Parramatta District Cricket Association celebrations a century
Everyone from Richie Benaud to Sean Abbott has cut their teeth with Parramatta District Cricket Association. Take a look back at the last 100 years of one of the country’s most storeyed associations.
- Haneen Zreika gets candid on the 2019 AFLW season
- Eels star jaemon Salmon apologises for drink driving
From legends of the game like Richie Benaud to modern stars such as Sean Abbott, the Parramatta District Cricket Association has been a key breeding ground for Australian cricket since 1919.
One hundred years, 31 clubs, 232 teams and thousands of players later, one of the state’s largest association’s is celebrating a sensational innings with a special centenary dinner in March.
“The centenary is a significant milestone,” chairman of the board of PDCA Peter McLoughlin said.
“The centenary dinner will be a chance for all players and members, past and present, to get together to re-establish old friendships, some of which go back over 50 years and celebrate the milestone with tales of the past. We are encouraging as many people as possible to attend.”
Forming as the Parramatta District Junior Cricket Association in the late 1890s, the association re-formed after WWI with seven clubs across Parramatta, Cumberland, Blacktown and the Hills.
Today, the association stretches from Auburn, Guildford and Greystanes to Kings Langley, Kellyville and Rouse Hill and includes dozens of other clubs in-between.
Out of the 13 players that took out the 2017/18 NSW Premier Cricket title for Parramatta last year, 12 were Parramatta District Cricket Association members.
“Besides one import, every one of them was home grown,” Parramatta president Greg Monaghan said.
“Most clubs have a few imports so it really is quite incredible and something we’re very proud of.”
As to what has kept the association thriving for so long, Mr McLoughlin said they were lucky to have had a string of quality people working behind the scenes.
“To have been in operation continuously for 100 years is testimony to the great work by the administrators,” he said.
“The association is one of the largest in NSW and Australia and has a reputation for being well run and having well organised competitions.”
The centenary dinner will be held at Wentworthville leagues Club on Thursday, March 7.
For bookings, head to pdca.nsw.cricket.com.au
Man charged after alleged assault of rideshare driver
A man has been charged after two men were wanted for allegedly assaulting a rideshare driver and stealing his car in Sydney’s northwest. Watch the arrest.
Richest and poorest schools in western Sydney revealed
Western Sydney’s richest school has raked in more than $403.5m in five years with the total income per student sitting at $42,122 in 2022, the most recent school funding statistics reveal.