All 10 wickets - a bowler's dream
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | September 03, 2024
Petersham District Cricket Club was admitted to the Sydney 1st Grade competition from the 1907-08 season. It was however, not granted 1st Grade status when created in 1899, being permitted to only field teams in each of the 2nd and 3rd Grade competitions from the commencement of the 1899-1900 season. Originally known as Petersham Electorate Cricket Club, the club also fielded a team in the veteran and club competitions.
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And while its teams performed well in the Grade competitions in those early years, it was a performance by William Forsyth in the club’s team in the veteran competition in the 1900-01 season, which created most interest among members and in cricket circles.
The following article which appeared in The Referee newspaper on 28 November 1900 at page 8 best describes the performance.
PETERSHAM VETS v CINTRA CC
Norwood Park, 24 Nov 1900
CINTRA CC Batting
J Aitken b Forsyth 4
P McCredie b Forsyth 4
J Cureton b Forsyth 1
D Aitken b Forsyth 12
Ward b Forsyth 0
Bethune b Forsyth 2
Garden b Forsyth 9
A Smith b Forsyth 0
W Gibbs b Forsyth 15
Barry b Forsyth 0
Evans b Forsyth 1
Sundries 9
TOTAL 57
PETERSHAM VETS Bowling
O M W R
Forsyth 9.1 3 10 15
McDonald 4 0 0 17
Mr W E Forsyth, the Hon Secretary of the Petersham C.C., while playing with the Veteran team against Cintra C.C. at Norwood Park on Saturday, bowled the whole ten wickets in the course of 55 balls at a cost of only 15 runs. While not a unique performance, it is a very remarkable one in the fact of the wicket being hit in each instance. In one sense, however, there is no doubt that the feat is unique as Mr Forsyth has only one hand, his right arm ending above the wrist. He bowls left hand of course and in this instance, got most of his wickets with the yorker. It is scarcely necessary to say that he is a devoted enthusiast in the sport. A man who plays regularly and has but one hand needs to have enthusiasm of the highest degree. Mr Forsyth not only plays regularly, but invariably does well with the bat and does his share in the field and at the wickets. As Hon Secretary to his club, he does all his writing with his left hand.
The photograph below above is of the Petersham Electorate CC General Committee of 1904-05. William Forsyth is standing, second from the left in the back row. Note the right arm sleeve of his suit tucked in his pocket.
The photo also includes Sydney Smith Jnr, second from the left in the first row who would go on to be President of the NSW Cricket Association for 32 years.
