Meeting the Gabba grounds manager

Premasara EPASINGHE

CRICKET: Brisbane Cricket Ground, Gabba and Kevin Mitchell are synonymous - inseparable. He is the Grounds Manager/Curator at Gabba, popularly known as the "Best Little Ground in the World". It is closely linked with Kevin and their family tree.

His beloved father, served as the groundsman in the 1980's. Presently, Kevin's son too is serving at Gabba, as a groundsman assistant, therefore, it is all a family affair.

Taking the above facts into consideration, I presume, Mitchell's have created a world record in the History of Cricket by being groundsman running for three long generations.

I do not think, that anywhere in the world, father, son and grandson combination served in the capacity of groundsman in any International Ground or for that matter, in any cricket ground.

Gabba has its unabbreviated title derived from Woolloongabba. Regarding the derivation of the word Woolloongabba, some historians are of the opinion, the name stems from Aboriginal word "Woollen" meaning "Fight Talk" and "Gabba - A Place".

Major Rugby League matches were played in this ground during the early years of the Second World War, Soccer and Baseball were also played.

I still remember, during our University days as undergraduates how we were glued to the Radio Commentators relayed from Gabba in 1960's on the First Tied Test in the history of cricket, between Australia and West India. Australia was led by Ritchie Benaud and West Indies by late Sir Frank Worrel.

Some other noteworthy incidents that comes to my mind woven round Gabba, were Doug Walters 155 against England in 1965, Sri Richard Hadlee's 9 for 52 and Match Bag of 15 for 123 in 1985, Courtney Walsh's hat-trick over two innings for the West Indies in the 1988 Test, Kepler Wessells 162 in his first Test, Rod Marsh's six catches in an innings and Geoff Lawson's match figures of 11 for 134. Then, in Limited Over Internationals at Gabba, Dean Jones made a stylish 145 against England in 1991.

If my memory serves right, Allan Border, out of 69 first class centuries he made, 16 of them were scored at Gabba.

On a sun kissed morning 4th April 2006, I met Kevin Mitchell at the Brisbane Cricket Grounds by prior appointment.

This meeting was arranged by my good friend Asoka Devasirie, a distinguished old boy of Mahinda College, Galle, an Accountant presently a consultant in the field of finance and accountancy, who is domiciled with his family in Brisbane.

His beloved daughter, a teacher by profession, Mrs. Vathsala Rajapakse (wife of Bimal Rajapakse an old boy of D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo, a cost accountant and a keen student and enthusiast of cricket) drove me to Gabba.

I am really thankful and grateful to them. If not for them, I would not have penned these lines exclusively to Daily News.

"Gabba is here for more than 100 years. Played many sports in it. During this period pony racing, soccer, rugby football and cricket has been played here for the last fifteen years. Gabba underwent fairly big re-development programmes in recent times. Today, in this picturesque ground seating capacity has increased from 20,000 to 40,000.

We held some Sydney Olympic soccer matches here.

The Test cricket was played at this venue from the 1940's. "Thus, he began tracing the history of Gabba Brisbane Cricket Ground.

"I played little school cricket, but, never played big cricket. My father was the head groundsman here, in the 1980's. I started working under my dad. My association with Gabba is about two decades", stated Kevin Mitchell.

How long will you take to prepare a wicket for a Test match"?

"Probably after the soccer season, we have to work for a couple of months. Finally in preparing a Test wicket it takes about 10 days", said Kevin Mitchell".

How many wickets are there in Gabba"?

"Seven wickets".

When I questioned about the Sri Lanka side, he rated Sri Lanka as a very competitive side. He is under the opinion that they are in the re-building stage.

"Your batting is good. I think your quickies have to improve stated Kevin Mitchell.

His beloved father worked as Gabba in 1950's at the groundsman. Kevin Mitchell has now served over two decades as the groundsman and manager. His son is also working as one of his assistants in maintaining the grounds.

The square of Gabba is 169 m by 148 m. Kevin Mitchell stated that during the time football is played, it is really a worrying time for him.

Tracing the history of Gabba, if my memory serves right, lot of unexpected things have happened under the blue sky over Gabba. 1950-1951 Ashes Test, the finest Gabba tied the end of the Test.

"Three Bradman Ducks and end of the road for Australian paceman" Ian MeCkiff's career for throwing, Kim Hughe's 283, his resignation, all that happened at Gabba.

Further Gabba has seen Eddie Paynters courage's return from the hospital bed in 1933 to win a cricket Test.

Gabba would have been the only cricket ground in the world where a Mayor of a city served as a curator in 1975.

Clemjones performed the duties as the curator of Gabba, Brisbane ground and as Lord Major of Brisbane.

"Can you name some of the great cricketers who played on this ground that you can remember"?

"Peter Burge, Doug Walters (century on debut at Gabba), Vivian Richard, Wesley Hall, Ian and Greg Chappell. Alan Border, Jeff Thomson, Stuart Law, Craig McDormett, Carl Reckermann, Kasporavich, Andy Bickle, Mathew Hayden, Ian Healy are some of the names that come to my mind out of many", stated Kevin Mitchell.

In 1960, Ray Lindwall captained Queensland. Among the greats who represented Queensland were Bill Brown an elegant captain and Don Tallon one of the Greatest Australian wicket keepers.

"What is the most memorable match that you have witnessed at Gabba and some of the best innings that you have seen."

"From my point of view, the most important one was the Sheffield Shield final between Queensland and South Australia. We have been in the competition for 66 years and never won a final. So, beating South Australia and winning the competition was really a memorable one".

"Then, the West Indies-Australia ODI, I will never forget the centuries scored by Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Mark Waugh, Stuart Law," stated Kevin Mitchell.