed his way to career best figures of 8/53, and Uni rolled the Saints for 157. In reply, Yak, still with the magpie’s call fresh in his mind, blasted a hundred to the surprise of no one, entrenching Uni on top of the ladder.
As the season progressed, comical poetry readings became a staple of the pre-match routine, and Boney M played on repeat through the speakers. Rasputin and Daddy Cool became theme songs for the Club, as umpires would come into the dressing rooms for a five-minute warning, to find eleven flannelled fools Russian dancing; we could hardly have looked less like a cricket team if we tried- but we were laughing the whole damned time.
On the field, playing to win, the laughs didn’t stop. Props went to whoever could make the best Rasputin-based gag, celebrations were name-dependent (we all gave each other low 10’s instead of high fives after a batsman by the name of Loten was clean bowled) and making runs and taking wickets all felt like a happy by-product of the child-like amusement we all garnered from the whole thing.
(Elation as MUCC secures sixth Club Championship)
Come the end of the season, and the Students finished as the most successful club in the competition; the Club Championship aside, the First XI were minor premiers, the Second XI came fourth and the Third XI finished in second position. Though no team was able to complete a full finals series due to the onset of the pandemic in Victoria, success on both club and individual level was in abundance.
As text messages continue to fly around between presently locked-down players, it is striking that what we share most, is a desire to get back to the unfiltered silliness and stupidity that only the closest-knit groups in team sport can provide.
That said, I wouldn’t hate some throw downs sometime soon…
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