The travelling scorer is happy in the Valley
Paul Ryan | June 03, 2023
When an elite sportsperson retires from their sport they’ll often say, “One of the things I’m most grateful for is that I got to travel the world and visit places I may not have otherwise been able to do. “
Would you consider a cricket scorer an elite athlete? Probably not but in the case of Pat Culpan, he scored cricket games at the elite level and travelled all over the world doing so.
Pat Culpan is the Executive Chairman and Life Member of Valley Cricket Club and has been the first-grade scorer for 23 years seasons. Pat started with Valley in 2000-01 and as a scorer and volunteer the game that has taken him all over the world.
Kiwi-born in 1963, Pat openly acknowledges that his cricketing skills were average and after a head injury at the age of 14 he had to stop playing the game he loved and rather than sit around moping he picked up a pen and started scoring for the school in Gisborne.
In 1983 at the age of 20, Pat made the move from Gisborne to Auckland and immediately got involved with a grade cricket, not as a player but as a scorer.
He scored his first game at the famous Eden Park in 1984 and made his International Debut in the 1986 Test match at Eden Park when New Zealand played West Indies.
Gordon Greenidge 213 - Wagon Wheel as scored by Pat
“I was heavily involved with the Auckland Umpires & Scorers Association for several years, and I think it helped me when New Zealand Cricket called for nominations for a scorer for NZ tour to Sharjah for the 6 nation’s tournament and subsequent tours to England and Ireland in April 1990.”
At the age of 27, Pat was heading off on his first international cricket tour.
Who would have thought the scorer for NZ could land themselves in trouble on the first day of the tour.
“John Wright was the captain, the touring squad included Martin Crowe, Mark Greatbatch, John Bracewell, Ian Smith, Danny Morrison and the skipper called a team meeting.”
“I was only the scorer, why would I be invited so I headed back to my room?”
“Soon after there was a knock at the door and a rather imposing Greatbatch suggested I get my butt downstairs where on arrival I was greeted with a bollocking from the captain. I was considered part of the team!!”
One of the many highlights of Pat’s first tour was being in the dressing room when it was announced Richard Hadlee would be receiving a knighthood from her majesty, Queen Elizabeth. Pat also scored Sir Richard final test at Edgbaston.
After the last test of the series and thinking it might be an opportune time for some sightseeing Pat jumped in one of the sponsor’s car and headed north to Scotland.
He didn’t get far as a call came through from Tim Lamb, secretary of the Test and County Cricket Board to see if he’d be interested in scoring for the touring Sri Lankan team captained by Arivinder de Silva.
For the next two years, Pat’s bar and accounting work complemented his scoring and involvement with West Hampstead cricket Club in the Middlesex League. Pat’s England visa expired in October 1992, time for a new journey.
Pat found himself trekking in Nairobi Kenya where early one morning he stumbled across a game of cricket about to be played between Kenya and Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe was on the way home from a tour of India and their team included the Flower brothers, Dave Houghton and Eddo Brandes.
As he walked into the ground he was spotted by John Hampshire the former First-Class player and Umpire from England and ended up scoring the game. At an after-match function, I was asked if I was attending the ICC 20 nation qualifying tournament in early 1994.
“I thought as may as well stick around and became the chief scorer and results coordinator and official scorer for Bermuda.”
After the tournament, Pat worked for UNICEF doing flight co-ordination and logistics based in Lokichoggio on the Kenya/Sudan border.
Sudan was ravaged with civil war and famine. He’d witness things that still make him angry and at the time remembers thinking “it’s time to move on”
After a little break on the Greek islands, Pat returned to Gisborne in October 1994 before he made the trek across the ditch to visit his brother in Toowoomba for Christmas.
On arrival, he thought it might be a good idea to get some work and help pay for the trip and immediately secured employment with Queensland Health. That was 28 years ago and Pat is still working for Queensland Health as Manager, Data Analytics in the Finance Branch.
Even though the job was in Brisbane he’d travel home to Toowoomba every Friday during the cricket season as he was the scorer for the University Cricket team.
After 2 seasons Pat and his then-wife moved to Brisbane and he started scoring for the new Premier Grade side Beenleigh/Logan.
There’d been a lot going on in Pat’s life and he found himself becoming disillusioned with the game he loved. He wasn’t happy and was about to give it all away at the end of the 1999/2000 season.
“It was the last game of the season, and we were playing Valley and I mentioned to the Valley scorer I was going to give the game away. At lunchtime, I was approached by the Valley captain & coach, and they asked me if I was interested in joining, Valley, the rest, as they say, is history.”
“I love the club; 23 straight seasons and I was honoured the 1st Grade team in 2019-20 gave me a special presentation for 250 consecutive two day 1st Grade premiership games. If 1st Grade has missed the semi-finals, I’ve always scored for one of the lower grade teams.”
Pat also now scores for the Valley Women’s first grade team on Sunday’s when the men’s team aren’t playing. His latest count is 478 games scoring for Valley District Cricket Club men’s and women’s cricket teams.
Pat Culpan, loves scoring and contributing to the game he loves. He’s travelled to over 100 different countries and whilst not every trip was cricket related, he’s very grateful to the game as he's also has travelled to parts of the world he may not have otherwise.
