From the St George DCC 1960’s Scrapbook – Peter Leslie’s NSW Debut
St George Cricket Club | May 13, 2026
26th November 1965
A Whiz Kid at the SCG - Peter Leslie
Shattered windows and broken fibro at the home of the Leslie family in Bexley prove the dedication of 18-year-old Peter Leslie.
All the breaks and damage will seem worth it today when the young 6ft. fast bowler walks on to the Sydney Cricket Ground in his first State team.
"It all still seems un-real”, he said today. "I always had an ambition to play against England but it came as a shock to be picked to play against this team."
The red-headed St.George left-hand opening bowler, gained his State cap when Grahame Corling was forced to withdraw.
Corling has a cracked bone in a foot and will be out of cricket for about two weeks.
An emergency meeting of selectors decided to give young Leslie his big chance.
Home rush
He was announced as the replacement bowler in the match against Mike Smith's ???t eam, starting today at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Since the selection was made public the Leslie home has been in turmoil.
The phone has buzzed continuously with congratulatory messages and a rush has started to get Peter's gear ready.
He practised with the Colts State squad yesterday afternoon and had soiled his cricket togs.
He was not told until 8.15 last night that he was in the team.
Dad helped
Peter, a trainee-teacher, said he had always been a fast bowler.
“I was mainly encouraged in this by my Dad who played a lot of local cricket," he said.
"guess you can say I don't have any special style, I just bowl the way I have practised all my life.”
Cricket practice in the backyard has led to problems.
Many windows have been broken and fibro sheets shattered as Peter, his father and brother went through their cricketing paces.
Peter's best figures this year were 4/33 against Petersham. Last season, his first in grade, he took 6/37 against Manly.
Peter is no slouch with the bat either. He knocked up 65 last week.
26th November 1965
STUDENT, 18, CHOSEN IN N.S.W. TEAM
By RAY ROBINSON
An 18-year-old student teacher was hurriedly chosen last night to play for N.S.W. against the English cricketers at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.
The State selectors at an emergency meeting named the student, Peter Leslie, of Bexley, to re-place opening bowler Grahame Corling.
N.S.W. Cricket Association's honorary doctor discovered late yesterday that a bone in Corling's left foot was cracked near the middle toe.
Leslie, a student at Sydney Teachers' College, will be making his first appearance in first-class cricket.
He showed promise as an opening bowler for N.S.W Colts against Queensland Colts, in Brisbane a fortnight ago.
Peter, a well-built left hander, bowls fast-medium and plays for St. George club, which produced the famous Test fast bowler Ray Lindwall.
St. George fans hail him as another Alan Davidson in the making, a future successor to the greatest left-handed pace bowler Australia has known.
Thrilled, excited?
When told of the selectors' decision, Leslie said "I never dreamt I'd be play-sing against these English cricketers."
“I had always hoped that someday I might but never imagined it would be so soon.”
"I feel thrilled, nervous, excited and everything”
He said he had talked to Alan Davidson, who had given him a few hints after playing against him.
When Corling went to a reception to the English team last night he believed he would be playing today despite some swelling and pain in the foot,
But the doctor, returning from Melbourne, found a crack when he examined X-ray plates taken on Monday.
Until this examination the plates were thought to have shown no bone damage, and the swelling was attributed to a strained tendon.
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