Parramatta District Cricket Club Icon - Robert ‘Bobby’ Aitken
Parramatta District Cricket Club | February 16, 2025
Off-spinning allrounder Bobby ‘RA’ Aitken was a gifted cricketer.
Between 1960 and 1988 ‘RA’ was one of the most well-known players on the Sydney First grade cricket stage – punctuating 26 seasons at Parramatta with a 2-season stint at the Sydney club. Throughout that period, he proved himself to be an outstanding player, but also won a reputation as a cantankerous, fierce and ultra-competitive opponent, especially when he had his fingers wrapped around a cricket ball plotting the downfall of the bloke holding the bat at the other end of the pitch.
He was an authentic all-rounder endowed with a high level of skill in each department of the game – foremost being his crafty off-spin bowling that combined variety, guile and snappy spin to harvest wickets in abundance – whilst his batting at its peak was not text book in style but it was punishing and aggressive and could quickly alter the course of a game – as befits a long-term baseballer his fielding was sharp and alert especially in ‘close to the wicket’ positions.
At the Parramatta (Cumberland) club Bobby ranks alongside the wonderful off-spinners who featured for ‘two-blues’ over the course of the club’s long history – Internationals W.P. Howell and Gervys Hazlitt, and NSW rep W.H. Howell. RA holds pride of place as the club’s highest First grade wicket-taker with a remarkable 715 wickets.
His association with the Parramatta started in 1955/56 where he emerged as a bowler of great promise in the A.W. Green Shield team after snaring 21 wickets @ 6.57. He started his great career in earnest in 4th grade in 1956/57 and finally retired in 1988/89 – making his First grade debut in 1960/61.
During this long career his wicket-taking deeds were quite amazing – in all grades for PDCC he amassed 943 wickets + 23 Rothmans KO wickets, plus a further 74 wickets for the Sydney Club – a total of 1,036 grade wickets all up. In First grade for PDCC he captured 715 wickets @ 23.07 – including 33 ‘Five Wicket Bags’ with a Best Bowled of 7/30 v. Sydney 1973/74. On five occasions he topped 40 wickets in a season – best 49 in 1973/74.
In all grades for PDCC ‘RA’ smashed 7,609 runs – including 104* v. Bankstown in 3rd grade in 1960/61 (his only century). In First grade for the club his run total stood @ 5,484 @ 19.50 (H.S. – 98) with 16 half-centuries, he also struck another 422 runs in Rothman KO matches – his all-round performances made him one of only four players to have completed the ‘300+ wickets and 5,000+ runs in First grade double’ for Parramatta, the others being Les Pye, Richie Benaud and Michael Wood.
Bob was a key player in the club’s strong 1960s teams, and played alongside older brother John ‘JA’ Aitken in the 1964/65 First Grade Premiership winning team:
· 1964/65 Premiers – 306 runs @ 61.20 and 20wickets @ 17.60; 1965/66 Runners-up – 44 wickets @ 19.17; and 1969/70 Minor Premiers and Runners-up – 45 wickets @ 15.78.
Along with ‘JA’ he was selected in the Parramatta District Cricket Club’s Team of the 1960s. Many observers believe Bobby Aitken was most unfortunate not to have ever been selected for NSW.
The ‘apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ as demonstrated by Bob’s three sons Robbie, James and Glenn who over many seasons with the North Sydney club have proved to be outstanding first grade cricketers.
(By Tom Wood – Club Historian)
