THE Hamilton Cricket Club will toast veteran, Anthony Read, over the course of the next two weekends in recognition of the 300 senior games that Read has worn the royal blue for his beloved club.

Starting his senior career with Hamilton when he was playing in the Under-14s, he had a season in the B grade before being promoted to A grade when he was in Under-16s.

All players have goals that they set themselves when they first pick up a bat and ball and Read is no different.

“I’ve achieved everything I ever have to achieve through my two daughters (Ruby and Rosie), who are right behind me when I play, as they don’t want me to retire,” he said.

“I wouldn’t have played cricket if it wasn’t for my Dad, and all my memories of the game revolve around him and all he did for me.”

Early on, moved to Adelaide and played a season of Sub-district cricket, but the pull of home was strong, and he returned to Hamilton to live and work, which led to him playing for St Andrew’s across four summers where he played a further 48 games before returning to Hamilton.

Read has shown over his career he can be a dominant all-rounder, able to turn his hand to both batting and bowling with match winning performances in either skill set.

When you think of top line bowlers over the last three decades in the HDCA, his name is right at the very top of the list as a champion leg-spinner who has bamboozled the opposition batsmen.

Not only has he mastered the toughest skill in cricket, but he’s batted in every position in the order over the course of his career, with a highest ever score of 72.

He is more than capable of coming off the long run with the new ball too, where he is the fastest bowler in the competition still - just ask the Horsham Over-40s team that was confronted by his five-wicket haul last summer bowling pace.

Having played for so long, Read was reticent to name the best players he has played with and against, but when pushed he named some great names of the HDCA,

“Robbie Cook, Mark “Sooty” McLean, Chris Annett, and Greg “Stick” Annett were brilliant players and even better blokes,” Read said.

“The two H’s; Hamish Bailey and Heinrich Joyce were the best two players that I played against, and I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I got them out.”

Read is now mentoring the next generation of A grade players who will be charged with carrying the Blues forward to success over the next decade.

Thoughts of retirement are on the edges, but he will keep playing for as long as he can as he still loves suiting up each weekend.