Leslie Walter Pye – An Unsurpassed Performance

Parramatta District Cricket Club | February 14, 2025

Leslie Walter Pye was an iconic cricketer with the Parramatta District Cricket Club, in a First Grade career that stretched from 1894/95 to 1918/19 (although he filled in for the firsts in a game during the 1921/22 at the age of 51 years scoring 21 runs and claiming 5/44 v. St George). The brilliant allrounder a skilful and stylish top-order batsman, a crafty leg-spinner and outstanding slips fieldsman – one of only two players to score 7,000+ runs and capture 300+ wickets in NSW Premier First Grade Cricket for the Parramatta Club (M.A. Wood was the other player).

His full P.D.C.C. career statistics were – 7,806 runs @ 38.22 (H.S. – 244) and 480 wickets @ 20.02 (B.B. – 9/40) – this included 20 centuries and 25 five wicket hauls. Pye played 29 games for NSW scoring 1,189 runs @ 29.66 (H.S. – 166 on debut in 1897) and claiming 62 wickets @ 24.93 (B.B. – 5/29).

In November 1898 Les Pye produced the greatest individual performance ever made in NSW Premier First Grade Cricket, in a match where Parramatta (then known as Central Cumberland) took on Leichhardt. Leichhardt batted first and Les opened the bowling with Test off-spinner Bill Howell and his sharp turning leg-spin demolished the Tigers as he grabbed 9/40. Pye’s dream match continued when he opened Cumberland’s batting and played superbly to register a massive 244.

(By Tom Wood – PDCC Historian)