Life Lessons

We tend to remember our first captains. John Forrest was the one in charge when Clontarf under 13s took on Rush in my first ever game and Louis Hogan was the 4th team skipper struggling trying to find an eleventh player on the Saturday morning for a game against Guinness that gave me my first foray into adult cricket.

In Senior cricket, Podge Hughes was the first captain to select me to play. Yes, I had played for the Firsts previously but only as a late call up or filler in. At the time it seemed a validation that things were going in the right direction. Not that I justified his faith in me, failing to trouble the scorers.

Of course, at this stage I already knew Podge. As a 16 year old, I had been invited to senior nets and every Tuesday and Thursday, I would head to Castle Avenue. A tradionalist, Podge netted in whites and for an hour and half he charged in at the batsmen. It was hard work and not just for him. Rossa Bunworth was the quicker bowler at this point but Podge made you work. Before the phrase was coined, he bowled a heavy ball.

It was great. And of course, we youngsters were aware that he was not just an International player but he had played in the famous Sion Mills 1969 game against the West Indies.

While he took the game seriously, he never took himself too seriously and loved telling the tale of an enraged Imran Khan following him (as he backed away to square leg) with bouncers after he had the temerity to hit him for 4.

In recent times, his role in the mentorship of groundsman, Karl McDermott has been widely recognised after Karl’s elevation to the Head Groundsman at Lords. It is a story of which Clontarf is rightly proud, a young assistant who worked his way through the system to the top job. There was a time Karl referred to Castle Avenue as the “field of dreams”, it is possible that he might reconsider that at this stage.

(Podge Hughes watching a game at Clontarf)

But all around the world in cricket clubs stories like of this nature are acted out each weekend. A cricket team is a little world in itself. The nature and length of the game means there is time for team mates to get to know each other better, to see each other’s faults and to learn to live with them, to mould and advise. It is one of the wonderful things about our sport.

A teacher by profession, Podge retains that connection with and interest in younger people, an ability to understand them and the understanding of how to influence.

(Clontarf senior team 1984)

In 1985, I was having the season of my life. The responsibility of vice captaincy had transformed my game, I wanted to be the one who scored the runs, the person who won the game for the team and out of the blue it was happening for me.

One afternoon when I had not fulfilled that role, I was watching the game from the changing room along with Podge where he always waited for his turn to bat, just the two of us.

The silence was broken when Podge turned to me and quietly said “you know, it’s important to be happy for others when they do well”.

After a few moments, he got up and left, leaving me horrified that Podge had spotted something in me I had neither recognised nor would have wished to been recognised. But he had introduced it in such a way without any rancour that I could acknowledge it and deal with it.

35 years later it is a lesson I have never forgotten, nor the manner in which the lesson was delivered and for that I am indebted to Podge.

(Podge watching with team mates from the sidelines)

As our game returns to some form of normality, these small interactions will recommence, young players will make mistakes and be quietly steered back on the right path by the older and more experienced members.

Long may it remain so.