Sport
27 January, 2023
From his Jondaryan days, Bell's cricket took him around the globe
As Central Downs Cricket Association reaches it’s 50th season this year, a former Jondaryan schoolboy will return to his cricketing roots to join the celebrations. His has been quite a journey since those years as a young cricketer just starting out.
From his early days playing in Oakey & District Association (the forerunner to CDCA), John Bell’s remarkable cricket innings has spanned more than six decades, and continues today through one on one coaching/mentoring young players, after pulling up stumps on club coaching last year.
John still classes himself as a boy from the bush, and despite an illustrious career in cricket at Sheffield Shield level, and playing and coaching internationally, he’s still a country boy at heart.
The Bell family arrived at Jondaryan in 1956 when John’s father filled the role of Stationmaster for Queensland Railways until 1970.
John was about nine and had never played a game of cricket except for a backyard version with his dad.
At Jondaryan State School he played lunchtime footie and cricket, depending on the season, and their interschool competition was against Oakey and Goombungee State Schools.
A natural sprinter as a schoolboy, he achieved several successes at State level, and played both Rugby League and Cricket for Queensland while at school.
From the age of 12 John became Jondaryan Cricket Club’s 12th man, scorer, and sometimes got to field.
In addition to the Central Downs celebrations, and because John is of the belief that his life purpose is to help young people to become all they can be, he has offered to conduct a coaching session on Sunday January 29 for young cricket players from Oakey and surrounds.
Anyone wanting further details about this rare opportunity, and to register, should contact Lindsay Evans on 0418 922 169.
For the full story, see this week's print edition of The Pittsworth Sentinel
