By Justin Schwarze
Champion Upper Beaconsfield leg spinner Scott Pitcher is breathing rarefied air after taking the 600th wicket of his remarkable career for the Maroons.
In what’s been a memorable cricketing journey, the wicket-taking milestone is just one of the latest achievements he’s added to his absolutely loaded resume.
His list of accomplishments include five first XI premierships, multiple selections for Country Week, captaincy of Upper Beaconsfield, president, life member and now…wicket 600.
“I’ve done a bit of everything, I’ve been captain, president, coach, chairman of selectors, all those types of things,” Pitcher said.
After taking 5/18 against Merinda Park in October, which left him on 599, he went a few games without a scalp.
“I got to 599 what seems like forever ago,” he said jokingly.
“In our last couple of games I just hadn’t got a wicket.”
Everyone around him knew that he was closing in on the milestone.
“There was a lot of pressure put on me; the boys were saying every week leading in to it ‘he’s on 599’ and I was just like come on boys, just let me bowl,” he said.
After missing a few games as well, he finally got to 600 in the round 10 Premier Division clash with Clyde.
“It’s a big achievement, and I’m pretty proud of the achievement of getting there,” Pitcher reflected.
“Everyone keeps bringing it up, so I was more relieved than anything else,” he chuckled.
A one-club man, Pitcher has played senior cricket since he was 17 at Upper Beaconsfield.
“I think being a one-club player in the league and area means a lot to me,” he explained.
“I’ve always been proud to be at my club, and to do it at the same club is what means more to me than anything else.
“We’re not blessed with huge numbers; we’re a smaller club and that’s what a lot of guys love about it.
“I’ve dedicated a lot of my life there, and you do whatever you can to keep the club going.”
Despite the number of decorated awards and achievements over the years, last year’s District premiership stuck out to him as one of his career highlights.
“Last year when we won the flag, it was a huge achievement, and that means a lot to me,” Pitcher said.
“We won another one for the club, and a lot of the young blokes have taken that next step and are leading the club themselves.
“I had a lot to do with them when they were in juniors, and I was able to play with them in a premiership last year…which is really special.”
Reflecting on his younger cricketing years, Pitcher dedicated some of his success to the former leadership he’d played under.
“As a young bloke, I had really good captains who had faith in me, so they threw me the ball,” he said.
“A lot of the time as a spinner, you have to learn on the job and if you don’t have a captain that’s willing to support you, it can be quite difficult.”
Along with continued support and faith, hours spent mastering his craft also contributed significantly to his longevity.
“A lot of dedication back in the early days, putting a lot of time and effort into it, trying to master my craft,” Pitcher revealed.
“I used to go bowl in the nets for hours upon end with no one there.
“I would put down a ball and try to hit it; just to get control.”
Now, his age and maturity have led him to focus on leaving a good impact and adding to his already outstanding reputation at the club and in the league.
“To get team success, you’ve got to put in and lead by example for everyone else to follow,” he said.
“It’s about challenging yourself to the game, to the situation.
“As you get older, you realise what your body can and can’t do and your focus can change.
“I’m a reasonably competitive person, I’m one of those guys that don’t want to have a bad performance; so I think that’s always driven me to try and be successful and always lead by example.”
