A Cricketer’s half- century
THIS is a story about my Dad, Cyril Whitely, born 14 December. 1910, in Albury, NSW. He was a great cricketer. Dad felt lucky having three older brothers all in different sports. His eldest brother Bert played football in Albury, Harold played tennis in later life and was quite good at it and Charlie, directly older than Dad, played both cricket and football and was the better player in the family.
My dad first played cricket at Holbrook Public School, 37 miles from Albury in NSW. His parents had a jewellery store there. At the age of ten Dad represented the school in both football and cricket. That was his start.
At age twelve Dad went to Albury to live with his elder brother, Harold, who was running the family jewellery store while his parents ran the store in Holbrook. At Albury public school Dad played football along side names like Haydn Bunton who played footy for Fitzroy in the 1930s and won three Brownlow Medals, Dinnie Ryan, also a Fitzroy player and brownlow medalist. While still at Albury Public School, Dad played his first game of senior cricket in the Albury and Border competition. They were short of players and Dad’s brother, Charlie, got him to play with them for a game. Dad’s father didn’t think that he would be much help to the side and thought he was doing a good thing by offering a shilling for each run he made. Dad ended up making five shillings for himself in that game. That was his first grade cricket game and it was in 1922 when he was just twelve years old.
After leaving school he joined a team called Albury Builders Cricket Club. With that team he played B grade and won the batting average for the club in the first year that he played.
[edit] Parson Brothers
In 1927 Dad came to Melbourne and worked at Parson Brothers, who were oatmeal manufacturers. At that time they were in the city and were affiliated with the Cosmopolitan Association. Dad had one season with the West Hawthorn Football Association in 1928, but as training was a problem he gave it up to concentrate on playing cricket for Parsons. He won the association batting average and in the1933 season he was selected as captain for the Victorian Junior Cricket Union to play at Easter and while they were guests of the Stawell Cricket Club, they were invited to see the Stawell Easter Gift run. It was won that year by Goldie Heath.
Next season, 1934, Dad was again a member of the VJCU. They played Hamilton at Hamilton and were invited in the 1935 season to practice for that season with the Prahran Cricket Club. However, it was during the Depression and he was still working at Parsons and had to decline the invitation and play where he was working. The next year, 1936, he joined the Prahran Baseball Club. He spent a happy six years with the club, during which he won the base running every year and had fewer errors than any other player at the club.
Dad played right fickl and number one batter for those six years. In that time they won the Premiership every year except 1937, when they were the runners up. They won the Nuttington Cup and the R R Hinesen Cup, and were the Champions of Victoria in 1939. During 1939 Dad was picked for trial games and played as right ficider. That same year he switched teams to play for Ancient Order of Foresters Cricket Club, of which his brother, Charlie, was captain. Dad had two years in the Coburg Cricket Club during which they won the Premiership by one innings. He made many runs for the club in that time and he and Charlie may still hold the record there (in that competition). They declared none for 229. They both made over 100 runs and that was an opening record partnership.
Soon after, Mum and Dad move to Preston to live and Dad began playing with the Preston Baseballers for a two-year season. During that time he also played cricket with Preston Jika Association. After three years in Jika Cricket, Dad became an umpire for the Jika Cricket Association. Also in that time he umpired the Industrial Association Saturday morning competitions. Then, in 1965, Dad transferred to the Mornington Peninsula Association as an umpire. In 1976 he was made a life member of the association.
Dad umpired his last game at Easter, 1977. From 1922 to 1977, his career had spanned 55 years.
He passed away at the Mornington Hospital with cancer on 7 June, 1977.
Elaine of Epping
