ONE of the men behind the formation of the Merben South Cricket Club has been made a life member of the Sunraysia Cricket Association.
Bob Walder, whose meeting with the late Trevor Gebert at the Merbein pub after the two sides played in the final round of the 1976/77 season led to the merger of Walder’s Merbein and Gebert’s South Merbein to form the town’s cricket club that still plays today, was acknowledged at the SCA’s recent annual meeting.
Youngest brother Roger Walder said it was a deserved honour for one of Merbein cricket’s biggest stalwarts, who recorded 2149 runs in 117 games for the Merbein South Cricket Club as per the Merbein District Cricket Museum – plus many more for the Merbein Cricket Club beforehand.
“Bob was probably the best opener in the district in his day, his 20’s and 30s,” Roger Walder said.
“He was a very solid opening bat.”
But with 179 wickets to his name for Merbein South alone, Bob was also proficient with his off-spin bowling.
“He probably won as many trophies for his bowling as his batting,” Roger Walder said.
One half of a set of twins, with brother Jim, among the 12 children of George Godfrey Walder and Noreen Noonan, cricket was always a big part of life for the Walder family.
Back in his day Merbein had two under-16 teams, Wanderers and Ramblers, with the younger Walder boys split between the two.
Bob – a medium pacer in those days – and twin brother Jim even captained against each other in that period.
As an adult Bob represented the district at numerous Melbourne Country Weeks as well as playing for the Mallee against the Victorian Sheffield Shield team in 1963/64 and the touring West Indians in 1967/68.
He has a highest recorded score of 115, and best bowling figures of 7/57.
A life member of his club, and in their hall of fame, Bob made the Merbein cricket team of the decade for the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
He was also part of premiership sides at First XI level in 1961/62 and 1962/63 as well as a Second XI premiership in 1958/59.
Bob and his family’s contribution to cricket in Merbein is noted with the Merbein South Cricket Club’s honour board in their Chaffey Park clubrooms being named in the Walder family’s honour.
