Matthew Windred – Instant Success
Parramatta District Cricket Club | March 27, 2026
Few if any young cricketers have ever been able to start their NSW Premier Cricket careers with the dramatic instantaneous success that Matthew Windred enjoyed in his 2007/08 debut for the Parramatta District Cricket Club.
The busy, attacking right-handed batsman played his early cricket for the Guildford Leagues Cricket Club and appeared for Parramatta in the various Shell Shield representative cricket age groups.
Matt decided to ‘try his hand’ in Premier Cricket in 2007/08, and was initially chosen in Fourth grade, but an illness forced him out of the opening round of the season. He was fit for the round 2 clash against Penrith and was selected to play Fifth grade.
Not deterred by the demotion he set about making his presence felt at the Parramatta District Cricket Club in a dynamic fashion.
In his first innings for the Club Matt got straight into action and peeled off an eye-catching 110 and in the process shared a bulky 175 run 2nd wicket partnership with the A.W. Green Shield captain and future International Sean Abbott.
Promoted to Fourth grade for the next game against Campbelltown he ‘didn’t let the grass grow under his feet.’ He batted brilliantly to compile a century in each innings – 109 in the 1st innings followed by a forceful 105 not out in the 2nd dig.
This performance meant that Matt had scored a century in his first three innings in NSW Premier Cricket – such a rare feat that it is probably unmatched in the competition’s history.
Success in this outstanding debut season didn’t stop there; after winning promotion to Third grade, he continued his impressive harvest of runs delivering 369 @ 46.13 – including another century (119* v. UNSW – this made it four hundreds in his initial grade season, a wonderful achievement. He closed the season out with two games in Second grade scoring 68 v. Hawkesbury.
Matt’s outstanding batting form in 2007/08 that totalled – 762 runs @ 63.50 saw him win the following prestigious club awards:
· Cricketer of the Year (Bill Anderson Memorial Trophy).
· Doug Walters Trophy (Most Runs for the season).
And his safe hands accepted 16 catches to win the Catching Aggregate Award (fieldsman).
Consistent batting displays in Second grade in the 2008/09 season – 461 runs @ 35.46 (H.S. – 56 v. Blacktown, 73 v. Bankstown, 82 v. Campbelltown) built further on his previous season’s performances and earned him selection in First grade – Parramatta District Cricket Club – First grade Player Number: 567.
Over the next two seasons Matt continued to churn out runs in Second Grade, 2009/10 was very fruitful and he struck 503 runs @ 31.44 (H.S. – 96 v. Wests, 87 v. Sydney University, 72 v. UNSW). A spirited 134 against UNSW in Second grade propelled him back into the top grade in 2010/11, but he again spent the 2011/12 season back in the seconds and performed solidly to record 478 runs @ 25.16 (H.S. – 96 v. Gordon, 63 v. Bankstown, 52 v. N.D., 50 v. St. George).
Matt Windred finally made his mark in First grade in 2012/13 when batted confidently to amass an impressive 569 runs @ 29.65 (H.S. – 91 v. Easts, 55 v. Manly, 53 v. St. George, 50 v. Sutherland). In the match against Eastern Suburbs, he shared a mammoth 203 run 5th wicket partnership with Michael Wood.
After a frustrating, injury plagued 2013/14 season he ‘brought down the curtain’ on an excellent career with the Parramatta District Cricket Club at the close of that season.
Matt was a popular teammate; his happy disposition and ready smile made him plenty of friends at the club.
In the picture opposite Club stalwart Johnny Aitken presented Matt with the 2007/08 Cricketer of the Year Award.
His too brief career at Parramatta extended from 2007/08 to 2013/14.
By Tom Wood – Parramatta District Cricket Club Historian
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