IT WAS Ashley Mallett's turn to deliver the O'Reilly Oration to launch the St George District Cricket Club's 2015-16 season on Friday at Hurstville Oval.
The Sydney Cricket Association's new season starts on Saturday, when St George plays Penrith at Hurstville Oval.
Mallett, 70, is a journalist and author.
He managed to combine his professional life with a first-class cricket career for South Australia and Tests and one-day games for Australia. His first-class career spanned 1967 to 1980.
"I moved from Sydney when I was nine to Western Australia and they didn't have any Paddle Pops," Mallett said.
He was 12th man in the Western Australia Sheffield Shield team twice (1966-67) and moved to South Australia, where he debuted in the 1967-68.
"When I played for South Australia you earned $30 for the four days play and I had to play $7.50 tax out of that," Mallett said.
Former St George player Les Favell mentored Mallett in his early days.
Mallett was nicknamed "Rowdy" by his South Australian teammate Barry Jarman because when he was 12th man for South Australia he would sit in the dressing room on his own with no one to talk to.
The former Australian spinner recounted several of his conversations and teachings learned from the late Bill "Tiger" O'Reilly, one of the St George club's greatest ever players and peerless leg spin bowlers.
O'Reilly holds the St George club record for the most wickets (766, averaging 8.7).
He was born at White Cliffs, but lived at Bexley for many years, died age 86, on October 6, 1992. He was a renowned writer and cricket analyst and astute judge. For many years his forthrights and insightful articles were published in the Sydney Morning Herald .
In his professional life, O'Reill, was an English and history teacher.
"Bill was arguably a great spin bowler, a determined cricketer who played the game with skill and was a great wordsmith," Mallett said.
Mallett came up from the Barossa Valley home to speak at the launch.
Mallett has written for many newspapers over the years, worked in radio and television and coached cricketers.
"I got St George batsman Brian Booth out in his final first class game (1968-69 season) playing for South Australia against NSW," Mallett said.
Booth, a co-patron of the St George club, along with Warren Saunders, nodded that fact was correct during Mallett's address.
Mallett recounted a discussion with one of his high school teachers, Don Melrose, at Mount Lawley High School in Perth, who gave him advice on future career options.
"I told him I wanted to play cricket and be a journalist," Mallett said.
"Don Melrose said there is no money in cricket and your English is not very good.
"Years later I sent him a copy of the 26th book I published."
Mallett said he had published 32 books and was working on his 33rd.
He said there was a unique bond in cricket among its participants and supporters.
"There is an invisible and unbreakable bond between cricketers and cricket lovers of all generations," Mallett said.
St George Cricket Club president Kevin Greene said they appreciated Mallett delivering the O'Reilly Oration.
"Ashley is a learned man with a great love and knowledge of the game," Greene said.
He said the O'Reilly Oration had been held for more than a decade to launch the season.