Watching Ricky Ponting play cricket is as much a part of a Launcestonian’s DNA as observing the Cataract Gorge in flood and his home town again grabbed the opportunity on a balmy night in Invermay.
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Within sight of where his career began, the Mowbray batsman prolonged it in front of an adoring crowd, many young enough to know him only as a BBL commentator.
Three years after a Tasmanian record cricket crowd of 17,771 watched his testimonial match, another five-figure attendance of 10,120 turned out for a second instalment of nostalgia, hero-worship and above all charity fund-raising.
The match saw Ponting’s North Melbourne outfit defeat Damien Fleming’s Hawthorn by three wickets but the result was always of secondary importance to the entertainment and a galaxy of football and cricket stars duly delivered.
Before the match, Luke Hodge demonstrated his trademark bravery by batting in thongs, umpire George Bailey offered Jarryd Roughead batting tips and Fleming gave fans an idea what they were in for by declaring his batting order on his favourite medium of Twitter.
Fleming’s Hawthorn team were almost as dynamic with bats as they are with footballs at their favourite venue.
Premiership stars Hodge (40 off 28 including a six off a hat-trick delivery), Jack Gunston (26 off 15) and Grant Birchall (31 off 17) all suggested footy’s gain was cricket’s loss while Fleming demonstrated he could add batology to his bowlology credentials before being shown the doorway to departure by a Peter Siddle run out.
Brent Harvey spilt a tough chance to claim Hodge’s wicket before the familiar combination of Glenn Archer and Leigh Colbert claimed Roughead, but the undoubted highlight of the innings was provided by Mick Martyn.
He may have been legendary for his toughness on a footy field but when it comes to bowling Martyn is right up there with John Howard, leaving umpire Tim Paine in danger of over-stretching from a glut of hilarious wides in his 17-ball over.
Two wickets in the final over to Anthony Stevens (3-11) saw Hawthorn all out for 173.
The North Melbourne innings was all about when the headline act would appear and he came in with his side in trouble at at 2-16, predictably to the biggest cheer of the evening.
Achieving his boyhood ambition of gracing an AFL venue in a North Melbourne shirt, Ponting strolled out sporting his ODI number 14.
However, Hawthorn had failed to read the script so when Alastair Clarkson, Gunston and Daniel Harford all took fine catches with Australia’s all-time leading run-scorer still in single figures, each was ruled out by the Tasmanian umpires with various degrees of dubiousness.
Clarkson soon learned his lesson and when another trademark Ponting pullshot came his way it was helpfully dropped over the boundary.
Ponting rarely looked like equalling the unbeaten 83 from his testimonial, but clearly savoured a return to the crease, especially in an 86-run partnership with his beloved team’s all-time appearance record holder Harvey (27).
And when the Mowbray man dispatched Devonport’s Birchall for four sixes in one over, Tasmanian sports fans found themselves torn between idols. Ponting’s innings ended on 62 (off 33) when a catch finally counted from Roughead at mid-on.
A Hawthorn victory looked inevitable with 10 needed off the last ball but when Siddle hit a maximum umpire Bailey indicated a no ball and bonus free hit which the paceman also sent over the rope to earn victory.
Ponting thanked the crowd for the $300,000 raised on the night, adding: “If I could have played my whole Test career in Launceston I think I’d still be playing.”
Hawthorn and North Melbourne will resume hostilities at the same venue with the more conventional footy on August 13.