Bill Alley - Randwick Petersham Cricket Club - Heroes of the Ages

Bill Alley was a “legend” as a cricketer.

In his first season in 1943-44 with Petersham he scored 1,413 runs a Sydney 1st Grade record for 63 years. He scored six centuries that season including tons against University (141*), North Sydney (119), Wests (100) and Mosman (111*) in successive matches—rounds 19, 20, 21 and 22. His best score was against Randwick when he hit 230* including 12 sixes and 21 fours with his first 100 coming in 59 minutes and then with the ball claimed 6-52. Against Mosman that same summer at the Sydney Cricket Ground he hit 111* and took 5-35 to record yet another outstanding all-round performance. Apart from topping the Petersham and competition batting that season he also took out the club bowling honours with 57 wickets at an average of 15.12 with 6-39 against Waverley his best performance.
Over the following four seasons Bill totalled another 1,485 runs with five centuries and five fifties for Petersham and played 12 times for the State scoring three centuries as an opening batsman, although they were war time matches which did not count as first-class games at that time (they have now been so recognised). When his wife died tragically and he missed selection in Bradman’s 1948 Ashes “Invincibles” team, he moved to England and played in the Lancashire League with Colne Cricket Club for the following five years where he topped 1,000 runs each season, had an average of less than 107 on only one occasion while scoring 20 centuries and taking 179 wickets.
In 1957 at age 38, he debuted for Somerset and 11 years later at age 49, he had scored 19,612 runs and taken 768 wickets with 31 centuries and 92 half centuries. Aged 42 he scored 3,019 runs in the English season (his testimonial year after only four seasons with Somerset) while a year earlier he had bowled 14 successive maiden overs in an innings taking 4-17 off 27 overs with 21 maidens.
In 1969, Bill turned to umpiring after rejecting Somerset’s offer of a contract for one day matches only. Within five years he umpired the first of his 10 Test matches when Australia played England at Nottingham.