HISTORY of the ROWVILLE CRICKET CLUB

STEWART FINN REMEMBERS (Part One)
On 25th January this year, past and present players of the Rowville Cricket Club gathered at the Polish Club to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary.
Many tales were told that night, some true and some not so true, and chief among the storytellers was the club’s first secretary and captain, Stewart Finn.
Stewart was the driving force behind the establishment of the club which played its very first game in the 1953/54 season in the C Division of the Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association. Despite the fact that few of the players had previously played competitive cricket, the team went on that season to achieve an amazing distinction by winning the premiership.

THE SEARCH FOR PLAYERS AND FUNDS
Stewart was a keen cricketer who had played for Scoresby and Lysterfield as a junior and then for three years in the Horsham competition while studying for his agricultural degree at Longerenong Agricultural College. He was 20 when he returned to Rowville and went to speak to Bill Bickerton, who had a farm in Wellington Road opposite the SEC substation, about his desire to start up a cricket club in Rowville. Bill was happy to lend Stewart his support and Jim Sturrock, Bill’s future son-in-law and former Mulgrave cricketer, said that he’d be in it.
Stewart arranged for Cr Bernie Seebeck to chair the inaugural meeting that launched the club. The meeting was held at Bill’s home. The attendance was disappointing but the major office bearers: President – Bill Bickerton, Secretary – Stewart Finn and Treasurer – Con Ruppell were elected.
The committee faced two challenges – lack of money and lack of players. There were only about 16 families in Rowville in those days so there was a very limited support base. As well, a couple of good local cricketers were already playing with other clubs and chose not to give up their allegiance to them.
Stewart energetically set about finding numbers but in the first game that was played against St John’s at Brenock Park, Ferntree Gully, on 3 October 1953, only six of the players were Rowville residents. They were Stewart, Jim, Ron Raymond, Laurie Gilligan, Joe Barnato and Ian Osborne. The others were Stewart’s mates from Dandenong High School days, Con Ruppell and Grove Judd, and men with whom Stewart worked in the building trade, Bernie Stewart and Tom Ryan. John Fordham (no relation of Connie Fordham) was a boy who was working for Bernie Seebeck at the time.
Despite the makeshift nature of this cobbled together team they managed to win that first game 65 runs to 55 with Jim Sturrock top scoring for Rowville with 22.
Finding the funds to equip the team was the other major headache. On match days Stewart picked up many of the players at the Bridge Hotel in Dandenong where, while discussing match tactics over a couple of drinks, they’d run a raffle for a pound note at one shilling a ticket. This fundraiser used to clear about thirty shillings (although if funds were very low the raffle would be declared by Stewart to have been won by “Jimmy on the tram” so the treasurer pocketed all the takings including the pound note)! Each of the players paid two shillings a game and those contributions just covered the cost of the Kookaburra ball which was priced at 21shillings and sixpence in those days. Stewart went around door-to-door in Rowville for donations, most of which were for half a crown (two shillings and sixpence), but some people signed up as club members for half a guinea (ten shillings and sixpence). The biggest donation by far came from his father, Jack Finn, who put in twenty pounds to buy the matting wicket which was manufactured in Pentridge Prison.
So, in its first year, the team possessed a set of stumps and bails, two cricket bats, two pairs of batsman’s pads, two pairs of batting gloves and a pair of wicketkeeper’s pads and gloves. The opening batsmen always grabbed the good pads which meant the next batsman in had to wear the wicket keeper’s heavy pads. A couple of the players, Bernie Stewart and Tom Ryan, usually only put on one pad because they knew that they weren’t going to hang around for long. Often the team lost wickets in such quick succession that the change over of pads was a minor circus in itself.
Fortunately they didn’t have to pay for umpires in those days as the teams were expected to provide their own and the umpiring was usually performed by the players after they’d been dismissed.
The team played its first home games in a paddock opposite Bill Bickerton’s farm. The matting was rolled out on a cleared strip and Stewart claimed that they sometimes put a peg or two under the matting if they couldn’t get a wicket. The paddock was leased by Tom “Starlight” Baker for grazing and after a couple of years he asked the SEC to stop the team playing there. (Baker was nicknamed “Starlight” because of his practice of putting the cattle out to graze along Wellington Road at night.)
The 1953/54 season ended on a high note with Rowville playing Upper Ferntree Gully at Scoresby in the Grand Final on 20 March 1954. Upper Gully led narrowly on the first innings 65 to Rowville’s 63 but then collapsed to be all out for 25 in their second dig. Rowville survived many anxious moments to reach 5/28 and thus win the game outright by five wickets.
To be continued next month.
STEWART FINN REMEMBERS - PART TWO

In last month’s article Stewart spoke of the creation of the Rowville Cricket Club and its unexpected success – despite a serious lack of experienced players and funds – that saw it take out the C Grade premiership in its first season in the FTGCA.
The early days were full of difficulties but the players thoroughly enjoyed themselves on and off the field. Stewart takes up the story where the team was forced to move away from their home ground on the SEC land in Wellington Road and concludes with Stewart’s departure from Rowville. The Rowville Cricket Club and the district generally lost an outstanding character when Stewart moved away in 1961.

THE NEW ROWVILLE HOME GROUND
“When Baker gave us the Tijuana Brass”, said Stewart, “my father let us use his property in Bergins Road as a ground. We got some good clay from up behind Lysterfield tip and made a slurry with this and poured it into a boxed area in the middle of the paddock opposite Village Court. As the clay was drying we rolled it with a roller we borrowed from somewhere and the wicket set like concrete. On match days we cleared the cowpats away from the popping crease area but didn’t worry too much about the rest of the paddock. The boundaries were the blackberries but I suppose we had a few flags too. There was one big gum tree that served as change room, toilet and shade for the scorers. Many of our games didn’t go for long. We’d be all out for 40 and the opposition would be cheering. Then we’d get them out for 28 or so and we’d all be off to the pub. That’s why people liked playing with Rowville.”
Dot (Stewart’s wife) remembers in those days, before the Stamford Hotel was built, the players returning to the Finn shop in Stud Road to replay the game ball by ball over a few beers. If they were playing away from home and the game was running up to six o’clock (which was hotel closing time back then) a couple of the team members were sent off to the nearest pub to line up the beers for the rest of the team.
The strangest experience Stewart remembered was a match at Olinda that was played in thick fog. The batsmen could barely see the ball and the umpires had to shout the runs scored to the scorers.
Another unforgettable memory was Ossie Osborne’s catch at the Basin. Ossie was fielding at square leg and the batsman belted a short delivery away to Ossie’s left. He flung out his hand and held a brilliant catch. “It was the best catch I have ever seen, test cricket included,” declared Stewart.
Stewart recalled that one day Tom Ryan was slipping and sliding while trying to bowl in ordinary leather shoes. He eventually took off his shoes and socks and bowled with bare feet. Stewart promptly dubbed him “The Barefoot Contessa”, much to the amusement of all on the ground.
Mike Aston, who was Con Ruppell’s brother-in-law, joined the team in the second season. Mike was planning a working holiday in England and Stewart insisted that he needed to be able to boast to the Poms that he was an opening batsman so Stewart selected Mike to open the innings with him against Mulgrave. In the opening over the opposition’s fast bowler bent Mike’s middle stump back but, amazingly, the bails remained jammed together and Stewart loudly convinced the umpire that Mike was not out. Mike didn’t, however, last much longer so he kept his reputation as an opening batsman very quiet while in England.
Another addition to the team was Ray Flett, whom Stewart declared to be the best wicketkeeper in his time with Rowville. One day, again at Mulgrave, Stewart charged in to bowl and gave a loud yelp as he put his back out. Ray offered to relinquish the wicket keeper’s gloves to complete Stewart’s over and finished up taking 5 wickets for 7 runs. In later games Ray continued to bowl with such success that he won the Association’s bowling averages for their grade.
STEWART’S NEAR CENTURY
In one match against Boronia Methodists, Stewart and Jim Sturrock uncharacteristically put together a long partnership, and as they approached “smokeoh”, they decided that they’d made enough runs so Stewart declared the innings closed. As they walked off the ground very pleased with themselves, the Rowville players and the scorer (who was Stewart’s wife Dot) called out to them to play on as Stewart was then poised on 99 not out. The opposition captain on hearing this, offered to continue bowling but Stewart, who had blasted nine sixes, declined because “it was too easy; I expected to make a century the following week.”
The closest Stewart next came to reaching that milestone was a couple of years later in the club’s first match in the Dandenong Association.
IN THE DANDENONG CRICKET ASSOCIATION
After only two years in the FTGCA, in which time the team won the C Grade premiership and then finished fifth in B Grade, Rowville switched over to play in the Dandenong Cricket Association. This decision was taken because it better suited the team members who lived in Dandenong, especially those who had to work there on Saturday mornings.
In its first game in October 1955 the team made a fine start, winning the first match against Noble Park. It was in this game that Stewart was again racing towards a century but after reaching 84 he went for a close run, causing Bill Bickerton, who was umpiring at square leg, to throw up his hands in excitement. The fielding team insisted that Bill’s actions were a dismissal signal although Stewart maintains to this day that he had beaten the fieldsman’s return.
THE SECOND TEAM IN 1956
A second team was entered in the Dandenong Association in 1956. George Dicker, Jack Sutton, John and Kevin Stewart, Tommy Harris and Jimmy Miller were some who wanted to play. Stewart recalled: “Once we shouted the Carrum Downs players a beer after a game and three of them, Laurie Hayes, Ken Finlay and one other thought, ‘what a great club Rowville is,’ so they came to play with us. We had players coming out of our ears.”
The two teams were both placed in the same grade and first played against each other on 19 October 1956. Rowville 2 not only won that match but went on that season to finish higher on the list than Rowville 1.
THE JUNIOR TEAM IN 1956
Not content with initiating a second senior team, in the same year Stewart started up an Under 16 team in the Dandenong Association. On Saturday mornings he had to pick up the matting from the shed on his father’s farm and then collect the kids in his ute and cart them into Dandenong. After laying the matting he became coach and umpire. After the game finished about midday he drove the kids home, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed off to captain the senior group in the afternoon.
Stewart remembers these boys playing with the juniors: John, George and Mick Bonato, Lyall and Bernie Seebeck, Don Gill, Ray Gilligan, Ray Burns, Bruce Manley, Ian Gibb, Ken Stewart, David Blanche and Barry Furlong. Barry later played with the seniors and in 1963 was captain when the club won its first premiership in the Dandenong Association.
An account of those early days would not be complete without a tribute to the club’s loyal scorers: Pam Ruppell, Mary Sturrock, Dot Finn and Mrs Jones. The presence of these good natured women ensured that the players always maintained a reasonable level of decorum.
Stewart’s days in Rowville came to an abrupt end when Bob Menzie’s 1960 credit squeeze put Stewart’s fledgling building company out of business. Stewart applied for a job as teacher with the Technical Schools Division of the Education Department and his posting to Echuca meant that he was no longer able to play with the club that he had pioneered and which had brought him so much enjoyment and satisfaction.

Interviewed by Bryan Power
STEWART FINN REMEMBERS - PART TWO

In last month’s article Stewart spoke of the creation of the Rowville Cricket Club and its unexpected success – despite a serious lack of experienced players and funds – that saw it take out the C Grade premiership in its first season in the FTGCA.
The early days were full of difficulties but the players thoroughly enjoyed themselves on and off the field. Stewart takes up the story where the team was forced to move away from their home ground on the SEC land in Wellington Road and concludes with Stewart’s departure from Rowville. The Rowville Cricket Club and the district generally lost an outstanding character when Stewart moved away in 1961.

THE NEW ROWVILLE HOME GROUND
“When Baker gave us the Tijuana Brass”, said Stewart, “my father let us use his property in Bergins Road as a ground. We got some good clay from up behind Lysterfield tip and made a slurry with this and poured it into a boxed area in the middle of the paddock opposite Village Court. As the clay was drying we rolled it with a roller we borrowed from somewhere and the wicket set like concrete. On match days we cleared the cowpats away from the popping crease area but didn’t worry too much about the rest of the paddock. The boundaries were the blackberries but I suppose we had a few flags too. There was one big gum tree that served as change room, toilet and shade for the scorers. Many of our games didn’t go for long. We’d be all out for 40 and the opposition would be cheering. Then we’d get them out for 28 or so and we’d all be off to the pub. That’s why people liked playing with Rowville.”
Dot (Stewart’s wife) remembers in those days, before the Stamford Hotel was built, the players returning to the Finn shop in Stud Road to replay the game ball by ball over a few beers. If they were playing away from home and the game was running up to six o’clock (which was hotel closing time back then) a couple of the team members were sent off to the nearest pub to line up the beers for the rest of the team.
The strangest experience Stewart remembered was a match at Olinda that was played in thick fog. The batsmen could barely see the ball and the umpires had to shout the runs scored to the scorers.
Another unforgettable memory was Ossie Osborne’s catch at the Basin. Ossie was fielding at square leg and the batsman belted a short delivery away to Ossie’s left. He flung out his hand and held a brilliant catch. “It was the best catch I have ever seen, test cricket included,” declared Stewart.
Stewart recalled that one day Tom Ryan was slipping and sliding while trying to bowl in ordinary leather shoes. He eventually took off his shoes and socks and bowled with bare feet. Stewart promptly dubbed him “The Barefoot Contessa”, much to the amusement of all on the ground.
Mike Aston, who was Con Ruppell’s brother-in-law, joined the team in the second season. Mike was planning a working holiday in England and Stewart insisted that he needed to be able to boast to the Poms that he was an opening batsman so Stewart selected Mike to open the innings with him against Mulgrave. In the opening over the opposition’s fast bowler bent Mike’s middle stump back but, amazingly, the bails remained jammed together and Stewart loudly convinced the umpire that Mike was not out. Mike didn’t, however, last much longer so he kept his reputation as an opening batsman very quiet while in England.
Another addition to the team was Ray Flett, whom Stewart declared to be the best wicketkeeper in his time with Rowville. One day, again at Mulgrave, Stewart charged in to bowl and gave a loud yelp as he put his back out. Ray offered to relinquish the wicket keeper’s gloves to complete Stewart’s over and finished up taking 5 wickets for 7 runs. In later games Ray continued to bowl with such success that he won the Association’s bowling averages for their grade.
STEWART’S NEAR CENTURY
In one match against Boronia Methodists, Stewart and Jim Sturrock uncharacteristically put together a long partnership, and as they approached “smokeoh”, they decided that they’d made enough runs so Stewart declared the innings closed. As they walked off the ground very pleased with themselves, the Rowville players and the scorer (who was Stewart’s wife Dot) called out to them to play on as Stewart was then poised on 99 not out. The opposition captain on hearing this, offered to continue bowling but Stewart, who had blasted nine sixes, declined because “it was too easy; I expected to make a century the following week.”
The closest Stewart next came to reaching that milestone was a couple of years later in the club’s first match in the Dandenong Association.
IN THE DANDENONG CRICKET ASSOCIATION
After only two years in the FTGCA, in which time the team won the C Grade premiership and then finished fifth in B Grade, Rowville switched over to play in the Dandenong Cricket Association. This decision was taken because it better suited the team members who lived in Dandenong, especially those who had to work there on Saturday mornings.
In its first game in October 1955 the team made a fine start, winning the first match against Noble Park. It was in this game that Stewart was again racing towards a century but after reaching 84 he went for a close run, causing Bill Bickerton, who was umpiring at square leg, to throw up his hands in excitement. The fielding team insisted that Bill’s actions were a dismissal signal although Stewart maintains to this day that he had beaten the fieldsman’s return.
THE SECOND TEAM IN 1956
A second team was entered in the Dandenong Association in 1956. George Dicker, Jack Sutton, John and Kevin Stewart, Tommy Harris and Jimmy Miller were some who wanted to play. Stewart recalled: “Once we shouted the Carrum Downs players a beer after a game and three of them, Laurie Hayes, Ken Finlay and one other thought, ‘what a great club Rowville is,’ so they came to play with us. We had players coming out of our ears.”
The two teams were both placed in the same grade and first played against each other on 19 October 1956. Rowville 2 not only won that match but went on that season to finish higher on the list than Rowville 1.
THE JUNIOR TEAM IN 1956
Not content with initiating a second senior team, in the same year Stewart started up an Under 16 team in the Dandenong Association. On Saturday mornings he had to pick up the matting from the shed on his father’s farm and then collect the kids in his ute and cart them into Dandenong. After laying the matting he became coach and umpire. After the game finished about midday he drove the kids home, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed off to captain the senior group in the afternoon.
Stewart remembers these boys playing with the juniors: John, George and Mick Bonato, Lyall and Bernie Seebeck, Don Gill, Ray Gilligan, Ray Burns, Bruce Manley, Ian Gibb, Ken Stewart, David Blanche and Barry Furlong. Barry later played with the seniors and in 1963 was captain when the club won its first premiership in the Dandenong Association.
An account of those early days would not be complete without a tribute to the club’s loyal scorers: Pam Ruppell, Mary Sturrock, Dot Finn and Mrs Jones. The presence of these good natured women ensured that the players always maintained a reasonable level of decorum.
Stewart’s days in Rowville came to an abrupt end when Bob Menzie’s 1960 credit squeeze put Stewart’s fledgling building company out of business. Stewart applied for a job as teacher with the Technical Schools Division of the Education Department and his posting to Echuca meant that he was no longer able to play with the club that he had pioneered and which had brought him so much enjoyment and satisfaction.

Interviewed by Bryan Power
STEWART FINN REMEMBERS - PART TWO

In last month’s article Stewart spoke of the creation of the Rowville Cricket Club and its unexpected success – despite a serious lack of experienced players and funds – that saw it take out the C Grade premiership in its first season in the FTGCA.
The early days were full of difficulties but the players thoroughly enjoyed themselves on and off the field. Stewart takes up the story where the team was forced to move away from their home ground on the SEC land in Wellington Road and concludes with Stewart’s departure from Rowville. The Rowville Cricket Club and the district generally lost an outstanding character when Stewart moved away in 1961.

THE NEW ROWVILLE HOME GROUND
“When Baker gave us the Tijuana Brass”, said Stewart, “my father let us use his property in Bergins Road as a ground. We got some good clay from up behind Lysterfield tip and made a slurry with this and poured it into a boxed area in the middle of the paddock opposite Village Court. As the clay was drying we rolled it with a roller we borrowed from somewhere and the wicket set like concrete. On match days we cleared the cowpats away from the popping crease area but didn’t worry too much about the rest of the paddock. The boundaries were the blackberries but I suppose we had a few flags too. There was one big gum tree that served as change room, toilet and shade for the scorers. Many of our games didn’t go for long. We’d be all out for 40 and the opposition would be cheering. Then we’d get them out for 28 or so and we’d all be off to the pub. That’s why people liked playing with Rowville.”
Dot (Stewart’s wife) remembers in those days, before the Stamford Hotel was built, the players returning to the Finn shop in Stud Road to replay the game ball by ball over a few beers. If they were playing away from home and the game was running up to six o’clock (which was hotel closing time back then) a couple of the team members were sent off to the nearest pub to line up the beers for the rest of the team.
The strangest experience Stewart remembered was a match at Olinda that was played in thick fog. The batsmen could barely see the ball and the umpires had to shout the runs scored to the scorers.
Another unforgettable memory was Ossie Osborne’s catch at the Basin. Ossie was fielding at square leg and the batsman belted a short delivery away to Ossie’s left. He flung out his hand and held a brilliant catch. “It was the best catch I have ever seen, test cricket included,” declared Stewart.
Stewart recalled that one day Tom Ryan was slipping and sliding while trying to bowl in ordinary leather shoes. He eventually took off his shoes and socks and bowled with bare feet. Stewart promptly dubbed him “The Barefoot Contessa”, much to the amusement of all on the ground.
Mike Aston, who was Con Ruppell’s brother-in-law, joined the team in the second season. Mike was planning a working holiday in England and Stewart insisted that he needed to be able to boast to the Poms that he was an opening batsman so Stewart selected Mike to open the innings with him against Mulgrave. In the opening over the opposition’s fast bowler bent Mike’s middle stump back but, amazingly, the bails remained jammed together and Stewart loudly convinced the umpire that Mike was not out. Mike didn’t, however, last much longer so he kept his reputation as an opening batsman very quiet while in England.
Another addition to the team was Ray Flett, whom Stewart declared to be the best wicketkeeper in his time with Rowville. One day, again at Mulgrave, Stewart charged in to bowl and gave a loud yelp as he put his back out. Ray offered to relinquish the wicket keeper’s gloves to complete Stewart’s over and finished up taking 5 wickets for 7 runs. In later games Ray continued to bowl with such success that he won the Association’s bowling averages for their grade.
STEWART’S NEAR CENTURY
In one match against Boronia Methodists, Stewart and Jim Sturrock uncharacteristically put together a long partnership, and as they approached “smokeoh”, they decided that they’d made enough runs so Stewart declared the innings closed. As they walked off the ground very pleased with themselves, the Rowville players and the scorer (who was Stewart’s wife Dot) called out to them to play on as Stewart was then poised on 99 not out. The opposition captain on hearing this, offered to continue bowling but Stewart, who had blasted nine sixes, declined because “it was too easy; I expected to make a century the following week.”
The closest Stewart next came to reaching that milestone was a couple of years later in the club’s first match in the Dandenong Association.
IN THE DANDENONG CRICKET ASSOCIATION
After only two years in the FTGCA, in which time the team won the C Grade premiership and then finished fifth in B Grade, Rowville switched over to play in the Dandenong Cricket Association. This decision was taken because it better suited the team members who lived in Dandenong, especially those who had to work there on Saturday mornings.
In its first game in October 1955 the team made a fine start, winning the first match against Noble Park. It was in this game that Stewart was again racing towards a century but after reaching 84 he went for a close run, causing Bill Bickerton, who was umpiring at square leg, to throw up his hands in excitement. The fielding team insisted that Bill’s actions were a dismissal signal although Stewart maintains to this day that he had beaten the fieldsman’s return.
THE SECOND TEAM IN 1956
A second team was entered in the Dandenong Association in 1956. George Dicker, Jack Sutton, John and Kevin Stewart, Tommy Harris and Jimmy Miller were some who wanted to play. Stewart recalled: “Once we shouted the Carrum Downs players a beer after a game and three of them, Laurie Hayes, Ken Finlay and one other thought, ‘what a great club Rowville is,’ so they came to play with us. We had players coming out of our ears.”
The two teams were both placed in the same grade and first played against each other on 19 October 1956. Rowville 2 not only won that match but went on that season to finish higher on the list than Rowville 1.
THE JUNIOR TEAM IN 1956
Not content with initiating a second senior team, in the same year Stewart started up an Under 16 team in the Dandenong Association. On Saturday mornings he had to pick up the matting from the shed on his father’s farm and then collect the kids in his ute and cart them into Dandenong. After laying the matting he became coach and umpire. After the game finished about midday he drove the kids home, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed off to captain the senior group in the afternoon.
Stewart remembers these boys playing with the juniors: John, George and Mick Bonato, Lyall and Bernie Seebeck, Don Gill, Ray Gilligan, Ray Burns, Bruce Manley, Ian Gibb, Ken Stewart, David Blanche and Barry Furlong. Barry later played with the seniors and in 1963 was captain when the club won its first premiership in the Dandenong Association.
An account of those early days would not be complete without a tribute to the club’s loyal scorers: Pam Ruppell, Mary Sturrock, Dot Finn and Mrs Jones. The presence of these good natured women ensured that the players always maintained a reasonable level of decorum.
Stewart’s days in Rowville came to an abrupt end when Bob Menzie’s 1960 credit squeeze put Stewart’s fledgling building company out of business. Stewart applied for a job as teacher with the Technical Schools Division of the Education Department and his posting to Echuca meant that he was no longer able to play with the club that he had pioneered and which had brought him so much enjoyment and satisfaction.

Interviewed by Bryan Power
STEWART FINN REMEMBERS - PART TWO

In last month’s article Stewart spoke of the creation of the Rowville Cricket Club and its unexpected success – despite a serious lack of experienced players and funds – that saw it take out the C Grade premiership in its first season in the FTGCA.
The early days were full of difficulties but the players thoroughly enjoyed themselves on and off the field. Stewart takes up the story where the team was forced to move away from their home ground on the SEC land in Wellington Road and concludes with Stewart’s departure from Rowville. The Rowville Cricket Club and the district generally lost an outstanding character when Stewart moved away in 1961.

THE NEW ROWVILLE HOME GROUND
“When Baker gave us the Tijuana Brass”, said Stewart, “my father let us use his property in Bergins Road as a ground. We got some good clay from up behind Lysterfield tip and made a slurry with this and poured it into a boxed area in the middle of the paddock opposite Village Court. As the clay was drying we rolled it with a roller we borrowed from somewhere and the wicket set like concrete. On match days we cleared the cowpats away from the popping crease area but didn’t worry too much about the rest of the paddock. The boundaries were the blackberries but I suppose we had a few flags too. There was one big gum tree that served as change room, toilet and shade for the scorers. Many of our games didn’t go for long. We’d be all out for 40 and the opposition would be cheering. Then we’d get them out for 28 or so and we’d all be off to the pub. That’s why people liked playing with Rowville.”
Dot (Stewart’s wife) remembers in those days, before the Stamford Hotel was built, the players returning to the Finn shop in Stud Road to replay the game ball by ball over a few beers. If they were playing away from home and the game was running up to six o’clock (which was hotel closing time back then) a couple of the team members were sent off to the nearest pub to line up the beers for the rest of the team.
The strangest experience Stewart remembered was a match at Olinda that was played in thick fog. The batsmen could barely see the ball and the umpires had to shout the runs scored to the scorers.
Another unforgettable memory was Ossie Osborne’s catch at the Basin. Ossie was fielding at square leg and the batsman belted a short delivery away to Ossie’s left. He flung out his hand and held a brilliant catch. “It was the best catch I have ever seen, test cricket included,” declared Stewart.
Stewart recalled that one day Tom Ryan was slipping and sliding while trying to bowl in ordinary leather shoes. He eventually took off his shoes and socks and bowled with bare feet. Stewart promptly dubbed him “The Barefoot Contessa”, much to the amusement of all on the ground.
Mike Aston, who was Con Ruppell’s brother-in-law, joined the team in the second season. Mike was planning a working holiday in England and Stewart insisted that he needed to be able to boast to the Poms that he was an opening batsman so Stewart selected Mike to open the innings with him against Mulgrave. In the opening over the opposition’s fast bowler bent Mike’s middle stump back but, amazingly, the bails remained jammed together and Stewart loudly convinced the umpire that Mike was not out. Mike didn’t, however, last much longer so he kept his reputation as an opening batsman very quiet while in England.
Another addition to the team was Ray Flett, whom Stewart declared to be the best wicketkeeper in his time with Rowville. One day, again at Mulgrave, Stewart charged in to bowl and gave a loud yelp as he put his back out. Ray offered to relinquish the wicket keeper’s gloves to complete Stewart’s over and finished up taking 5 wickets for 7 runs. In later games Ray continued to bowl with such success that he won the Association’s bowling averages for their grade.
STEWART’S NEAR CENTURY
In one match against Boronia Methodists, Stewart and Jim Sturrock uncharacteristically put together a long partnership, and as they approached “smokeoh”, they decided that they’d made enough runs so Stewart declared the innings closed. As they walked off the ground very pleased with themselves, the Rowville players and the scorer (who was Stewart’s wife Dot) called out to them to play on as Stewart was then poised on 99 not out. The opposition captain on hearing this, offered to continue bowling but Stewart, who had blasted nine sixes, declined because “it was too easy; I expected to make a century the following week.”
The closest Stewart next came to reaching that milestone was a couple of years later in the club’s first match in the Dandenong Association.
IN THE DANDENONG CRICKET ASSOCIATION
After only two years in the FTGCA, in which time the team won the C Grade premiership and then finished fifth in B Grade, Rowville switched over to play in the Dandenong Cricket Association. This decision was taken because it better suited the team members who lived in Dandenong, especially those who had to work there on Saturday mornings.
In its first game in October 1955 the team made a fine start, winning the first match against Noble Park. It was in this game that Stewart was again racing towards a century but after reaching 84 he went for a close run, causing Bill Bickerton, who was umpiring at square leg, to throw up his hands in excitement. The fielding team insisted that Bill’s actions were a dismissal signal although Stewart maintains to this day that he had beaten the fieldsman’s return.
THE SECOND TEAM IN 1956
A second team was entered in the Dandenong Association in 1956. George Dicker, Jack Sutton, John and Kevin Stewart, Tommy Harris and Jimmy Miller were some who wanted to play. Stewart recalled: “Once we shouted the Carrum Downs players a beer after a game and three of them, Laurie Hayes, Ken Finlay and one other thought, ‘what a great club Rowville is,’ so they came to play with us. We had players coming out of our ears.”
The two teams were both placed in the same grade and first played against each other on 19 October 1956. Rowville 2 not only won that match but went on that season to finish higher on the list than Rowville 1.
THE JUNIOR TEAM IN 1956
Not content with initiating a second senior team, in the same year Stewart started up an Under 16 team in the Dandenong Association. On Saturday mornings he had to pick up the matting from the shed on his father’s farm and then collect the kids in his ute and cart them into Dandenong. After laying the matting he became coach and umpire. After the game finished about midday he drove the kids home, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed off to captain the senior group in the afternoon.
Stewart remembers these boys playing with the juniors: John, George and Mick Bonato, Lyall and Bernie Seebeck, Don Gill, Ray Gilligan, Ray Burns, Bruce Manley, Ian Gibb, Ken Stewart, David Blanche and Barry Furlong. Barry later played with the seniors and in 1963 was captain when the club won its first premiership in the Dandenong Association.
An account of those early days would not be complete without a tribute to the club’s loyal scorers: Pam Ruppell, Mary Sturrock, Dot Finn and Mrs Jones. The presence of these good natured women ensured that the players always maintained a reasonable level of decorum.
Stewart’s days in Rowville came to an abrupt end when Bob Menzie’s 1960 credit squeeze put Stewart’s fledgling building company out of business. Stewart applied for a job as teacher with the Technical Schools Division of the Education Department and his posting to Echuca meant that he was no longer able to play with the club that he had pioneered and which had brought him so much enjoyment and satisfaction.

Interviewed by Bryan Power

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