Pair Rewriting Kookaburras History
Newcastle Herald
Friday February 16, 2007
TORONTO Workers are on the verge of completing one of the best rags-to-riches stories in the recent history of the Newcastle District Cricket Association.
New recruit Paul Toole needs just 21 runs from the last three premiership matches to become the greatest first-grade runscorer in a season since the Kookaburras formed as Southern Lakes in 1959-60.Skipper Matt Hancock needs just one wicket to claim the first-grade record for most wickets in a season.The top-grade team are also on track to make the semi-finals for the first time since 1994-95."We have certainly been through some tough times, and a lot of the credit for the turnaround has got to go to Paul [Toole]," club president Alan Nichols said."He basically came on board as the player development officer, and he has had a great influence on the player attitude and how they play the game."There are guys in the lower grades improving their cricket, and we've got some talented young kids coming along."This year we have had a good year, and we hope next year will be even better."The club changed their name at the start of the season from Southern Lakes to Toronto Workers after a sponsorship deal with Toronto Workers Club.A new attitude within the club has coincided with the name change.They have had a successful season after floundering near the bottom of the ladder for the past 10 years.Capping the remarkable about-face is the fact both batting and bowling records for a season are set to be broken.Gifted all-rounder Matthew Hodges holds the top-grade record for most runs in a season with 681, set in 1996-97. Hodges passed the previous best of 645 set by Matthew Wagstaff in 1994-95. Wagstaff is still part of the first-grade side.Toole has scored 661 runs so far this season at an average of just over 50, but his influence on the club has been far more valuable than his run-scoring feats.Nichols said Toole has a two-year deal with the club, and they are in the process of trying to get him to stay for five."The main thing at the club is the guys have developed a different attitude," said Toole, who is from Bathurst and played more than a decade in Sydney with Randwick-Petersham."We are just trying to get the little processes right, and the rest will take care of itself."It's not just about winning, it's about doing things right so the club is heading in the right direction."Hancock equalled the record for most wickets in a season when he reached 48 last weekend to join former NSW Country fast bowler Tony Parker, who took 48 in the 1997-98 season."It will be a bit disappointing if we miss the semis, but we are on 37 points [in equal sixth] with three games to go so we are still a chance," Hancock said. "At the start of the year we set a goal to get off the bottom of the table and earn some respect."I think we've done that now, and we've got a lot of young blokes in the team, so hopefully we can build on that."
© 2007 Newcastle Herald