Flashback: Palmerston Cricket Club through the years

From ‘struggling’ in its infancy to an A-grade three-peat, and with Brendon McCullum and D’Arcy Short as alum, PCC has experienced it all. Celebrate PCC’s 40th in our flashback here.

Cricket Grand Final. Palmerston v Waratahs at Marrara. Palmerston premiers.

From its humble beginnings as a second tier club in the 1980s to a powerhouse of the Top End cricket fraternity, Palmerston Cricket Club is bringing up the big 40 this year, and has plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Forming in 1985, the maroon and white was an often forgotten side in its infancy, struggling for success in the lower tiers of the Darwin competition.

However, grit, resilience and some club legends turned the satellite city club into a perennial winner through strategic decisions and great roster building.

Club president and member of Palmerston CC for more than two decades, Adrian Gallagher recalled his club’s early years as a ‘struggle’.

“The eighties were pretty testing for the club, as it struggled for any great success,” Gallagher said.

Palmerston batsman Doug Kerr and Waratahs catcher Anthony Dent mid-action during a cricket match held at Kahlin Oval. Circa: 7/1993.

Palmerston batsman Alan Dighton mid-action during a cricket match held at Kahlin Oval. Published: 25/6/1995.

“However, come the mid-nineties and a promotion to the A-grade competition, their fortunes turned around.

“The club had a tough time in A-grade for a number of years after being promoted, losing year-after-year.

“Funnily enough, I was actually playing for Waratah back in the day and was part of the side that lost to get Palmerston its first ever A-grade win.

“From there the club just went from strength to strength and went through a golden age in the late 90s early 00s.”

Cricket – Palmerston Win their third Final in a row – Picture: Michael Marschall

Following an A-grade three-peat plus C and E-grade success the club made a dramatic transition from a boys club to a family club in the 2000s and 2010s.

The clubhouse started a new era at the PCC, with a more ‘community’ orientated direction taking over from the previous decades.

“We were certainly a boys club and an A-grade centric club back in the day,” Gallagher explained.

“We were the typical, play a match, have a feed and a beer at the club house at the close of play

“But we transitioned after the club house was built in the late 90s into a more community orientated club, then in the 2010s were made the call to alter our focus from solely on seniors to the club in general; growing our girls and women’s game.”

Palmerston ahead of the 2024 Darwin & Districts Cricket Competition. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A focus on the women’s game and investing in juniors garnered great results for the club and its player base boomed.

“We currently have more than 120 juniors at the club and we’ve encouraged all of those parents to become part of the club through one way or another,” Gallagher said.

“We also know that yeah, we could go out and sign all of these wonderfully talented imports for our senior sides, but in our view that would take away from what makes Palmerston Palmerston and what makes us unique.

“We focus on having locals and juniors stay with us and move up the ranks as they get better and older.

“We show them that there is a place for them at our club.

"Also, making sure that our seniors have input and give back with training sessions and clinics also helps drive the inner-community feeling.”

Palmerston Cricket Club's A and B-grade teams celebrating their Two-day premiership victories together. Picture: Palmerston Cricket Club Facebook.

Forty years on and the club, Gallagher hopes, is in the midst of another potential golden age.

“Last year we won both the A and B-grade two-day premierships,” he said.

“That has to be one of the best results we’ve ever had.

“And the women made the grand final and we had so many of our juniors get elevated to the senior competition and create/make milestones of their own.

“So the future is certainly looking bright in my view for the club.”

Quick Facts

FAMOUS PALMERSTON ALUM

Mathew Sinclair (Cap # 74) – The Katherine born Kiwi international who boasts 33 Test and 54 ODI caps played for the club during the 90s.

Brendon McCullum (Cap #92) – During the golden-age of PCC in the early 00s, the Kiwi skipper, now England Men’s coach, spent time with the club. He is most know for smashing an unbeaten 250* runs in under 100 deliveries in a match in 2002.

D’Arcy Short (Cap #129) – The former Australian ODI and T20I spent his formative years at the club in the late naughties before moving to Perth to further his career.

SENIOR PREMIERSHIPS

A-grade – 2001-03, 2006, 2011, 2018, 2024

B-grade – 2009, 2012, 2024

C-grade – 1997, 2012, 2019

D-grade – 2006, 2008

E-grade – 1997, 2001, 2023 (Sunday 2)

CURRENT LIFE MEMBERS

1) Barry Coulter, 2) Bob Bayly, 3) Steve Bleakley, 4) Ray Chatto, 5) Doug Kerr, 6) Michael Martin, 7) Dean Wilson, 8) Shane Winter, 9) Ashley Williams, 10) Graham Toner, 11) Victor Rustam, 12) Stuart Rudd, 13) Debbie Feehan, 14) Glen Patrick, 15) Brendan Rudd, 16) David Davies, 17) Glen Chatto, 18) Daniel Fett

P.C.C. Through the Years – Pictures

Palmerston captain Hamish White celebrating a wicket during the A-grade DDCC grand final against Waratah. Picture: Cricket NT.

Palmerston Cricket Club's A and B-grade teams celebrating their Two-day premiership victories together. Picture: Palmerston Cricket Club Facebook.

Cadell McMahon after making 114 off just 60 balls in Under 15s cricket. Picture: Palmerston Cricket Club.

Palmerston captain Hamish Martin ahead of the 2024 Darwin Cricket grand final. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

T20 Cricket first round today with Palmerston Vs University Young 17yr old bowler for Palmerston Jayden Chatto takes a wicket on his first ball. Picture Julianne Osborne

Palmerston Cricket Club rising stars named in NT representative sides. Picture: (A) manda Parkinson

Round 2 Darwin Premier Grade Cricket: Darwin Eagles v Palmerston Power at Kahlin Oval. Liam Sparke watches the ball off the bat. Photograph: Che Chorley

Palmerston's Robert Vandermeullen during round 8 of Darwin Premier Grade cricket: Palmerston v Tracy Village at Cazalys Oval.

Anthony Dent with Alex Bleakley will play for the Geoff Akers Memorial Shield at Fred's Pass on Saturday in the Darwin & District Cricket Competition.

Darwin v Palmerston T20. Palmerston player Robbie Van Der Meulen.

Palmerston Cricket Club wins a $50.000 grant to upgrade there training facilities including replacing the nets, Stuart Underhill 11 who plays for Palmerston U 13's.

Palmerston v Pint at Marrara Cricket Ground. Palmerston's Terry Bayly cuts stylishly.

Darwin V Palmerston at Kahlin Oval, Stephen Regen, Yuara Weerasingad.

Cricket. Palmerston v Pints at Woodroffe oval. Palmerston's Tim Feehan

Cricket Grand Final. Palmerston v Waratahs at Marrara. Palmerston premiers.

Cricket Grand Final. Palmerston v Waratahs at Marrara. Palmerston Players celebrate after taking the final wicket.

Luke Doran, took 10 wickets and scored 81 not out for Palmerston against Nightcliff over the weekend in the Northern Territory Cricket league.

Palmerston skipper and top order bat Ashley Williams pushes forward.

Cricket, Tracy Village v Palmerston at Tracy Village. Palmerston's D'Arcy Short moves in to catch Tracy Village batsman J. Tasman- Jones

Cricket, Darwin v Palmerston at Kahlin Oval, Palmertson's D'Arcy Short

Palmerston's D`Arcy Short made 196 off 197 balls against Waratahs

Cricketer Dave Ward may not live in Woodroffe but he is almost an everyday fixture at the Palmerston Cricket Club's Woodroffe clubhouse.

Palmerston's Dean Butt traps Darwin's Ken Vowles leg before wicket yesterday.

Palmerston bowler Peter Hills sends one down to the Waratahs batsman.

Cricket – Palmerston v Nightcliff – Palmerstons Terry Bayly – Picture: MICHAEL MARSCHALL

Shane Chatto hits out for Palmerston.

A-Grade Palmerston Cricket Team.

Cricket – Palmerston Win their third Final in a row – Picture: Michael Marschall

Palmerston batsman Alan Dighton mid-action during a cricket match held at Kahlin Oval. Published: 7/7/1996. Page 56.

Plaque commemorating the official opening of Palmerston Cricket Club's Woodroofe changerooms. Picture: Contributed

Palmerston batsman Alan Dighton mid-action during a cricket match held at Kahlin Oval. Published: 25/6/1995. Page 41.

Palmerston batsman Alan Dighton mid-action during a cricket match held at Kahlin Oval. Circa: 8/1996.

Palmerston batsman Doug Kerr and Waratahs catcher Anthony Dent mid-action during a cricket match held at Kahlin Oval. Circa: 7/1993.

Palmerston police officer Paul Dixon shows how it's done. The 27-year-old first class constable has given the Palmerston under-16 cricket side a huge lift in only his first year as coach. Published: 14/9/1987. Page 28.

Originally published as Flashback: Palmerston Cricket Club through the years