By DAVID NAGEL
NOT even in their wildest dreams could the Porter family of Officer imagine a day like this.
When Jayne Porter sent her husband Geoff, and two children Lachlan 19, and Callum 15, off to play cricket on Saturday, little did she realise that her boys were about to take Round 5 of the West Gippsland Cricket Association by storm.
In a remarkable turn of events, both Lachie (101) and Callum (111) made their first ever centuries -spaced just an hour apart and in different games – all this following dad Geoff, who made his maiden voyage into three figures in March this year.
With Geoff and Callum playing F Grade together at Beaconhills College in Pakenham, and Lachie strutting his stuff in Officer’s E Grade side at Starling Road, Saturday became a logistical nightmare for the Porters.
Thank heavens for technology.
“Geoff and I were texting each other all afternoon,” Jayne said.
“I turned up at Officer to bring afternoon tea and Lachie was in the 40s so I thought I’ll just hang around and see if he can make 50.
“We couldn’t believe it, to have your only two boys make centuries on the same day, that’s pretty unbelievable. We’re just so pleased for the both of them.”
Geoff agreed with Jayne that the whole experience was quite surreal.
“I was there to watch all of Callum’s innings and I was a pretty proud dad to be honest,” he said.
“A couple of my team mates actually asked if I needed a tissue to wipe the tears away.
“It’s great for the boys, but now they’re saying I’m the worst cricketer in the house because I made my first 100 when I was 45, not 15 and 19.”
Callum’s century was made all the more the remarkable, and more memorable, as he shared a staggering 271-run opening stand with his good friend, fellow 15-year-old, Kyle Van Raay (130 not out), against Pakenham Upper/Toomuc.
The talented all-round sportsman, who trained with Gippsland Power’s development squad at Garfield on Monday night, said to share the experience with family and friends made it all the more special.
“It was an awesome experience, pretty freaky really, first to be out there with Kyle and see him get a hundred, then to get mine, and then to find out Lachie made one as well… it was pretty cool,” Callum said.
“I was really happy for Kyle, but what it did was make me focus a bit more and try a bit harder to get mine. When I got back to the club and people started congratulating me, that’s when I realised it wasn’t a dream and I’d actually done something pretty cool. Mum and dad were shocked I think, pretty happy, and everyone who plays cricket in the house has got a 100 now.”
Lachie has had a tough time of things over the last two years, first injuring his wrist, then suffering a serious shoulder and collarbone injury after a bone crunching football collision. He had pins and plates inserted, which were only removed two months ago, meaning his main strength, bowling, has taken a back seat to his batting.
“Grandad (Rob Porter) actually said ‘This will make you as a number four batsman’, and he was right because that’s where I scored my runs from on Saturday,” he said.
Lachie said his mum was keeping him updated on Callum’s progress throughout the day.
“Yeah, mum was letting me know what was happening,” he said.
“At tea, Callum was on 71 and I was on 48 and the next I heard he was on 106 and I was in the 70s. I thought, Dad’s made one, now Callum’s got one, I’ll have to make one too or I’ll be washing dishes for the rest of my life.”
Lachie said he was proud of his little brother’s achievement.
“I’m extremely proud of him, he’s an amazing athlete, I don’t think there’s anything he does that I’m not proud of,” he explained.
“I got home before him on Saturday, when he got home we both just looked at each other and sort of knew what we both wanted to say… I think we were both really proud of each other.”
And what of his mum’s claim that it was her special spaghetti bolognaise on Friday night that made all the difference to her two boys?
“Look, I don’t want to steal her thunder, because Callum had some, but I actually worked on Friday night and had a microwaved pie.”
