End of an era, start of another
After 17 years at the helm, Ken Lomax has stepped down as president of Heathcote Cricket Club.
Ralph Bungard, who has been involved with the club for 21 years, is taking on the role.
Famous for his jovial nature, brilliant banter, fierce punctuality (that first jug of beer must be poured at precisely 4.38pm), and epic leadership, “Lomie” is a much-loved living club legend.
Lomax came to the club in 1989 as a player and loved it so much he never left. Back then, the club had four men’s teams playing Suburban cricket, and one women’s team.
He fell in love with the club for its scenic ground, eclectic mix of people, cricketing banter, and many hard-working volunteers.
Much has changed since Lomax arrived. The club now has 10 adult teams, a thriving junior section, and expanded club rooms.
“When I got here, we had one changing room, which was just about big enough for both teams. The entrance to the clubrooms was down the corridor, with the current visitors’ changing room being the kitchen.”
Lomax oversaw Heathcote Cricket Club’s transition from a suburban to a premiership club. The focus on the social aspect of cricket remains, but the club now has a pathway all the way from children’s cricket through to elite level. This is evidenced by several premiership players having started at the club as juniors.
He led the club through the 2011 Canterbury earthquake, which badly damaged the club rooms, and the subsequent rebuild. The quake and the rebuild were significant not just for the club but the community.
“The rebuild after the earthquake was undoubtedly the most challenging time of my presidency,” says Lomax.
But, he says, it brought out the best in the club; the hard-working volunteers.
As for the future of the club Lomax hopes for a continuation of the premiership team’s impressive progress, the development of a strong women’s section, and the ongoing growth of our thriving junior club under Matt House’s excellent leadership.
“It would be great if other people, apart from ourselves, were saying we’re ‘possibly the best cricket club in New Zealand’.”
Ralph Bungard is the man who is going to try to transition from filling Lomax’s jug to filling his boots.
Bungard is an academic-turned-brewer and, of course, cricket tragic like the rest of us. When he’s not crafting award-winning beer at his Three Boys Brewery, Bungard tends to be a fixture at the club.
He and wife Brigid started the Friday night “have a go” sessions for junior cricket and ran it from 2008 to 2015. Those Friday nights have evolved into a spectacle involving more than 100 children filling Heathcote Domain while families adorn the embankment with picnics and a cheeky drink from the bar. Members of our youth academy coach the juniors, demonstrating the strength and developmental focus of the club.
While the thrust of Bungard’s presidency will be to build on the great work of Lomax, Bungard is keen to solidify relationships with sponsors and the community, as well as build on the ever-increasing diversity in club cricket.
“Heathcote CC has the best of both cricketing worlds. The club is strong and growing in a city with fantastic modern infrastructure and a great culture of cricket. For the club to have access to all that, while at the same time retaining the connection with locals and the feel of a village club, is something very special,” says Bungard.
Lomax will stay involved with Heathcote as immediate-past president.