Graeme Hughes - Randwick Petersham Cricket Club - Heroes of the Ages
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | July 11, 2023
Graeme Hughes made his Grade debut at 15 in Petersham-Marrickville’s 1971-72. His arrival brought immediate success, winning the A W Green Shield.
Hughes’ playing influence in the win, however, was with the ball rather than the bat. He opened the bowling and produced some devastating spells in finishing with 27 wickets at the amazing average of just 9.7. He knocked Randwick over for 52 with 7-22, while in the GF, he took 5-42 to have North Sydney out for 109, giving his team a win by a massive 10 wickets. He was later named captain of the Combined Green Shield team to play Country.
More success followed with a PGs win with Heaps heading the batting averages. He also celebrated a maiden Grade century, 102 v Cumberland in 2nd Grade and a 1st Grade debut at age 17 years and 17 days in round 9 v Wests. And while he only scored 8 , it was a proud family occasion as Graeme’s father, Noel, was also in the team.
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A 1st Grade premiership followed to provide three premierships in his first four seasons of Grade Cricket. He was one of the leading bats in that premiership win, scoring 463 and top-scoring with 42 in the Grand Final v Manly at Petersham. A talented footballer with Canterbury Bulldogs and at 19 he was selected to play rugby league for NSW v Queensland.
In 1975-76, he made his Sheffield Shield debut for NSW at the MCG and 2 matches later, he joined Gary Gilmour at the SCG putting on 105 v SA with Graeme’s contribution 35. In 3 seasons Hughes played 20 matches scoring 604 runs including three half-centuries with a best of 65.
In 1993-94 season, the 38-year-old retired having accumulated a total of 6,538 1st Grade runs in a career spanning 23 years. In all grades, he scored 7,155 runs extends to 7,928 with PG & AWGS. He also took 99 wickets and held 98 catches. In 1991, he joined his father Noel, when he was awarded life membership of the Petersham-Marrickville. And in 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal.
As a “dual blue”, Graeme was the third cricketer from Petersham/Petersham-Marrickville behind Bill Farnsworth and Dudley Seddon to achieve the feat.
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