Two cricket coaching staff members at Graeme College were recently honoured for their contribution to cricket – for Graeme, the Grahamstown community, the Eastern Province and nationally.
The school hosted a celebration dinner to acknowledge Ian Suttie's and Alwyn Riddin's outstanding service to the game. Each has coached Graeme sides for the past 30 years.
Two cricket coaching staff members at Graeme College were recently honoured for their contribution to cricket – for Graeme, the Grahamstown community, the Eastern Province and nationally.
The school hosted a celebration dinner to acknowledge Ian Suttie's and Alwyn Riddin's outstanding service to the game. Each has coached Graeme sides for the past 30 years.
Suttie has coached the Graeme first team, while Riddin has been the U13A coach. Among those who attended the dinner were past first-team captains Wayne Wiblin, Jon-Jon and Kelly Smuts, Justin Heathcote, Jonty van der Meulen, Greg Bradfield, Dylan Fetting and Grant Rothman.
In his tribute to Riddin, Nico van der Meulen told the invited guests how Riddin turned out more spinners than fast bowlers and always gave the spinners a chance to bowl.
In his 30 years of cricket coaching, Riddin spent 338 Saturdays with his various U13A sides during their inter-school matches.
In principal Peter Reed's tribute to Suttie, he said, “Ian is a fanatical sportsman in both cricket and rugby, and was in the hot seat in 1st team cricket for 30 years.” In that time Suttie spent 450 Saturdays involved with the cricket team during their matches.
Suttie was involved in starting the Cape Schools Cricket Festival, the Twenty/20 fixture between local schools, as well as the Grahamstown schools cricket festival at the beginning of each year.
Dave Emslie, CEO of Eastern Province Cricket and the Chevrolet Warriors Franchise, said, “Tonight we pay tribute to two great school masters”.
Emslie, also an old Graemian, recalled some of his past cricketing days, during which he and Suttie played together as students.
"For what you have done for sport and the community, I salute you,” said Emslie.
In his reply, Riddin said the support during match days was “fantastic”, as the parents gathered on Junor Field to watch their children in action.
