The Real Mr Rainham Cricket Club

The wise one, the focal point of the club, the man who everyone looks up to, a man who makes decisions. He seems to bear a lot of responsibility but in reality he just prefers to be a regular guy doing his best for the cricket club.

Stewart Macfarlane is not an easy person to unravel but he has remained the embodiment of Rainham Cricket Club since he returned from almost total obscurity back in the late 1980s. Like a bolt from the blue he quickly transformed from an opening bowling sensation of the 70s to the Second XI opening batsman of the 80s and 90s. He took on various organisational positions, took control of the bar, became a club representative at league meetings, helped increasingly with wicket preparation then elevated to the position of president. The rise was meteoric but beneficial. After all Rainham did have the most successful period in their history during the 1990s and Stewart had a big role in this, having a hand in almost every aspect of the club.

Educated at the local Orchard Street School (now known as St Margaret's), the long legged gangly youngster always enjoyed sport and represented the school at both football and cricket. He did a disappearing act for a while when he went to live in Australia with his parents but my clearest early memory of him was when I was guesting for Rainham Football Club against Elliotts in the New Brompton League in 1971. Stewart dashed through the middle with the ball at his feet, rounded me with ease but unbelievably struck the ball against the post from a distance of about five yards with the whole goal at his mercy, an incident that he would probably prefer to forget.

The ex-draughtsman joined Rainham Cricket Club during the mid 1970s as a pacy opening bowler with a curved run up. He had previously played for Rochester in the same capacity but maintains that he was remembered there for the best half century ever scored by a number eleven batsman when he performed for them at Gore Court. An immediate hit at Rainham, he amazed everyone with his debut performance in 1974 when he took 9-43 against Old Williamsonians then went on to take 100 wickets as he stormed through the season with a series of stunning performances. This included 8-75 against Medway Electricity, 7-22 against Frindsbury and 5-38 against High Halstow. Stewart established himself as a leading club bowler throughout the mid and late seventies taking 100 wickets during several seasons. Also capable of scoring the odd runs he hit 57 against Bexleyheath in 1978 and a particularly memorable innings of 80 against Chatham Nomads in 1979.

Suddenly Stewart disappeared, resurfaced periodically in the local pubs with well known characters like Peter Heath and ‘Mad’ Stan, then reappeared at the club in 1989. He didn’t immediately set the world alight and was content to play for the Second XI as a bit of a batsman and a bowler who had great difficulty in recapturing his former line and length until he finally gave up bowling as a bad job to concentrate on batting. This turned out to be a good decision as the ex golden-oldies 70s bowler rose like a phoenix from the ashes to become a new Second XI run machine. This came to a peak in 1993 when Stewart, who had never previously scored a century, remarkably scored two on the same weekend with 107 against Leigh on the Saturday followed by 101 against Lashings on the Sunday. The middle aged wonder man hit the local headlines with his feat and became a batting hit with the Second XI from this point. He never looked back and went on to play many fine innings including another century against Macknade in 1995 until he retired with blood circulation problems in his legs in 1997, scoring 68 in what turned out to be his final match against Kennington. This led him to take up serious umpiring and from 1998 he has been a familiar figure in his white coat and panama hat on the pitch. Not as quick on the draw as former Rainham umpire Pete the Finger, Stewart generally keeps a low profile and gives few controversial decisions. A safe bet.

Organizationally gifted, the versatile Stewart became chairman in 1992, AKCC treasurer in 1994 and eventually club president in 2000. His wife Betty, who he married late in life, gave him inspiration by assisting as club secretary and regularly serving as tea lady. Betty has now developed her own interests but Stewart remains loyal to the club dedicating hours of his own time when not working as a supervisor in Tescos at Rainham Mark.

What are his finest moments at the club? Firstly, seeing the First XI win the Gillingham Ashes in 1996 and watching "his" team gain entry into the Kent League structure after winning the Mid Kent League Championship in 2000.

Although he remains a kind of guru, supplying advice for every problem at the club, what is Stewart’s future at Rainham Cricket Club? It’s hard to say but he will no doubt keep going and continue to play an organizational role, running the bar and working on the ground. He is now well known on the cricket circuit, has become a more philosophical and contented family man. I'm certain that he will be around for some years yet - a man for all seasons.

David Wood 2005