Three-hundred people packed Albury’s Commercial Club on Wednesday night for the association’s Hall of Fame and presentation night with Andrew Lade, Bob Craig, Brett McDonald, Brian Johnston, Carla Weldon, Joe Adams, Ray Smedley and Steve Paton recognised for their contribution.
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The Border Mail takes a look at the playing and administrative careers of the eight inductees.
ANDREW LADE
Lade’s statistics are simply outstanding.
The SS and A, North Albury, Tallangatta and St Patrick’s all-rounder scored more than 10,000 first grade runs at 36.70 and took 548 first grade wickets at 19.31.
Lade played in three flags with SS and A, two with North Albury and one 20/20 premiership with Tallangatta.
He was SS and A and Tallangatta club champion on five and eight occasions respectively and took out the RM Hooper award for best Victorian player at the Australian Country Championships.
Lade won the Bill Clarke medal a record four times between 1995 and 2004.
He played five matches for Tallangatta’s second grade side this season.
BOB CRAIG
Craig racked up more than 600 wickets playing in the Wodonga and District and Albury and Border competitions with his intimidating pace bowling.
He enjoyed enormous success playing for Bethanga, Leneva, Vic Rail, Wodonga, Belvoir, Bandiana and Wodonga Terminus.
Craig’s most dominant time came at Wodonga, where he took 365 wickets at an average of 14.85, and was selected in club legend Gary Williamson’s All-Star team from 1966 to 1991.
He owned the 1977-78 season, capturing 66 wickets at 9.86, including a match-winning 8-57 against New City in the grand final.
Craig is also a member of the Ovens and Murray Football League’s Hall of Fame, along with the legendary Williamson and Stan Sargeant.
BRETT McDONALD
McDonald’s pinpoint accuracy and remarkable endurance helped him take more than 500 wickets.
He burst onto the scene during the interstate primary schools carnival at Newcastle in 1967, taking 7-11 and soon debuted for SS and A in the ABCA in 1970.
McDonald spent 19 seasons with the club before moving to New City and taking over the captaincy from 1990 to 1992.
He was a member of the Victorian Country side for seven years and played against touring international teams from West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand.
His career highlight came against the Windies in 1984 when he grabbed the wickets of Test stars Richie Richardson, Larry Gomes and Gus Logie.
McDonald also played in three Toohey’s Cup matches.
One of his best bowling performances for SS and A came against New City during a final when he grabbed a hat-trick in the final over of the day to see his team home by four runs.
BRIAN JOHNSTON
After spending the first 15 years of his career in the Shepparton and Kyabram Cricket associations, Johnston moved to the Border and joined SS and A in 1987/88.
He then switched to the Wodonga competition, originally with Barnawartha before crossing to Belvoir in 1991.
At Barnawartha he won the WDCA batting award in his first year, then the first grade batting, bowling and Cricketer of the Year awards in his second year for the club.
He and fellow Hall of Famer Jeff Butters created a fierce partnership, with Johnston’s best bowling being 7-24 against Eskdale.
He also 207 made against Yackandandah.
Arguably his greatest accomplishment in cricket was representing the Australian Deaf team against international sides.
He guided his country to victory in the first Test of the Deaf Ashes against England in 1994, grabbing 7/22.
Johnston also won batting and bowling awards at national level.
CARLA WELDON
Weldon has literally everyone covered when it comes to scoring runs.
The tally is 80,000 and counting.
Weldon has been a scorer and administrator at St Patrick’s for over 27 years after starting at SS and A in 1990.
She was a board member of the ABCA from 2003-05 before becoming secretary and deputy chair of the board for the 2006-07 seasons.
Weldon was also the secretary of the Murray Cricket Council for several years.
As well as being the scorer and secretary at St Patrick’s, she has been chief afternoon tea supervisor, ball fee manager and expert commentator.
Weldon received life membership at the Patties in 2009 and has scored in BBL matches at Lavington.
JOE ADAMS
Adams scored more than 7000 first grade runs and took 291 wickets during a superb 26-year career in the Albury and Border association.
He played for Murray South, Newmarket and City Colts.
Another of Adams’ strengths was his athleticism in the covers with him being unrivaled in the position for many years.
Undoubtedly, his greatest achievements were two outstanding knocks in grand finals.
Adams captained the St Patrick’s Cricket Club to its first grand final win in 1968-69, dragging them over the line with a brilliant 157 against Churches-Kiwis.
It was his highest score in first grade cricket.
Only two seasons later, he returned to the grand final with St Patrick’s and compiled an equally impressive knock of 156 not out against Wodonga to see the Patties home.
RAY SMEDLEY
Smedley virtually did it all with Tower in the Wodonga and District association over 26 years.
He made a name for himself with his spin bowling and strong captaincy from 1966 to 1975, leading the club to five premierships.
Tower played in 15 successive grand finals during this era with Smedley missing only one due to a severe back injury suffered in the semi-final of the 1985/86 season.
He still managed to lift the premiership trophy 12 times as a player.
Smedley represented Wodonga and District in the North East Cup, tasting success against Wangaratta in 1969/70, and took 7-7 against Hampden at the Bendigo Country Week.
He was also a fine fieldsman in most positions on the field.
STEVE PATON
The prolific Paton scored over 7000 runs and took 400 wickets in a career spanning 25 years with neighbouring clubs Eskdale and Tallangatta.
The left-hander was best known for his ferocious cut and pull shots, with the all-rounder putting many bowling attacks to the sword.
Paton was soon elevated to the captain’s role at Eskdale, steering the Wodonga and District club to a premiership in 1997-98.
He finished with two flags at Tallangatta and four at Eskdale.
Paton’s best bowling was 9-32 against Bandiana, while he scored 235 against Yackandandah.
An accomplished footballer, Paton was one of the most respected players in the association for more than two decades.