Tara Murray
Ian Cook has been around St Albans Cricket Club for as long as he can remember.
His mother grew up in St Albans and his father, Alex, played for the club and for a long time held the club’s highest individual score of 208.
Cook naturally then started playing at the club and hasn’t left it since.
Last month he was recognised by Cricket Victoria as one of 32 people to receive a cricket community service award for more than 50 years’ of contributions to Victorian cricket.
Cook said he was honoured that the club nominated him to be recognised. He was presented with a pin and a certificate
“I was pleased,” he said of the recognition.
“I was really thankful for the people from the club that nominated me and I feel they value what I have contributed.
“I really do appreciate that the club has done this and I’m happy to get the pin.“
Cook has held several roles in his 58 years at the club.
He played for 30-plus years, captained a premiership side and won both the club and competition batting awards.
His top score of 209, passed the then club record of 208 his father held.
He has coached juniors, been a team manager for more than 30 years, run bingo to raise funds to help build the current club rooms, and has served on the committee as a general member, president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.
He is also vice president of the St Albans Sporting Club.
Cook’s contribution to the club has previously been recognised, with the club adding him to its hall of fame. He is one of just four people in the hall of fame.
He is also a life member of the club alongside his wife, who was a scorer at the club for 48 years.
Cook said being involved in the cricket club had been enjoyable and joked that he didn’t know how to do anything else.
“A lot of people do things that people don’t know about [at clubs] and I’m just doing one thing.
“There are others doing a lot more.”
Cook said these days it was a lot harder to take on roles at sporting clubs, with life getting more complicated.
Cricket Victoria chief executive Andrew Ingleton said cricket would not be what it is without thousands of volunteers.
“These awards recognise and celebrate those people in the community who make a significant contribution to cricket and allow the whole community to be involved in the game we all love.”
