THERE is a tradition in cricket whereby players raise their bat to acknowledge hitting a century, the same should be done by St Andrew’s veteran, Craig Dimond, as he enters the field of play at Clem Young Oval for his 500th game for his beloved club today.

It has taken 37 years to reach the milestone after he debuted for the Drews back in 1987 against Tahara, where he top-scored at number five with 37 and took 1-45 as a tear away quick.

The fast bowling has long since disappeared, but his batting is still just as prolific with 11618 runs (leading scorer for the club) with nine tons (highest score of 163), and 447 wickets with a best return of 7-21.

He has played in an amazing 33 grand finals and celebrated 18 premierships across his career with St Andrew’s, but has also played for Cavendish and College which only adds further to his total games tally.

“It’s just another game of cricket, but it’s taken a long time to get here,” Dimond said.

“The club means so much to me, as it’s been my home for 37 years, but I loved seeing the development of our facilities over that journey and with the new nets being built next year, we will have facilities equal to or better than most clubs.

“I really love the game and if I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t play, obviously I have my opinions on the game both locally and at the international level.

“I still enjoy playing and watching new players come to the club and juniors reaching their potential.”

When quizzed on who are the best players he has played with, Dimond had to dig deep into the memory banks.

“Brendan Huf and Dale Templeton are people who feature highly, but in terms of longevity and putting the club first, I cannot go past Grame Byrne who inspired me throughout my career with how much he gave back to the club,” he said.

“Rob McFarlane from College (ex-Sheffield Shield opening batsman for Western Australia) was a class above and Greg ‘Stick’ Annett was scary with his pace.”

Amazingly Dimond never played cricket as a junior, as he came to the game late after being talked into playing from indoor cricket.

Highlights for the veteran include playing cricket with his son, Troy, and all the grand finals, plus seeing the enjoyment that others have gained from playing for the club.

“Without my family I couldn’t have played the game in the first place, and I’m really thankful for everything they have supported me with over the journey,” he said.