18 October 2017

An inaugural life member, two new Junior Taverners Award-recipients, topped off by great entertainment from retired champion fast bowler Merv Hughes made this year’s Lord’s Taverners ACT Annual Dinner (and Annual General Meeting) event one of our most successful to date.

Just under 100 members, guests and cricket-lovers gathered at Royal Canberra Golf Club on 28 September for the event.

For the first time in the 31-year history of the Lord’s Taverners ACT Branch, life membership has been awarded – to Mr David Nicholls.

David is well known to just about every single one of our members as a result of the many hours of tireless work he has put in over the years for the Lord’s Taverners ACT and on a national basis. It’s no secret that one of the reasons why our events are so successful is because of David’s efforts.

Lord’s Taverners ACT President, Ric Smith presented David with a special lapel pin and certificate, while the support which has been provided to David by his wife, Larraine, over the years was also recognised, with Larraine being presented with a Lord’s Taverners ACT Certificate of Appreciation (pictured right: Larraine and David Nicholls).

Two more winners of Graham Wilkinson Memorial Junior Taverners Awards were announced at the event – all-rounder Kelly Rowlings and wicket-keeper batsman Josh Low-McMahon. Each received $1500 and a Kookaburra cricket kit and we look forward to following their progress.

Jayden Sawyer, a past recipient of a Lord’s Taverners ACT Scholarship, was another guest at the dinner and delighted those in attendance by showing the gold medal he won at the recent Para Athletic Championships in London.

On a night of many highlights, the man affectionately known as “Merv” added to the occasion. A veteran of 53 Tests where he took 212 wickets at an average of 28.28, Merv recounted how he found Mike Atherton one of the hardest England players to dismiss and that while Merv was a well-known sledger in the heat of the battle, he revealed such tactics were useful against some players, but not nearly as effective against others.

At the Lord’s Taverners ACT Annual General Meeting, which immediately preceded the Annual Dinner, all office-bearers were re-elected, President – Ric Smith; Vice President – Kit Morgan; Treasurer – Noel Smith; Secretary – Chris Hunter. Abul Rizvi was confirmed as a new member of the committee and Keith Hardy was elected to the committee, while Adrian Herring chose not to seek re-election. We thank Adrian for his service to the committee over a number of years.