Ken Hall and cricket go together like Abbot and Costello , Burns and Allen and ham and tomato sauce sandwiches .
As these Finest articles are restricted to two pages , there would never be enough space to fully list the achievements of Ken with bat and ball playing against many of the best cricketers of his era .
He and his brothers , Colin “ Choc ” and Neil , are also no slouches at the cricketing
Come in spinner ! Ken Hall sends down another sizzling spinner on his way to capturing an amazing 815 wickets in 472 Sydney first Grade appearances with Penrith , Hawkesbury and Parramatta .
caper and were into the game while still in nappies ( slight exaggeration ).
Ken donned his first nappy on May 5 , 1952 , at Richmond ’ s Craignish Hospital , birthplace of a plethora of Hawkesbury sporting stars .
Many cricket aficionados are firm in their belief that Ken is perhaps the best player never to have represented NSW in Sheffield Shield cricket .
A noted allrounder , renowned for his longevity in Sydney First Grade – he played until he was 50 – Ken was a hardhitting late order batsman and could make the ball talk , initially bowling leftarm fast medium and for the second half of his career , mesmerising batsmen with his left-arm orthodox spin .
Ken is second only to North Sydney ’ s Robert Aitken in the number of appearances in Sydney First Grade competition , playing in 472 matches for Penrith , Hawkesbury and Bankstown , snaring 815 wickets at a miserly 21.88 and in 391 times at bat , posted 8,547 runs at 29.17 .
He won five premierships – Penrith 1978-79 , 1982-83 and with Bankstown in 1993-94 , 1994-94 and 1982-83 and after a succession of runner-up roles , he was finally anointed the winner of the prestigious O ’ Reilly Medal as Sydney First Grade Player of the Year in 1989-90 .
Among his many other awards is one very special to his heart , being a member of the Hawkesbury Legends of the Golden Age XI which was announced at a gala dinner at Windsor in 2018 .
To give you an idea of Ken ’ s reputation as a cricketer , here ’ s a few comments from
Ken and his beloved second wife , Vicki , enjoying a day at Hawkesbury races .
those who played alongside him .
Steve Waugh describes him as “ the man who always gives everything and a wonderful example to all players ” and Steve Small added , “ I have played with wonderful players over the years but for sheer will to win ‘ Emu ’ stands out as the best .”.
Kevin Roberts , the former Cricket Australia CEO , Sheffield Shield batsman and Ken ’ s skipper at Bankstown for many seasons said , “ Even Father Time can ’ t stop him – Ken Hall is probably the greatest competitor in the history of Sydney grade cricket ”.
Ken is still heavily involved in the game he loves as manager-mentor with Bankstown club and regularly displays his still remarkable skills in Over 60s cricket matches .
Ken did his educatin ’ at Wilberforce Public and Richmond High where he left with his School Certificate and a desire to become a motor mechanic .
“ I became an apprentice under Aub
Drury at Laurie Taylor ’ s Hawkesbury Valley Motors where I was so very fortunate to have both men as mentors in the workplace and in life ,” Ken said .
After completing his four-year apprenticeship , Ken did his stint as a National Serviceman , re-joining Hawkesbury Valley Motors for six months after being demobbed .
“ I then moved on to a maintenance job with a timber yard at Vineyard where I looked after all the machinery and vehicles ,” Ken said .
“ When the business was sold in 1975 , I began a 39-year association with Winford Motors and these days I work part-time with Rick Viger at AA West Automotive at McGraths Hill .”
So , Ken is still a busy man , what with being a father , grandfather to seven grandchildren and playing with a host of old mates in the very competitive Over 60s cricket .
For Ken “ Emu ” Hall , life is still ebbing and flowing .
KURMOND
Your Local Independent BP
729 George Street SOUTH WINDSOR
Full Convenience Store OPEN 24 HOURS
EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR
Not just a place for great coffee but also great service !
DELICIOUS FRESHLY
HOT ROASTED CHICKEN !
PLUS .... Gourmet Pies , Sausage Rolls & Great Coffee
Independently owned & supporting the local community for over 35 years 501 Bells Line of Road 4573 1324
WIDE RANGE OF LANDSCAPE SUPPLIES , TOOLS & HARDWARE !
• Garden Soils
• Topdressing Soils
• Turf Underlay
• Sand
• Fertilisers
• Manure
• Decorative Pebbles
• Decorative Mulches
• Cement Products
• Building Supplies
• Bricks , Blocks & Pavers
• Firewood
Phone 4572 7549 www . parkleasandsoil . com . au
THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 137 // OCTOBER 2021 7