Farmers v Graziers in Colombo decider

What started out as just a catch-up for school mates, the Colombo Creek Classic cricket game quickly turned serious – well sort of – with the day becoming an annual charity event.

Initially held on the Whitehead family property, “Colombo Creek”, near Jerilderie, the charity cricket match, now in its fifth year, will be held next year for the second time in the Victorian central western district town of Buangor, just outside Ararat.

The friendly – albeit highly competitive – match is fought out between a Graziers XI and a Farmers XI, with – it might be argued – players representing both the best and worst that country cricket has to offer.

Although all of the players hail originally from country areas, most now work in the city, and founder of the event, Hugh Whitehead – who is also the Farmers’ captain – said it was a way for everybody to return, if briefly, to their farming roots.

Mr Whitehead said players were divided into the respective teams, based on personal backgrounds, and often personalities.

The Farmers’ XI was made up of those people who tended to grow whatever brought in the cash and could be found wearing Blundstone boots and terry-towelling hats and were more likely to travel overseas.

Conversely, Graziers’ XI players were thought to be more conservative.

They tended to inhabit the Western District, support Merino sheep and the monarchy, while wearing R.M.Williams boots and turning up their collars.

“These are strict criteria which determine which team players line up for,” Mr Whitehead says.

The teams are even serious enough to don their own caps: the Farmers, toilers and ploughers of the land, favour the green and gold, while the Graziers, hardworking gentry that they are, deport themselves in deep shades of blue.

With three of his players to fly in from interstate, Mr Whitehead said for next year’s game in February the Farmers would stick to a “tried and tested regime of nil training” and instead concentrate on “being opportunistic, and making money”.

This somewhat casual approach does not exclude a little “friendly” sledging, with Mr Whitehead saying he believes the Graziers team is inherently unstable, having had “three captains in five years”.

However, the latest captain of the Graziers, Tom Butler, who hails from Ararat, undeterred by such barbs, suggests he might adopt a more radical approach than his predecessors, including perhaps “putting a man under the helmet at silly-point”.

Mr Butler said the Farmers’ “lucky run” – they have won the last two matches – would undoubtedly come to an end in 2011.

“What really cost us last year was that two of our best players were at the AC/DC concert, and if it had been The Seekers in town I’m sure it would have been the Farmers who were down a few players,” he said.

Still, for all these seething undercurrents, it’s hardly a case of winners take all – rather more about raising money for worthy rural charities.

“At the end of the day, it’s all for charity and the rivalry helps everyone get involved and tends to draw a bigger crowd,” Mr Butler said.

Since its inception, the match has raised more than $60,000 for rural charities, with a record $26,000 raised from the 2010 event alone.

With almost everybody in the bush being able to name somebody who has used its services, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) benefited from this year’s match, as it will from the 2011 game.

Meanwhile, both captains said that with the scoreboard even at two games each, the result of the upcoming game would be strong at least on bragging rights for the following year.

After the match, the players will ditch cricket whites and don dinner suits – and the ladies, their ball gowns – for the Colombo Creek Classic Ball and a charity auction that evening.

Funds are raised through sponsorships, raffles and ticket sales.

Visit www.colombocreekclassic.com to make a donation or for sponsorship details.