Greg Matthews – A Parramatta Prodigy

Greg Matthews was born in Newcastle on 15th December 1959 and played his junior cricket for Rydalmere. A rather eccentric and hip type of character, he could have been mistaken for a rock singer rather than a top-class cricketer.

A deep cricket thinker who worked hard at fine-tuning his game to the extent that he became a splendid performer for NSW – eventually holding records for most appearances and wickets – and went on to represent Australia in 33 Tests and 59 ODIs.

A genuine all-rounder Greg was a determined and competitive left-hand batsman with a liking for a tough scrap, and as a bowler he was a scheming slow right-arm off-spinner full of attitude. 

Career Statistics: 

• Tests – 33 matches, 1,849 runs @ 41.08 (H.S 130 – 4 centuries), 61 wickets @ 48.22 (B.B 5/103), 17 catches.
• ODIs – 59 matches, 619 runs @ 16.72 (H.S. 54), 57 wickets @ 35.22 (B.B. 3/27), 23 catches.
• First-class – 190 matches, 8,872 runs @ 38.91 (H.S. 184 – 13 centuries / 49 half-centuries), 516 wickets @ 31.80 (B.B. 8/52 – 22 five wicket hauls).
• Test debut – 26th December 1983 v. Pakistan, last Test 2nd January 1993 v. West Indies.
• First-class span – 1982 – 1998.

He is best remembered in Test cricket for his ‘Man of the Match’ performance in the Madras tied Test against India in the 1986/87 season (he bowled massive spells in trying heat to claim match figures of 10/249) and his gritty 4 Test centuries.

Greg’s involvement with the Parramatta District Cricket Club started in traditional fashion after he followed his older brother Peter into the club’s A.W. Green Shield (Under16) representative side. Matthew’s entry into this elite junior competition was exceptionally early (12-years-of-age). 

In a pointer to his bright playing future, the CCDCC Annual Report carried this comment on the youngster: “Greg has the footwork, anticipation and application of a much more experienced cricketer. He played a match-winning innings of 15 not out against Sutherland - should dominate Green Shield cricket for the next couple of years”. Rather prophetic words because Greg did become a Green Shield star – playing in the team for five seasons 1972/73 to 1976/77 – captained the team for three seasons including the 1975/76 Premiership and runners-up in 1976/77 – he’s the club’s highest run-scorer in the A.W. Green Shield competition with 1,024 runs @ 64.00 (H.S. – 109, 103*, 103*) and captured 50 wickets @ 14.88 (B.B. 5/54).

He also enjoyed a long and fruitful stint with the Parramatta’s Poidevin-Gray Shield team (Under 21), being a member of that side for seven seasons (1974/75 to 1980/81). He captained the team in the 1979/80 and 1980/81 seasons and achieved very handy all-round P.G. career performances of 639 runs @ 31.95 (including one century 106*) and 38 wickets @ 15.79.

His Premier Cricket career with the Parramatta club started in earnest in 1975/76 as a 15-year-old in the Fourth grade team, and on the back of his great Green Shield performances he won promotion to Third grade and eventually closed the season with a few Second grade matches. In total his initial grade season yielded 338 runs @ 21.13 (H.S. 57*) and 17 wickets @ 23.29.

In 1976/77 Greg’s all-round talents started to emerge in Second grade with a solid effort from the 16-year-old, who shaped promisingly with the bat for 251 runs @ 17.92 (H.S. 44) and his off-spin snared 21 wickets @ 23.33. 

The following season 1977/78 was a watershed year for the young Matthews, on the back of some mature batting efforts in Second grade (364 runs @ 36.14 –best scores 72, 68, 59) he was elevated to First grade for the last 3 games of the season – making 33 runs @ 16.50.

Greg Matthews First grade career with Parramatta extended from 1977/78 to 1981/82 and during this period he compiled 1,591 runs @ 29.46 (2 centuries 102*, 100*), captured 28 wickets @ 23.89 (B.B. – 5/37, 5/56) and held 28 catches.

In all grades for the club, he made 2,547 runs @ 26.81 (H.S 102*), took 71 wickets @ 25.07 (B.B. 6/33) and accepted 48 catches.

Greg’s cricket went up several gears in the 1979/80 season after he was elevated into the important No.3 batting spot and his 579 runs @ 41.35 gained him his first step on the representative ladder when he won NSW Colts selection. Skipper Tom Wood penned these comments in the Cumberland Annual Report:

“The most improved player in the team. Batted very soundly and consistently, developing the ability to build large scores – 102* v. Manly, 94 v. Northern Districts, 91 v. Gordon. He topped the batting aggregate with 579 runs. Greg appears to have a ‘bright future’ in the game.”

Although his batting was steadily progressing each season his opportunities to bowl were very restricted due to the presence in the team of veteran off-spinner Bobby Aitken – the club’s highest ever 1st grade wicket-taker. But the window of opportunity presented itself in the 1981/82 season and Greg rose to the challenge, toiling away with his probing off-breaks to capture 25 wickets @ 21.76 (B.B. 5/37, 5/56) – this performance with the ball formalised his status as a 1st grade all-rounder.

Unfortunately, Matthews then left Cumberland to further his fortunes elsewhere and apart from his Test and first-class cricket, he went onto gouge out a long and prolific 1st grade playing record in Sydney grade cricket with Western Suburbs, Waverley and Sydney University.

By Tom Wood – Parramatta District Cricket Club Historian