the history of western suburbs district cricket club 1921-2002

-35-was kept out of the test team by Simpson and Lawry. His son Glenn who was often seen at Gracevilleas a young boy played 87 games for Queensland but while playing for Souths.Together with Sam, John Loxton formed a formidable opening partnership for both Wests andQueensland. Their best for Wests was 231 v Colts in 1968-9. John scored 100 on debut for Queenslandin Perth in 1966-7 and after Sam left the club elected to bat down the order. But for a life threateninghead injury when hit whilst batting, it is likely John would have scored far more than his 1081 runs forQueensland and may have played for Australia. A feature of his play was his exquisite timing. He gavethe club sterling service both on and off the field over a period of 16 years.As mentioned earlier, the 1980-1 grade final was the springboard for Chris Smart’s interstate careerconsisting of 32 matches over eight seasons. His best match was probably the 1983-4 Sheffield finalwhen he impressed no lesser a judge than Dennis Lillee with half centuries in each innings. As aschoolboy Chris was a fast bowler but then turned into a very fluent and attacking upper order batsman.In the latter half of his career he greatly tempered his stroke play. His best year was 1983-4 when hescored 601 runs at 66.77 having captained Queensland Colts the previous season. One of Chris’ majordisappointments was missing the 1987-8 premiership win when he played a season for Richmond inMelbourne. He had some recompense the next season when he captained the club to a one day knockoutwin.David Rathie started his grade career with Easts where he first played for Queensland as a 19 year old.He played eight seasons for WSDCC before moving to Valleys. As a schoolboy, he was rated by hiscoach, Mo Hansen as a better batsman than the Archers, Burge, Ray Reynolds and Ogilvie but hisstudies to become a lawyer and his international Rugby Career hampered his development. He suffereda severe rugby injury to his throat. As well as playing eight games for Queensland, he played first classcricket in New Zealand in 1978-80. His best season was 1976-7 when he scored 593 runs for 53.90,winning him selection for the Queensland Southern Tour. Early in his career he was an attacking No 4batsman but towards the end became an impenetrable opener. He used to practice like Boycott for hourson end having other players throw balls at him.With the advent of John Bell to WSDCC, Dean Tuckwell transferred from Norths as a 19 year old inthe hope that like Ritchie and Rackemann, this would lead to international honours. It was not to be butalong the way he rightly earned the reputation of one of the most fearful and hardest hitters to play gradecricket. He impressed good judges during his three year stint in league cricket in the north of England(when he played as an amateur) to the extent that he was offered professional contracts to follow in thefootsteps of overseas test players. Dean has built up a magnificent record for Wests and if he had notspent three seasons playing and living on the Sunshine Coast (when he was named in that club’s teamof the century) would hold the club’s first grade run scoring record. Dean has kept his best for the goodbatting wickets, the big occasion or the big reputation of an opposing bowler. As a 19 year old he playeda grafting innings of 48 on Graceville No 2 against Craig McDermott when the latter was at the peak ofhis ability, not giving an inch and not looking like getting out. Both Michael Kaprowicz and Andrew Bichelhave felt the wrath of Dean’s bat, the former in a fashion more severe than on any other occasion exceptthan V V S Laxman’s double century for India.Dean played important innings in the semifinal and final in the premiership winning team of 1987-8 andscored a magnificent century in the one day win at the Gabba the following year. His highest score of166 was scored on a belter at University but he also played a magnificent innings on a poor wicket in the1993-4 semifinal loss.Dean was still at it in 2001-2 when he scored a century between tea and stumps in Round 2 againendangering the RSL Memorial at Deep Cover at Graceville with his six hitting. When all seemed losthe scored 98 (run out) spearheading his team to 239 runs between start of play and lunch in the secondinnings of the 2001-2 grand final. Again he reserved special attention for another state player, (andWests old boy as an 18 year old whilst at the Oxley Police Academy) Brendan Creevey. Early in hiscareer his specialty shot was a lofted cover drive in their first over whilst opening the innings. Later, hebatted in the lower order and hit his shots straighter but still on the offside. No greater compliment couldbe paid than when his teammates led by Jon Dooley used to sit up and watch as if transfixed, when Deangot into full swing. With a little luck at the right time he would undoubtedly have played for Queensland,and with the benefit of the better wickets at first class level, probably Australia. Dean did play for theQueensland Second XI.Michael Maranta commenced his first grade career at Wynnum but came to Wests to join his friend,Chris Smart. He played three matches for Queensland making a rather unusual debut whilst replacingJohn Maguire who had been called up for Australian duty. What was unusual was that John had alreadycommenced playing in the XI in the match in Melbourne for Queensland. Michael was an excellent LAIBbut as well opened the batting for much of his career. It was only fitting that he played a major role in the1987-8 premiership win.John Bell’s best days were well behind him when he came to Wests from Norths via Wynnum Manlyin 1985-6. Along the way he had won a swag of premierships, transformed Wynnum Manly and identifiedand nurtured the three test players (including John Maguire) as well as a multitude of state players. Asa captain/coach his record is the best of anyone’s in the 104 year Brisbane Grade Cricket Competition.Many argued he was a superior player to John Maclean who played 96 matches for Queensland and ahandful of tests for Australia. John Maclean kept John Bell, also a WK/batsman out of the QueenslandTeam. As a result of his success with WSDCC, John Bell was promoted to Queensland State Coach in1988-9 and missed making a home Sheffield Final, (which if played in Brisbane would have been washedout) by a handful of runs. As it turned out, Queensland did not even make an away final. In acrimoniouscircumstances, John Bell was sacked as Queensland Coach.As detailed earlier Wests made dramatic improvement in his three years at the helm and it was atestimony to the team spirit and even playing strength of the 1987-8 premiership team that not a single