Leinster CC has a long and distinguished history.
2009 was however a landmark year for the club.
Leinster won the Irish Cup for their first time and also won the 4FM Alan Murray Leinster Twenty20 Competition.
Earlier in the season they had finished as runners-up to Railway Union in the DGM League Final and they finished in a comfortable mid-table position in the League.
Not since 1998 when they won the Leinster League and Cup Double had Leinster enjoyed such success.
Their captain is the South African born, Australian bred and now Irish qualified (we believe!), Anton Scholtz.
Scholtz was the Man of the Match in the Irish Cup Final when he scored 75 and then took 2-38 with his off spin including the key wicket of Donemana pro and captain Ahzar Shaffique.
In the 2009 Leinster season, in 17 matches, Scholtz scored 537 runs at an average of 35.3, with a highest score of 142*. He also took 20 wickets at an average of 23.05 with a best of 4-24. He also won the Solomons Cup for the second time making the most catches in the field with 15.
Here he talks about his career and life outside of cricket to Cover Point.
Anton Scholtz with the Irish Cup. Photo courtesy of Rob O'Connor, www.rocshot.com
CP: You were born in South Africa but grew up in Australia?
AS: Due to the changing political situation in South Africa my parents moved to Melbourne in 1982 to search for a better quality of life. I was six at the time, so I don’t feel any great affiliation to South Africa, but it was a big move for my parents. They were just 24 years of age with two young kids when they moved.
CP: Are you a big sports fan then like most Australians?
AS: I don’t play any other sports competitively but I enjoy watching most sports. The guys are always slagging me about how little I know about rugby! I didn’t know much until I came over here, but it’s so popular I had to catch up quickly!
I followed Aussie Rules Football at home (and played a bit when I was younger). Melbourne is the home of AFL.
CP: How did you end up in Ireland?
AS: In 2005 my girlfriend moved to London. I had already used my UK working holiday visa over there so I couldn’t go back – so the next closest place was Ireland. I had no real intention of coming over and playing cricket. It was just really to be close to her and to do some travel.
It was also an opportunity to get away from the cricket scene in Australia. I had put a huge amount of energy, season after season, trying to succeed and play at higher levels and when I reached 26 or 27 I felt the boat had sailed The move over here was only meant to be a short term thing, but here we are 4 and a half years later!
My girlfriend (also from Melbourne) is working over here in Dublin so it has worked out well.
CP: What does the future hold?
AS: I don’t know what the future holds. It’s a good lifestyle over here being so close to Europe. We both have travel plans to see this part of the world. We want to do it while we can. It’s a good opportunity. So who knows? We could go back next year or we could stay on a while longer.
CP: What’s been the highlight of cricket career to date?
AS: In Ireland it would certainly be winning the Irish Cup final and T20 final this year.
We also won Section B in 2007. It’s always great to have success, and it’s good to be part of a club with such an extensive distinguished history like Leinster.
I have many highlights back in Melbourne, playing for the Melbourne Cricket Club and winning a couple of premierships always brings back good memories.
When I first started playing there the MCG was our home ground. I played there a couple of times and it was awesome. I probably took it a bit for granted at the time but it was certainly a highlight.
We have a reciprocal arrangement with the MCC in England and with each Ashes series the club team tours as well. That was also one of the reasons why I came over in 2005. Playing at Lord’s against the MCC was another highlight. That was a great experience – being pampered the same way as the international test teams – a beautiful lunch and a fantastic dinner.
CP: And biggest disappointment?
AS: Not playing in a first XI Premiership winning team in my home club in Melbourne. That is something I’d really like to go back and achieve.
CP: You became captain of Leinster in 2008. Is that something you enjoy?
AS: It’s kind of a different role from what I’m used to. There’s a lot of organising off the field.
I like the challenge of the game and I like the on-field role. It was tough the first season – getting thrown all sorts of questions and queries. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to manage them.
The second season was quite good. I got on top of things and had a good group of people around me – so it was quite good – I enjoyed it.
CP: How do you look back on the Irish Cup run?
AS: In the semi-final against Limavady, I guess we were a bit lucky winning on Duckworth Lewis.
It was a funny one looking back on it because they had every opportunity to get ahead of the rate, knowing that the conditions were inclement but never did. It was probably the only game of the season where the rains fell our way.
I think it helped us playing against the Northern sides that we didn’t know too much about.
One of the big things about Irish cricket especially in Leinster is the intimidation factor – playing against guys and teams with big reputations. Players can get intimidated playing against the stronger sides because of the reputations that the players and clubs have.
But that wasn’t a factor playing against the Northern sides because we didn’t know them.
Also the Leinster teams would be able to target some of our weaker players in terms of getting after certain bowlers or with field settings or knowing where to bowl but that wasn’t a factor either.
CP: In the final you certainly took the game by the scruff of the neck yourself scoring 70 odd and building on the good platform that JP and Jonesy had laid?
AS: Yeah it was good. The Hills is a pretty good track to bat on. It didn’t start off well losing Carlos the first ball of the match. But JP was great to come out and play the way he did. It was only his second game back and he wasn’t 100% fit. He was at me for the whole lead up to the match saying ‘Get me in, get me in.’
It was a big risk putting him in but it paid off – an important innings and a big impact on the game.
I probably left a little bit out there. I would have liked a few more runs, particularly in the last 5 or 7 overs but I couldn’t do it. But to get 260 odd is a pretty good score in a final. We were happy with that.
CP: The team certainly got on a great roll at the end of the season winning the Twenty20 as well?
AS: Our season was fits and starts. We had a great start to the season but then a couple of matches into the League season we had a bad month. We lost a couple of matches on the trot. We played Railway in the DGM Final and lost that. We then played Railway and Merrion in the two weeks directly after that back to back and lost those.
I guess that’s the beauty of Twenty20 cricket, in that it allows guys to come in without any form behind them and play with a bit freedom and one or two balls can change your form for the rest of the season.
And that’s what Carlos did – destroying The Hills in the final. We have the players to take any side apart on our day. We haven’t really had the consistency that we would like for the League season.
I suppose in our side there’s Carlos, there’s Jonesy, there’s JP and Ian O’Herlihy... Those guys have a talent for hitting the ball and the less you speak to them the better they go. Then there’s myself and one or two other guys who play a bit of an anchoring role, steadying the innings, occupying the crease and accumulating rather than destroying attacks.
CP: The crowd trouble at the Irish Cup Final – did that detract from the occasion for you?
AS: That was probably the worst thing I’ve ever seen on a cricket field.
I’ve seen some crowd fracas before but never seen a crowd attacking players. Just appalling really.
There are passionate supporters on both sides but to physically kick a player and throw a full can of beer at somebody is ridiculous.
It’s a national competition – it doesn’t do anything to promote the game.
CP: What are your ambitions for Leinster CC?
AS: The League and the 60 over competitions are not competitions where we’ve done well in recent seasons so those two competitions will be the obvious focus for next season. To be more consistent and be more competitive.
CP: And your personal goals?
AS: I don’t really set any goals for myself in terms of scoring runs or taking wickets. As long as the team is doing well, I’m happy.
CP: Would you like the opportunity to play for Ireland?
AS: I’m not sure what the rules are about qualification for Ireland but next year I am able to apply for Irish citizenship. If the opportunity arose I’d love to play at that level – I’d certainly relish it. As a batsman at 33 you’re coming into your prime so who knows?
CP: You’ve won your fair share of individual Cup Awards in Leinster?
AS: I’ve been lucky that way. In my 2nd season I won the batting award, and then I won the all-rounder award, can’t remember which year and the catching award twice. And this year I won the Players Player award which is the one I value most highly...
AS on Carlos Brathwaite:
We’ve struggled with pros since the time I’ve been at the club. Our pros haven’t done as well as pros at other clubs and we took a bit of a gamble with Carlos, a young 21 year old West Indian who had never been to this side of the world before but he came with good recommendation.
It’s tough for a young guy coming over as a professional. I was in that role myself playing for a club called Baildon in the Bradford League in 1999 – I was only 21 /22 and there’s a lot of pressure on you to perform and knowing your role in the side can be difficult.
I think Carlos struggled as a batsman with what sort of role he should have – by the end of the season he got it right. Just being a destructive kind of player and having the freedom to play his shots. As opposed to the Limavady semi-final when he tried to occupy the crease and play more technically correct. Whereas if he had just come out and batted the way he did in the final of the Twenty20 he would have been more successful.
He’s such an explosive kind of talent he should just come out and express himself.
He definitely had an impact for us on the field. While his stats don’t really stand out, he definitely played some key roles in some big games. He’s a great team man, great spirit, great character to have around. Very enthusiastic. Involved in the club a lot; the juniors loved him.
Hopefully he’ll come back subject him being selected for a higher level at home or injury of course…
AS on George Dockrell:
George is a good lad. He always wants to learn. He is level-headed with his feet on the ground.
He has a big future ahead of him – I’m not sure how much he will be available to play for Leinster next season! He’s only 17 and there aren’t too many players at that age who can put the ball on the spot for 10 overs match after match.
He’s got a good calm temperament as well. Some of these guys who do well at youth cricket can get a little ahead of themselves. But George is never a problem. He may come back into the side after playing representative cricket and he will understand his place and role within our team. He has a great attitude.
CP: What do you do during the off-season?
AS: More emphasis goes on my work. The work I’m doing here is a lot different from the work I was doing back in Melbourne. I kind of fell into it over here. For the first 5 or 6 months it was difficult to get a job but then I got offered a position on the Social Work team at the Central Mental Hospital.
I had no real intentions of working in forensic mental health but it’s a good job working with some really interesting people.
During the off-season I try to do a little bit of training just to keep fit.
We try to get away as much as possible as well. Obviously we don’t have much time during the summer to tour around Europe so between the finish of the season and the start of pre-season we do as much travelling as we can.
CP: Finally, Anton, what are your impressions of Irish club cricket?
AS: It’s small. Got some really good players around. But I think the challenges are sparking interest in the game and getting youngsters interested in playing the game.
The standard of cricket in Dublin is better than I thought it would be. Coming over I had no real idea about what the situation was about cricket in Dublin.
Most people would get a shock when they get into it and understand how the game is played over here. The competitiveness and the facilities that most of the clubs have here are pretty good. It’s got a fair way to go but certainly the top clubs play a pretty good brand of cricket.
The conditions are a levelling factor. It makes the cricket more competitive. We’re not getting the true batting surfaces you get in the southern hemisphere. People have to adapt to slow low conditions which is I think is a levelling factor. That is the biggest challenge I found…
Copyright: Cover Point
