Tatts Cricket Club held its annual general meeting at Tattersalls Hotel on Sunday where Jake Packer was tasked with the job of guiding the club back to the Narrabri District Cricket Association finals after being named the club’s first XI captain for the fast-approaching 2021-22 season.
One of Tatts’ favourite sons, Packer skippered the club to back-to-back grand final appearances in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 first grade one day campaigns.
Tatts won the first of those to end a 10-year premiership drought and get their hands on the Col Cameron Shield for the first time since 2006.
After they defeated Golf Club by 20 runs in the 2016 decider, Tatts’ first XI went on to progress to the next four consecutive grand finals, winning the most recent three in the 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns with Tom Craig at the helm.
The club’s snowballing success then hit a wall last season when it finished at the bottom of the NDCA first grade ladder for the first time since the early 1990s.
Packer, who was captain and a key player during one of the club’s golden periods, told The Courier that he was determined to guide his team back to the top in season 2021-22.
He said that while one of his biggest aims was to help the next generation of Tatts cricketers transition from youngsters into experienced players and clubmen, he stressed that the ultimate goal for Tatts this season was to win the grand final in March.
“That’s always the goal for me, that’s why you play, I want to win another grand final with Tatts Cricket Club this season,” Packer said.
“We’ve got a lot of good young cricketers coming through at the moment and I really want to help develop them.
“There’s a good young group there and we ultimately want them to keep the club moving forward when some of the older guys decide to move on.”
The 2021-22 draw is currently in its draft stage and will be made official by the NDCA committee this week.
While community sport has been given the green light to resume for fully vaccinated participants as today, meaning the competition could begin this Saturday, it will get underway as planned on Saturday, October 30.
Packer said he hoped that Tatts cricketers would commit week in and week out from that date.
The club’s first XI used 27 players in the first grade campaign last season. That was the most of any club and 11 more than grand final winners RSL.
Packer said he believed his team could have a successful season if it could get the same players on the team sheet each week.
“I’m really hoping we can get some consistency this season,” he said.
“Last year, we didn’t get the same team on the park two weeks in a row very often. Myself included, guys just couldn’t really commit each week.
“Ryano (2020-21 captain Ryan O’Neill) definitely had all the right ideas last season, he just probably didn’t have the cattle unfortunately.
“Not having that consistency player-wise meant we didn’t have any consistency in the field or with the bat, so if we get guys committing this season, I’m positive the rest will work itself out.”
Despite only playing six matches in the 2020-21 season, Packer was one of the club’s standouts in first grade, scoring 105 runs at 21 with a high scorer of 40, and taking five wickets.
The 2021-22 skipper said he wanted to make more of an impact on the side this season but said that while he wanted to lead by example, his main focus was on getting the team firing as a whole rather than focusing on his own individual production.
Brendon Ward was re-elected as Tatts Cricket Club’s president at the annual general meeting on Sunday.
Craig Gleeson was elected treasurer after Russell Wood stepped aside from that position which he occupied for 23 years, while Brad Graham is secretary, Josh Rose is vice-president and Russell Wood and Greg Rooney are patrons.
Gleeson will skipper the club’s second XI this season.
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