Bill Ellison 1913-87

Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | November 29, 2024

Billy Ellison joined Randwick as an 18 year old in 1931-32. A left-arm over-the-wrist spinner and hard hitting batsman, he was to become Randwick’s most successful bowler with more than 1,000 wickets as well as one of the greatest of his type, ever to play Sydney Grade cricket.

Bill’s ability was apparent from his first season when he was the star of the “A” Shires team which won the competition, taking 38 wickets at 9.50 runs each. But for an appendicitis operation which cut short his season, he would have taken many more. In a remarkable transition, the very next summer of 1932-33, Ellison was in 1st Grade where he won the bowling average with 19 wickets at 13.05. He was to play the majority of his cricket in that team over the next 30 seasons.

Billy’s debut in 1st Grade produced one of his finest performances, bowling Randwick to victory. Although only 19 years of age, he took 7-48 against North Sydney at North Sydney Oval to demolish the Bears for 147 before Randwick replied with 197. One of Ellison’s wickets was the prize scalp of Clem Hill the former Australian captain who he bowled for 17.

Born William Norman Ellison at Sydney on 12 April 1913, Bill was a skilful “Chinaman” bowler who turned the ball on most pitches while his “wrong-un” was not easy to pick as many Grade batsmen could testify. Like many bowlers of his type, accuracy was a problem, and it was generally regarded that it was this tendency which prevented him playing at State level. His skipper Jack Chegwyn regarded him “a match winner or match loser” depending on whether he was on-line or not. When he struck his length, he could drastically change the state of a game. On one occasion when Jack threw Bill the ball against North Sydney who were about to overtake the Randwick score, Bill quipped “You’ve cut it a bit fine, but I think I can do it”. A few balls later Bill had taken four wickets and the match was won.

Ellison spent four years in the Army between 1942 and 1945. He showed his absence had not diminished his skills taking 35 wickets at just 11.2 in 2nd Grade on his return. A regular in 1st Grade thereafter, in 1950-51 he finished with 33 wickets which included hauls of 7-69 against Mosman, 6-20 playing Cumberland while he took 5-55 v Wests at Pratten Park.

Bill’s best season was in 1951-52 when Randwick won the 1st Grade premiership. That summer he was almost unplayable taking 58 wickets at 13.87 each. He took five wickets in an innings seven times and 10 in a match on one occasion. His hauls included 5-48 against Bankstown; 5-74 playing Glebe; 5-54 v St George at SCG; 6-85 against Mosman at Mosman Oval while he took 7-52 to bowl out Wests for 182 with Randwick scoring 267 at Coogee Oval. His best match performance, however, was against Northern District at Waitara Oval. He bundled them out for 145 taking 6-21 in the first innings and had 5-74 in a score-line of 8-135 in the second to give him match figures of 11-95.

The cagy left-armer’s best innings figures however, occurred in 1937-38 when the 24 year old took a magnificent 8-50 against Gordon. With 3-11 in the first innings, he finished with match figures of 11-61. His best match figures were in 2nd Grade in 1935-36 when he took 13-119, again playing Gordon, made up of 7-73 in the first innings and 6-46 in the second.

Ellison was no slouch with the bat either, scoring a total of 5,269 runs in all grades throughout his 36 seasons. A total of 4,030 were scored in 1st Grade. However, it wasn’t until 1948-49, his 16th season in 1st Grade that he hit his first century scoring 108* against Paddington. He then ran up 115 against Marrickville a few matches later.

There were few better cover fieldsmen than Bill Ellison. Baseball had given him a powerfully accurate left arm and his bullet-like returns brought about many run-out dismissals. With another excellent fieldsman in Joe Hadley, the two were regarded as one of the best fielding combinations in Grade Cricket. In all competitions, Bill held 186 catches with 130 in 1st Grade.

When past his best 1st Grade days, Bill dropped to 2nds where he won the bowling average and aggregate for three successive seasons prior to 1966-67 when he retired at age 54. He captained the side that season and his 40 wickets at 17.5 took him past the magic 1,000 mark enabling him to hang up his boots with a remarkable tally of 1,013 wickets including 614 in 1st Grade and 345 in Seconds. With another 59 in Poidevin-Gray, his overall total was 1,072. This was the most wickets ever taken for Randwick and one of the highest totals in all Grade Cricket.

In 1961-62, aged 48 years and 353 days, the “youthful” Bill Ellison took 5-52 in 2nd Grade against Central Cumberland –the third oldest to take five wickets in the history of Sydney Grade Cricket.

After developing Parkinson’s disease, Billy Ellison—Randwick’s finest--passed away at his South Coogee home on 28 September 1987. He was 74 years of age