MATT CLARK APPOINTED FIRST XI CAPTAIN

17 Sep 2019 by Les Hutchings

Thursday, 5th September 2019

We are delighted to announce that Matt Clark has been appointed First XI Captain of Kilsyth Cricket Club for our centenary season in 2019/20. Congratulations Matt on your appointment in our historic milestone season.

Matt will work together with Senior Coach Mark Unternahrer to lead the Club and encourage the best out of our playing group.

Matt first joined KCC as a junior in 1991 aged 6 and made his senior debut in 1999. He has played 210 senior games and scored 4,882 senior runs @ 24.66 (2,915 for the First XI @ 23.89) with 23 half centuries and four centuries. His highest score is 183 in 2018/19. In 2014/15 Matt won the Wilkins Cup competition batting average (453 runs at 50.33 scoring five half centuries including four scores in the 70’s (78, 72, 72* and 70). Although primarily a left hand top order/opening batsman, he has also taken 40 senior wickets as a right arm pace/spin bowler (best bowling 4/61 v Wonga Park 4th XI) as well as donning the keeping gloves on occasions.

Matt won the Club’s First XI Batting Averages in 2009/10 (256 @ 23.27), 2012/13 with 310 runs @ 38.75 (393 @ 39.3 including finals) and he also won the award in 2014/15 as mentioned above. As a junior, Matt won the Club’s U12 Division 1 Batting Average in 1996/97 (average 21.71) and in 1999/2000 received the Coach’s Award in the U16’s premiership season.

In 2015/16 Matt left the Club to take on the role of Captain of St. Andrews First XI in Trollope Shield. During that season he scored 409 runs including two centuries (highest score 106) at an average of 37.18 and was selected in the RDCA’s Team of the Year. However, he returned to Kilsyth as Captain Coach in 2016/17 & 2017/18 leading the First XI into the finals in his first year back.

Matt was selected in Kilsyth Cricket Club’s Inaugural Team of the Year in 2013/14, again in 2014/15 and 2018/19. Furthermore, he was named Coach of the 2016/17 and 2017/18 Teams of the Year.

Matt played in two junior premierships for Kilsyth: 1999/2000 (U16-3) and 2002/03 (U18-1 as Captain) when Kilsyth won the Final by 9 wickets. Clarky has also played in four runners-up teams: for the U16-3’s in 2000/01, the First XI in 2013/14 and 2014/15 when Kilsyth lost both Wilkins Cup Grand Finals narrowly by seven runs and one run respectively. In 2018/19 he played in the Second XI runners-up team.

Matt had an injury interrupted season in 2018/19 undergoing an operation during the season. However, he still managed to score 719 runs at average of 59.92 with 3 centuries and 5 half centuries. This is the second most runs in a season ever scored at Kilsyth CC, just behind Mick Godfrey who scored 726 runs @ 60.50 for the First XI in 1941/42. In last season’s Seconds Pascoe Shield finals campaign, Matt was in excellent form with scores of 71, 62 not out and 77 opening the batting. In one Pascoe Shield match last season against the eventual premiers, Ainslie Park, Matt (183) and Daniel Woolhouse (73) put on a Second XI club record partnership of 248 for the second wicket.

Clarky has also played cricket in England with considerable success. Playing for West Tanfield versus Hampsthwaite he made a dashing 179 not out. As a bowler Matty also took 6/44 off 16 overs for West Tanfield versus Harrogate showing his all-round talent.

Off the field Matt has been on KCC’s General Committee for a number of years, is a former junior coach of the U16’s and was Vice President in 2017/18 and 2018/19.

On behalf of everyone at Kilsyth Cricket Club, congratulations on your appointment Matt. We wish you every success this coming season and in the future at the Club that you have spent most of your life playing for.

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