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Being family orientated has been the key to the Stratford Cricket Club’s 100 years of success. Club captain Grant Commerford, his daughter Milla, 4, and club president Chris Drummond know that all too well.
The Stratford Cricket Club’s youngest player is 4 and her dad has been on the pitch for nearly 30 years – that’s a taste of how the club has been running for a century.
The central Taranaki club has always been a family affair, with plenty of community support, and club captain Grant Commerford says that has been a key to it hitting 100 this year.
His daughter, Milla, 4, has grown up in the club and is currently its youngest player,
Commerford started playing for the club when he was 13, after president Chris Drummond’s son, Lachlan, got him involved.
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He is still going strong at 41, and has set a club record by playing nearly 300 premier games.
“I’ve just always loved it,” Commerford said. “I lived in Eltham and my older brother played here – he was my first captain.”
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The club has seen generation after generation hit the pitch over the years.
Commerford has been involved in the club committee since his late teens.
“You see a lot of generations coming through,” he said. “I’m playing with kids that I was playing with their parents.
“A couple of times, in our top teams, there’s a father and son playing.”
Plus, there are people involved in the club who keep it alive despite having never played cricket themselves.
“We have life members who don’t actually play but always support the club.”
Commerford said cricket was being played in Stratford more than 100 years ago, but an official club was started in 1921.
They used to have more players – including a female team – but like many sports, “numbers have slowly dwindled down”.
The club currently has three senior teams, four junior teams and one high school team.
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The club sees many players picked up for the Central Districts team, but has had a couple of Black Caps, too.
It has had a couple of Black Caps come through, such as Derek Stirling and Tom Bruce, and has players getting on the pitch for Central Districts.
“Most people play more social, just to play cricket,” Commerford said.
Drummond, the club president, said he was “always a rugby man”, and got involved in cricket in Midhirst, before his son started playing in Stratford.
“As every parent does, you help out.”
Drummond’s been involved with the club for three years and has been able to play on the pitch alongside his son.
“We’re very much a family sort of outfit,” he said. “It’s a great little club to be involved with.”