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He describes himself as the modern-day Bill Lawry – a staunch left-handed opening batsman, patiently wearing down opposition bowling attacks before helping himself to a run feast.
It’s the method Andrew Fitz has employed in a near three-decade stint with Trevallyn in Tasmania’s north – a career which has included almost 500 appearances for the club.
“I’m not really a strokemaker at the top of the order, more of a pusher and a prodder,” Fitz said.
“I’ve always opened with aggressive opening batsmen, so I’ve tried to rotate the strike for them, let them do their thing.
“I’d try and wear the bowlers down and they’d start bowling a bit of crap to me hopefully.”
In October, that philosophy led to Fitz breaking the club’s long-standing runs record previously held by Peter Walker, who compiled 10,714.
Up against Evandale Panthers, the 53-year-old went out to bat needing 14 to claim the record. Yet after scampering to 13 and drawing level with Walker’s mark, Fitz’s innings almost derailed.
“Old mate threw one out wide and I had a crack at it, I got an edge and it flew to third slip,” Fitz said.
“He got a hand to it, it would’ve been a pretty good catch. I heard all the boys in the changeroom laughing and cheering and carrying on, I think they were hoping he might have caught it so it went on for one more week, but luckily he dropped it and I got it next ball.
“I got out the ball after that. I got a bit emotional, it was a pretty big thing breaking the nearly 100-year club record.”
Fitz’s lengthy cricketing career began as a 10-year-old with Mowbray. And he wasn’t always a Lawry-esque statue atop the batting order.
Long before scoring his first run for Trevallyn Fitz was more in the Richie Benaud mould, excelling as a leg-spin bowler.
“I played in a few [state] carnivals as a kid, under-15s and under-17s, I was almost on the under-19s squad but buggered my shoulder,” Fitz said.
“I never really bowled again after that because I couldn’t really get my arm over properly. I turned myself into a slips fieldsman, learned how to catch pretty well and that’s pretty much what I’ve done for the rest of my career.”
Fitz left Mowbray for Riverside in 1991, before ultimately landing at Trevallyn in 1996-97 where he is now a life member.
And the milestone man isn’t done etching his name into the club’s history books.
Two significant marks loom large on Fitz’s short-to-medium-term horizon. He wants to reach 500 matches for Trevallyn, likely one for next season, but not before reaching the 11,000 run barrier.
And Fitz is also eyeing off further premiership success – the veteran is desperately keen to continue building on a tally already sitting at nine – should his body continue to hold up.
“I used to do a lot of warming up, these days I can’t really do that, because I wouldn’t be able to play,” Fitz said.
“I just do a couple of catches now. I used to have a lot of throwdowns before I batted, now I don’t bother with it, I just reckon it’s a waste of time anywhere, they’re not going to bowl underarm full tosses at you when you’re out in the middle.
“I love the camaraderie of the cricket club, they’re a great club, a lot of really good mates are there that have been there pretty much from the start. While I’m enjoying it I’ll keep playing and hopefully notch up a couple more premierships along the way.
“You never forget them. Sometimes you’re a bit hazy after them but you certainly never forget playing in premierships with good mates.”