Penrith Cricket Club: The First Decade
Penrith Cricket Club | December 22, 2025
Penrith Cricket Club – originally founded as Nepean – wasted little time making its mark. Within its first 10 years, the club claimed both the coveted Club Championship and the First Grade Premiership, lifting the latter twice.
Nepean DCC first cap, 1973
1973/74 – A new beginning
Nepean debuted in the NSWCA Grade Competition with two first-class veterans, John Benaud and Geoff Davies, guiding the side. First Grade hovered in semi-final contention before finishing eighth, while Seconds collected seven wins. Third Grade struggled with inexperience and the tricky Cook Park wicket, managing just two victories. Fourths fared better, picking up five wins
under the mentorship of Trevor Wholohan and Pat Doyle, who were coaching a squad averaging just 16 years of age. The youth squads showed promise, but the club’s 15th place in the Club Championship left plenty of work ahead. Off the field, Penrith Council commissioned a new pavilion and scoreboard at Cook Park and invested in a heavy roller.
The historic first 1st Grade IX
1974/75 – Second season blues
The momentum faded in year two. A mass exodus of talent – including Davies, Colin Hall, PhilDingle, the Morphett brothers, Ian Forrester and David Nicholls – left First Grade severely weakened. Only Benaud, Tony Carroll, Bob Morris, Ron Hall and Greg Gavin remained. With depth stretched thin, young players were rushed through the ranks: a staggering 42 cricketers turned out for First and Second Grade across the season. Results suffered. Thirds finished 11th, while Fourths slumped to 18th. The Club propped up the Club Championship table.
1975/76 – Dark days
Season three brought more struggle. Nepean again finished last in the Club Championship, with a shallow player pool and little new talent incoming. Alarm bells rang when only six boys trialled for Green Shield. Complaints also grew about Howell Oval’s rough outfield and Cook Park’s uneven pitch. Third Grade managed the best finish in 11th place, while Seconds sank to 18th.
1976/77 – Building for the future
The focus shifted to development. Junior programs for Under-13s and Under-15s were launched, while local coaching courses began to build a base of cricket knowledge. Dressing room extensions were completed at both Howell Oval and Cook Park, with management also chasing ground covers. On the field, Firsts and Fourths flirted with semi-final contention late in
the year. Fresh faces arrived: Ron Halse, Rod Evans, Tim Sullivan and Mark Betros. More significantly, three players destined for the Cub’s first Premiership – Gary Donlan, Peter Clough and Trevor Everest – debuted in First Grade. The Club Championship finish of 17th still left a lot of work to do.
1977/78 – Sliding backwards
Hopes of progress quickly evaporated. With the loss of First Grade’s spin attack along with several senior players, rookies were thrown in at the deep end. Turnover was extreme: 26 players used in Seconds, 30 in Thirds and 30 in Fourths. No team finished in the top half of the table, and Penrith again ended 17th in the Club Championship. Club records later called it the ‘most depressing’ season.
1978/79 – A breakthrough year
The sixth season transformed the club’s fortunes. Four major developments reshaped Penrith’s future: the name changed from Nepean to Penrith District Cricket Club; Penrith Rugby Leagues Club signed on as Major Sponsor; Penrith City Council approved an $11,000 annual ground maintenance grant; and First Grade stormed to both the Minor Premiership and Premiership. This was a landmark – the first time any Penrith sporting team had won a metropolitan First Grade Premiership. The club surged to sixth in the Club Championship. Much credit went to the newly formed Ladies’ Auxiliary, which threw its weight behind the club. Captain John Benaud, named First Grade Captain of the Year, summed it up: ‘Personally, I found this a most taxing season, physically and mentally, but my most satisfying ever. I rate this team the finest bunch of triers I’ve had the good fortune to be with’.
First Grade Premiers
1979/80 – Success and setbacks
First Grade reached the final again but lost heavily. Club fortunes dipped too, sliding to 11th in the Championship, with Second Grade’s struggles dragging results down. Thirds and Fourths improved, and Poidevin-Gray posted its best season to date. Off the field, Cook Park underwent a major transformation, with management declaring it among ‘the best two ovals in the Sydney Competition’. A schoolboys’ knockout competition drew strong support. Parking revenue from Penrith Park football days boosted finances, though volunteer numbers lagged. A controversial decision introduced monetary bonuses for First Grade’s top performers.
1980/81 – Milestones and missed chances
Three bowlers reached milestones: Jon Llewelyn (216), Gary Donlan (211) and Peter Savage (210) all passed 200 career wickets, each averaging more than 26 per season. First Grade won five games but lost seven – including four straight to open the year – and the Club finished 12th in the Championship. President Trevor Wholohan lamented Second Grade’s ongoing failures: ‘The ability is there but still no results’. Encouragingly, the Poidevin-Gray and Green Shield sides continued to develop, and the Club fielded two teams in the local Nepean competition for the first time. The new ‘Sixths’, made up entirely of U15 players with no senior cricket experience, stunned everyone by winning the Minor Premiership.
1981/82 – Rising force
Season nine brought a fairytale. Glen Dixon, a tall left-arm quick who had started in 10th grade park cricket, began the season in Fourths but finished in First Grade. Depth was finally showing, and Wholohan declared, ‘The Club now has the depth to be a real force in Sydney Grade Cricket’.
That strength was evident in the Club Championship, where Penrith achieved its best-ever finish of fourth. Thirds and Fourths played a crucial role in the result. The junior programs were maturing, and veterans who had endured the lean years could finally relax. The Club also won four inter-district knockout tournaments – at Windsor, Leagues Club, Maitland and Bathurst – further proof of growing depth and spirit.
Management ended the decade bullish: ‘As we now prepare to embark on our tenth season in the Grade Competition, we can be confident that the foundation has been laid for a successful future’.
1982/83 – Crown jewels
The Club’s 10th season in NSWCA Grade Cricket was also the finest in its short history and brought home the crown jewels: the Sydney Smith Cup for winning the Club Championship and the Belvedere Cup for winning the First Grade Premiership.
There was more good news: Second Grade were semi-finalists, Third Grade were semi-finalists and Fourth Grade finished a win away from a semi-final berth. Firsts won Team of the Year in The Sydney Morning Herald cricket awards. And there were near misses: Green Shield’s five wins and 30 points left the team one win from the Final and was the Club’s best result in this
competition.
Off the field, Penrith Council agreed to provide the Club with a new ground at Werrington, to be known as Rance Oval. The new ground would allow the Club to enter a Fifth Grade team into the NSWCA competition in its second decade. The future was bright.
First Grade premiership team 1982/83
(back) Graeme Beard, Ken Hall, Ian Monaghan, Graeme Pitty, Greg Monaghan
(front) Greg Gavin, Trevor Bayliss, Ian Davis (c), Graeme Thorpe
(absent) Gary Donlan, Malcolm Cobcroft
