Parramatta District Cricket Club – Ben Abbott Big Bashes
Parramatta District Cricket Club | March 07, 2025
Ben Abbott is an entertainer, probably as explosive a batsman as any that have ever played for the club, capable of unleashing ferocious clean-hitting and at ‘full steam’ he burnishes his cricket bat like Thor’s Hammer crushing any bowler who has the audacity to deliver a ball in his direction.
The sturdily built right-hander is a cavalier character – sports a bushy bushranger beard, wears a Viking like pigtail hair style and is branded with a multitude of tattoos – and over the last few seasons the younger sibling of Sean Abbott has established himself as one of the most feared batsmen in Sydney 1st grade Premier Cricket.
Many avid NSW Premier Cricket observers find it astonishing that, in his prime seasons 2019 – 2021, Benny Abbott wasn’t snapped up by any of the Sydney Big Bash T20 franchises. He had potential crowd appeal, hit the ball harder than any other batsman in the grade competition and above all produced some astonishing displays of ravaging opponents bowling attacks.
The impact this talented player can have on a game of cricket was aptly shown by his deeds illustrated below.
1.- What a Weekend (18/19th Nov 2018) was had by Parramatta’s powerhouse batsman Ben Abbott!!
Ben’s weekend of mayhem got under way at Old kings Oval on Saturday in the 2nd grade match against Bankstown, where those present were treated to a demonstration of pure clean-hitting of the highest order – I personally haven’t witnessed a Parramatta batsman flay an attack with the same raw power as Ben since the 1960/70s when Terry Walters dished out the same sort of punishment to hapless bowlers.
Ben’s dig enabled Parramatta to rattle up 4/292 to swamp Bankstown’s total of 266. Like a wrecking ball he bludgeoned the ‘shell shocked’ Bankstown attack into total submission with his brilliant 166 (115 balls) – including a whopping 22 x 4s, 7 x 6s, 130 runs in boundaries or maximums – it was an innings to be treasured by the younger of the club’s Abbott brothers. During the progress of his destruction Benny shared a match-winning 3rd wicket partnership of 163 with his captain, the elegant left-handed stroke-maker Adam Turrell, who contributed a sweetly struck 46.
The Ben Abbott Show recommenced on Sunday at Old Kings Oval, in the 1st grade Kingsgrove Sports T20 competition, in the double-header Parramatta opponents on the day were Bankstown again and ‘out-of-towners’ the Central Coast. Not letting any grass grow under his feet Ben decided to again ‘unleash the demons’ and simply pulverized the bowling brigades from both these opponents – smashing scores of 57 and 54 respectively – to steer Parramatta to two wins.
The weekend’s performances may prove to be a watershed moment, heralding Benny’s arrival as one of the most dangerous and exhilarating batsmen in Sydney’s Premier league competition. Hopefully he can go on to sustain these brutal attacks on Parramatta’s playing opponents on a consistent basis – if he does it will be compelling viewing for Parramatta teammates and club followers.
2. – 1st December 2019 - The Kingsgrove Cup T20 – Double-Header - Parramatta v. Sydney University and Bankstown at Merrylands Oval.
In a spectacular display of authoritative T20 batsmanship Benny Abbott simply squatted the bowling attacks of two of Sydney’s strongest 1st grade teams. In a day to remember he became the first and to date the only player to score twin centuries in a Sydney T20 double-header.
Sydney University were the first to ‘cop the medicine’, in an awesome display Ben struck 115 runs – it took just 59 balls, 66 minutes and included 7 sixes.
In the afternoon Bankstown encountered a ‘still hungry’ Abbott and his flashing bat decimated the Bulldog’s bowlers to the tune of 126 runs – made in 52 balls, 65 minutes and incorporated 11 sixes – his 100 came in just 35 balls.
3. – Belvidere Cup Rd. 11 2019/20 season – Parramatta v. Gordon at Chatswood Oval.
Demonstrating what he could also dish out in red ball cricket Benny crushed the men from Gordon with his customary power-packed batting to rattle up a brilliant 164 runs (10 sixes) to steer the two-blues to a strong victory.
(By Tom Wood – Club Historian)
