Aussie Dave Ryan played for Hythe during the 2000 season for Hythe 2nd XI. Dave came over here on a working holiday and beccause we already had an overseas player it meant Dave could only play for the Second XI.

Dave took 48 wickets at an average of 8.9 and formed a deadly partnership with John Fidler. Dave also scored 369 runs from 14 innings at an average of 33.5. His best bowling figures were so he says 8-22 against Ellingham though I have it down as Ashurst.

He has always kept in touch wanting to know how the club and lads are doing so I thought I would ask him a few questions on his time playing for Hythe & Dibden

1. You came down from London with your wife - arrived at the hotel for the summer and four hours later was in the pre season nets.  Were you surprised to play a season of cricket whilst in England?
I was hoping to play some cricket in England somewhere and had made a few enquiries before heading over, but was never quite sure where we might end up.  It couldn't have worked out much better really.  I know the only reason we got the job was due to the cricket connection.  I remember Janelle won an award at Chilworth for going Above & Beyond the Call of Duty – which I claim was because she allowed me to play cricket.

2. How did you enjoy your summer playing with the club ?
Was that summer?  I thought summer involved warm days and sunshine. 

I had a great time.  It would have been better if I didn't have to get up so early Sunday mornings to work.  Being hung over and having to look at black pudding was not a pleasant experience, so my Saturday nights tended to involve a little less alcohol than they might have otherwise.  I also missed a lot of Sunday friendlies too, but I was lucky to get out of working most Saturdays, so I couldn't complain.

It was a good bunch of blokes, who enjoyed a laugh.  I'd recommend it to anyone.

3. Did it bother you to play in the second team on some pretty crap pitches?
Playing seconds was frustrating at times, but still enjoyable.  I always liked to pit myself against the best opposition I could and some sides weren't up to scratch – Ashurst and King Somborne to name a couple.  Also Hythe's fielding left a little to be desired.  I couldn't believe how many blokes constantly try and use their feet to stop the ball – sliding tackles should be left to the football field. Having said that, we had a few blokes over 40 who struggled to bend let alone run, so expecting them to chase balls to the boundary was probably asking a bit much.

Given the pitches were uncovered and the generally crap weather in England that year (from memory that year saw flooding in parts of the country), I think the pitches were alright.  Also, there were some games that went ahead that wouldn't have in Australia, which was good.

4. 14 innings 369 runs at an average of 33.5 with the bat - were you disappointed with this? Highest Score of 76
I think a few times I got out laughing at the bowler's action.

I should have made more runs.  Changing bat every week depending on what was available (ie who else was in or about to go in), was one of my excuses – but a pretty poor one. 

I started the year batting at about 8 or 9 and worked my way up to open, so perhaps if I'd been up the order earlier I might have made some more.  Actually having some scoring shots in my repertoire might have helped to.  It's one thing to pay no respect to the bowling, but it's something different to pay no respect to your own limitations, and mine include not having a mid-wicket hoik, a drive over cover for six, or various other shots I tried throughout the season.

5. What about the bowling 48 wickets at an average of 8.9. were you pleased with this.
In Oz what would you normally take in a season .
I was pretty happy with the number of wickets, though a few more might have got me in the Div 3 Combination West record books.  Most competitions I've played in in Australia have less games (with mostly two-day matches), so I haven't taken anywhere near that number of wickets before.

6. 8-22 your best figures over at that beautiful ground at Ashurst (kidding) can you remember the game was over at 4.30 so we rushed down to Hythe to watch the top of the table game against Cadnam and that game had finished as well with Hythe being out for 50.
Was that the best you bowled for us or were they crap.

I hate to correct you Crumble, but my 8 for 22 was against Ellingham.  I recall (from my diary), that we had them 5 for 25 early and then Billy took me off after 7 overs.  I was a bit disappointed thinking I might have a chance at all ten wickets.  I came back at the end and we eventually got them out in the last over.

Ashurst were crap.  They all played the same shot – a hoik to mid-wicket – and none of them played it well.  We got them all out for 25.  I got 7 for 12 that day, the same as what Gus Fraser's mate at Cadnam got against our firsts.  It was certainly an interesting ground with the road going through it only 20 metres from the wicket at one end. 

I think I bowled better in some other games.  Langley Manor I think was one where I recall being happy with how they came out even though I didn't get as many wickets.

7. You and John Fidler quite a combination do you think the side should have done better?
I referred to John as “Mean” Fiddler – not because he was angry, but because he gave away so few runs.  He just kept putting the ball in the right place making it hard to score – which is always the key no matter how fast you bowl.  In the game against Ellingham he took 1 for 11 off 10 overs.

I don't think the bowling was a problem.  Ewan Bell bowled well, yourself and Chalkie did well, plus some others chiming in like Tom Barge.  The batting was probably where we lost a few games.

8. At least you got a cup runners up medal with us - can you remember the final and do you think you were ever in with a chance.
I think we lost the final before we began.  Gus Fraser had left, and would have made a big difference, but also some of the players seemed to be defeated before they went onto the field, thinking we had no chance.  Also, we won the toss and fielded.  Crazy.  When you win the toss in a game that short its much better to bat first.  Whatever score you make, they have to get them, and that adds pressure.

We did alright considering they were from about seven divisions higher (and one division below County level if I recall correctly).  We dropped a couple of catches, which didn't help, and they ran between wickets much better than we did.  But it was still a great achievement and showed the club what it was capable of.

The semi-final against Calmore was a cracker.  That's one of the best naught not-outs I've ever scored.  Kev James caned about 12 off the first 5 balls of the last over and then we sprinted a single off the last ball to win.

9. What about now Digs have you played much cricket this year ?
I played a couple of years of cricket when I got back to Melbourne, but found myself bowling 3^rd or 4^th change (when sometimes the opening bowlers had got a second spell before me), batting last and spending a lot of time fielding and not much else.  Bowling for hours at training and then getting a bat last in the dark (if I was lucky enough to get a hit at all), was wearing thin, so I gave up.  I've started playing lawn bowls instead and managed to win my club's singles championship in my first season.  The best bit is, I can finally move the bowl both ways instead of just the in-swinger.

10. What we remember about Dave Ryan is on Tour when you bowled 19 overs and won us the game. After 11 Northy wanted to take you off and you said you weren't even warmed up yet and hadn't taken your jumper off. Remember that tour Digs - rained first day, the second day was called off as well but we found another fixture only for you to be on your way down to Canterbury.
The tour was great.  Pity the rain washed out a couple of games.  Janelle, Gus and Sam Fraser, and I went travelling and saw the Gillingham football team parading around on an open top bus after they'd won promotion. 

The one game I played was against Kent Police.  They were pissed off I bowled all the overs from one end, but they had agreed to unlimited overs, so they couldn't really complain.  I've always said that spinners get more wickets because they bowl more overs, and if I got 20 overs I'd take at least 3 wickets too.  Luckily Northy kept me on so I could prove it.

I once finished a game with the last wicket in my 30^th over.

11. What other memories do you have Digs of your time with us.

·      There were some interesting characters there then (and I imagine many are still there): Woody, Mike Bowman, Simon Dixon, Wrighty, Chalky, John Clarke, Northy, and of course yourself Chiv (has the nickname “Crumble” stuck?)

·      The Swan Lake style leap that Clarkey did trying to take a catch during the game in Kent was hilarious.

·      The jug was most memorable.  It was a bizarre concept really: having to buy a jug of beer because you did well.  It should be other people buying you drinks for doing well, or buying a jug if you did poorly (though there would have been a lot of us buying a lot of jugs).  But I did like that there was also a penalty for getting out just short of 50 – jug avoidance.

·      At the Hythe & Dibden fete Gus Fraser and I ran a “bowl at the stumps” competition.  One of the joint winners was a girl of about 12.  English cricket was struggling at that stage

·      The lack of training in English cricket was a new concept.  In Australia it's usually Tues & Thurs training and games on Sat, so I wasn't used to not training.  But the number of friendlies made up for it (if you got a bowl and didn't get out too quickly).  And the training we did before the season was done under some of the dodgiest conditions I've ever seen.  Rolled out pieces of carpet on a concrete floor.  There was a good chance of a ball flying off a length if something was under the carpet.

·      And one of the other big differences to cricket in Australia was the fact that only one ball was used for the whole game.  Normally it's better to bat first, but bowling first did mean that you got the new ball rather than a ball 40+ overs old.

·      Not that I was there at the time, but I did like the story of Nasser Hussain playing a game for the club and getting run out for a diamond duck.

·      I managed to get a wicket with the first ball in my first game (a cup match).  I nearly did the same at Milford in a cup match, but even though the ball hit the stumps, the bail didn't fall off.

·      We had a couple of games that we tried finishing early cos England was on TV during Euro 2000.  I remember in one game we went out to field while the game was on.  I think England was 2-0 up at the time.  When we came off they had lost 3-2 (to Portugal).

·      The tree on the ground at Mudeford was memorable.  I think it was about 30-40m from the wicket, and it was massive.  It was four runs if you hit it, no matter if it was on the full or had bounced first.  That probably cost Mudeford some runs cos there were a few shots heading for six.

·      Seeing Alan Mullaly out on the town the night of my farewell.  He signed the mini-cricket bat the club gave me.  He was one of the many Aussies that played for England around that time cos they couldn't get a game for Australia.

·      Throwing up after a late night kebab at some place Woody & Mike Bowman recommended.  It was then that I knew why Woody always had the vegetarian.

12. What players impressed you whilst you were with us and why (if any)
Kev James was a good player and it was a pity he wasn't playing with us in the regular season. Ewan Bell did pretty well with his leggies for a young, gangly bloke.  Whits could obviously play the game pretty well – bat, bowl, field – but don't tell him I said that.  Matt LeFroy was a handy bowler, Ben Kendrick could play and it was a pity he was only seen during the cup final, Richie Froggett had some good days, and despite looking awkward, Wrighty seemed to get amongst the runs a bit.

In the seconds, Kev Luke had the ability to make more runs than he did.  Woody was also a good bat when he put his mind to it.  And we could have done with a few more games from the Vicar of Dibden, John Alderman – he had a good eye (or some help from above).

There was a mate of Tom Barge's that played one friendly game with us, I think his name was Sharazi.  He was the England Under 15? captain at the time.  I remember thinking he had a solid defence, but not many shots.  I haven't heard of him since so I presume he didn't amount to much.

13. If you were unattached and 15 years younger would you have been our overseas player for the year.
I definitely have been keen to come back.  I don't think I was ever of the class of Gus or, the Sth African you had the next year.  My bowling was not really that penetrating – more containing.  And the same with my batting – I didn't take sides apart, I was defensive.  Because of that I probably wouldn't have had the impact of other imports at the higher level.  Solid, but not outstanding.  But let's be honest, that's not what young, single blokes head overseas for anyway.

14. How do you think the ashes will turn out next year.

The Ashes should be a good contest.  Hopefully there won't be any injuries to either side to detract from the games.  Australia is getting on in years, which might effect the fielding – Warne, McGrath, Langer, Martyn, Gillespie (if he plays).  Our middle order is a bit dodgy too – though Gillespie could be good to help there (how amazing was his 200!)

15. What up and coming Aussies should we look out for in the near future.

Mark Cosgrove is a good bat but has had weight problems – a bit like Darren Lehmann.  Dan Cullen is a good offie who will get a Test sooner or later.  Not sure about any others.  There was another bloke you didn't see during the last Ashes who can bowl pretty well – Stuart MacGill.  No idea why he didn't play some of the games in England, but there's a chance you might see him over here (probably at Sydney if no other game).