The club’s D-grade captain, and father of four cricketing boys, called on his four sons to make up the numbers due to a shortage of players for the team’s game against Echuca.
“Numbers were very low and as a club we didn’t want to forfeit so decided to give some young kids a go,“ Squiz said.
With the support of wife Brooke the entire family was on hand at the Echuca Primary School oval for Saturday’s lunch-time contest.
Sport is nothing new to the family, all of the boys are high achieving Little Aths participants and are also involved in football.
“Tarkyn, Cruz and Levi play football, but Keplar has swapped playing for boundary umpiring, to stay involved,” Squiz said.
As a result the of Saturday’s player shortage the cricketing Cleveland family can now claim to a club record by having five members of the same family playing in the one team.
With Squiz being captain of the team, selection was always going to be a non-issue and with several club players on a football pre-season camp at Heathcote the youngsters were more than welcome additions to the playing stocks.
Saturday didn’t let anyone down as far as unforgettable days go, but probably not for the reason the Cleveland family would have liked.
Between the five of them they managed just one run from the 19 balls they faced. It was a very tough afternoon, but as Squiz explained there were seven players in the team under 15 years of age.
His sons - 16-year-old Keplar who he has regularly played with during the season, 12-year-old Tarkyn and Cruz, and nine-year-old Levi, were all part of the team that set Echuca a target of 40 for victory.
Echuca scored the runs in just 10.4 overs, without losing a wicket, but the day will remain in the memory of Cleveland senior for some time to come.
Keplar has plenty of ability when it comes to wielding the willow, in one game this season he scored 36 from just 34 deliveries and that innings included five sixes.
The pair opened the batting together early in the season, two contrasting styles as Keplar’s father carefully compiled 29 from 54 balls.
Keplar plays with Fire Brigade’s under-16 team on Friday nights and then with D-grade with his father on Saturdays.
Levi is a star for the unbeaten Fire Brigade under-11 team.
Also in the team on Saturday were the sons of a long time teammate of Squiz, Brett Andison.
“I have played many years with Brett, so it was fun to have his two boys (Oscar and Archie ) playing in the game,” he said.
