Saturday, 26 February 2022

Gympie Cricket Legend Number 10 - RON BUCHHOLTZ

 

          Ron Buchholtz in full flight


It has taken me quite some time to finally write this article about "The Kumbia express" Ron Buchholtz a very respected Member of  Gympie, Wide Bay and QLD Cricket Communities who we sadly lost just prior to Christmas in 2018. 

A friend to many and a fierce competitor on the pitch Ron Buchholtz commanded respect whether you were a batsman facing his thunderbolts or playing in the many matches he adjudicated throughout the Wide Bay Zone. 

Ron achieved so much through his dedicated passion to cricket and his light still burns strongly among the people he inspired on that journey. He devoted himself to ensuring cricket was being played according to the Cricket Australia memorandum "The Spirit of Cricket" and the humble, hardworking, well respected former Police Officer was the perfect role model to motivate a change in culture. In 2018 just prior to his passing Ron was deservedly awarded the Cricket Australia National Community Official of the Year along with another award for the Queensland Cricket Community Umpire of the year. The former Wide Bay Cricket Co-ordinator, Wide Bay Selector, Umpires Co-ordinator, South QLD Cricket Delegate, QLD Country Cricket Delegate and Player Protection Officer certainly made a massive impact as a cricket administrator culminating in the highest honour bestowed upon a volunteer by Cricket Australia.

Unfortunately, despite possessing a God given gift that very few are physically granted 'Buch' probably never reached his full potential as a cricketer due to injury and work commitments. Unlike today where talented sportsman are supported financially and provided with the best sports medicine the dilemma 'Buch' faced back in the early 1980's was having to sacrifice his sporting ambitions to earn a wage to support his family. Undoubtedly if 'Buch' was starting his cricket career in the current era the talent he demonstrated would not have been ignored by Talent I.D Specialists and his chances of fulfilling his cricket ambitions would have increased 10 fold.

Despite his injury setbacks 'Buch' was a terrifying proposition to face for any batsman, a sling bowler who caused you to sight the ball very late, generating genuine speed and steepling bounce off a length. The first encounter I had with the former Toowoomba Grammar 1st X1 Captain and Brisbane University 1st grader cap number 447 was in my Gympie A-Grade debut. Having arrived at the wicket to open the batting I was immediately told by my senior partner that I could face the first ball - go figure. Prior to taking strike I remember being amused at how far back the Wests wicket-keeper was standing, some 30 metres or so, with my thought process immediately coming to the conclusion that this bloke must have been a crap keeper. After taking guard the thickset bowler sporting a mow and short cropped jet black hair ambled through his surprisingly short run up then hit his gather, I searched for the ball which I manged to sight a foot to the right of my head as it whistled past my right ear and through to the keeper. Seriously you could hear the ball making a whistling sound as it cut through the atmosphere. It was the quickest bowling I have ever faced up to that time and ever since. The next three balls ended with the same outcome I was seriously lucky they were not directed at my body as I was picking the ball up so late. An indication of how quick 'Buch' was bowling could be judged from my first scoring shot as I stabbed at a lifting delivery just outside off stump, it caught a thick edge and flew over gully to deep 3rd man hitting the boundary fence near the canteen end of the Albert Park grandstand on the full. Thinking about it now sends shivers up your spine, what if that was my head? Fortunately thoughts like that never entered your head as an 18 year old, but I will never forget the pace he generated that day and how my hands were still shaking when we hit the bowls club at the lunch break for alcoholic refreshments or were they sedatives?

Interestingly former Gympie Valleys wicket-keeper batsman Dominic Ovenden who payed 2nd X1 for Queensland and was the recipient of the Peter Burge Medal the highest honour for a Brisbane 1st Grade Cricketer, indicated that the quickest bowler he faced during his cricket career was Ron Buchholtz. Considering Dom faced all the top QLD 1st Class paceman during his first grade career highlights the natural ability and potential 'Buch' possessed. That potential won him selection in the QLD under 19 team in 1978 and his first 2 balls against Victorian u19 resulted in him claiming the wickets of former Victorian 1st class opener Gary Watts and former test legend Dean Jones, 2 for 0 you little beauty. Following that achievement Ron featured in University's 1st Grade team in the late 70's under the Captaincy of Keppler Wessels. After leaving Brisbane following his posting to Gympie as a policeman the highest representative honour 'Buch' achieved with QLD Country Cricket was selection in the SQ Open team and he performed admirably against our northern rivals in these fixtures.

Fittingly 'Buch' retired from cricket as a winner after a devastating spell of fast bowling on a damp wicket of 7 for 11 blasted defending Premiers and Minor Premiers Harlequins out for an embarrassing total of 29 breaking Harlequins 2 year undefeated run of matches.

Ron 'Buch' Buchholtz is a welcome addition to the Legends of Gympie Cricket. We all miss you mate.      

Miscellaneous Matches played by Ronald Buchholz (4)

Note that the only matches included in this list are those for which CricketArchive has a scorecard on its database

12th November 1983Other matches in Australia 1983/84 North Queensland v South QueenslandKalka Shades, Rockhamptonmisc5528
13th November 1983Other matches in Australia 1983/84 North Queensland v South QueenslandKalka Shades, Rockhamptonmisc5529
24th November 1984Other matches in Australia 1984/85 North Queensland v South QueenslandAssociation Ground, Rockhamptonmisc5242
25th November 1984Other matches in Australia 1984/85 North Queensland v South QueenslandAssociation Ground, Rockhamptonmisc5244

 

                  

    

        

 

                               

Gympie Cricket Legend Number 10 - RON BUCHHOLTZ

              Ron Buchholtz in full flight It has taken me quite some time to finally write this article about "The Kumbia express"...