William Affleck - The Steadfast Opener
Parramatta District Cricket Club | June 03, 2025
Will Affleck spent his junior cricketing days playing within the Parramatta District under the watchful eyes of his dad John, a former 1st grade batsman with PDCC. But his entry into NSW Premier Cricket took a different path and Will spent several seasons undertaking a somewhat nomadic journey developing his game at a variety of clubs – North Sydney, Mosman, Western Suburbs, and Randwick-Petersham – before joining Parramatta as a mature player in 2014/15.
He commenced the 2014/15 season, in 2nd grade, in impressive fashion with a bout of productive scoring that yielded him 294 runs @ 73.50 (103* v. UNSW). This rich burst of form projected Will into 1st grade where he ‘took the bit between his teeth’ and churned out a further 535 runs @ 53.50 (134 v. Gordon, 108 v. Randwick-Petersham), and promptly entrenched his spot at the top of the team’s batting order.
The tall, bespectled left-handed batsman had become a very seasoned campaigner with a great understanding of his own game and how to go about the process of opening the batting in the NSW Premier Cricket 1st grade competition. To further develop his competency, he worked strenuously to improve his fitness and strength which saw him emerge as one of the leading opening batsmen in Sydney, and along the way he formed two great partnerships, initially, with Brenton Cherry and later Tim Ward.
Will possesses a friendly manner and disposition and was a very determined character with a cricket bat in his hand. Not a flashy stroke-maker his batting was based upon a calm head at the crease, a sound defensive technique, playing to his strengths in his shot selection, occupation of the crease and when well set unleashing powerful on-side hitting of the spinners. Will’s outstanding contributions and dependability at the ‘top of the order’ over the ensuring three seasons was a major factor in Parramatta morphing into a 1st grade force that culminated in winning the prestigious Belvidere Cup in 2017/18.
Between 2015/16 and 2017/18 Will Affleck produced a prolific vein of form that helped set the foundations of the Parramatta team’s notable success during that period. His opening partnership with the stylish right-hander Brenton Cherry was the best in Sydney for three seasons and must be ranked alongside any such combination to have played for the two-blues – in 2015/16 they became the only Parramatta openers to compile two double-century 1st wicket partnerships in a single season – 291 v. North Sydney and 218 v. Manly. His personal best efforts were – 637 runs @ 37.47 (H.S. – 121 v. Wests) in 2016/17 and 691 runs @ 38.39 in the premiership winning 2017/18 season. On several other occasions Will demonstrated his ability to forge massive partnerships eg:
o 2015/16 – 183 runs 2nd wicket v. St. George with Nick Bertus.
o 2016/17 – 330 runs 2nd wicket v. Western Suburbs with Nick Bertus; and 189 runs 2nd wicket v. North Sydney with Nick Bertus.
o 2017/18 – 172 runs 1st wicket v. Penrith with Tim Ward.
In 2018/19 he was surprisingly regulated to 2nd grade mid-season but in his own no nonsense fashion he set about the business of scoring runs delivering an authoritative 128 against Sydney University in the Grand Final, setting a Parramatta record 2nd grade opening partnership of 210 runs with Taj Brar.
The following season Will and his brother Tim transferred to Randwick-Petersham where Will won the celebrated O’Reilly Medal. He later had a brief stint with the Blacktown club before returning to Parramatta in 2023/24 to close out his illustrious career and concentrate on his new role as a father.
BeaconPoint Club Clips - Level 3 Cricket Coach Bryan Harper on the role of a cricket coach and the importance of Alfred
