Superstar: Dave Shaw, (front, second left), leading the Old Students side during the 1970s.
When you hear the name Dave Shaw in Shepparton cricket circles, you think of the hard-nosed captain who lifted Old Students Cricket Club to four premierships in six years during the 1970s.
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That feat — among others — has helped Shaw be honoured as part of a 30-person shortlist for the Cricket Shepparton Team of the Century.
Shaw started playing cricket during the 1950s and it was through his school Haileybury College in Melbourne that he developed his craft with bat and ball.
As he likes to say, “Oh, I think those who saw me said you are a decent player” and according to a former Haileybury teacher he is considered a cricket legend.
In his final year of school, Shaw joined an exclusive club where he made 1000 runs and took 100 wickets for the first grade.
“I started playing at my school and, through playing, I was able to teach myself about building an innings and bowling line and length, which helped me in my final year,” Shaw said.
Shaw broke a record or two in his final year of schooling, where he made a double hundred at age 17 and holds the highest single run partnership with fellow batter Anthony Kellock of 343 runs against Ivanhoe Grammar in 1955.
Haileybury College still recognises the partnership today through the awarding of the DC Shaw and AW Kellock Trophy for the Best Inter-School Cricket Partnership of each season.
The closest partnership since is 293 runs by Ben Logan and Anthony Rode in 1996.
“I remember, we lasted quite a while and just kept batting. Thinking about it now, I think everything just clicked that day,” Shaw said.
Once he finished school in 1955, offers came to play district cricket, but like many during this era, work came calling, so Shaw was off to Shepparton to try his hand on a farm.
“Well, I finished school and so I moved to Shepparton to work on a farm, I remember Melbourne Cricket Club made an offer, but I declined it due to wanting to work,” he said.
Shaw explains how he made it to Old Students.
“I was working on the farm and a guy named Norm McCarthur came on a motorbike,” he said.
“I can't remember if he knew about my school record, but he just said ‘I hear you can play. Do you want to play for Old Students?’ As they say, the rest is history.”
Shaw started playing at Old Students around the time of the Melbourne Olympics of 1956 and was captain of the club in the coming years.
About go time: Dave Shaw (left with bat) waiting to bat with partner Norm McCarthur for Old Students in 1962.
It is where Old Students, during the ’70s were unstoppable with Shaw in charge, winning four premierships in six years.
“We were a perfect outfit, I think it was because we all got along, but we trained hard and could bat all the way down,” he said.
But Shaw didn't leave it all up to his teammates.
He also would contribute with bat and ball, winning various bowling and batting awards, including a gallant 118 not out in a losing grand final and multiple five-wicket hauls.
“I remember making a century in a losing grand final, which I was shattered about because we couldn't get it done, but that is what I cherish with my career with making a hundred and taking wickets,” Shaw said.
Shaw also featured in multiple country week games and tour matches for a country XI, were he was lucky enough to take five wickets against a touring English XI which included the wicket of English Test batsman Ray Illingworth.
Getting ready for the day: Dave Shaw alongside his Old Students teammates in 1962
Now living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Shaw was made a life member of the Shepparton Cricket Association and Old Students in 2004 and was honoured with his name on the overall best-on medal for each year which is voted by the players and is a highly-cherished medal for all players across the Shepparton competition.
Shaw is excited, but humble about making the shortlist for the Team of the Century.
“There were so many cricketers in my era for all the clubs who were amazing and so to be part of the list it is amazing,” he said.
