Nunawading Cricket Club

Peter ‘Jerka’ Jenkin is a Nunawading icon. He has been a constant presence at Nuna since the early 1970s. He is the President of the Nunawading CC Team of the Century, a recognition of 7 years as Club President which followed 5 years as Treasurer and around 20 years in total on the committee.

Peter’s first involvement with the Club was as a young bloke following his father Bob to cricket games at Silver Grove. He first played regularly in season 1977-78 in the Fifth XI premiership team under Alan Haag and continued to play until the early 1990’s, captaining the 5th and 6th XI’s on several occasions. Peter is widely recognised as an administrator however and served the club with distinction in committee roles for ten consecutive years including two as treasurer and seven as President. Peter was only 28 when first elected President , only 4 seasons after Bob’s ten year’s as President. Peter also served as a chairman of selectors and managed the firsts after his retirement as a player. Peter also acted as a Junior coach, spending a few seasons coaching the Under 16’s.

 His earliest memories of Nuna C. C. are as a small boy when each Saturday the family would venture to Silver Grove and other venues to watch Bob play after he joined the club in the very early sixties. His first senior game for Nuna was in his early teens as a fill-in in the fourths with his Dad (on one of which occasions he remembers subbing for Burwood Districts and catching his Dad on the deep mid-off boundary much to Bob’s and his shock and horror!).

 His first full year in the seniors, after a couple of years at Balwyn Presbyterians while he finished school studies was in 1977/78, playing in the newly formed fifths (the 5ths having been added after quite a fiery AGM as some of the “old guard” were against another team as they didn’t think the club would fill it but have to buy new mats, equipment etc.)

 History of course records that the team, skippered by Alan Haag, who made over 900 runs for the year, and featuring other club personalities Merv Legg (who missed the finals with a broken wrist), John Fisher, Dave Cowell, Peter Donaldson, Mick Viljoen (who with able support from Pete put on what turned out to be a match winning last wicket partnership) and John Macaulay won the flag before adjourning to Arthur Walker’s for a rather large celebration.

 Most of Peter’s playing career was in the fifths and the sixths. He captained for a number of seasons and fondly remembers many a lengthy selection meeting with Colin James and Graeme Harris. In 1990/91 Peter Donaldson led the sixths to a flag, Peter’s only other flag, with a side including Col, the Edwards brothers, Ross Henkel, Robbie Legg and Paul Bradley. We only managed to finish in the four on percentage and in the most exciting game of cricket he remembers defeated Park Orchards firsts, who had not lost all season, at Mahoneys Reserve in front of a large, vocal crowd. They had set us about 260 odd to beat in about 60 overs and we passed them eight down (with “Jerka” a very nervous number eleven to come having batted only twice for the whole season) due to a great second wicket stand of 150 plus between Col and Chris Edwards. In the Grand Final we played our old mates Mitcham at Heatherdale and thanks mainly to some good batting by Col (again), Anthony Edwards and the skipper passed them seven down with Pete again nervously padded up.

In recent years, Pete has been a terrific supporter of the club, a regular Saturday afternoon supporter and the holder of the record of number of Cricket Trips away attended. No Trip Away is complete without Pete!