Bob Simpson 1936-2025
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | August 16, 2025
One of Australia’s finest opening batsmen and most brilliant slip fielders, Bob Simpson, passed away on Saturday 16 August 2025. He was 89.
Bob was a product of the Marrickville District Cricket Club. Bobby first played in Marrickville’s A W Green Shield under 16 years team as a 13 year old in 1949-50. Two years later in the 3rd Grade team of the newly created Petersham-Marrickville DCC Bobby impressed selectors with the 219 runs he scored after just a few matches and promoted him directly into the 1st XI shortly after his 16th birthday. (Photo: Bobby Simpson aged 16)
That same season, Simpson hit 627 runs in the A W Green Shield competition which included scores of 181 not out, 153 not out and 130 not out for a batting average of 156.70. He also took 28 wickets with his leg spinners at an average of 11.67. While the team finished the season as runner-up to Gordon, the Poidevin-Gray under 21 years side won the competition due in no small manner to Bob’s 172 runs with a top score of 52 and his 14 wickets at 13.14.
The next season, 1952-53, State selectors took particular note of Bob’s 1st Grade performances and after his 58 not out and 6 for 68 against Central Cumberland followed by 71 against Balmain, he was called into the NSW Sheffield Shield team. He was just 16 years and 355 days old.
The summer of 1953-54 saw Bobby continue to develop as an all-rounder of immense talent. Just six days after celebrating his 18th birthday, Bob became the youngest NSW player to take five wickets in an innings when he finished with 5-37 from 10 overs against Western Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. A week later at the same ground he took 4-38 and 2-83 against South Australia to help NSW win the Sheffield Shield and start a run of nine consecutive premiership wins for the State.
The following season was a big one for Petersham-Marrickville winning the 1st Grade premiership. Bobby played a major role in the premiership win scoring 729 runs at an average of 72.9. He snared 12 catches in the slips as well. This was also the season Bob scored the first of his 60 first-class cricket centuries when he hit 104 against Victoria at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He also caught 14 of the 15 first-class cricket chances which came his way that season.
Bob Simpson and Bill Lawry on the 1964 Ashes tour
In 1956-57 Simpson moved to Western Australia where he quickly established himself as an outstanding player. From there he played the first of his 62 Test matches which included 10 centuries with 311 against England his best score. He finished with 4,869 runs for Australia. In first-class cricket he finished his career with 21,029 runs and 359 wickets from 257 matches at the outstanding average of 56.22. With Petersham / Petersham-Marrickville he scored 2,019 1st Grade runs in five seasons.
Lyall Gardner
Randwick Petersham Cricket Historian
16 August 2025
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