1982/83 A Grade Premiership Team
Back (L-R): Kym Fuss, Paul Marston, John Mahomet, Merv Vick (Patron), Roger Falk, Brian “Sting” Nettle, Robin “Pud” Crompton.
Front: Gary Bellman, Gavin Frith, Mark Paech (c), Lloyd “Bing” Bilney (vc), Ken Nettle.
As we gear up for Sponsors & Past Players Day on Saturday, 3rd December 2022, each week we will be taking a look at one of the premiership anniversaries which we are celebrating this season.
Today, we’re celebrating the 40 year anniversary of the 1982/83 A Grade Premiership Team.
In the grand final Wistow took on Echunga, as we batted first and scratched our way to a total of 148 from 67 overs with solid contributions from club legends Brian “Sting” Nettle (26), Lloyd “Bing” Bilney (31) and Ken Nettle, who top scored with 33.
Wistow’s opening bowlers, vice-captain “Bing” Bilney and captain Mark Paech, took care of the rest themselves to skittle Echunga for 79 in 31 overs with Bing collecting 5/44 from 16 overs and Mark Paech 5/24 from 15 overs.
In some ways, this premiership marked the end of the greatest on-field era in Wistow Cricket Club history, proving to be Sting’s 6th and final A Grade Premiership and Ken’s 7th and final A Grade Premiership. Whilst Sting would continue to play A Grade into the early 90s before retiring and Bing continued to play until the conclusion of the 1988/89 season (following which he moved to Goolwa) only Ken would go on to experience further team success at Wistow, skippering the C Grade to a Premiership in 1997/98 (in which he played with his elder son, Brendan “Barb” Nettle) and also playing in the D Grade Premiership in 2012/13 – 52 years after his first premiership success in the 1960/61 A Grade side!!!
This Premiership also saw Wistow crowned as the final A Grade Premiers in Mt Barker & Eastern Hills Cricket Association history as after the 1982/83 season the Mt Barker & Eastern Hills Association merged with the Alexandra Cricket Association to form our current Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association.
We would love to see premiership players Robin “Pud” Crompton, Brian “Sting” Nettle, Kym Fuss, Mark Paech, Lloyd “Bing” Bilney, Gavin Frith, Ken Nettle, John Mahomet, Gary Bellman, Roger Falk and Paul Marston and all other past players up at the Hill on 3rd December to celebrate and re-live the glory days!
