Cricket fans in the region are starting to get excited about the return of the 'old enemy', England, for their upcoming Ashes tour Down Under and Wollongong will host a special event to mark the start of the first Test Match of the series in Perth.
Mark the date in your diaries – Friday, 21 November will see the first ball bowled in the five-Test series and an Aussie cricketing great is heading our way to share in the occasion.
Presented by Keira White Lions and Johnston Legal, a lunch will be held at Wollongong Golf Club with special guest Mike Whitney.
Organiser of the event, Mark Johnston, said the entertaining Mike Whitney should be a great drawcard for local cricketing fans.
"Mike's actually donating his time due to his connection with the Tobin family in Wollongong," Mark said. "Mike played with Glen Tobin in England and has remained close to the family, particularly Ian, since Glen passed away 20 years ago."
A roller-coaster international career
Mike Whitney had a fabulous playing career but many would describe it as a roller-coaster with the call to represent Australia coming only 12 times over a period of 11 seasons.
Despite his irregular Test appearances, his two best first-class bowling performances were achieved in Test matches: 7/89 against the might of the West Indies in Adelaide in 1988-89 and a magnificent 7-27 as part of match figures of 11-95 against India in Perth in 1991-92.
In his NSW debut, 'Whit' shared the new ball with Geoff Lawson and Len Pascoe at the Gabba in 1980-81, going on to make 77 Sheffield Shield appearances with the Blues, taking 251 Shield wickets.
While the joys of Mike's magnificent playing career were soured by a long list of injuries, causing doctors to 'write him off' on a number of occasions, his greatest disappointment was being omitted from the 1989 Ashes team to travel to England. His 58 wickets that Australian season was the most by any bowler and to many his lack of inclusion remains one of the great cricket selection mysteries. Subsequent Test Match tours of Sri Lanka and West Indies confirmed the error of his Ashes omission.
In 1992, the NSW Cricket Board granted Mike a Testimonial Year 'to recognise the magnificent contribution to Australian and NSW cricket by Michael Whitney, both on and off the field.' The highlight of that year was a Testimonial Dinner at the AJC Centre in Randwick attended by more than 960 people, including all members of the Australian and West Indies teams who were playing a Test Match at the SCG. Such was the popularity of Mike, the function was the largest ever held at the venue.
Life after cricket for 'Whit'
Following his retirement, Mike has remained active in cricket and in television where he is one of the longest-serving hosts of a television series, Sydney Weekender, which he hosted for nearly 30 years. He even performs ins a rock band, Oz Icons, with Wayne 'Junior' Pearce, Eric 'Guru' Grothe and Angry Anderson.
Mike was a driving force behind the campaign to save the South Sydney Rabbitohs from oblivion. He has been club president for Randwick Petersham Cricket Club for a record-breaking 25 consecutive years, and he served for eight years on the board of Surfing NSW.
He tells a wonderful story and he has a million stories to tell. Tickets for the First Ball Ashes 2025-26 Lunch, featuring Mike Whitney at the Wollongong Golf Club, are now on sale at $100 each and that price includes a three-hour premium drinks package.
The event, in the Vue Room, will commence at 12.30pm ahead of the first ball being bowled in Perth at 1.30pm.
Payments to Keira White Lions. BSB: 641800 ACC: 201063999 and remittance to mark@johnstonlegal.com.au