Parramatta District Cricket Club – from the Vault
Parramatta District Cricket Club | July 31, 2026
Founded in 1843 the Parramatta District Cricket Club has a vault full of rich cricketing memories and some of these are displayed in this article.
1. 27th October 1883 Parramatta took on the famous Carlton Cricket Club on Parramatta Oval. Carlton was one of the elite colonial cricket teams of that and contained several inter-colonial players, foremost amongst them were Test batsmen Alex and Charles Bannerman (scorer of the first century in Test cricket in 1877). Parramatta had the first visit to the crease and succumbed to the Carlton attack for a moderate 47 runs, only captain Bill Brodie managed double figures (16). Carlton with the Bannerman brothers opening fought hard to compile a winning total of 7/98. Renowned Parramatta fast bowler Percy Maybury ‘put the city slickers to the test’ whilst claiming 5/49 off 26 fiery overs, a typical stubborn 38 by Alex Bannerman guided home.
2. In 1862 Doctor Pringle (Parramatta C.C. President) and the cricket club secured permission from the recently formed Parramatta Park Trust to employ some spare land within the centre of the existing racetrack to construct a cricket ground. The cricket club members toiled very hard for twelve months to clear the ground, level the surface and grow a well grassed pitch; to enclose the playing field they also erected a modest post and two rail fence (that stood for the next 20 years). In March 1863 these labours were rewarded when the Club staged the first match on its new home-base, reputedly an in-house game between the ‘Married & Singles’ of the club. However, without a water supply, the wicket was extremely sporting (as were all pitches in Sydney at the time), and a team score of 60 was usually a winning total. The establishment of the Parramatta Oval in 1862 commenced a shared heritage between the Parramatta (Cumberland) District Cricket Club and the Parramatta Park that still exists 163 years later in 2026.
3. Sydney Mail – Saturday 6th June 1863:
“The Annual Meeting of the Parramatta Cricket Club was held at Dunn’s Australian Arms Inn, on Monday evening. There was a fair attendance of members. From the report read by the secretary, Mr Dobson, it appeared that, although little was accomplished in the earlier months of the season, several first-class matches have been played by the club since the 1st January. Since that time the first eleven of the club have been engaged in seven first class matches, of which they have lost three, and won four. The second eleven of the club have also engaged in one match in which they were victorious.
The report further stated that the committee had, by the kind permission of the Park Trustees, secured the lodge at the entrance of the ground, and have placed therein, at a moderate salary, a man well qualified to take charge of the property of the club.”
4. 1895/96 season - Cumberland went into battle against the very strong Burwood team in a First match staged at Parramatta Oval. Burwood’s batted first and posted an imposing total of 351 runs. The Parramatta men took up the challenge with batting stars Barclay Farquhar and Test player Frank Iredale spirited Cumberland to a splendid victory, when they combined in a mammoth 2nd Wicket partnership of 333 runs (still the club record in 2025/26). This partnership crushed Burwood and was the cornerstone of Cumberland’s total of 3/485 – a top-class victory.
5. In First grade match against Petersham played at the Sydney Cricket Ground Cumberland’s ace left-arm spinner Rupert Coogan delivered the foremost bowling feat of his prolific career. Petersham led the game off with team score of 195 runs, Coogan toiled away to capture 6/71 off 23 overs in the first innings. Cumberland then struggled in their innings and crashed for 121 runs, brothers Stan and Sid Thomas the best contributors with 21- a - piece. Petersham went in again and Cumberland’s R.B. Strange and Coogan bowled unchanged throughout the innings in which Pete’s folded for just 106 runs – Coogan was red-hot grabbing an impressive 9/63 whilst partner Strange’s efforts yielded 0/42. Coogan’s match haul of 15/134 remains a first grade record for Parramatta District Cricket Club.
6. During the 2009/10 season Parramatta met North Sydney at Merrylands Oval in a Third grade match. On a green seaming pitch Parramatta dismissed the Bears in their first innings for a remarkable total of just 8 runs. Parra’s medium-paced inswing bowler Anthony Karam grabbed a devastating 7/3 – in his 8th over he captured his first hat-trick, and then on balls 2,3 and 4 of his 9th over he snared another hat-trick to close out North’s innings. Then when Norths batted a second time Karam’s first ball caught the edge and his brother Steve snapped up the slips catch to make it 4-in-4 balls. Anthony Karam enjoyed two hat-tricks in the same innings, very few bowlers could boast that feat.
7. A 1952/53 Fourth grade Semi-Final played at Mascot Oval saw Cumberland defeated St. George outright, the match was one of the rare instances where all forty wickets were lost. Saints won the toss and put the Parramatta men into bat on a wet, difficult pitch and the two-blues strapped together 123 due to a stubborn dig of 31 by stalwart Jack Scarborough and a hard-hitting 33 by Dave Freeman. St. George replied with 120 (off-spinning veteran captain Alf Hall snared 5/58 and R. Shipton 3/37). Day 2 on a dry crumbing pitch the Cumbos could only manage 103 (W. Hey 34 and Brian Bowman 22). St. George requiring 113 runs to win, were all out in the last over of the day for 94 leaving Cumberland outright victors by 12 runs – the cagey Hall backed his first inning effort with 6/41 in the second.
8. A turnaround win against Paddington at Cumberland Oval mid-season was an important step in Cumberland’s First grade1932/33 Belvidere triumph. On dodgy pitch Cumberland totally collapsed for just 44. Paddington followed and found the going tough, but they scrapped to a tight first innings lead declaring before declaring at 7/46 (left-arm swing merchant Marc Bosley 4/9 and paceman Lloyd Cadden 2/5 did the damage). Cumberland batted markedly better in their second visit to the crease compiling 218 (due to fine efforts from star lefty Ray Rowe 56, all-rounder Charlie Leabeater 41 and gritty opener Jack Fitzpatrick 37). Paddo’s second dig was destroyed by the pace bowling combination of Lloyd Cadden 5/19 and Ray Perry 3/33, and they were bundled out for 84 – giving the two-blues an outright victory by 132 runs.
By Tom Wood – Parramatta District Cricket Club Historian
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