The Manakis brothers’ record at Bentleigh Uniting will likely never be broken as both have now notched up an incredible milestone.
By Mitch Bourke
“It was a special day, to be honest.”
Peter Manakis has had plenty of those across his cricketing journey.
The latest came when he notched senior game 400 for Bentleigh Uniting in the thirds on the weekend. He did so alongside brother Chris – who pipped him to the 400-mark by three years.
Combined, the brothers have played 875 senior games for Uniting, most of those coming alongside one another.
All in all, Manakis has nine senior premierships – four playing first XI cricket – more than 10,000 runs 200 wickets, two club championships with Bentleigh Uniting, and is a life member.
“It’s pretty satisfying reaching that milestone for a club that I’ve been at since 1990 … it’s the icing on the cake to play with my brother,” Manakis reflected.
“I’ve been part of the place, it’s special to be there. I’m lucky enough to continue to play with my brother Chris and my two boys … that kept me going and just being around the place and helping the club.
“You play the game for the love of it, you do have good days but sometimes your mates have better days, together you always have a good day no matter how bad it is.”
Manakis shared the milestone with one of those mates in fellow life member Doug Clowes, who also recorded his 400th senior match for Uniting. Clowes himself has more than 5000 runs and 300 wicketkeeper catches in the lower grades, and opened the batting alongside Manakis on Saturday.
“We’ve played 800 games of cricket at the club combined and we’d never opened the batting together and rarely batted together at all,” Manakis said.
“To open the batting with him and walk out together, Doug got 26 and I got 22 so we troubled the scorers a little bit … had a win and we’re in the finals.”
The total Uniting posted of 8-231 from 35 overs proved too much for opponents Omega who mustered 5-153 in reply.
It was fitting that Manakis’ milestone match came against Omega, the club he began his career at.
“Back in 1983 there wasn’t a lot of junior cricket going on and sides were limited, I started at Omega with a mate of mine because it was that little bit closer,” Manakis said.
He won three premierships at the Moorabbin-based club, starting with the under-16s, then F Grade, before a “huge” first XI flag to lift Omega into the Longmuir Shield for the first time in the club’s history.
After a two-year stint in his junior days, Manakis permanently made the move to Bentleigh Uniting in 1990 to play alongside his brother Chris.
“35 years later I’m still there, just the people and the characters you meet at cricket clubs,” Manakis said.
“Back in that day there were no phones, the only place you could meet everyone was Saturday night at the cricket club.”
Winning his first Longmuir Shield with Uniting is one of Manakis’ many career highlights.
“The Longmuir Shield is named after one of our club legends and the Longmuir family history is huge at Uniting, we never thought we’d ever get there and to win that first one was just out of this world,” he said.
“We were just young kids, to play with my brother Chris and some really good mates … that night back at the club was next level.”
He also captained the second XI to the 2011/12 Woolnough Shield. That same year, Uniting completed a famous double and also won the Longmuir Shield.
“That was a real huge moment as well, captaining the second XI in the second division,” Manakis said.
“We beat Omega, they were just top dog, they dominated the season, we were a second XI side playing first XIs and just came from behind.”
Above all, Manakis proudest memories are playing alongside both his sons Liam, 27, and Ethan, 23. He shared a second XI flag with Liam and third XI with Ethan. Both boys are still kicking at Uniting and are preparing for finals campaigns with the club’s first and second XI’s respectively.
“I remember opening the batting in the preliminary final, I opened the batting with Ethan and I looked up at the scoreboard and we were 0-96. I thought ‘wow, how good’s this.’ That was a good moment,” Manakis said.
“The other real good memory was playing in the second XI preliminary final as underdogs, we needed to get a good bat out, he’d dominated all season and my eldest boy Liam bowled him first ball.”
Now 56, Manakis has managed a pair of half centuries so far this season and has only been dismissed below 20 twice.
“I’m still going all right, I can still hit the ball, that’s why I’ve kept playing, to hit the ball has always been my strength.,” he said.
“I still keep myself pretty fit to be honest but my body and eyes are packing up.
“My bodies starting to feel a bit old now so the end’s coming.”
Peter Manakis reveals his toughest opponents
Con Gorozidis, Brighton Union: “He’d just dominate proceedings.”
Kim Pitt, East Sandringham: “Back in the early days he was huge.”
“(Gorozidis and Pitt) were big dogs back in the day, those two guys I can remember being so dominant when I was young.”
Dav Whatmore, Washington Park: “He was an Australian cricketer, he was always good to watch.”
Graeme Bell, East Sandringham: “He was very hard to play against as a bowler.”
Yorumlar