Greg McLay is a former NSW first class cricketer and currently a Coach and Talent Specialist for Cricket NSW, as well as U17’s ACT/NSW Country Head Coach.
In this interview we discover how Greg moved from his home town Wagga Wagga to make his debut for NSW and get to understand the challenges of country cricket in the Riverina region.
Sportseye: As a young cricketer growing up in Wagga what was your earliest cricketing memory?
Greg: Backyard cricket with my older brother Peter, who went on to play Australian Under 19’s. At his best, he remains the best left arm orthodox bowler I have ever seen but used to save his quick stuff for the backyard with me!
Sportseye: Did you have a favourite player?
Greg: Kepler Wessels.
Sportseye: When did you make the move to Sydney and how did you end up playing for Balmain?
Greg: I moved to Sydney after returning from England as the inaugural Big Brother Scholarship winner. Adam Gilchrist won this scholarship in its 2nd year. Balmain sent a couple of blokes to the airport to greet me upon returning from England and asked if I wanted to play for them so that’s what I did!
Sportseye: When did you make your debut for NSW and who was it against?
Greg: I debuted in the 1990-91 season against Western Australia at the SCG.
Sportseye: You played 6 games for NSW and took 17 wickets, can you remember your first wicket, the batsman and how you got them out?
Greg: It was Mark McPhee, who opened the batting for WA, and I got him LBW.
Sportseye: Who was the best batsman you came up against and why?
Greg: Mark Waugh – I’m pretty sure one of the reasons I got selected in the Blues squad each year was to get him into a bit of form each pre-season! He used to make a mess of me. He could hit it to all parts and long!
Sportseye: What did you enjoy about being an off-spinner?
Greg: I just had a natural ability to spin the ball hard – I never received any specialist coaching at any stage, even whilst in the Blues set-up. By having to find my own way, I think I developed a deeper understanding of the game. Just in regards to understanding my own game, setting fields and picking up on technical deficiencies in batsmen.
Sportseye: What was your cricketing highlight?
Greg: From a playing perspective, playing in the Sheffield Shield final in that 1990-91 season.
From a coaching perspective, the ACT NSW Country U17 and U19 teams were crowned National Champions last season which is a terrific boost and endorsement for Country cricket in NSW.
Sportseye: Another off spinner from regional NSW, Nathan Lyon, has gone on to become one of Australia’s greatest ever bowlers, what is it about his bowling that’s helped him be so successful?
Greg: He spins the ball hard and puts the right kind of rev’s on the ball, especially for Australian conditions. He also has a great temperament and mindset for spin bowling. He appears to have a growth mindset as he just gets better every year. I especially like how he has been able to adapt his bowling to suit sub-continent conditions in recent years.
Sportseye: You’re back in Wagga and are a Coach and Talent Specialist for Cricket NSW, as well as U17’s ACT/NSW Country Head Coach. How is cricket in the Riverina region?
Greg: The past 30 years have not been very productive for Riverina Cricket in terms of producing talent for NSW and Australian teams. Perhaps this is due to some navel gazing after the halcyon years of Slater, Taylor, Lawson and Thornely. It has certainly got its challenges that’s for sure. In saying that, female cricket is growing, as it is throughout Australia. We have also got a good wave of coaches coming through the pathway which will hopefully translate to higher quality talent emerging from the region again. We just need to grow the number of kids playing the game and provide environments where they develop a love for the game. That is the key.
Sportseye: What are the biggest challenges for Cricket in your region?
Greg: We are facing stiff competition from the AFL who dominate the sporting landscape in the Riverina. They are exceptionally well resourced compared to other codes.The number of volunteers involved in sport is getting lower and Riverina (and Cricket) is not immune from that. Good facilities are also at a scarcity. Not just in the Riverina but throughout Country NSW.
Sportseye: There’s been several Australian and NSW cricketers originally from Wagga, are there a couple of young players who you feel could follow in their footsteps?
Greg: I hope so. There are about 6 young players, male and female, showing enormous potential. The key is in providing those players with the right environment that allows them to grow and develop and continue loving the game. Rachel Trenaman is an NSW Breakers contracted player from Wagga who is only 17. She has a bright future. Another Breakers contracted player from my region is 16-year-old Phoebe Litchfield from Orange. She is a jet.
Sportseye: What advice would you give young girls and boys from regional and rural areas about sport and chasing their dreams?
Greg: The obstacles to chasing your dreams are nowhere near as prevalent as they once were. Most (not all) sports provide robust pathways for their participants, irrespective of whether they reside in the Country or metro areas. There has never been a better time to be a young cricketer, male or female, in country NSW.
Cricket NSW has more full-time staff in regional centres than ever and our pathway programs, along with those in the metropolitan area, are the strongest in Australia, as evidenced by the performances of the U15, U17 and U19 NSW teams (ACT NSW Country and NSW Metropolitan) at National Championships in recent years.
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