Clive Johnston 1925-91
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | June 14, 2024
An examination of the history of any successful sporting club or association will generally identity a handful of people whose dedicated contribution over an extended period, was an important ingredient in its success. In terms of the Petersham / Petersham-Marrickville District Cricket Club, Clive Johnston was such a person.
With the start of World War II in 1939-40, the 14 year old Petersham-born Clive William Johnston ventured to the local Petersham Oval to attend the Saturday morning coaching classes. Despite his tender years, he showed enough batting talent and enthusiasm to attract the selector’s attention and he made his Sydney Grade debut that season in Petersham’s 3rd Grade team.
After four half-centuries in 2s and 3s over the following two seasons, and at just 17 years of age, he made his 1st Grade debut. Showing a maturity beyond his years and in a display of generous responsibility, he also put his hand up to serve on the club’s Management Committee. But his involvement was short lived as the next season he began three years active service in the Navy, earning himself the nickname “Sailor”.
Discharged in July 1946, Johnston resumed his cricket career being immediately included in the Petersham 1st XI. In his first game back against Paddington at Petersham he scored 150 in a total of 434. Skipper Wally Yeates who made 104, commented in his annual report: “C Johnston’s century innings against Paddington can be classed as one of the finest seen on Petersham Oval and coupled with his fielding, he was an asset to our side. I can predict with assurance and I am sure many support my statement, that Clive will go a long way in cricket”. Johnston came close to a second century when dismissed for 97 against Cumberland. He finished the season the leading batsman with 550 runs at 50.09.
The following 1947-48 season was almost a mirror image with Clive again heading the Petersham batting with 553 runs, while again knocking up a big score–140 against Mosman which included 22 fours. He was also appointed captain of the NSW Second XI having been first selected in the side the previous season. He later captained the NSW Colts team visiting a number of country centres. Clive’s batting had developed to such an extent that Keith Miller, writing in the Sporting Life newspaper some time later described him as a “dashing batsman with cover drives and square cuts, a feature of his batting”.
While his 519 runs in 1948-49 wasn’t top of the batting list, it was the third successive season the right-hander had passed the 500 runs-a-season milestone. State selectors were impressed with his consistency as well as his talent and early the following season, he joined fellow Petersham team-mates Bill Alley and Ernie Toshack in the NSW Sheffield Shield team. He went on to play five first-class matches that season although he didn’t experience the same success he enjoyed in Grade Cricket.
Playing in an era of such outstanding cricketers as Keith Miller, Arthur Morris, Lindsay Hassett, Neil Harvey, Ray Lindwall, Richie Benaud, Alan Davidson and Ian Craig to name but a few, it was difficult for Clive to command a regular spot in the NSW team. Over his 11 years representative span, he was selected to play just 11 times for NSW scoring 418 runs with a highest score of 68 in 1956-57. He did have the distinction however, of captaining the side on two occasions when the Test players were unavailable.
In 1951-52, Johnston was appointed captain of the newly-formed Petersham-Marrickville DCC following a merger between Petersham and its neighbour, Marrickville. It was an outstanding season for the new club, winning the Club Championship while the 1st Grade side finished second behind Randwick. And it was a personal triumph for Clive, scoring what was and turned out to be, a career-best 712 runs which included three centuries.
That was the first of 16 successive seasons Clive Johnston would captain the Petersham-Marrickville 1st XI, winning three Sydney 1st Grade premierships along the way. Under Clive’s stewardship, the team was one of the most competitive in the competition, never finishing further back than ninth while it made the semi-finals on nine occasions. During those 16 seasons, Clive’s wife Betty, ably assisted by spin bowler Ken White’s wife Hazel, served the afternoon teas at Petersham Oval.
In 1965, Clive was elected a Life Member of the club and two years later when he retired, he did so as the scorer of 9,407 runs for Petersham/Petersham-Marrickville, 8,541 of which were in 1st Grade. He also scored a massive 17 centuries.
And while he retired from the Management Committee in 1971 after 22 years’ service, in 1988 he re-joined the club administration as President and Delegate to the NSWCA. However, after three years serving in those roles and aged just 65, Clive passed away after a short illness. It was the end of an era and the end of one of the great icons of Petersham-Marrickville District Cricket Club. The Randwick Petersham award for Best under 21 years Poidevin-Gray Player is proudly presented each year in his memory.
