First Penrith Team of the Decade (1973-1983)
Penrith Cricket Club | November 10, 2025
Pictured: John Benaud
John Benaud, who became an Australian selector (1988-93) and later for NSW (1997-2002), thinks this combination is sure to get the tongues wagging in ‘Half-A-Bar’! The first player chosen would be Geoff Davies, a leg-spinner of great talent. There’s never been a great Australian cricket team that hasn’t had a great leg-spinner—fact or myth?
Next, we need a wicket-keeper to handle the wily Davies, and there’s only two in the frame, Greg Gavin and Les Andrews. They were poles apart in style, Gavin rough, Andrews elegant, but in the end Gavin gets the nod because he was very talented and because he ‘experienced’ Davies at his best, and with no difficulty.
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The pace-bowling attack looks straight forward: big Peter Clough went on to play Sheffield Shield; into the wind we’d have the swing and cut genius of Ken Hall, who had a heart like Phar Lap, was a smart batsman and a brilliant ‘slipper’; Graeme Pitty, a ‘slider’ and deadly quick when in the mood, would be downwind first-change, or earlier if Cloughie was off-song; Graeme Beard is the fourth, tight, a prober. The only variable there might be if it was thought two spinners would create a better balance. Considered would be Gary Donlan, Paul Thomas and Tom Shiner, but the latter two would negate balance because they came from the leg, and Donlan’s off-spin, although very good, wasn’t quite in this class.
So far, so good. The batting is the toughest consideration, which is why it’s left until last, orthodox selection policy. At this stage, in no particular batting order, we’ve got Gavin, Clough, Pitty, Davies, Hall and Beard, the latter three of whom are genuine bowling all-rounders.
So we need five batsmen, one of whom has to be the captain, because wicket-keepers and bowlers don’t often get invited to star at the toss. The captaincy rests between Benaud and Ian Davis, both Premiership winners. The openers will be the ideal left-right combination, aggressive Steve Small and incisive Davis. Benaud will be at No.3 where he batted for NSW. Trevor Bayliss is at
No.4—only one season but what promise and, any selection panel worth its salt will have an eye to the future! The last spot goes to Cobcroft, a hard-hitter who might turn a game in an over and, what a fielder!
The batting after Cobcroft raises interesting judgements on order, but note its strength: Davies, Hall and Beard, every one of them a top order player, propping up Clough, who was no slouch, and Pitty. The team is: S Small, I Davis, J Benaud, T Bayliss, M Cobcroft, G Davies, K Hall, G Beard, G Gavin, P Clough, G Pitty. Anyone who can pick a team to beat it gets a free night at Half-A-Bar with Tony Radanovic, who’d have no challengers for the drink waiter’s job.
Manager: Allan Blanche.
Ladies Auxiliary: Jo Blanche.
Scorer: John Sandes.
Guitar: Rod Evans.
Scoreboard: Michael Wholohan.
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The selection of the spinners would have been very difficult. Tony Radanovic was an underrated left arm spinner with a surprise ‘long distance’ delivery where he would deliver the ball from well behind the line. He came from Bankstown as did Barry Thebridge, a lanky offie who got bounce and turn! He was a devastating batsman as well!