Balaam’s fine innings comes to a close on home turf
ALEXANDER Thomson Cricket Club was Noel Balaam’s life.
And it will be his place of rest when his ashes are spread across the ground of the GCA club this weekend.
Balaam died earlier this year, aged 90.
He was a passionate sporting person and had a long association with Alexander Thomson, where he was a life member, and South Barwon Football Netball Club.
Balaam’s widow, Roma, and son Andrew will walk through a guard of honour formed by the club’s players before the
GCA2 match against St Peter’s at Highton Reserve and scatter some of his ashes in front of the clubrooms.
Some will also be spread across the centre wicket following the round 5 game.
Alexander Thomson president Denis Syddall said it was a “privilege” for the club that Balaam had decided to make that his final resting place.
“Absolutely lovely man. Absolute gentleman,” Syddall said. “I’ve been at AT for 25 years now and you couldn’t meet a nicer man. AT through and through, he was.
“To be able to put on something like this for Noel and his family is so overwhelming.
“The family are absolutely wonderful people.”
Balaam started playing for what was then the Belmont Presbyterian club in 1957-58 at the age of 27 after moving from Melbourne a couple of years earlier. His final season was 1986-87.
He was a champion bowling all-rounder, taking 658 wickets, with the best figures of 9-39 against St James Presbyterian in 1966-67, and making 3779 runs, including 11 50s and one century, in 311 games.
He was also a founding member of the Geelong Cricket Club when it entered the Premier Cricket ranks almost 30 years ago, and was a long-serving member of the Geelong Churches Cricket Association executive.
Balaam was Alexander Thomson’s leading wickettaker until only a few years ago when Aaron Sarah claimed the record.
The club’s under-15 Balaam team is named in his honour.
“I bowled medium pace for a start but thought there was no point in this, so I became a slow bowler. You rely on fieldsmen then,” he said in 2014.
“Cricket’s a team game. This is what I tell the juniors, someone can make a lot of runs but they’ve always got to have someone up the other end.”