NDCA life member Tony Meppem selects his best Narrabri cricket XI since the 70s

Tony Meppem has pretty much done it all when it comes to cricket in Narrabri.

Tony debuted for Tatts back in 1975 and would go on to become a life member of that club.

He captained the NDCA’s first XI for four years on and off and won two Nowland Cup grand finals and one War Vets Cup championship with Narrabri’s top rep team.

In 1995 he played in an NRMA Cup game in Tamworth. In that match he played on the same team as Glenn McGrath and opened the batting with Shane Lee, playing against the likes of Mark Waugh.

Tony’s most recent on-field achievement saw him win the Veterans Cricket NSW Over-50s State Championships division three following an undefeated tournament in Orange with the NDCA Grey Slugs.

Off the field Tony has played a significant role in the success of Narrabri cricket.

He was the association’s president for 10 years from 2000 to 2010, was secretary for four years before that, and was on the committee for more than 25 years.

Tony was the secretary of the junior committee for four years in the early 90s, and was a junior cricket coach for 20 years.

He founded the Golf Club Cricket Club when the Bowling Club folded in 2008 to ensure the competition continued as a four-team comp.

Tony also designed and sourced the funding for the two newest nets at Cooma Oval.

Fittingly, in 2017, Tony was named an NDCA life member.

The Courier asked Tony to select his best Narrabri cricket side including players he has played either with or against since the mid-1970s.

“In picking my side over the past 40-odd years I have tried to pick a side that not only performed locally but at higher levels as well with the balance of six batsmen, a keeper, spinner and three fast bowlers,” Tony said.

The team is as follows:

Openers:
Garry Burkinshaw – “Garry was only in town for three seasons in the early 1990s but scored 800-plus runs per season opening for Tatts and led Narrabri to a Nowland Cup win from the front and laid the foundations for Tatts’ rise in local cricket.”

Adrian Schwager – “A consistent left hander at the top for Commercials Club and Narrabri and was able to lift the scoring rate quickly when needed. He was still leading the way in the over-50s last season.”

Number three: Doug Trigg (c) – “A damaging right hand batsman during the 1980s who hit the ball as hard as anybody with a very sound technique and great leader on the field.”

Number four: Bill Brummell – “A stylish left handed batsman who dominated the 1970s and early 1980s before getting knocked up scoring hundreds. Played the ball late and had plenty of time against even the quickest.”

Number five: Graeme Worley – “A six time NDCA cricketer of the year representing NSW Country as an all-rounder. Capable of tearing an attack apart at any time particularly if you bowled short. Dangerous medium fast bowler who could move the ball both ways in the air and off the pitch with a deadly change up in pace.”

Number six: Keith Greenaway – “An ultra consistent performer at all levels over many years in the middle order particularly in all the big games. Strong all around the ground and again hit the ball hard.”

Wicket keeper: Bill Cameron – “Great hands up at the stumps that rarely missed a chance in the 1970s and 1980s. Bill was a very capable batsman who consistently saved the day for his side when called on.”

Spinner: Jake Brayshaw – “Jake bowls left arm wrist spin and gives it a big rip. He has been a match winner for recent NDCA district sides and he would form a strong partnership with Bill Cameron as his keeper.”

Fast bowler: Craig Trindall – “One of the quickest bowlers ever to have played in Narrabri in his prime before playing in Sydney and for the Prime Minister’s XI. He possessed an uncanny knack of getting a ball to rise off a length that made you very nervous.”

Fast Bowler: Ronald Grieves – “Another very quick bowler with a classic outswing bowlers action. Ronald represented Queensland in a Sheffield Shield final at the WACA after moving to Brisbane.”

Fast Bowler: Barry Adams – “An ideal into the wind quick who could make a ball swing both ways at good pace and hit some of the biggest sixers ever hit (into the town pool on the full at Collins Park) down the order.”

Tony added: “Some very good cricketers had to be left out of this team who deserve mention including Sid Brummell, Ken Mansfield, Phil Worley, Rod Kirk, Nick Smart, Ryan McFarland, Peter Greenaway, Jason Archer, Matt Panton, Michael Cain, Jason Duff and Andrew McQuirk, with Ryan Meppem and Coby Cornish more recently going onto bigger things.”