Some stories write themselves. Dave Monaghan’s is one of them; fifteen seasons, 220 matches, 3,979 runs, and 315 wickets for Gordon District Cricket Club. Not bad for a bloke who just wanted to enjoy his cricket.
When we marked Dave’s 200th game in January 2025, we called him the World’s Greatest Fifth Grader, and the title fitted perfectly. Dave had spent the better part of a decade cheerfully declining promotion, turning up every week in the lower grades, taking wickets, scoring runs, and making everyone around him better. Then, with characteristic timing, he went and spent his final season in 4th grade, just to keep us guessing.