Tony Greig v John Benaud - Waverley v Nepean 8 November 1975

Nepean Cricket Club First Grade

Back Row (left to right) Ken Hall, Bob Morris, Tony Carroll, Ron Hall, Barry Thebridge, John Letson (RIP)

Front Row: Rob Stevens, Greg Gavin, John Benaud (Captain), Geoff Davies, Rod Morphett.

November 8th, 1975, Nepean (Penrith) v Waverley (Easts) at Howell Oval

This match was reviewed in the book “A history of Cricket at Penrith, Volume 2” Compiled by Bill Ball, and published by the PDCC in 2014, a few months after the passing of Bill, and as a lasting memory to his substantial contribution to cricket in the area, Cook Park at St. Marys was re-named Bill Ball Oval.

In the book, the game on November 8th, 1975, “was at Howell Oval. It was a first-grade match with an international flavour and the club committee produced a program for the game. Waverley had imported the English captain Tony Greig for the season and had in their team Bruce Francis, who opened for Australia on the 1972 Ashes tour to England, and Ron Crippen, the NSW Opening bat. Also in the Waverley team was swing bowler John Rheinberger, but his claim to fame was as a Rugby League centre with Easts when coached by Jack Gibson”. Eastern Suburbs won the NSWRL grand final a few weeks earlier in 1975, repeating their 1974 success.

A huge thunderstorm hit Howell on match eve (no covers in those days) and Nepean has the worst of the conditions, batting second on a drying pitch, or what was called a “sticky”. Waverley scored 113, with off spinner Barry Thebridge getting 6 for 27, and won the match dismissing the Panthers for 85.

Courtesy of Steve Frances