Fed-up Pearson Walks On Diving Kookaburras

Newcastle Herald

Thursday January 12, 2006

Neil Goffet - The leading edge

SOUTHERN Lakes will be without captain and leading runscorer Nathan Pearson for the rest of the season after he decided to quit the club this week.

Pearson, a Southern Lakes junior, said it was a tough decision to make, but he was sick of the poor attitude of some of his first-grade teammates.

Talented all-rounder Matthew Hancock has been appointed captain of the club.

Having struggled for several years, Southern Lakes are fighting back with some strong performances in their lower grades this season, but first grade are still last on the ladder.

Southern Lakes president Alan Nichols admitted the club needed a change of culture and said they were taking steps to rectify the problems.

But Nichols said losing Pearson was not part of their plans.

"It is a concern that Nathan is not happy here," Nichols said.

"And there is a concern with some of the actions of the first-grade side.

"Obviously their performance this year has not been as good as Nathan would have hoped, or the club had hoped.

"Personally, I am disappointed with Nathan's decision, and I know other members of the club are disappointed, and I think Nathan's frustrations have come out with his final decision.

"We are a struggling club that has gone through a lot of heartache recently, but we have a lot of good young players and not a lot of senior players, and Nathan is one of those senior players."

Pearson started his senior cricket with Cardiff-Boolaroo and played one season with Lambton-New Lambton, but he has spent 12 seasons proudly wearing the yellow Kookaburras cap.

His form with the bat has been outstanding, scoring three centuries during his 12-month tenure as captain.

Pearson has also severed ties with the Southern Lakes committee and stepped down from his position as the players' representative on the district's captains and umpires review panel.

"The club was never going to ask four or five players to leave because of their poor attitude or code of conduct, which is fair enough," Pearson said.

"But I don't know how many times players have got to be warned before someone takes some action.

"I'm shattered, and it's not what I wanted to do, because I'm enjoying my cricket. But it all started going pear-shaped in about round four against Wallsend. Players just weren't coming to cricket ready to play cricket, and I've just had enough."

© 2006 Newcastle Herald

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