Sport
25 November, 2024
Chandler recognises important role cricket plays in communities
Scott Chandler knows giving juniors a run and providing a social aspect alongside cricket is vitally important in regional communities.
Chandler fills both the captain and president roles at Curban Cricket Club, one of seven sides in the 2024/2025 Gilgandra District Cricket Association’s Bendigo Bank ABC Shield.
Curban have started 2024/2025 with two wins, one via forfeit, and a loss to sit atop a congested Bendigo Bank ABC Shield table. This season’s GDCA competition is wide open in the middle of the three-week break for harvest. Curban (17) is ahead on the unofficial table, but Coonabarabran (15), Gulargambone, Biddon-Tooraweenah (12), Gidgee (12), Town Services (11), and USC Marthaguy (five) are still close enough with only three rounds played. Biddon-Tooraweenah and Gidgee, who have both had byes already, are the only remaining undefeated sides.
USC-Marthaguy has also had a bye and, when club cricket resumes this Saturday, November 23, the defending premiers could make a move up the table. Mirroring the tight early table, both of Curban’s 2024/2025 contests have been hard-fought affairs.
In round one, key bowling spells from Jasen Starr (3-21 off eight overs), Chandler (3-40 off eight), and Rhyan Hutchison (2-11 from 3.4 overs) exposed one end of Town Services’ batting as they were bowled out for 161 despite an unbeaten 85 from their skipper, Ashley Hazelton. In reply, 78 not out from Douglas Kelly, who also took 1-36 from eight overs with the ball, was enough for Curban to score 3-168 off 32 overs. Kelly received most support from Luke Haling (29) and Jasen Starr (22).
In round two, Curban restricted Biddon-Tooraweenah to 9-140 off 40 overs and were 5-119 at one stage in reply before a late collapse saw Curban dismissed for 128 to lose by 12 runs.
The Curban side is predominantly made up of farmers based just outside Gilgandra who are currently busy harvesting winter crops. Chandler, himself a mixed farmer with sheep and wheat, says cricket is something that gets his teammates off the land and gives them something else to think about. While 30-plus years of playing involvement clearly indicates he enjoys the game, he believes providing junior players an opportunity against adults and giving people a respite from farm life is crucial.
“We’ve struggled through at times with (lack of) players, but it’s always a good atmosphere,” Chandler said. “It’s good to get away from the farm and come together as a group and have a game of cricket. We also like to give young players a go, that’s always been an important part of the club we are known for.”
Curban has a couple of new players after Breelong withdrew from the competition in 2024/2025. Of the young brigade at Curban, Rhyan Hutchison, an emerging spin bowler who also doesn’t mind throwing on the gloves to wicket-keep, is one to watch in the field. Jack Chandler is also a keen gloveman.
Evie Peart, Jacqueline Hutchison, and Georgia Allan also often back up to play seniors after junior cricket in the morning. Jacqueline, Evie, and Georgia all represented the Western Zone Girls’ side that won the Western Zone under 12s premiership last season, defeating Orange in the final.
Douglas Kelly, a quality opening right-handed bat and right-arm medium pacer, is an integral part of the unit along with Jasen Starr.
Gilgandra has only two sides (Town Services and Curban) in the competition. The seven-team league is now a regional-based competition with Coonabarabran, defending premiers USC-Marthaguy (Warren), Biddon-Tooraweenah, Gulargambone, and Gidgee (Coonamble) the other teams.
When Coonabarabran play USC-Marthaguy, the away side is making a 180-kilometre one-way trip. However, it’s a trek committed players make because they are invested.
While the make-up of sides in the Bendigo Bank ABC Shield Cricket competition changes annually, the cricket continues as an important part of local life. A perfect illustration comes as recently as 2022/2023, when Gilgandra District Cricket Association won the prestigious NSW Country Plate competition. Gil defeated the much-larger Griffith in the final at Cricket Central in Sydney in February 2023.
