GIFTED CALLADINE CALLS TIME ON ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER [23/09/09 11:01:37]
The great (Sir) Donald Bradman needed just four runs when he strode to the crease for his final Test innings at the Oval in 1948 to achieve a batting average at the highest level of cricket of exactly 100. He got a duck and the crowd were silenced.
It was not exactly the same for Shaun Calladine as he opened the innings for the very last time against Exning at The Brow on Saturday 12th September but he too fell four runs short of a major milestone when he was dismissed for just a single to end on 4996 career runs for Abberton.
Both performed with great distinction for their respective sides and, interestingly, both chose to end their careers at the age of 40.
Chairman Simon Swinn writes this about the man who captained Abberton in the TCL First Division for the last two seasons and for several years was the batting mainstay of an ambitious side climbing up the league after a period of downturn:
There’s an old adage in sport which goes something like: "I wanted to finish playing while people are still asking why have you retired, rather than wait until someone asks why haven’t you retired?”.
There is no doubt that Shaun Calladine falls into the former category. His nine years at the club have yielded 5000 runs, including a double century, eight other centuries and 31 half centuries. His batting average has been in the high forties throughout his time at the club, a remarkable achievement over a period of nearly a decade.
His part-time bowling has been of an interesting nature at times, yet good enough to yield over 50 wickets for the club, including a career best 6-71 in his final game at The Brow.
Although suffering from back pains in his later years, Shaun also bagged over 50 catches for the club, developing into a fine slip fieldsman once his outfield days appeared over.
Never happier than when having a bat in his hand, he played the game with a smile on his face. On the occasions when he allowed the alcohol to flow freely after a game he was hugely entertaining.
His Shine on Sunshine Mountain rendition a couple of years ago will be remembered for a long time, along with the taking over of the microphone for his One Night, and One Night Only show, holding his own chat show with various members of the club. Shaun, don’t be a stranger, come and share a beer with your many friends at the club. SS
In an exclusive interview granted to the website, Shaun outlined the reasons for his retirement and commented on his time at The Brow:
"I always said I would retire at 40 and having fourteen injections into the bottom of my spine at the start of the season and the pain not subsiding as the season progressed, sadly it was time to call it a day.
I have had a very enjoyable time at ADCC making a lot of friends and also playig both with and against some very good players. John Gallant, my opening partner for the early years at the club holds good memories as John, with his vast experience, bought a level head to the side as we progressed through the leagues.
We had some good young players also in the team with the likes of Pikey and Jon Ward, but the player who really shone in putting ADCC up into Division One was Callum Appleyard. What he bought to the club was the final piece of the jigsaw to open the club's eyes in what we needed to do to move forward he was a good opening bowler who would skittle many of Div Three and Div Two sides out. He was also handy with the bat but unfortunately didn’t get to much of a knock on Saturdays as the top five would normally score the runs. I enjoyed playing cricket with Callum and he was one of the reasons I continued at the club for nine years.
I was very fortunate to play with Simon Swinn for a few seasons but the one regret was I would of loved to have batted with him in both of our primes. I think we would have had some great partnerships and I would have learned so much from a man who has scored so many runs for the club; his record speaks for itself.
The recant crop of players I captained in 2008 and 2009 in Div One were a good bunch with the likes of Gilray, Saville, Robb and Snell. I don’t think we really played to our full potential as a team possibly at times; if your look at some of the individuals we had on paper there was no reason why we couldn’t have won more games this year.
Moxy, a very close friend of mine for a number of years joined the club in 2008, this was a great signing for me and an ambition of mine accomplished as I had wanted to play cricket and bat with him for a long time. I wish him all the very best at the club for the future.
My only real sadness during my years at The Brow was, as ante post favourite for the event, losing in the first round of the 2009 Darts Knock Out to a no-hoper who was only filling in and had to throw righthanded because he had hurt his left wrist. Not my finest hour!
What do I do on Saturdays next year? Having been bought up in a coalmining town, going to cricket was our Saturdays and Sundays as my Grandad would be playing, Nana scoring, Mum doing the teas and Dad cutting the wicket whilst I played on the boundary with my mates trying to bat like Botham. I will miss everything that cricket has bought into my life, but with a young family with both of my boys being very sporty, my wife Maria deserving some loving attention, the odd round of golf and some fishing, my Saturdays will be full I’m sure.
Finally I would like to thank everyone who has made my family and I so welcome at the club. Barry Rudlin a very big thank you for all of your help over the years on and off the field. All the best ADCC for the future.
Shaun Calladine - Abberton career record
Batting
Matches 122, Innings 118, NO 12, Runs 4996, HS 214*, Average 47.13, 200s 1, 100s 31, 50s 9
Bowling
Overs 223.3, Maidens21, Runs 1047, Wickets 55, BB 6-71, Average19.03, 5wI1, Appeals 17,261
Fielding
Catches 51, Stumpings 1
Awards
1000 runs in a season: 2002, 2003
1st XI player of the year: 2002, 2003
1st XI batting award (highest average): 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
1st XI performance of the year: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008
Aggregate runs award (most runs): 2002, 2003
Six hit cup: 2002
The three faces of the recently retired Shaun Calladine. The Batsman: Pictured with his great pal Richard Moxon after the pair had guiided Abberton to victory in the 2008 PDQ Cup Final at the Castle Park. The Family Man: With his lovely, adoring wife Maria and sons Daniel (three) and Jamie (six) - Never mind the shirts boys! The Raconteur: Doesn' t he just love the microphone? - A heartwarming rendition of Sunshine Mountain from the 2007 Appelyard Deportation Party.
