Destructive Luke ‘Demo’ Dempsey - Parramatta District Cricket Club
Parramatta District Cricket Club | March 28, 2025
On Saturday 14th February 2022 in a NSW Premier Cricket 1st grade 50 over match against the Blacktown Mounties, Luke Dempsey took centre stage and lived up to his nickname of the ‘Big Ticket.’ Chasing Blacktown’s total of 9/189 his Parramatta team was ‘teetering on the brink’ at 3/54 when he took to the crease to join captain Nick Bertus in a rescue mission. The robust, bearded Dempsey then proceeded to ‘unleash the monster’ pulverising the defenceless Blacktown bowling attack in a display of merciless power-hitting seldom seen in Premier cricket. Even the motor vehicles residing in the Old Kings Oval carpark were ducking for cover as “Demo” smote an amazing 13 x 6s and 3 x 4s on his way to carving out a stunning 105 runs of just 45 balls, along the way combining with Bertus in a match-winning 4th wicket partnership of 133 runs. In one over he smashed 31 runs (5 x 6, and 1).
It was the second occasion in which I was fortunate enough to witness Luke Dempsey in a prolonged assault mode – the first being a 2nd grade 50 over match in the 2018/19 season:
Dempsey Destroys Mosman
Those present at last Saturday’s (Australia Day 2019) 2nd grade Premier Cricket 50 over match at Old Kings Oval, between home team Parramatta and the visiting Mosman Whales, were treated to a brilliant batting assault by Parra’s burly all-rounder Luke ‘Demolition’ Dempsey. The ferocious hitting Dempsey well and truly harpooned the hapless Whales blasting their bowling attack into submission with a dynamic 155 runs off just 87 balls – generated by a crowd-pleasing 7 x 6s and 18 x4 s – it was a performance of supreme raw power. Demo then backed up to help Parramatta to victory by ‘winkling out’ 3/40 with his cagey medium-pacers.
Dempsey now holds the record for the most sixes hit in one innings by a Parramatta batsman in NSW Premier 1st grade Cricket. The list of Parra’s top maximum-hitters is shown below, with the equally devastating Ben Abbott featuring prominently:
- 13 – Luke Dempsey v. Blacktown Mounties (2021/22)
- 11 – Ben Abbott v. Bankstown (T20) (2019/20)
- 10 – Ben Abbott v. Gordon (2019/20)
- 9 – George H. Payne v. Balmain (1906/07)
- 8 – Edgar Lloyd Waddy v. Waverley (1913/14)
- 8 – Ben Abbott v. Western Suburbs (T20) (2020/21)
- 7 – Edgar Lloyd Waddy v. Waverley (1912/13)
- 7 – Damian Wallace v. St. George (2003/04)
- 7 – Ben Abbott v. Sydney University (T20) (2019/20)
- 7 – Luke Dempsey v. Mosman (2019/20)
By: Tom Wood – Club Historian
