Club raises the bat for 150 knock

AN upcoming match between Shelford and Corio Bay will precede an evening of celebrations for the local club.

Taking place on Saturday 3 February, Bullants members are set to follow the game with a 150th anniversary celebration and past players day.

Shelford Cricket Club president Robert Rice said the event will be all about acknowledging the team’s history.

“The club rooms will be decked out with memorabilia and we’ve got a heap of old scorecards dating back to the late 1950s that will be displayed,” he said.

“Our five anniversary premiership scorecards will be out and about and we’ll have old screenshots of newspaper articles up from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

“The club’s won 20 premierships in its history and they’ll all be celebrated too.”

Between 100 to 150 past players are expected to attend the event, with dinner provided and live music by Matt Orchard.

Mr Rice has been involved with the club for nearly 20 years, taking after his brother who joined as a junior player in 2003.

He said the event will be a celebration for the town as much as it will be for the club.

“It’s pretty much the heartbeat of the town in a sense,” he said. “It’s the only building at the moment where townsfolk can get together and do stuff.

“The club’s certainly been a big part of the town and without it, it would be a pretty quiet place. It gives us locals something to do.

“It’s not just a milestone for the club but for the town. It’s a celebration for the town and everyone’s welcome to just turn up and have a look on the day.”

The Shelford Cricket Club currently has about 18 members as part of their senior men’s team.