Alex Murphy - put a high price on your wicket

Parramatta District Cricket Club | May 10, 2023

Alex Murphy made his first grade debut for Parramatta District Cricket Club during the 1999/2000 NSW Premier Cricket season.

Alex is Parramatta First grade player number 523.

Let’s find out more about Alex’s journey in the game 

What year you were born?

1981

Can you remember you first game of cricket?

I was 7 playing in the U/10s for St Mathews Uniting in the NSW Churches competition. The game was at Ollie Webb Reserve in Parramatta, I think I may have made 2 off the glove and was the wicket keeper when we fielded.

Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?

Played 5 years of Juniors for St Mathews Uniting Church then switched to Baulkham Hills Sporting Club for U/13’s. Played two years of Green Shield for Parramatta and started my Grade career for Parramatta before joining Balmain for two years. Played 1 season for Epping Cricket Club before returning to Parramatta.

Played for Hemel Hampstead in the UK in 2005.

Took on the head coaching roll at Auburn District Cricket Club and played a few games in the first-grade side before returning to Parramatta in a coaching capacity and playing a few Games of First Grade to fill in for an injured Michael Wood before having to retire myself due to injury.

I have recently returned to playing in the Masters Competition for Roseville Cricket Club.

Hemel Hampstead

In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?

5th Grade for Parramatta vs Gordon at Coleman Oval

At what age did you make your first-grade debut in grade cricket, and can you remember how you performed in debut?

I was picked at 17 to make my debut but subsequently broke my finger at training the week before the game and was out for the rest of the season. I missed out on facing Brett Lee and am still not sure if it was a lucky or unlucky break.

I made my debut the following season against Sutherland at Caringbah Oval. They had a really good attack led by Stuart Clark and Daniel McLauchlan. I made 22 in a stand of 70 with my opening partner Craig Parkinson but after getting through the opening bowlers I got out to their spinner Paul Sutherland.

If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?

Initially an opening bat but developed into an allrounder by becoming an off spinner. My last games of first grade were mostly playing as a specialist spinner and batting 9.

What were your strengths as a player?

I could bat for long periods of time, and put a high price on my wicket.

Alex Murphy's cap collection

What was your highest score in senior cricket?

1st Grade 118 not out Parramatta vs Balmain at Merrylands Oval

What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?

1st Grade 5 for 26 Parramatta vs Balmain Drummoyne Oval

Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?

Doug Bollinger - the quickest bowling I have ever faced by a long way.

Matt Nicholson - not super quick but quick enough and his height meant it was hard to get on the front foot to him.

Richard Burton - I managed to score a 100 against him but I felt like he could have knocked me over at any point during the innings. Awesome accuracy nice outswing and then some variation of the seam.

Doug Bollinger

Who were the best three spinners you have played against? 

Beau Casson - big turner of the ball both ways and difficult to pick.

Liam Zammit - I played against Liam since junior representative cricket and I never managed to get on top of him, not a big turner of the ball but had good variation and accuracy

Greg Mathews - never played another finger spinner who got anywhere near as much drift as him.

Beau Casson

Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?

Michael Clarke - hard to bowl to as his feet were so quick. I always felt like I was too short or full to him and just couldn’t tie him down.

Simon Katich - like Clarke it didn’t really matter where you bowled to him, he just hit them wherever he wanted

Greg Mail - form and pitch conditions seemed irrelevant for Greg. He just set himself to bat long knowing that he would walk off with a score somewhere between 130 and 200 at the end of the day.

Michael Clarke

Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?

Michael Clarke scored a double hundred against us at Old Kings. We got 300 the week before and were feeling confident. They managed to get them 2 down and we were done by tea.

Was there any bowler or batsman in particular who for whatever reason always seemed to cause you a few problems?

I don’t remember his name but he opened the bowling for Blacktown in 1’s and 2’s. He was a left armer, not particularly quick but he swung them both ways without a big change in his action.

Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used to?

I had that feeling pretty much straight away in my debut first grade game. Facing Stuart Clark and Daniel McLauchlan with the new rock was certainly a different world to what I’d seen in 2’s

Stuart Clark

Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?

Andrew Fitzhenry

Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?

Daniel Jackson enormous heart and a willingness to play injured. Was still playing 1st grade for Parramatta in his mid 40’s and causing plenty of trouble for opposing batsmen.

Nick Bertus - has been a big part of turning Parramatta District Cricket Club into a competitive force. One of the best batsmen in the competition for at least the last 6 years and has won many games off his own bat. Gives back to the game by looking after the Parramatta Junior Development program with Luke Dempsey another long-term Parramatta First Grader.

Nick Bertus

Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?

Bruce Ferguson was one of my first captains. He had a way of bringing people from diverse backgrounds and age groups together and was one of the few early advocates of my, at the time, fairly ordinary off spin bowling and very first to throw me the ball. He gave me my nick name at Parra (Spud) and even taught me how to play Euka using his coffin as a card table on a very rainy day at Jensen Park. 

Who has been your funniest teammate?

A tie between Jeff Walker and Tim Smith

Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?

Our 3rd grade our captain tried to throw a chair at the opposing captain after a disagreement about a declaration agreement in a rain affected match. Our Captain was physically restrained by Grant McNamee who at the time was First Grade No 8 for Eastwood Rugby Club who subsequently escorted him to our dressing room and left him there until he calmed down a bit.

What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?

I was stumped of the bowling of Shane Mott at Bensons Lane and the wicket keeper wasn’t even keeping up to the stumps.

What was your favourite ground to play at?

Merrylands Oval. Great pitch to bat on and the size also means that I am a realistic chance of hitting a six.

What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?

Penrith, we had played them in a lot of Junior Rep finals as well as a Green Shield and Poviden Gray Final. A lot the players who played in those finals ended up playing higher grades for the respective clubs at about the same time. The ledger unfortunately is very much in their favour, but we managed to knock them over a couple of times in Grade to exact a little bit of revenge

What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?

Being at Bankstown Oval when Parramatta won the premiership in 2017/18. I had coached a lot of the players in that team either in Green Shield or when I was looking after the Junior Development program for PDCC or as part of the Grade coaching staff. To see them go from promising juniors to 1st Grade premiership winners was a pleasure. I was lucky enough to be invited into the sheds after the game for the song which was a highlight of a very memorable day.

What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?

In my first year of Grade, I was lucky enough to win a 4th grade premiership with Parramatta. We were playing Randwick who had been Minor Premiers and were streets ahead of the rest of the competition. In the final we managed to sneak ahead of them on first innings points. They then set us a decent target to chase on day two in the second innings, but we collapsed. However, our captain Bruce Ferguson held on with our number 11 Darren Simpson for the last 10 or so overs meaning we held on for the draw. When we came into the dressing room after the game Tim McMahon (who wasn’t playing in the game) was already in the sheds doing his best to use the very small showers at Old Kings as a slip and slide.

Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?

Giles Berry, Michael Wood, and Shane Cassell.

What are your hobbies?

Cycling, Surfing, Snowboarding, and I am currently Goalkeeper for the Kellyville Kolts over 35’s Soccer team.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

I can’t remember one specific thing, but I am lucky that three men in Graeme Kightley, Allen Turrell and Tom Wood have always been there to provide me with invaluable advice.

Allen Turrell

What’s your occupation?

I am a Leader of Wellbeing at Bede Polding Catholic College in South Windsor. I teach mostly History and Society and Culture with a little bit of Geography. I am one of three ex Grade cricketers on staff with Mark Slutier who played for Parramatta and Hawksbury and Hugh McKay also played for Hawksbury. It makes our end of year cricket game in the quadrangle very competitive.

Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?

I have held a variety of coaching positions with Parramatta District Cricket Club since retirement. I stepped back when my son was born as he had some medical issues that needed attention. Since then, I have continued to help out mostly with club preseasons over the last 6 years.

However, with my children starting their own sporting journey this is becoming more infrequent. My daughter played her first season of cricket for Glenbrook Blaxland Cricket Club last year and I put my hand up to coach which has been a fun experience. I have also recently returned to playing for Roseville in the masters competition

If you were running a state cricket association what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?

I would introduce a system where contracted players (NSW or Big Bash) are incentivised to join clubs that are struggling to be competitive or to remain with their junior clubs rather than joining traditionally strong clubs. Typically clubs in the Western Suburbs have been excellent talent pools and players often make their debut with clubs such as Hawkesbury, Blacktown, Penrith Campbelltown, and Parramatta but once they show promise they are lured to wealthy clubs who can offer large incentives for them to come across.

If contacted players can give back to the game by returning to their junior club or go to a club that would benefit form a having a player of that calibre, I think it would help with the overall strength of the competition.

I would also tie the NSW coaching grants that are given to clubs, to club performance, so that struggling clubs are given higher grants at the beginning of each season so they can attract better coaches, players, employ additional coaches or develop better training facilities.