Tuart Hill Cricket Club

Tuart Hill Cricket Club (THCC) is a renowned cricket club based in Tuart Hill, Western Australia. The club is a member of the Western Australian Suburban Turf Cricket Association (WASTCA). The administrative clubrooms are at Charles Veryard Reserve, North Perth. The Women's side won several flags in A-Grade West Australian Cricket Association, the highest level of Women's Cricket in Western Australia. A notable former player is Australian representative Zoe Goss, while they are the current club of former Sri-Lankan test player Roshan Jurangpathy.
History
The Parisian Dry Cleaners were situated between Hay Street and Churchill Avenue on the city side of Townshend Road in Subiaco.

During the winter of 1948 the owners were approached by members of the staff to form a cricket team. The firm purchased some cricket gear and a team was entered into the Metropolitan Senior Cricket Association for the 1948/49 season.

A prime mover in the foundation of the club, John Griffiths, was elected secretary (a position held for the next 23 years). His Father Bob was elected president and Trevor Nicholl, the owners son was elected treasurer.

Training was held at Market Square, between Subiaco Oval and the railway station in Roberts Road Subiaco.

In 1950/51 the club won the “Knockout Competition” and in 1951/52 was runner up in the ‘A Reserve’ grade. It is uncertain when playing numbers grew to allow the club to nominate a second team or when we moved training to Henderson Park, Wembley but in 1955/56 we were minor premiers in both ‘A’ and ‘B2’ Grades.

At the 1959 trophy presentation evening, held at the RAOB hall in Onslow Road, Shenton Park, life membership was awarded to Jim Nicholl (who took over as president after Bob Griffiths died in 1954), and John Griffiths.

The MSCA wanted to form a junior competition for the 1959/60 season so at the 1959 AGM it was agreed to try enter a team. An advertisement was placed in the Subiaco Gazette and the excess players from the Subiaco District Cricket Club (WACA) were recruited. Keith Saunders agreed to coach the juniors who won the Premiership in their first year. From those players only
Max Eaton was to continue to serve the club over the next twenty or so years and received life membership in 1976.

In 1962, Doug Bolin, another employee at the Parisian, a fine wicket-keeper/batsman and treasurer of the club since 1952 (a position he held for 16 consecutive years) was the third person to receive life membership.

At the AGM in 1963 the members voted to change the name of the club to the Subiaco Cricket Club, and our training venue moved to Lake Monger Oval in Leederville.

The 1963/64 season was to be our last at senior level in the MSCA, (the under 16’s team continued for one more season) and left as premiers of the ‘A Reserve’ grade.

In the 1964/65 season members voted to join the West Australian Suburban Turf Cricket Association and our two senior teams were placed into the two grades, ‘A’ and ‘A reserve’, in that competition. An incident on the 24th October 1964 rates a special mention when A grade opening bowler Max Eaton took 5 wickets (all bowled) in five consecutive balls in a match against Melville at the Esplanade. Yes a triple hat-trick.

Before the commencement of the 1965/66 season, a letter from Les Truman, secretary of the WACA lodging a request by the Subiaco District CC (WACA) that we change our name to avoid some confusion that had arisen over the past two years between the clubs. Members voted to include the word “City” to our name and this was duly accepted by all parties concerned. An
Under 17 competition was established by the WASTCA and we entered our junior team in it, thus severing all ties with the MSCA.

After nine years of fielding a junior team, insufficient numbers didn’t allow us to do so for the 1968/69 season but the ‘A’ grade were runners-up and ‘A Reserve’ Grade were premiers.

A third senior team was entered in WASTCA after 50 members attended the AGM at Subiaco Oval in August 1969 and training facilities moved to St. Louis School on the west side of Davies Road near Claremont Oval, where three practice nets were available.

In April 1970 sixteen members of the club went on a two week interstate trip by train to Sydney/Melbourne and Adelaide before returning home. Many stories have been told and retold about that trip.
For the 1972/73 season the club advertised for a playing coach and Ian Goddard was appointed. He successfully led the 1st Grade to the Premiership, our last as Subiaco City C.C.

After winning the flag in 1st Grade in 1972/73 the club received a directive from the association to find a home ground (something we did not have for 25 years). Don ‘Mick’ Middlemiss, a long serving member and employee from the City of Stirling, advised that Grenville Reserve in Tuart Hill was available. However, the shire gave us the choice of Stirling or Tuart Hill as a name, with the latter being chosen by the members. Two nets on the lower oval near Tuart Hill High School swimming pool were used for practice.

In 1977 the shire gave Grenville Reserve a much needed face lift by building limestone retaining walls and allowing three training nets to be built in the north-west corner.

The club entered a fourth senior team in 7th grade and junior teams in u16, u14 and u12 under the guidance of Bernie Bohan (our first involvement for nine years). Captained by stalwart Colin Campbell the 4th team won the grand final and received our first pennant as Tuart Hill. In 1979/80 the under 14 team went premiers.

After being in 1st Grade since joining the association in 1964 our top team was relegated to 2nd grade for the 1980/81 season. Under Bruce Fouracres the side finished the season as grade winners (and thus promotion back to 1st grade) but lost the grand final.

In April 1982, forty members and friends went on the club’s only overseas trip to date, to Bali. From memory I don't think anyone escaped the dreaded “Bali Belly” with some members swearing never to go overseas again.

In 1982/83 the under 16 team coached by David Griffiths were grade winners and premiers, well deserved after being runners-up the two previous years.

In 1983/84 the third team playing in 4th grade went premiers as did the fourth team in 8th grade in 1986/87. In 1987/88 the first team lost the 1st Grade grand final, but the second team after finishing grade winners in 4th grade went on to win the flag and our latest pennant.

Relegation to second grade after 13 seasons in 1st Grade occurred for the 1994/95 season and the club again became involved with juniors, as David J Michael took on this task.

For the first time since 1976/77, the club could only field 3 senior teams for the 1995/96 season. We were to return to four teams in 1996/97, but went back to three teams for the 1997/98 season. The first team lost the 2nd Grade grand final this season but won promotion back to 1st grade.
Recent History
After an extensive off-season recruiting, promotion and marketing period during the off-season prior to the 2011/12 season, Tuart Hill Cricket Club commenced the season with a new coach in Alistair Smith, and new marquee player in Roshan Jurangpathy. There are promising early signs for the club who are looking to capitalise on the improved off-field strength of the club with improved on-field performances and promotion across the grades, including a return to first-grade.

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