Ron Saggers - Randwick Petersham Cricket Club - Heroes of the Ages
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | November 03, 2023
Ron Saggers could be regarded as Marrickville DCC greatest cricketer. An excellent batsman and wicket-keeper of exceptional skill he played for Australia, NSW and Marrickville with outstanding success.
While he was a classy batsman, it was his polish as a wicket-keeper with an amazing ability to effect stumping’s which was on regular display during his international playing career between 1939 and 1951. Sagger’s record shows that of his 221 first-class career dismissals, no less than an amazing 75…or 34%…were stumped.
Randwick Petersham Heroes of the Ages proudly sponsored by The Wright Physio
In 1932-33 he joined the Marrickville playing in 3rd Grade, “A” Shires and the premiership-winning Poidevin Gray under 21 years team. Two years later, aged just 17, the promising youngster progressed through 3rds to 2nd Grade before winning a place in the 1st Grade team where he was to remain for the rest of his playing career. In 1936-37 he was appointed captain of the Poidevin Gray team which went through the competition undefeated to take the premiership.
By 1938-39 Ron’s batting and wicket-keeping talents were recognised by the State selectors and he represented NSW in the Colts and Second XI teams. The following season he made his Sheffield Shield debut v SA at the SCG as a specialist batsman making 45 and 57 of the 1,888 runs he went on to make in first-class cricket and in 1947-48 had the distinction of being appointed NSW captain. To cap off an outstanding year, he was selected as reserve ‘keeper behind Don Tallon in Don Bradman’s 1948 “Invincibles” touring team to England. With Tallon suffering an injury prior to the 4th Test of that series, Ron made his Australian debut at Headingly, Leeds, celebrating with the wicket of Denis Compton caught for 23 off Ray Lindwall. This was also the match in which Neil Harvey made his Test debut.
In 1949-50, Ron was again selected as deputy to Don Tallon for the tour of South Africa but when Tallon withdrew before the ship sailed, Saggers was installed as the No.1 wicket-keeper. Ron ‘kept in each of the five Tests in South Africa recording 21 dismissals including six stumping’s off leg-spinner Colin McCool.
