Great nicknames in Cricket

Paul Ryan | February 23, 2023

Rod Marsh nickname was Bacchus. The story behind the nickname was that it was after the town 50km Northwest of Melbourne called Bacchus Marsh. Travelling on a train with his Western Australian teammates from Adelaide to Melbourne, the train stopped at Bacchus Marsh and Ian Brayshaw promptly stated Rod, you'll now be known as Bacchus.

Nicknames for whatever reason are what we do with people’s name. Some are funny, some are subtle others are cheekily rude. Many are obvious and some are best left to the imagination.

Looking up the meaning of Nickname in the dictionary and you’ll read:

“A familiar or humorous name given to a person or thing instead of or as well as the real name”

We’ve cast the net across the cricket community for great nicknames and the stories behind them. We will continue to add new nicknames and their stories as they are presented.

I appreciate the contributions from the cricket community. Let’s see what we caught so far.

 

Name - Jeremy Bray, former Ireland opening batsman and played NSW Premier Cricket

Nickname - Words

Story - Jeremy was well known for his talkative nature.

 

Name - Mal Gorham

Nickname - Pencil

Story - Mal was Western Suburbs in Sydney first grade scorer for over 30 years.

Name - James Le Huray, played for Randwick Petersham in Sydney

Nickname - Hip Hip

Story - obvious

Name - Mark Taylor - NSW, Australia

Nickname - Jarsee

Story - From his days at Chatswood High in the 1980’s. His build and his voluminous rear end he was known as Jarsee, a diminution of Hugh Jarse.

 

Name - Andrew Hilditch, NSW, South Australia, Australia

Nickname - Soda

Story - South Australian teammates thought he was a great mixer

 

Name - Mark Eaton, South Australia

Nickname - Moth

Story - obvious

Name – Daniel Copeland who played cricket on the Central Coast of NSW

Nickname – Denzel

Story – with his initial DC and he was first known as Washington which then became Denzel.

 

Name - Barry Coad, former Penrith and Hawkesbury opening batsman in Sydney

Nickname - Morse

Story - obvious

 

Name - Evan Dix, played NSW Premier Cricket for Sydney Cricket Club

Nickname - Dirty

Story - obvious

 

Name - Craig O'Shannessy

Nickname - Dish

Story - Home town was Parkes in NSW. Parkes Observatory relayed live television of humanity's first step in the Moon in 1969 and a movie was made 'The Dish'

 

Name - Peter McLay, 6 foot 4 left arm orthodox spinner for western suburbs in Sydney

Nickname - Skylab

Story – Peter was a 6 foot 4 left arm orthodox spinner for Western Suburbs in Sydney and when he bowled the ball was released from a great height. RIP Skylab

 

Name - Gavin Robertson, former Australian Test cricketer

Nickname - Riddler

Story - Gavin's propensity to talk in riddles.

 

Name - Graeme Pitty, former NSW, Bankstown and Penrith fast bowler

Nickname - Wadda

Story - obvious

 

Name – Paul Cox is a great stalwart of Taree West Cricket Club

Nickname – Two balls

Story – Early in his career his innings only ever lasted two balls.

 

Name – David Hourn

Nickname – Cracker

Story – obvious

 

Name - Glenn Trimble – former first-class player for Queensland

Nickname - Chips

Story - Glenn is the son of legendary Queensland stalwart Sam Trimble – He was SAM’s BOY and thus the brand of potato crisps association and the nickname Chips.

 

Name - Withheld

Nickname - Marbles

Story: A guy in Wales would carry 5 marbles in his pocket when he went out to bat. When he transferred 5 marbles to the other pocket, he knew it was time to take a single on the last ball of the over so he could keep strike

 

Name – Neil Marks, former NSW batsman

Nickname – Harpo

Story – named after one of the famous Marx brothers of slapstick comedy but stuck brilliantly.

 

Name – Mark Clews, former NSW fast bowler

Nickname – Adonis

Story - the body! Awful to observe in a changing room as he dominated the room. Never enough mirrors! ??

 

Name – Chris Clancy played grade cricket for North Sydney

Nickname - Clancy of the Overthrow

Story - Chris was captain of North Sydney Poidevin Gray side managed by Brian McMahon. He fielded in the covers and was always throwing hard at the stumps even though little chance of running batsmen out and the keeper not being behind stumps. So, Brian nicknamed him Clancy of the Overthrow.

 

Name – Damian Gratten-Smith played grade cricket for Sydney University

Nickname – Hondo

Story – there was a horse trotter around at the time he was playing called Hondo Gratten

 

Name – Peter Somerville played grade cricket for Sydney University

Nickname – Member

Story - Pete had a lash at local government and Mick O’Sullivan used to call him ‘Member’

 

Name – Trevor Jay played grade cricket for Randwick in Sydney

Nickname – Hammer

Story – Trevor was a great and funny sledger.

 

Name – withheld

Nickname – 28B

Story – Apparently, a player had a nickname 28B (plane seat number) because he was a complete a f#$%ing passenger

 

Name – Peter O’Reilly played grade cricket in Sydney

Nickname – Radar

Story – named after Radar O’Reilly in the TV sitcom M*A*S*H

 

Name – Gordon Goffet played first class cricket for NSW.

Nickname – Rinny

Story - Gordon had a very hairy chest and back and his teammates thought he had as much hair as Rin Tin Tin, The German Sheppard in the series of the same name Rin Tin Tin

 

Name – Phillip Beale played for Easts in Brisbane

Nickname – Batma

Story – you’ll work it out.

 

Name – Desmond Keen

Nickname – Two Three

Story – Teammate David Trower called him Two Three and when asked why David’s response was “There’s already a Desmond two two”

 

Name - Brett Hails who plays for the Rouchel Cricket Club in the Upper Hunter near Scone

Nickname – Diesel

Story – Brett fuelled his Land Cruiser with 160 Litres of unleaded, drove it to a remote bush cricket ground (45kms east of Scone) and couldn’t work out why the engine blew up.

 

Name - David Sincock, former Australian Test Cricket

Nickname - Evil dick

Story - ??

 

Name – Bruce Francis – former Test batsman

Nickname – Mule

Story - named after "Francis the talking mule"

 

Name – Andrew Smart played grade cricket in Brisbane.

Nickname – Half

Story – Andrew is the brother of Queensland Sheffield Shield batsman Chris, the younger and less renowned Andrew was cruelly known as Half

 

Name – John Gleeson

Nickname - CHO

Story - The legendary former Test mystery spinner Johnny Gleeson, who became known as CHO as in "Cricket hours Only" as he was never seen by his team-mates after playing hours.

 

Name – Corey Richards played first class cricket for NSW

Nickname – Spoons

Story – When Corey was 18 he played his first NSW 2XI in Brisbane against Queensland. Returning home, the plane was delayed and after a few drinks in the Airport Lounge it was suggested the youngest player should follow tradition and play spoons with a senior player. We’ll let you work out which one in the video was Corey

 

 

Name – Rod Sparrow played grade cricket in Brisbane

Nickname – Swallow

Story - After being told of his selection for QCA Colts, captain/coach Ian Greig announced to the team that they would be joined on Saturday by "Ron Swallow"

 

Name - Glenn Farquharson played grade cricket in Sydney.

Nickname - Mother

Story – you’ll work it out

Name - Dennis Lillee

Nickname - FOT

Story - Apparently one of his Western Australian team mates told him one day to lift his game as he was bowling like a Flaming Old Tart. I don't think flaming was the word used though.

 

Name - Andrew Knight played grade cricket in Sydney and Brisbane

Nickname - Mudassar

Story - Not long after arriving in Brisbane from Sydney, Andrew was quoted in the Courier Mail that probably only he and Mudassar Nazar from Pakistan opened both the batting and bowling 

 

Name – David Brandon was an umpire in NSW Premier Cricket

Nickname - Dougie

Story – David Brandon on being congratulated by Alan Davidson on his appointment as a Sheffield Shield umpire, was called Dougie Branson by Davo. He’s been known as Dougie ever since

 

Name - Peter Vilimaa, former Northern District fast bowler in Sydney

Nickname – Esto

Story - Commonly regarded as the greatest cricketer ever to come out of his parent’s homeland of Estonia. Less well-known fact is that he’s the only cricketer to ever come out of Estonia

 

Name - Peter Taylor, former Australian spin bowler

Nickname – Boat

Story - traditionally PT to all his teammates but then cleverly named Boat by Greg Matthews linking the “PT” with the McHale’s Navy boat PT73. Clever. Took an extraordinary mind to come up with the one.

 

Name – Shane Harwood, former Victorian fast bowler

Nickname – Stickers

Story – Plenty of Tattoos

 

Richie Robinson, former Australian test cricketer

Nickname – Bookshelf

Story – named after popular bookstore in Melbourne ‘Robinson Bookshop

 

Name – Ian Healy former Australian Test Wicket keeper

Nickname – Battered Sav

Story – Ian was firstly Heals for obvious reasons then it became Savlon as Savlon Heals. Then it took the expected bawdy turn and became Battered Sav.

 

Greg Rowell – former NSW, Queensland and Tasmania fast bowler

Nickname – Reggie

Story – Greg was known as Bird when he was in Sydney because of his height, Big Bird. When Greg Rowell came up from Sydney to play at Wests in Brisbane, a local newspaper did a story and named him as Reg Rowell. He was known by a lot of Wests people as Reggie from then.

Glenn McGrath - Former Australian Fast Bowler

Nickname - Pigeon

Story - a NSW team mate suggested Glenn's skinny legs were similar to the legs on a pigeon

Bruce Schmidt - former Wicket Keeper in Brisbane

Nickname - Cymbals

Story - dropped a few early and became Cymbals for life

Michael Back - Former UNSW wicket keeper

Nickname - Stan

Story - ??

Ashley Mallett - former Australian Test Off Spinner

Nickname - Rowdy

Story - ‘Rowdy’ because that’s exactly what he wasn’t.

Doug Menzies - once a treasure of Waratahs Cricket Club in Armidale

Nickname - Radar

Story - The boys reckoned he always knew when they were cashed up so he could hit them up for their fees

Brett Lee - Former Australian fast bowler

Nickname - Bing

Story - After the Australian electronics retailer Bing Lee

Glenn McGrath - former Australian fast bowler

Nickname - Pigeon

Story - A NSW team mate early in McGrath's career suggested his legs looked like those of a pigeon

Darin Turner - former Valley fast bowler in Brisbane Grade Cricket

Nickname - Hooch

Story - From the Tom Hanks movie in the 1980s 'Turner and Hooch'

Steve Storey - former Queensland spinner

Nickname - Bridge

Story - named after the Storey Bridge in Brisbane

Mark Lennon - plays veterans cricket in Brisbane

Nickname - Beatle

Story - why not?????

James Barwise - plays for Western Suburbs in NSW Premier Cricket

Nickname - The Good Doctor

Story - uncanny resemblance to Dr Shaun Murphy

Ken Hall - legend Sydney Grade Cricketer who played for Penrith, Hawkesbury and Bankstown

Nickname - Emu

Story - Known for his athleticism on the cricket ground batting, bowling and fielding

 

If you know of a nickname and story you’d like to share please email me on paul@cricconnect.com and I’ll add it to the Great Nicknames in Cricket.