Pat Cummins: Penrith Cricket Club proud of Australia Test captain achievements

Humble. Down to earth. Quick. Those are the words used by senior figures at Penrith Cricket Club to describe a teenage future Australian Test captain honing his craft in Sydney grade cricket.

As a 15 year old, the future Australian Test skipper Patrick James Cummins donned the black one-day playing strip of Penrith Cricket Club as a nervy teenager to make his NSW Premier Cricket debut in a fourth grade clash at Tunks Park.

The teenage fast bowler made no mistake with his first eight overs in Sydney grade cricket, reflecting on his drive to his Blue Mountains home on his impressive figures of 4/18, including two maidens, which helped his team win by 130 runs.

Pat Cummins (centre with trophy) - the captain of Penrith’s 20018/09 Green Shield (under-16) team.

Those involved with Penrith Cricket Club when Cummins arrived for the first time, including current president and the club’s all-time leading wicket taker Paul Goldsmith, said it was obvious from the outset that the youngster “could play”.

The teenage quick captained the 2008/09 under-16 Green Shield team and topped the team’s run scoring charts, and the following year was a member of the victorious under-21 Poidevin-Gray Shield premiership the following year alongside his older brother Tim.

A 15-year-old Pat Cummins (back row, second from left) with the Penrith fourth grade squad of 2008/09.

The grand final, at Hurstville Oval, saw Penrith defeat Cummins’ future Test teammate Kurtis Patterson’s St George in the grand final with the then 16-year-old quick collecting three top-order scalps.

A recently retired Goldsmith would be given the honour of handing Cummins his first grade ‘baggy black’ cap at Bill Ball Oval, formerly known as Cook Park, for the opening round of the 2010/11 summer.

When asked about the demeanour of a 17-year-old Cummins, who was about to take the field with Moises Henriques, Trent Copeland, Peter Lalor and Jordan Silk, the Penrith veteran said he was very subdued.

“He was a quiet boy. He was a teenage kid,” he said. “He was just excited to be playing first grade with the other first graders here.

“He was a quick, intelligent and smart young cricketer. There was nothing loud about him or obnoxious or anything like that. He was very down to earth, humble and just excited to be playing ‘ones’ with the boys.”

Despite not collecting a wicket on debut, Goldsmith said the debutant had the competition talking after one game.

“From that day I think word got around that he could play a little bit,” he said. “He was quick and he was only 17. He hurried a few players up and then less than six months later he is playing for NSW in a Shield final.”

During Cummins’ injury plagued years the Australian pace spearhead returned to Penrith’s Howell Oval as one of the boys and celebrated club premierships as hard as anyone else.

In more recent times, the newly ordained Australian Test captain has been working off the field with his junior club in a push for Penrith’s Howell Oval to become the first carbon-neutral cricket club in the country.

Goldsmith said the club was “immensely proud” of Cummins’ achievements, particularly as Penrith Cricket Club’s first Australian Test captain.