The third of our player profiles focuses on Dave Whisker, co-founder (with Martin Rooke) of our Colts section, which has been the foundation of the club's growth and success in the past decade. Dave joined Goresbrook at the age of 40 in 1999 with a number of players from Railway CC, enabling us to start to fielding 2 sides on a Saturday. A year later we were accepted into the Morrant league and Dave skippered the first 2's fixture in that league, scoring a vital 17 in a low scoring encounter on a drenched pitch and then taking 4-11 in tandem with Jo Wilkinson who took 5'fer as Theydon Bois were rolled over for 60 in pursuit of 113 to win.

For somebody whose prime years and most of the soft tissue within his knee joints, were spent elsewhere, Dave's tally of 394 wickets in 12 seasons is testament to his consistency and his modus operandi leaned heavily on his accuracy and knowledge of Colts players, as he probed away, nibbling the ball around on a length in the corridor around off stump with the sharpest available youthful keeper standing up to the stumps, anybody who could catch at slip and gully and a young Kane Messenger posted back at long off (from where he could also cover long on...), where many a batsman perished trying to take on the shortish Annex boundary.

With the bat, Dave wielded his blade with a shortish backlift and strong forearms and whilst the early stages of his innings were characterised by plenty of lunging forwards, tipping and suicidal singles, once he was seeing the ball he was a difficult man to dislodge and a brutal hitter, as his 9 fifties, including a career best 92* at Noak Hill demonstrate. That 92* featured a stand of 78 with Bridge that was only beaten last year as the club's best 9th wicket partnership, but Dave still remains on the board as part of the record 10th wicket mark, his 4* being vital in shepherding Afzal over 200 on his to way the the club record score of 218, as they added 94 at the County Ground Leyton.

With his knees shot, Dave's last full season was 2010, when he took 20 wickets as the 2's finished 3rd in Div 1 of the Lords League, but he's made the odd appearance since in selection crises and sitting on 398 appearances, I wouldn't rule out 400 if a couple of people get married in-season.

In retirement Dave is still the life and soul of the Colts section and a prolific watcher of cricket both at his beloved Kent (robbed of promotion this year), the Oval on freebies with Lol and watching the 1's or 2's after work on a Saturday.

Famously virtually deaf after a lifetime of standing in close proximity to both heavy metal bands (including a spell roadying for Desolation Angels) and Bolt, the Colts founding duo bred a generation of mentally tough Goresbrook colts in the early days with their bad cop, bad cop double act. Bolt haranguing any perceived lack of effort in the field and giving short shrift to any loose shots and then Dave herding half the team onto an assortment of ladders, dust sheets and paint pots in the back of the late lamented James Stack van, shaking his head in disgust at the number of extras conceded, before exposing the youth of Dagenham to a range of loud rock music the likes of which few had heard before.

There is little doubt that a major contributory factor in Izzy's improved line and length over the course of his Goresbrook career was both the work that Dave put in on the basics of his action and the knowledge that he never again wanted to sit there after bowling 20 wides being forced to listen to the Sensational Alex Harvey band.

Batting

Bowling

Fielding

104 catches

Name: Dave Whisker
Tekkers: RH bat, right-arm military medium
GCC Number: 105
Age: 57
Job: Decorator
Hobbies: Music

QUICKFIRE

Favourite Football Team: Chelsea
Favourite Music: Kick-Ass Rock'n'Roll
Favourite Movie: Outlaw Josey Wales
Favourite TV Show: Boardwalk Empire
Favourite Holiday Destination: New York
Favourite Meal: Sausage, Mash & Beans
Favourite Drink: Any decent brandy
Who would play you in the film of your life: Jim Carrey

GORESBROOK

When did you make your Goresbrook debut? 1999

Describe your Goresbrook career in 10 words or less. Workhorse bowler, under-achieving batsman, colts, colts colts....

Who is your favourite GCC Teammate (current or retired) & why? Bolt. Never boring and it doesn't hurt anyone to be told that their fielding is crap on a regular basis.

Most memorable game(s)? Beating Noak Hill away with Me, Dave Giesen and 9 Colts when half the club was watching the England football team in the Eastbrook.

Also, any game played with Shan.

Which GCC player do you hate facing in the nets? Israel Ochwo, about 15 mph too quick

What’s the best thing about Goresbrook CC? Full of fruitcakes (including myself)

CRICKET

What other clubs/XI's have you played for? Essex Taverners, Becontree & Railway, with guest appearances for Belhus, Buckhurst Hill & Ardleigh Green

All-time cricketing hero? Ian Botham

Favourite cricket ground & why? Canterbury to watch and Leyton County to play (always picked up wickets)

Describe the best catch you have ever taken? Can't remember many screamers, but plenty of drops (ask Bolt)

Best player played against? Been smashed around by loads, but a young Alan Ison hit the ball as cleanly as anybody

MISCELLANEOUS

Best sporting achievement outside cricket? 3rd in the south of England cross-country whilst at school (almost certainly the highest finisher with a mullet...)

Where would you live if money was no object? Again, New York

What would you rescue first if your house was on fire? Wife & kids

Give us a sporting tip for 2017? Liverpool to win the Premier League

Tell us something about yourself that nobody at Goresbrook knows? I speak fluent German