By Tara Murray
Matthew Harper was there for day one when Sydenham-Hillside made the move into senior cricket.
Twenty-six years later, Harper is still playing in the same team and he become the first person to play 300 senior games at the club.
Speaking before the milestone, Harper said it was pretty special to become the first person to play 300 games.
“I started off at the club as a kid,” he said. “I was two years in juniors in under-14s and under-16s before seniors even started.
“I played in the first game for the club [second XI] 26 years ago. I was a 16-year-old kid.
“I played the first game with my father, I was not thinking about what happened 26 years later.”
A lot has changed since Harper first began.
Harper is now a lawyer and with his wife, their law firm is one of the club’s major sponsors as they look to give back to the club.
He’s also a large part of the junior program.
“We didn’t even have changerooms,” he said. “We caught up after the game at one of the players’ houses.
“It was pretty basic. We weren’t always a turf club, we played on matting before that.”
Harper said the friendships were the biggest thing he takes out of his time at the club.
He said many stopped playing 10-15 years ago, but they were still really good mates.
“Most don’t play now, but we are still friends,” he said. “Having that social outlet, your friends group of out that.
“I’m so appreciative of the club for being able to facilitate those friendship groups.”
Harper said the 2016-17 second XI premiership, which was the club’s first on turf, was also a pretty special moment.
He also won a premiership in 2006-07 while the club was still in the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association.
Harper has also won the club’s president medal in 2011-12, most valuable player award in 2011-12 and 2021-22, and the Muir Shield competition batting average in 2011-12.
Harper said he wasn’t good enough to play in the first XI, but still enjoyed his cricket just as much anyway.
The Storm had a function on Saturday to honour Harper and had invited his friends and family down for the day.
Harper said he knows that he’s starting to get to his end of his playing career.
He said he hopes his two young children will eventually play at the club, while when he hangs up the whites he won’t be lost to the club.
“I’ll always be part of the club watching or playing.”
