The highlight of Brian Nettle’s career came in January 1969 when chosen for the SA Country XI for a match against the West Indies, becoming the first Wistow cricketer to play against an international opponent. It was a day of sweltering heat at Loxton when he opened the bowling, taking 2/32 and later scoring a quick 10 runs from the spinners, for he intended departing before Wes Hall and Charlie Griffiths resumed bowling. During the 1960’s and early 1970’s “Sting” was a regular Country Carnival player and was in the combined SACA Country XI in 1969 and ’70; but it was his bag of five (5) wickets in 1968 against a City XI that saw his selection for the match against the West Indies.
Born in late 1944, Brian began playing ‘A’ Grade semi-regularly in 1957/58 at 13 years of age and was a regular by the time he was 15. He was an early “bloomer” and soon this promising teenager was opening the bowling and throughout the 1960’s, he became a bowler of genuine pace and fire who could take early wickets and lift for a big game. Wistow won five (5) premierships during that time with Sting playing in four (4) of them.
He won at least seven (7) ‘A’ Grade Bowling Aggregate trophies, including for five (5) consecutive seasons from 1967/68 to 1971/72, as well as the Association Bowling Aggregate of 38 wickets in 1972/73. He took an ‘A’ Grade ten-wicket haul at just 14 years of age in 1959/60 (including a hat-trick) and all up, took at least 20 wickets in ‘A’ Grade in ten (10) different seasons, including five (5) occasions of more than 30 wickets in a season.
“Sting” also won several WCC and two (2) Association Best Allrounder trophies in a career spanning 34 years which eventually ended in 1991/92 at age 47. For the first 20-odd years of his career, he was a quality bowler who could bat and in later seasons he excelled as a middle-order batter, winning the ‘A’ Grade Batting Aggregate & Average on four (4) occasions and the Average on a further three (3) occasions, including at 41 years of age. Statistics show:-
- Youngest player to take an ‘A’ Grade five-wicket haul at 14 years, 10 months (in 1959/60 – 5/21)
- Youngest player to take an ‘A’ Grade ten-wicket haul at 14 years, 10 months (in the same match – 10/42)
- Youngest player to take an ‘A’ Grade hat-trick at 14 years, 10 months (in the same match)
- Youngest ‘A’ Grade century maker at 16 years, 1 month (in 1960/61 – 124)
- Oldest ‘A’ Grade century maker at 42 years, 2 months (in 1986/87 – 141*)
- 14 centuries in all, the most in WCC history
“Sting” played an extraordinary 20 seasons in Association matches with a best effort of 5/32 in winning the Meyer Shield in 1974 against the Hills Cricket Association. Brian was Club Captain for four (4) seasons and served on the committee regularly, including a four (4) season stint as Club President from 1975/76 to 1978/79. He was awarded Life Membership in 1988.
FOOTNOTE: Ian Slade (A Mt Barker cricketer who played for Wistow from 1965 to 1968) was selected in the Combined SACA Country Carnival XI in 1967 and 1968 and captained the team against a City XI.
HONOUR BOARD
265 Matches Played (5th most in WCC history) (all but 5 in ‘A’ Grade)
7,243 runs (3rd most in WCC history) @ 30.95 including 25 half-centuries (4th most) and 14 centuries (1st)
460 wickets (3rd most in WCC history) @ 14.93 including 17 5FA’s, one (1) 10FA and one (1) hat-trick
111 catches (9th most in WCC history but 3rd amongst non-wicketkeepers)
WCC Life Member – Awarded in 1988
6 x ‘A’ Grade Premiership Player (1960/61, 63/64 (took 5/33), 64/65 (took 7/29), 65/66 (took 4/39), 73/74 (took 4/37) & 82/83)
1 x Premiership Coach (1978/79 – U16’s)
4 x ‘A’ Grade Captain (1968/69-70/71 & 81/82)
4 x WCC President (1975/76-78/79)
4 x WCC Vice President (1972/73-74/75 & 81/82)
3 x WCC Secretary (1984/85-86/87)
1 x MtBEHCA Association ‘A’ Grade Bowling Aggregate – 38 wickets (1972/73)
1963/64 A Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 504 runs @ 45.82
1968/69 A Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 339 runs @ 33.90
1970/71 A Grade Batting – Average – 49.50 (297 runs)
1971/72 A Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 440 runs @ 48.89
1976/77 A Grade Batting – Average – 69.83 (419 runs)
1979/80 A Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 436 runs @ 54.50
1985/86 A Grade Batting – Average – 44.14 (309 runs) (At 41 years of age)
1963/64 A Grade Bowling – Aggregate & Average – 27 wickets @ 13.04
1964/65 A Grade Bowling – Aggregate – 38 wickets
1967/68 A Grade Bowling – Aggregate – 36 wickets
1968/69 A Grade Bowling – Aggregate & Average – 33 wickets @ 11.03
1969/70 A Grade Bowling – Aggregate & Average – 33 wickets @ 12.67
1970/71 A Grade Bowling – Aggregate – 29 wickets
1971/72 A Grade Bowling – Aggregate – 18 wickets
1980/81 A Grade Bowling – Average – 7.70 (10 wickets)
