Peter Clough - Penrith First Grade cap number 39
Penrith Cricket Club | January 03, 2024
Very tall, and rather gangly, Peter Clough could be a deceptively quick and bouncy fast-medium bowler. Because his action looked awkward, even ungainly, a tangle of arms and pumping legs, batsmen often underestimated the genuine threat his immaculate line and length posed. In 1978/79 he played for a Combined Universities team against the England touring team and struck the famous Geoff Boycott in the head with a bouncer.
His love of life made him a popular player. He had a ‘quickie’s’ streak of aggression likely to stir any opponent, but not always understood by umpires and officials. His team-mates called him ‘Wingnut’ (prominent ears) but for most of his time with Penrith he was simply ‘Goober’.
He came to the Club in 1973/74 as a 17-year-old and played Third, Fourth and ‘Fifth’ Grades before becoming an established First Grader in 1976/77. He played in the Club’s first Premiership team in 1978/79.
That season the NSW Selectors chose him in the State Colts but he realised he was not likely to make the NSW Sheffield Shield team and moved to Tasmania in 1980 where he became the first product of the Nepean/Penrith Club to play First-class cricket.
Peter Clough, Len Pascoe with Neil Adcock former South Africa Test bowler
He captured Tasmania’s first First-class hat-trick (against NSW at the SCG when he claimed the wickets of Rick McCosker, Ian Davis and Trevor Chappell). The jubilant Clough raced down the wicket and hurdled the stumps, prompting ABC commentator Kerry O’Keeffe to remark, “You can take the boy out of Penrith but you can’t take Penrith out of the boy”.
In his best, and final season for Tasmania, 1983/84, Clough took 42 wickets. His 8/95 against Western Australia was his best performance. He left for Western Australia where he played the next two seasons.
The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket reviewed his career this way: “Although his fast bowling must have put him close to Australian selection, Clough will be remembered as much for his efforts as a tailender and nightwatchman, and displays of courage which hauled his team out of many a hole. Not many better cricketers have played for Tasmania”.
In his First-class career he played 43 matches scoring 421 runs @ 11.69, and took 139 wickets @ 31.23 with five five-wicket hauls, his best 8/95. In Limited-overs he played 11 matches taking 13 wickets @ 34.6. For Nepean/Penrith Peter scored 190 runs @ 4.22 and took 171 wickets @ 22.46. His father Mick, State politician and a well-known local cricketer, captained the Club’s ‘Fifth Grade’ in the local Nepean Association in 1975/76.
