THE Kilmore Cricket Club (KCC) has announced Cath Mogridge as the club’s newest life member at its senior presentation on Saturday night.
Mogridge began her tenure at the club in the 2011-12 season, doing everything across the past 15 years from event organisation to running the junior Cricket Blast program. She has recently taken on the role as club secretary as well.
Mogridge said: “It is an absolute honour to be made a life member of the Kilmore Cricket Club.”
“On a night we honoured two true club legends in Lawrie (Boyd) and Ray, and to be presented with this by Lawrie himself, makes it all the more special. This club has always given me more than I could ever give back and this means the world to me.”
The event also saw a testimonial to fellow life members and club legends Lawrie Boyd and Ray Cowell for their outstanding service over many years.
Boyd first came to the club as a teenager in 1959, going on to be one of the most prolific batsmen the club has ever seen. He led the A grade side to nine premierships between 1972 and 1985, including a stretch of five in a row across the turn of the decade. He was also the treasurer of the club for 64 years, starting in 1961.
Cowell arrived at KCC in the early 1980s, taking over as president in 1985. He captained 11 premierships in his playing career across B- and C-grades and remained at the helm of the cricket club for a combined 35 years before officially handing over the responsibilities last year.
In a Q+A with fellow life member Mark Clancy, conversation ranged from Boyd’s famous 1986/87 grand final partnership with Tony Maher, where the pair put on over 250 runs together, to Cowell’s ‘Ray-ball’ efforts where he batted for 62 overs to make 18 runs against Puckapunyal to lead his side to victory in 1984.
The pair received a lifetime achievement award as a small token of appreciation for more than 100 combined years of service for KCC.
“The tribute to Ray and I is greatly appreciated,” Boyd said addressing the crowd.
“What was up there (at the cricket club) when we started was just a milfoil pitch and that old wooden shed, so it’s come a long way.
“Particular thanks to Lyn, my wife, who has done an enormous amount of work with … secretarial stuff, treasury work and 150th celebrations. And, of course, also to Ray. It’s been a long journey, it’s been enjoyable, and it’s great to see where it’s all got to.”
Callum Partridge was the inaugural recipient of the Lawrie Boyd and Ray Cowell Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to the Club, notably for the preparation of the pitch throughout the season both during the week and on game day.
It was Dale Tassone who took out the Ray Jackson Cricketer of the Year for his outstanding efforts with the bat, and occasionally the ball, in the Johnstone Shield.
Dave MacBean received the Fred Baines Club Person of the Year.
