Howe Park

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Howe Park sporting complex is a major cricket field/sports facility located in Singleton, New South Wales, Australia. It is the central hub of the cricket competition in Singleton in co-operation with the Cook Fields along the Hunter River. It is also the centre of activity for up-and-coming curators such as one Habazshan Ling, the area's local cricket hero also affectionately known as Dumpman, Lingnut, NutLing, DuckLing, Rednut, Lingy, the Iron FiLing, and FlameLing, Nutters, and Chicken Ling.

The park is also the field used to play many exhibition cricket matches between junior sides such as the Emus and the New Zealand junior cricket side. One of the best ever sides in the history of Singleton, the U17's Magpies, fondly called the Maggies, played a lot of their matches in the super-arena that is Howe Park.

The field has been in use for many years and has only recently begun to deteriorate due to the current drought being experienced in most of New South Wales.

The field is also the site for many soccer matches between local sides. A big name in the local soccer is one Jordan 'Rod Stewart' Howard. A spectacular performer/soccer player and is currently tossing up between a music career and a sporting career.

One of the most valuable assets of the sporting complex apart from the Cricket field are the 6 synthetic and 8 grass tennis courts. The local tennis competition held on Monday nights is a great competition for local hopefuls to begin their tennis journey. The Hunter grass court Championships are also held here and young tennis players from around Australia come to play at these championships.

Many players have come out of Singleton that are noteworthy of this article Matt 'McSteamy' Perrin, Daine 'Black Magic' Cowburn and Habazshan 'Jason' Ling. These players have since changed their names several times to avoid confrontations with local press whilst visiting.

[edit] The Layout of Howe Park

In the east there lies the Cricket field and Golf course beyond it. The scoreboard rarely used for cricket matches since the late 19th century lies in between. To the South there is residential area and to the west there are the tennis courts and Grandstand.The Grandstand is a major talking point between the junior players, with most striving to reach the "Holy Grail" from the nets with few being able to make the ball stay hit till next Sunday. Finally to the North there are barbecue facilities and the golf course again.

There are three pitches on at Howe Park and each are alternately used for juniors, seniors and representative sides, they are all looked after by the curator; Habazshan Ling.

[edit] History Of The Magnificent Howe Park

In the recent history of Howe Park, there have been many an amazing innings, many an amazing win, and many an amazing loss. Among these, has been the domination by the great Matthew 'McSteamy' Perrin. A scary sight if you field in close, this man is just as likely to hit you with his cricket bat as he is the ball, which is very hard. One of those 'hit and giggle' players, he has been known to smash balls over the grandstand, into the tennis court, and score holes in one with a cricket ball on the 2nd hole of the Golf Course, about 400 metres away. f course, his mean streak has faded, with the 'giggle' being the laughter of players when he is bowled trying to relive the glory days, and the 'hit' being McSteamy taking out his anger on LingNut's ridiculous head of hair.

It was only last season, 2005/06, that history was made when Conrad 'Egghead' Smith was able to help the ball over the boundary ropes on the full, sailing for a six off his swollen noggin. It was a strike of Jesse 'Meat in the Esky' Bush's, in the Grand Final of the U/16's between eventual premiers Valley C.C. and PCH. Bush struck the ball down to the Square Leg boundary, where calls of catch by Kurtis 'Bradman' Neely were drowned out by the 'clonk' of the leather onto Smith's head, where, much to the amusement of all involved, the ball bounced off his head, and another 20 metres, over the fence, 6 runs to Valley. History was made, with Valley topping off an amazing season with a Grand Final win.

Jacob 'Kezboy' Carey has been subject to many a sledging from the opposition, due to the fact that though it is near impossible for him to see the ball through his eyes, he is able to score 50's at his own will, such is his Bradmanesque skill.

Faim Khan, playing representative cricket for Cessnock, in a game at Howe which farewelled many U/16's Singleton Representative players, left us all with a dent to remember, causing a bending of the fence which you could simply call diabolical. In a desperate attempt to save runs before they began their chase, Faim was caused to leave the field after a courageous effort where he decided that the fence was invisible, hurling himself into the fence. It was amazing that he didn't render himself unconscious, and he limped from the field, bitter due to the fact that he gave up a boundary despite his efforts. Among those retiring from Singleton Representative Cricket were Adam 'Dadimator' Clements, Carey, Bush, Neely, Smith and Blake 'Cookie' Cook.

The references from this article are taken from first hand personal accounts and the unbiased information gained from them. The Singleton community helped and is currently helping make this article