Penrith: We're In - Penrith Cricket Club
Penrith Cricket Club | June 05, 2025
It was a long time coming but in May 1973 the Nepean District Cricket Association received an invitation to join the NSW Cricket Association Sydney Grade Competition. The wheels has been in motion since 1966. True, it was a frustratingly long process but because Nepean was a member of the Hawkesbury Cricket Council, which was a Country Council affiliated to the NSWCA through Country Cricket, and Nepean's application had to be submitted through the HCC, there was much discussion, many letters and follow-up meetings.
The, in 1972 the NSWCA sub-committee was commissioned by the Executive Committee to review, a) the system of residential qualifications, b) boundaries of the Sydney Grade Clubs, c) inclusions of the peripheral Country Councils - Hawkesbury, Illawarra, Hunter Valley and the Newcastle DCA - in the Sydney grade competitions.
The minutes for the April 1973 meeting of the sub-committee stated: "A further interview has been conducted with senior representatives of the four Associations which comprised the Hawkesbury Cricket Council. At this meeting the council representatives were able to satisfy the sub-committee of their ability and worthiness for entry into the Sydney Grade competition.
The council was requested to decide on the Associations or Associations, which could properly combine to enter a team and in due course nominated the Nepean District Cricket Association, which embraces Penrith, St Marys, Mt Druitt areas, with a total population of some 135,500, increasing at a rate of 5000 per year. The Nepean Association presently caters for 700 senior and 750 junior cricketers and is financially secure. It has two first class grounds.
"In the event of the Nepean DCA being admitted to the Sydney Grade competition, it is proposed that the Hawkesbury Cricket Council remain the same with the Nepean Association still affiliated to the parent body in order that the surplus players not selected in teams of the grade club may continue to play in the councils domestic competition matches. Players from the Nepean DCA would not, however be eligible for selection in the Country trials and teams representative of the Hawkesbury CC participating in the Country programs would be selected from the players in the Council's other three affiliated Associations, viz Camden DCA, Hawkesbury DCA and Southern Districts CA".
The sub-committee report of April 4, 1973, recommended to the executive committee that, "for the 1973-1974 Grade competition the Nepean District Cricket Association is included in the Sydney Grade Competition, the NDCA to form a properly constituted club with designated boundaries and all other necessary requirements. The University of NSW CC is included in the Sydney Grade Competition."
To comply with the grad committee's advice for new clubs, the NDCA called a public meeting to put in motion the outlined requirements. The meeting was held on the 25th June 1973 at the Old Penrith Leagues Club. Mr Darcy Smith, President of the NDCA, chaired a well attended meeting. A steering committee was elected and the members were: Darcy Smith chairman, Len Carter, Trevor Wholohan, Jack Donlan, Ken Pausey, George Lewis, Errol Mitchell and Bill Ball.
There was a strong cricket connection. Darcy Smith, who led the negotiations seeking admission had played many seasons for Penrith RSL and had scored the first century on the Howell Oval turf pitch: George Lewis had been an opening batsmen and wicket keeper with Cumberland and was a first Grade umpire: Len Carter played locally for Crescents, Emu Plains, Cranebrook and Penrith Leagues: Bill Ball played with Blacktown Workers: Ken Pausey played for Springwood. The Committee recommended that the name of the club be the Nepean District Cricket Club. The colors be brown and white.
The inaugural Annual General Meeting of the Nepean District Cricket Club was held at the Penrith RSL Club on the 24th July 1973. The elected officers were: President Darcy Smith, Secretary Trevor Wholohan, Treasurer Ken Pausey, Committee Bill Ball, Allan Blanche, Len Carter, Ian Forrester, Tony Hoy, Jon Llewelyn, Errol Mitchell, Rob Wilson, Public Officer, Tony Carroll, Delegates to the NSWCA, George Lewis and Trevor Wholohan: Delegates to NDCA, Trevor Wholohan: Delegates from NDCA, Mark Manning and Ron Partridge: Provisional Selection Committee, John Benaud, Geoff Davies, John Burgess, George Lewis and Trevor Wholohan. The NDCA made a $1000 grant to assist the new club, the NSWCA gave $200. Other donations came from Penrith leagues, Penrith RSL, Penrith Bowling Club, Nepean Rowing Club, Cricketers Club of NSW and Blacktown Workers Club.
All great news! A new club called the Nepean District Cricket Club now existed. the required officer bearers had been appointed and , it had about $3000 dollars in the bank. And, it had two grounds. The NDCA had vacated Howell Oval in Favour of the new club and had arranged with the Penrith Council to develop Cook Park at St Marys (now known as Bill Ball Oval).
But....there remained a big challenges to be met, many questions to be answered and the competition to start on the October long weekend was only three month away. The requirements were: a constitution, a minimum of 55 talented players, cricket gear, practice nets, shed and roller for Cook park, balls, stumps, score books, kitchen utensils and the obvious, more money. Practice had to be conducted, teams graded, managers and scorers appointed and the players registered. The club was fortunate to have many dedicated and talented people in the formative year and history shows it successfully competed in four grades during the first season, had an income of $6,788,71 and finished with balance of $1,268.97.
And, as a footnote to history, in subsequent years the other members of the Hawkesbury Council were admitted to Grade, Hawkesbury, Camden as Campbelltown and Southern Districts as Fairfield.
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