Brenton Cherry a Batsman of Class
Parramatta District Cricket Club | April 28, 2025
The conclusion of the 2019/20 season saw club stalwart Brenton Cherry ‘draw down the curtain’ on a tremendous one-club career that had its roots way back in 2000/01, and ended with him compiling a mountain of runs for Parramatta and being respected as one of the leading batsmen in Sydney’s Premier Grade cricket competition.
Quite a tall man Brenton was a stylish right-handed batsman - who spent most of his playing days as an opener only switching to No.4 in his last couple of seasons – possessing a well organised technique and a fine repertoire of flowing attacking strokes, highlighted by his firm off-drives and ‘signature’ pull shots, and he was also a most competent slips fieldsman.
Brenton’s journey began in A.W. Green Shield in 1999/00 when he was a diminutive left-arm Chinaman bowler, and in 2000/01 he played a handful of 5th grade matches before being promoted and playing a key role in 4th grade’s charge to the Semi-Finals by capturing 23 wickets @ 15.57 (B.B. – 5/60 v. Manly).
By 2002/03 he had a growth spurt, and his bowling opportunities tapered off, but on the positive side this season witnessed his batting ‘take wings’ and for the first time the club got a glimpse of his ability to forge large centuries. Starting in 5th grade Brenton struck a brilliant 167 sharing a still standing 5th grade 2nd wicket record partnership of 212 with Adam Lovett, and then in the next game after promotion to 4th the same pair both notched consecutive centuries [Cherry – 140] – he finished the season with an all grades total of 516 runs @ 36.86.
Between 2003/04 – 2005/06 he tended to float between 3rd and 4th grade, nevertheless in 2005/06 he laid the platform for his advancement to the higher grades by producing 426 runs@ 28.40 [H.S. – 127*]. Strong early form in 3rd grade in 2006/07 including 111* v. Bankstown took Brenton to 2nd grade where a bright 106 v. Sutherland consolidated his place.
Strong performances in 2nd grade [471 runs @ 33.64 – 115 v. North Sydney] won him his initial tilt at 1st grade in 2007/08 – yet the next three seasons was like a game of ‘Snakes and Ladders’ up and down between the top two grades – shaping well but not quite ‘nailing down’ the 1st grade opener’s spot.
It all clicked into place in 2010/11 and right through to 2019/20 Brenton morphed into one of the most prolific batsmen in the 1st grade competition principally as an opener, until slipping down the order to No. 4 in the 2017/18 Belvidere Cup winning team – producing 815 runs @ 50.94 incl. 3 centuries [104, 102*, 103]. At end of the 2019/20 season Brenton had locked in 4,708 runs @ 28.36 in 1st Grade.
Between 2014/15 and 2016/17 Cherry and Will Affleck formed one of the most successful opening partnerships to represent the Parramatta Club – in 2016/17 they became the only Parra openers to ever make two double century partnerships in the same season [291 v. North Sydney, 218 v. Manly]. In 2017/18 Cherry contributed to another giant partnership – 253 3rd wicket v. Bankstown with Nick Bertus.
Across the span of all grades, he has scored an impressive 16 centuries for Parramatta – [1sts – 7, 2nds – 5, 3rds – 1, 4ths – 2, 5ths – 1].
Brenton was also a rarity amongst modern players, in that he has played an off-field role in the functioning of the Parramatta District Cricket club by being a member of the Management Committee from 2014/15.
The statistics shown here under provide evidence of his outstanding NSW Premier Cricket career:
