ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Sport
EVERY YEAR
34-year-old Dave Hamlin, veteran grade cricketer and part-time keeper of excuses, has yet again failed to pay his $160 club fees for his third division cricket season.
The season, now winding down with only a few rounds remaining, has seen Hamlin turn up dutifully for practice, matches, and post-game beers, but apparently bank account unable to transfer his season’s subs.
Despite the looming deadline, Hamlin is calm. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll sort it tonight,” he said after training last week, as he handed over $20 for the pokies while sipping a freshly poured pint.
Teammates say this pattern is nothing new. “Honestly, we just assume Dave’s going to be last to pay every year,” said club captain Mark Reid. “It’s like clockwork. The only thing predictable about him is that his subs won’t be paid until the very last possible second.”
Another teammate, Simon Patel, added: “ He always says ‘tonight’… and somehow it turns into tomorrow, or the next week, or sometimes next season. I’m sick of telling him to hurry up and do it.”
Club treasurer Nigel Thompson said he’s come to terms with Dave’s late payment style. “We’ve learned to budget around the fact that Dave likely will be the last to pay his subs. Each time we pull out the final warning about how he won’t play until he pays, then he seems to come through.”
As the season edges closer to its finale, Hamlin remains confident but also coy. “I’ve got it covered,” he said with a grin. “Just give me one more week… maybe two.
More to come.
