Mark Martindale is known throughout the Queensland Cricket Competition as one of the most intense and passionate captains. His wicketkeeper, Steven Brown, caught up with him to find out what makes a great player tick.
As I crouch down at the end of a synthetic pitch in the sweltering midday sun, I look up to what every opposition batsman in our competition must dread when they take to the crease: Mark Martindale turning at the end of his run-up and charging in.
The top batsmen know as well as anybody that Mark is the leading wicket-taker for the season and for good reason: he swings it in and he swings it late.
Mark hits the crease and hurls the ball down the pitch, angling towards slips. I begin to shift my weight in that direction whilst the batsman does likewise. And then just before the ball pitches, it swings in about half a foot – between bat and pad and dismantles the stumps.
Once again I am glad those three sticks were there – because I was never going to stop that one. The batsman and I were both deceived by the late swing – except he is out and the Wynnum Baptist Cricket Team is back on top.
After the game is over and Mark has had time to digest his thoughts, I sit down with him to find out more about how he came to be involved with the great game.
“I first took an interest in cricket when I was living in NZ in the early 80s,” he says.
“Just backyard cricket sort of stuff with my next door neighbour.”
He joined his first cricket team in grade 8 for school.
“I got put in the E division with a mixed girls and guys team – that was my first go at it,” he says.
“I remember my very first game. I came out with my uniform and sandals, because that was the school uniform. No one told me to wear shoes. So I felt like an idiot.”
Luckily, things got better for Mark and his cricketing career.
He moved to Brisbane and in 1988, played indoor cricket for four years where he honed his skills.
“I’d like to say I’m an all-rounder – batter, bowler, fielder,” he says.
“I take great joy in doing my best at all of them.”
The Wynnum Baptist Cricket Team has only been around for two seasons, and it had a very uncertain beginning.
Budding manager Peter Brown was keen to start one up, but had neither players nor captain.
“He wanted to do two things: a ministry for men through the church and also indulge in a bit of sport – a bit of cricket,” Mark says.
“He asked me about it once and I said if you can get enough players I’d be interested.”
After trawling the pools of men in the church and the hangers-on, Peter was able to collect 10 other guys just in time.
“He approached me again shortly before we started the 2008 season,” Mark says.
“I said ok as long as he would take on the role as manager and away we went.”
Peter knew Mark was the man for the job from the very beginning.
“He has a strong passion for the game of cricket,” he says.
“Mark has proved to be a good selection in that he is not only the Captain, he is now heading up the ministry.”
Lacking recent experience and team gelling, Wynnum failed to record a win throughout the 08/09 season.
However, the foundations were laid for what would later be a giant-slaying team.
“First year to second year has been 110% change,” Mark says.
“It’s not just the scores and the runs. The team as a group have grown as well and got to know each other, backing each other up.”
A few new members (including Darren Turner, who has had a blistering season opening the batting) have helped bolster the ranks.
“The new guys have also given us a sense of stability to the team. Their mature outlook and the way they act as well is also positive,” he says.
“As a team in regards to scoring I’d say we’ve gone out sight with improvement. I enjoy seeing the team do well.”
Mark is Wynnum’s top bowler, but he is also the highest run-scorer second only to ‘Boundaries or Bust’ Ken Smith.
Being captain as well, his high-performance can come at a cost.
“A few people would say I’m very intense,” he says.
“Being a captain, sometimes you have to separate friendship with the team. There are a few people on the team who are my friends and I’ve gotta be sometimes careful I don’t go too far.”
Another demanding and also enjoyable role Mark performs is as husband to Katherine, co-manager of the Wynnum team.
“He generally has always taken an interest in cricket,” she says.
“If we’re traveling in the car, he’ll be checking up the scores on the radio. Anytime New Zealand is playing somebody he’s into the text-messaging wars.”
Mark followed the national team when Richard Hadlee was in his prime.
“Even when I came to Australia – they didn’t like him but I loved him!” Mark says.
“I like the way he goes about things. I see myself partly like him.”
When Mark was in Bunderburg in 1985, Hadlee and his team were pummeling the Aussies at the Gabba.
“At the time we lived right down the end of the street and the milkman would come by,” he says.
“He and me used to always talk about cricket. And the day that Australia lost terribly in Brisbane he knew that he had to come down to the end of the street and he knew I’d be waiting. And there I was hiding behind the bushes with my milk bottles. And he dreaded it! He knew all the way down that I was gonna lay it on him so hard!”
It is clear that where there is Mark and there is cricket – there is passion.
A week later I am once again sweating into my leather gloves under a scorching summer sky. Mark launches another delivery at an unsure batsman. The ball is heading towards slips however this time – I’m ready.
Premeditating the swing, I shuffle slightly to my left. Unfortunately, Mark has changed the seam and bowled one that goes straight on.
He gets the inside edge – and I’m out of position. I barely get a finger to it as the catch goes down. Mark kicks the dirt in anger and I feel as his milkman did all those years ago.
But a smile and a wave of his hand tell me that our friendship is intact – he’s just a captain who’s passionate about his game.
