ICC honours Victorian volunteers with ICC Centenary Medal
Fourteen Victorian volunteers will be honoured on Monday for their contribution to cricket at the 3 mobile Test against Pakistan when they receive an ICC Centenary Volunteer Medal.
50 Australian cricket volunteers will be recognised throughout this season with the medal, with the fourteen Victorian recipients (or family representatives) to be awarded their medal by Cricket Australia Chairman and ICC Director Jack Clarke on the MCG prior to play on Day 3 (28 December).
The ICC will be awarding 1000 of the medals worldwide in 2009 to celebrate its Centenary.
Clarke paid tribute to these fourteen and all volunteers who will be recognised through the season:
"Volunteers are the lifeblood of our sport and it is wonderful that the ICC have chosen to highlight their contribution through the ICC Centenary Volunteer Medal," Clarke said.
"Not only is this recognition for the 50 worthy winners of the medal nationally, but recognition for the thousands upon thousands of volunteers who contribute to making cricket Australia's favourite sport."
The fourteen Victorian ICC Centenary Volunteer Medal recipients are:
Sylvia Faram:
Sylvia Faram played cricket for the Melbourne YWCA Club from 1955 to 1968, representing Victoria in the 1962/63 season. She was President of the VWCA from 1961 to 1966 and from 1968 to 1972, becoming a VWCA Life Member in 1973. Faram was President of the AWCC from 1978 to 1988 and a delegate to the IWCC from 1982 to 1988. Under her leadership, the AWCC enjoyed a period of significant growth, attracting greater sponsorship and profile of women's cricket. After retiring from the post of president, Faram was appointed AWCC archivist.
Margaret Jennings:
Margaret Jennings played eight Tests and 12 one-day matches for Australia, captaining the country to a World Cup victory in 1978. Jennings also established Brunswick Park Ladies Cricket Club in 1981-82, coached Victoria to win the National Championship in 1990-91 and was national Chairperson of Selectors for 19 years.
Robert Merriman:
Robert (Bob) Merriman was made a member of the Order of Australia for his service to cricket as an administrator with Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria and the Victorian Country Cricket League, with over 50 years active involvement in the game. Bob has previously held Directorships with Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council, and held the position of Chairman of Cricket Australia from 2001 - 2005. He was also a Trustee of the Melbourne Cricket Ground 1996 - 1999.
Malcolm Gray:
Malcolm Gray served as a cricket administrator for over 30 years, spending 27 years on the board of the VCA, 15 years on the board of the ACB, and was Chairman of both organisations.
Malcolm was also Joint Chairman of the 1992 World Cup Committee before going on to be ICC President from 2000-2003.
Kenneth Fewster:
Kenneth (Ken) Fewster's outstanding service to cricket included a long playing career for Carlton and Box Hill, 31 years a VSDCA Delegate to Cricket Victoria, 16 years as a Cricket Victoria Board Member, 14 years as VSCA President and 10 years as VCA Vice-president.
Geoff Tamblyn:
Current Cricket Victoria Chairman and Cricket Australia Director, Geoff Tamblyn played 198 games for St Kilda from 1967-1983, including one first-class game for Victoria.
Geoff was a Cricket Victoria Delegate from 1988-2001, served on the Pennant Committee, was a selector, joined the Cricket Australia Board in 1997 and has been Chairman of Cricket Victoria since 2000.
Graham Burt:
Graham Burt became captain of Sorrento Cricket Club 1sts in the MPCA in 1966, he continued in that position of 15 years and captained them to the Provincial division premiership in 1971 -72, he was also Secretary of the club during this time and is a life member of the club. He to the Seaford Cricket Club in 1980-81 and has served as President, Secretary and Treasurer during his 29 years with the club, and as a committee member unbroken during these years. He still managed to play two games in 2008 when the club was short of players at the age of 69 and has been a champion of junior development during his time.
Geoff McRae:
A life member of the Victorian Country Cricket League (combined 20 years contribution as President, Delegate, and Selector), Ballarat Cricket Association (Board member and Vice-President for 33 years) and Wendouree Cricket Club - where he has been on the junior coaching panel from 1969-2007 and is still senior scorer and chairman of selectors.
He has also made an outstanding contribution to the Central Highlands Cricket Region has been where he was also awarded Life Membership (along with his wife Nola) of in 2008; serving as a Selector since 1980, Executive member since 1978 and Chairman from 2002 to 2007.
Paul West:
Paul is a teacher at Bairnsdale West Primary School and the Junior Coordinator at Lucknow Cricket Club. In 2008 Paul established an Indigenous cricket program for juniors at Lucknow CC, linking the children from his primary school. Many of these children come from disadvantaged backgrounds and cannot afford the transport to training or the equipment and registration fees. Paul has managed to secure funding to support these children and also gained support from the local cricket community, Indigenous community and the school. He transports the kids from school to training and matches each week and given the children a sense of belonging to the cricket club. These children now have an opportunity to play regular club cricket when they would not have had that opportunity at all.
John Hammer:
John Hammer started the Victorian Over 60s Cricket Association six years ago. The association now has 14 teams in Victoria. John has also organised interstate carnivals with over 300 players from all over Australia. In 2009, he coordinated an Over 60s tour of England to coincide with The Ashes. John has also been working towards a world cup in Singapore in April with eight countries scheduled to attend.
Hazel Smith:
It has been estimated that Hazel has made 26,928 sandwiches and 19,584 scones for Cameron Cricket Club! Thirty-four years of making and serving afternoon tea just scratches the surface on what Hazel has provided to her beloved Club. At the age of 87, rain, hail or shine Hazel attends matches to support the Club in any way possible.
She is the first female in the Club's 61-year history to be awarded Life Membership (in 1993), Hazel has led the way for other women to become involved in the Club as coaches, players, committee members, and more recently as President.
Scott Smith:
Scott's contribution to cricket runs deeper than his efforts as a successful club president and further than his work in managing the Newcomb Bulls disability cricket team. Scott is the prime mover of the Barwon Disability Cricket League and has overseen its growth and popularity. Aside from arranging transport, venues and other tasks involved in conducting a cricket competition, Scott has inspired corporate to become sponsors of the competition and five other cricket clubs to adopt teams.
Scott's work has enabled over 100 people, and growing, to play cricket and be involved in a cricket club who previously would never have had the opportunity.
Craig Ondarchie:
Craig Ondarchie has made a significant impact on two Victorian cricket clubs through the MILO in2CRICKET program. Craig was involved at North Eltham Wanderers from 1997 through to 2007, where he was responsible for the incredible growth of the Club's program which grew to 125 kids in 2007-08. Craig moved to South Morang Cricket Club in 2008-09, already he has had amazing success growing the Club's MILO in2CRICKET program from 30 children the previous season to almost 100.
He is by far one of the most outstanding volunteers and MILO in2CRICKET coordinators that Cricket Victoria has come across.
Una Paisley (deceased):
Una Paisley was involved with Northcote ladies Cricket Club for 35 years as a player, captain, secretary and treasurer. The first Australian women to score a test century - 108 on debut - Una went on to captain Australia and scored a century in her first test as captain against New Zealand. After retiring she was a State and Australian selector, served on the VWCA executive and was a Victorian delegate to the AWCC. Una passed away at the age of 54, the award for the Best and Fairest player in VWCA Premier Firsts is named in her honour.
Nominations for the 50 Australian ICC Volunteer Medals were gathered from across Australian cricket and aim to recognise volunteers who have made a significant contribution to cricket both past and present, from the grassroots levels up to those volunteers involved with the elite level.
