GLENORCHY CRICKET CLUB A BRIEF HISTORY 1931 - 2017 BY BRETT SMITH 1931 – 1950 While cricket had been played in the Glenorchy area for some time the club itself wasn’t formed until 1931 and had its first season in the Tasmanian Cricket Association in 1931/32 under the Presidency of Mr J H Geappen with Doug Darling captaining the A Grade side. The club fielded an A and B Grade team in its first year with a C Grade side entering the competition the following season. The clubs home was the Eady St recreational ground which at that time would have been virtually surrounded by orchards and vegetable gardens. After losing the first 8 games in the competition (which remains a club record) the clubs first win would come against Kingston at Eady St, chasing 205 the visitors were bowled out for 134 with Ken Gourlay having a fine double for Glenorchy with a half century and 5/49. Later the same season Gourlay would carry his bat twice in the same game against Sandy Bay with scores of 77no and 91no, the only other Glenorchy openers in the clubs history to carry their bat are Bill Murray in 1965/66 against University and James Whiteley in 2016/17 against North Hobart. 1933/34 saw Gerald James join Glenorchy from New Town thanks largely to the fact he had moved house and was now living in the Glenorchy District and the rules of the day prevented him from playing with New Town as you had to play in the district you were living. The move would pay huge dividends for the club with James being arguable one of the best all-rounders the state has ever produced; he was also a tireless worker in the early years helping promote the club and the game in the Glenorchy and New Norfolk areas and beyond. James would take over as Captain in 1934/35 and remain in the job for the next 13 seasons. 1934/35 however would see the club record its lowest ever A grade total scoring only 19 against Sandy Bay on the Sandy Bay ground. 1938/39 would see the careers of Emerson Rodwell and Noel Diprose begin and both men would have a prodigious impact on the club both on and off the field for decades to come. The season would also see the first time a Glenorchy player make a century and take 5 wickets in an innings with Gerald James making 142 and taking 6/48 against North West. James would do it again in 40/41 against Kingborough with 160 and 5/45. The only other occasion a player has made a century and taken 5 wickets is Brett Geeves making 111 and taking 6/30 against University in 2005/06. In 1941/42 the club would finish clear on top of the ladder at the end of the season and as such win its first premiership in the competition. Captain Gerald James would take a club record 68 wickets at 10.06 for the season. The Premiership was celebrated with a dinner at the Elwick Hotel attended by a large gathering of players and supporters including the Tasmanian Chief Secretary Mr E Brooker after which the Brooker Highway is named and the chairman of the TCA Mr H C Smith after which the main grandstand at the TCA Ground is named, numerous toasts were made one by Mr J Connolly congratulated the club on having 27 of its players in the ranks of the fighting forces. The Chief Secretary congratulated the club also saying the policy of the government was a continuance of organized sport as long as it did not interfere with the war effort. He considered sport in war time was necessary to maintain morale and the spirit of the people. The club would go undefeated in 1942/43 and secure its second premiership by defeating Sandy Bay on the 1st innings by a 114 runs on the North Hobart ground Captain Gerald James leading the way with 102 in 104 minutes. An interesting statistic for the season was Glenorchy scoring at a rate of 82.68 runs per hour fair going even by today’s standards. Fast scoring was also prevalent in 1943/44 where in one game against South Hobart at the TCA Ground the club notched up 6/439 in just less than 4 hours, James again doing the damage with 141 in 88 minutes. To prove he wasn’t just a fast scoring batsman in 1945/46 James would take 9/11 off 10 overs against New Town at Eady St on what was described as a perfect wicket James reportable swung the ball at least 3 feet with a stiff sea breeze blowing across the ground as New Town were dismissed for 53 with the remaining dismissal being a run out. 9/11 still remains the best innings figures at the club. 1947/48 would see Emerson Rodwell take over as captain at the same time his father Len would take over as Club President a position he would hold for 11 seasons which remains a club record. In 1948/49 the club would win its third Premiership after only losing one game during the year, securing the flag with an outright victory over New Town. The Premiership would be the first of eight that Rodwell would win as Captain which remains a TCA record to this day. Notable debuts for the period 33/34 – 49/50 Gerald James 6810 runs 639 wickets 36/37 – 51/52 Fred Hay 4852 runs 38/39 – 63/64 Emerson Rodwell 11542 runs 331 wickets 38/39 – 62/63 Noel Diprose 3449 runs 751 wickets 46/47 – 66/67 Lloyd Smith 7808 runs 47/48 – 63/64 Doug Walton 6585 runs 49/50 – 57/58 Terry Palmer 273 wickets Premierships 41/42, 42/43, 48/49 Club Championships 41/42, 46/47, 47/48, 48/49 1950 – 1970 The clubs golden era was without doubt the 1950s winning 6 Premierships and 8 Club Championships during the decade. The club secured its fourth flag in 1950/51 when it defeated Kingborough by 153 runs at Eady St the side also went on to win the clubs first ever state title against West Launceston in a rain affected game in Launceston. 1951/52 saw the season begin with 33 wickets falling in under 5 hours on a wet wicket at Kingston Glenorchy winning the game outright after bowling the home side out for 22 and 62 respectively and by defeating the Colts team by 37 runs at Clare St later in the season the club would notch up its fifth flag. The club would back it up in 1952/53 winning its sixth Premiership and going undefeated for the season, 52/53 would also be the first time the club would win Premierships in all 3 grades a large photo commemorating the event still hangs in the clubrooms. 1954/55 would see the best match bowling figures taken at the club with Terry Palmer taking 13/55 (8/16 and 5/39) against Kingborough. 1954/55 would also be the first season where a finals series was played, and after winning 11 straight games during the year (which remains a club record) the club would go on to beat Sandy Bay in the Semi Final and line up against North Hobart in the decider at the TCA Ground. Batting first Glenorchy could only muster 7/156 in its allocated time leaving North Hobart 140 minutes to get the runs, in a tight finish they were bowled out for 144 with 5 minutes play remaining, David McGuire and Terry Palmer both taking 4/37 as the club secured its seventh Premiership. Glenorchy would do it again in 1955/56, after making 465 against New Norfolk in the Semi Final and winning by an innings and 275 runs the club would move on to play New Town for the Premiership. After winning the toss and batting New Town where bowled out for 188 and when bad light stopped play on the second Saturday Glenorchy had finished 8/437 winning its eighth flag, a fourth wicket partnership of 220 by Walton and Rodwell being the backbone of the innings. Doug Walton winning the Man of the Match with a fine 134. It would be three 1st Grade flags in a row in 1956/57 and also the clubs seventh Club Championship in a row, after defeating New Town in a closely fought Semi Final the club would go on to play North Hobart in the Grand Final. North won the toss and batted and made their way to 182, Des Kenna and Noel Diprose taking 3 wickets apiece. Glenorchy looked in trouble at 4/39 but rallied thanks to Fred Dewsnap 53 and on debut Bill Murray 58 to finish with 212 and its ninth title. Murray winning the Man of the Match award. It would also be the second time in the club history that all three grade Premierships were won. In 1958/59 after trapping Trevor Calvert lbw Noel Diprose became the clubs highest ever wicket taker passing Gerald James’s 639 scalps. Such was the strength of the club from 1958/59 to 1960/61 the club would field two first grade teams in the competition, the first time it had been done in southern first grade cricket. After being runners up the previous three seasons 1960/61 would see the club win its tenth flag against North Hobart. After batting first North never recovered from a poor start and were eventually all out for 126 with the bowling honours shared, in reply Glenorchy were never in trouble racking up 416, a fine partnership of 108 in 86 minutes by Mike Hyland and Doug Walton being the highlight of the innings.