Howzat for a cap
JIM Geiger took 10 wickets in one cricket game in the 1950s and scored 259 not out (including four fours) in another.
These were proud moments for the former Glastonbury dairy farmer and the bat he made that knock with is still with him.
But his brag sheet was topped yesterday with the announcement he was the recipient of a Medal of the Order of Australia for his years of volunteer work with cricket in the Gympie region.
A delighted Mr Geiger was relaxing at home with his wife Jessie this week, basking in the glow of such an honour.
"It's good to be recognised for all that you have given," the 89-year-old said, surveying the surrounds of his 36ha property which he still slashes and mows himself.
His hard work for cricket started back in 1947, when Mr Geiger led a series of working bees to establish a playing field and concrete wicket in the weaner paddock at the Myra Vale cattle station at upper Glastonbury.
The Warrawee Cricket Club had just been formed.
Using a horse and dray and countless loads of sand and rocks, the wicket was achieved after a few weekends.
Since then it has been non-stop, and 65 years later, without having missed a single year in some sort of administrative role, Mr Geiger has eight life memberships of sports organisations under his belt, a swag of achievements including the establishment of the Sunshine Coast-Gympie cricket zone, and a cache of awards, medals and certificates big enough to sink a ship.
Among those awards is an Australian Sports Medal, a Medal for Outstanding Services from the International Cricket Council, a State Sport Volunteer award and a Queensland Cricket Achiever of the Year award.
Mr Geiger even has an oval named after him in Gympie.
He is, quite simply, Mr Cricket.
