David Murphy was a dynamic opening batsman
Sutherland District Cricket Club | March 31, 2025
David Murphy first came to our attention after he scored a quickfire century for NSW Country Under 17s in a trial match against City Under 17s at Bradman Oval, Bowral in December 2005. As a result of that innings, he was selected in the NSW Under 17 team to play in the Australian Championships in January 2006. Among his teammates in the NSW squad were Phillip Hughes and Steve Smith. In the Australian Championships, he had two century opening partnerships with Hughes. The first was 102 in 51 minutes against Northern Territory at Petersham Oval, of which David contributed 64 off 37 balls (2 sixes & 9 fours). In the next match against Queensland at Mona Park, Auburn, David was again the first out – this time for 82 off 47 balls (6 sixes & 5 fours) – with the opening partnership being 132 in 78 minutes. In 5 innings in the Australian Championships, David scored 174 runs off 112 balls, with 9 sixes & 16 fours.
Steve Smith convinced David that he should move from the Illawarra competition to join Sutherland for the 2006-07 season. He was selected in 3rd Grade in Round 1 and made 112 off 98 balls (2 sixes & 16 fours) on debut. Captain Jason Packer wrote in his end of season report “Our newest recruit from the South Coast David Murphy then belted the Fairfield bowlers to all parts in his run a ball 100.” He was promptly promoted to 2nd Grade, where he took a few rounds to find his feet. In Round 5, he showed what he was capable of with 102 off 64 balls (4 sixes & 14 fours). Two rounds later, University of NSW were 8/322 at stumps on day 1 and continued their innings on day 2. They declared at 9/358, leaving Sutherland 85 overs to score the runs. Captain Matt Parker said in his team report “David Murphy then strode to the crease and I saw some of the cleanest hitting I have ever seen with David scoring 158 and I was lucky enough to be batting at the other end to watch his innings unfold.” David scored his runs off 120 balls with 2 sixes and 23 fours, reaching his century off 53 balls. He put on 230 in 144 minutes with Parker, who made 111 not out, as the winning score of 3-360 was achieved off 56 overs!
David finished his first season with the Club with 800 runs at an average of 34.8 in all competitions (53 in 1sts, 391 in 2nds, 112 in 3rds & 244 in PGs). His PGs tally included scores of 83 off 54 balls, 51 off 29 balls & 79 (balls not recorded but team report said “David Murphy again smashed his way to the top score of the innings”). David also played for the NSW Under 19 team in 2006-07, scoring 288 runs in 7 innings off 222 balls, including a top score of 102 off 68 balls. He was subsequently chosen in the Australian Under 19 team to play Pakistan in 5 one day internationals after the end of the season. Unfortunately he could only manage to score 27 runs in 5 innings.
After a quiet start to his 1st Grade career at the end of 2006-07, the following season David scored 533 runs at 33.3. This included one century and three half-centuries. The century was a quite extraordinary innings at Glenn McGrath Oval in a 50-overs match against Manly Warringah. After dismissing Manly for 181, Murph gave a remarkable display of big hitting. He scored 125 not out as we made 1/185 off 18.2 overs!! Details of the innings were as follows:
· 50 off 30 balls
· 100 off 50 balls
· 125 not out off 57 balls
· 9 sixes & 13 fours
· 81 minutes
· Fastest ever 1st Grade century for Sutherland, surpassing the previous record of 59 balls by Les Ritchie in 1969-70
· Fastest ever century in all grades for Sutherland, surpassing his own record of 53 balls in 2nd Grade set the previous season
In PGs, he scored 231 runs at 46.2, including scores of 85 off 30 balls (10x6 & 3x4 – he was dismissed at 2/101 off 10.1 overs), 77 off 34 balls (2x6 & 12x4) & 55 off 31 balls (5x6 & 4x4).
In 2008-09, David scored 516 runs in 1sts at 24.6, plus a further 210 at 42.2 in the new T20 competition. The 1st Grade team report by captain Matthew Hughston read as follows in the Player Profiles section:
“Apart from starring in his own form of cricket (20/20), Murph improved out of sight. From his own admission he believes this wasn’t a great year. Many onlookers would disagree and it was easily shown in the last game against the minor premiers Bankstown – Murph hit 87 from 68 balls combining power. Intelligence and clean hitting. He is a huge asset for this team and easily a match winner for us in the future.”
The section dealing with the new T20 competition read:
“The major highlight of the season would have to be the introduction of David Murphy Cricket (20/20) to the Sydney grade competition. The stand outs would have to be Steven Smith, who showed exactly why he was the NSW 20/20 player of the year in 2008….. The other was obviously David Murphy who we believe this game was invented for. His clean hitting and exciting power left all watching breathless. To show how well he did, Murph was the top scorer in the competition for all teams with 210 runs at 42.”
His 210 runs came off only 106 balls at a strike rate of 198.11, including scores of 78 off 26 balls, 48 off 22, 33 off 21 & 30 off 20. In PGs, he scored 232 at 33.1. This included two half-centuries, 61 vs Manly (described in the annual report “David Murphy batted superbly for 61, only losing his wicket in the quest for a double bonus point”) and 75 vs Eastern Suburbs (“Murph led from the front with a superb 75”).
David’s form in 1st Grade fell away in 2009-10, as he got busy with work. In 10 matches in 1sts, he only scored 148 runs. However, when dropped to 2nds for Round 6 against Campbelltown Camden, he responded with his highest score for the Club – a magnificent 215 off 148 balls in 198 minutes, with 5 sixes & 27 fours. The 2nd Grade report read “At 2/25, Pickering joined Murphy at the crease for what was to become an epic partnership. The pair added a then club record 284, with Murphy 215 (highest ever score in 2nd Grade) and Pickering 121. From all reports, this innings was far from the normal fireworks display from Murphy, as he combined hard hitting, excellent placement, sensible batting, patience and brilliant running between the wickets.” The partnership lasted 176 minutes and came off 271 balls. This is the scorecard:
2009-10 was David’s final season in Poidevin-Gray Shield. The annual report read “The captain, David Murphy, was the leading runscorer with 203 runs at 40.6. He finished with 910 runs in P-Gs at 41.4 (in 23 matches) – the fourth most runs for the Club in this competition. Many of those runs have been scored in as entertaining a fashion as has ever been seen for SDCC!”
David joined the police force in 2011 and his club career ended soon after. In all matches for Sutherland, he scored 3728 runs at 28.7 in 123 matches, including 5 centuries. He ranks as one of the most exciting batsmen to have played for the Club.
This article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday November 28, 2007, after his 1st Grade century against Manly Warringah:
JUST as Australian cricket has discovered its next long-term opener in Phil Jaques, the club that spawned him has found another left-handed opener as a replacement. And Sutherland officials say not even Jaques has managed what 18-year-old David Murphy did on Saturday, hinting the Wollongong product might follow even further in Jaques's spikes.
Just weeks after completing his HSC exams, Murphy bludgeoned the quickest century in the club's history - an astonishing 125 not out off 57 balls, to lead the team to victory over Manly. The slightly-built opener admitted feeling like he was toying with his opponents during his 81-minute effort, which was watched by former NSW coach Steve Rixon and Glenn McGrath.
"I felt like I was controlling what they were doing," Murphy said. "There was a short boundary on one side and they had three fielders so I hit it straight. Then they moved the fielders and I went to the short boundary."
After finishing his last HSC exam earlier this month, Murphy decided to put off university to help his cricket career. He is now training his sights on selection in the Australian squad for the under-19 World Cup in Malaysia early next year, describing the next 12 months as "make or break".
It truly must be a "gap year". Murphy found 13 of them during his innings at Caringbah Oval for boundaries, and went over the top for nine sixes.
It was his maiden first-grade century, but Murphy had previously belted three in his short spell at Sutherland - second grade tons off 53 and 62 balls and a third-grade hundred in his first match for the club off 84. On Saturday, he smashed 50 off 30 balls and then bludgeoned the next half-century in just 20, to lead his team past Manly's target of 182 off 18.2 overs.
"We were all quite stunned," said Sutherland official Tom Iceton. "I don't recall seeing anything like that … it was just incredible."
