Ross Elliot - family tradition
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | June 19, 2026
Ross Elliot joined us in 2019-20 as a 23-year-old from Geelong City Cricket Club, moving to the Harbour City to study for a Master of Finance degree at University of NSW. He made his debut with the club in 3rd Grade, scoring 140 runs with his best score 36 from nine matches. He also held six catches receiving a comment from his skipper Ben Stares that he “had the best set of hands that I have ever played with”. He held another nine the following season when he headed the 3rd Grade batting with 232 runs with a top score of 79.
A tall, right-hander from a cricketing family, he had played cricket for as long as he can remember with a highlight being a score of 133 from 70 deliveries with nine boundaries and 10 sixes to win the premiership in the Geelong Cricket Association Twenty20 competition in 2017-18.
A lack-lustre 2021-22 season followed with just 156 runs and a short stint in 4th Grade. But there was a change in tack in 2022-23, with Ross taking the gloves behind the stumps to complete 20 dismissals including four stumpings. He showed his flair for the task by allowing just four byes from 890 overs in 15 innings. He also knocked up 345 runs with a slashing 87, hitting five boundaries and four sixes in a 165 runs win over St George at Harold Fraser, enabling the side to run out 3rd Grade minor premiers.
Elliot’s batting began to mature and in 2023-24 he topped the 3rd Grade run-scoring with 449 including five fifties. His best was 69 opening the batting as part of a partnership of 188 for the first wicket against Campbelltown-Camden at Petersham Oval. He also hit 40* in one of the two matches he was given in 2nd Grade, having made his debut in that grade as a fill-in the previous season.
After 57 matches, 1,419 runs and 44 wicketkeeper dismissals in 3rd Grade, Ross was entrusted with the opening batting role in 2nd Grade, 12 rounds into the 2024-25 season. The promotion brought immediate success joining Ash Burton in a first wicket partnership of 85 against Penrith with Ross making 45. The pair continued the good work next round with a near-record partnership of 195 against University of NSW at Coogee Oval. Burton was first out for 112 while Elliot held the innings together, finally departing with the score 3-299. In just his sixth game in 2s, he had hit 12 fours and two sixes in a maiden century of 113. The match was won with a final score of 3-352 in the 92nd over as they chased down the student’s 8dec-347. It was the greatest run-chase to win in 2nd Grade in the club’s history. Elliot finished his 2nd Grade season with 294 runs at 42.00, hitting 10 sixes.
When the gradings were announced for the 2025-26 season, Ross Elliot was not only included in the side but was named captain. And he celebrated his appointment with a spectacular start to the season, belting 18* off eight balls to defeat Bankstown in a Twenty20 match at Bankstown Oval. With 15 needed to win from the last over, Ross plonked two over the fence to bring up the victory on the last ball.
Six rounds into the season and Elliot looked like bringing up an early century playing UTS North Sydney at Coogee but was unfortunately, caught for 97 off 187 balls with 13 fours and three sixes. Seven rounds later, he was in a similar situation which produced a similar outcome, being caught for 95 in the last over of the day, again at Coogee, playing Fairfield-Liverpool. It was a dashing innings with 13 boundaries and four sixes from just 91 deliveries. His 50 came up in 64 balls with just 27 required for the following 45. Two nineties would be enough to frustrate the most experienced cricketer. But history was about to be made.
In round 15, 2nd Grade lined up against eventual premiers Manly-Warringah at Coogee Oval. The Waratahs batted first and ended with a competitive 236. In reply, and after being 1-50, it was all downhill with Randwick Petersham 7-95 at stumps on the first day of the match. Skipper Elliot was still there on 47* from 82 balls. Before lunch on the second day, the side was out for 181, but not before Ross had scored 112 off 157 balls with seven fours and five sixes, going from 92 to 104 with two sixes.
Manly batted again and declared at 5-211, setting a target of 270 to win outright in 36 overs. In the frantic run chase, quick runs were scored and at 3-183, Shaun Miller joined Elliot who was again on fire. The pair equalled the scores at 3-269 in the last over with four balls remaining. No run was scored from the first three, but on the last ball, Ross was run out going for the winning run giving Manly a win on the first innings. He had scored a magnificent 111 off just 101 balls with six boundaries and four sixes.
It was the first time in the history of the club that a player had scored centuries in each innings of a match. And to add to the feat, he had scored them the same day. Cricket NSW officials advised that while centuries in each innings had occurred in 1st Grade, they were sure it had never occurred in 2nd Grade. And there was more! The twin centuries took Ross to 757 runs for the season, breaking John McLoughlin’s record of 607 set 19 years earlier in 2006-07. He finished the season the leading run-getter in the 2nd Grade competition.
It was no surprise after such a momentous performance, Ross Elliot was selected to make his 1st Grade debut in the next round against Gordon at Coogee Oval–the venue of his amazing feat the weekend before. Receiving cap no. 171 from 1st Grade skipper Riley Ayre prior to the match, Ross opened the innings with the experienced Austin Waugh and the pair put on the best opening partnership of the season, knocking up 110 before Waugh was out for 66. Eknoor Singh joined Ross and the pair put on 103 with Singh out for 58. Batting with Param Uppal, the score was 2-246 when Elliot, on 99, drove former Randy Pete Nicholas Stapleton through the covers for two runs to collect an amazing debut century. And while he was out next ball for 101 from 130 balls with six fours and a huge five sixes, he was again in the club history books joining fellow 1st Grade century debutants, Joseph Hill (123* in 2002-03) and Daniel Bell-Drummond (106 in 2018-19).
Of the many congratulatory messages on Facebook directed to Ross after his fantastic season, a number were from Geelong City Cricket Club where he had played all his junior and senior cricket, prior to moving to Sydney. It was no surprise, as his father Trevor played over 300 matches with the club while brother Hayden carries on the Elliot family tradition as a current player. Meanwhile, cousin Tom made a mark captaining the Geelong 1st Grade team in Victorian Premier Cricket. Sadly for the club, Ross moved back to Melbourne after the 2025-26 season.
Lyall Gardner OAM
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