Ken Grieves - Randwick Petersham Cricket Club - Heroes of the Ages
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | July 01, 2023
Ken Grieves joined Petersham DCC in 1941-42 scoring 62 and taking 6-78 off 22 overs in 3rd Grade v Paddington. He was immediately promoted to 2s where he hit 74 and took 10 wickets at just 14 in three games. Although only 17 years of age he was rushed into 1st Grade making 20 in his debut v Gordon at Petersham in October 1941 before going on to take the bowling honours with 32 wickets at 20.25.
A right-hand batsman and leg spin bowler he had knocked up 1,207 runs in 1st Grade, taken 71 wickets and held 41 catches, mainly at slip where he excelled, for Petersham before his 20th birthday.
In 1944-45 his stroke-play was attracting plenty of attention with many accolades coming his way when he scored 75 in 102 minutes as part of a partnership of 180 with Bill Alley v St George. A few months later he knocked up 112 in 126 minutes against ND at Petersham. By season’s end he had scored 615 runs at 40.46 and taken 19 wickets.
NSW selectors were unable to hold him back and on 14 December 1945 a Sheffield Shield debut v SA in Adelaide where he didn’t disappoint scoring 68 and snaring five slip catches.
The Right Physio - Heroes of the Ages
In 1947 he joined Rawtenstall in the Lancashire League. In his first year he scored 908 runs at 45.40 while taking 89 wickets at 10.29. It was a performance which topped the whole of the League. A year later he had been signed by Lancashire CCC where he played for 15 years topping 1,000 runs for the season on 13 occasions. In 1959 he scored an amazing 2,253 runs at 41.72 with four centuries and 14 fifties including 202* plus a record 555 catches.
In his full first-class career, he compiled 22,454 runs (second among Australians to Don Bradman whose birthday he shared.) at an average of 33.66, hit 29 centuries and 138 fifties, held 608 catches and took 242 wickets at a cost of 29.78. He played 10 times for NSW and 452 matches for Lancashire. His Petersham 1st Grade record stood at 2,536 runs with two centuries and 11 fifties at 28.17. He also took 120 wickets at 24.20 with 5-64 against Gordon his best return. His overall club record was 2,690 runs and 136 wickets.
#trustrespecthumility #heroesoftheages
