Matt Giumelli – The Quite Achiever - Parramatta District Cricket Club
Parramatta District Cricket Club | June 25, 2025
In an era when Premier Cricket Clubs find it difficult to find in their midst, seasoned players with the skill set, to fill the role of lower grade captains / mentors. Parramatta has been most fortunate to have Matt Giumelli as its Third Grade captain over the past three seasons.
Still in his mid-twenties, Matt has already built an awesome captaincy legacy with the Parramatta Third Grade team – 2022/23 Premiers, 2023/24 Qualifying Finalist and 2024/25 Premiers.
Third Grade is a very important team in grade cricket, and Parramatta currently has a raft of bright youngsters emerging from its Academy and A.W. Green Shield team, and a captain of Matt Giumelli’s capabilities greatly aids them along the pathway to the higher levels of NSW Premier Cricket and beyond.
Apart from his captaincy credentials, Matt is a very competent allrounder in his own right – a forceful right-handed batsman and a tight off-spinner. He followed a ‘well-worn path’ to NSW Premier Cricket – played junior cricket for the famous Kings Langley Cricket Club; represented PDCA in the aged rep teams; turned out for Parramatta’s A.W. Green Shield team in 2013/14 and entered the Premier Cricket ranks in Fifth Grade in 2014/15.
Matt got off to a strong start in 2014/15 and impressed with his determined efforts as an opening batsman 322 runs @ 25.00 (H.S. – 73 [SF]) and chimed in with 11 wickets @ 31.29 (B.B. – 3/63).
His bowling talents came to the fore and helped cement a permanent spot in Third Grade in 2015/16, claiming 20 wickets @ 16.05 (B.B. – 5/55 v. N.D.), and the following season his allrounder’s game clicked into place producing 228 runs @ 22.80 (H.S. – 109* v. North Sydney) and 20 wickets @ 17.95 (B.B. – 4/65). Despite enjoying a fine season as an opener in Second Grade in 2020/21 (387 runs @ 32.25 [H.S. – 70), Third Grade has proved to be his ‘happy hunting ground’ and between 2015/16 and 2024/25 Matt has struck 2,063 runs @ 21.27 (H.S. – 109*, 104* - both v. North Sydney), and claimed 114 wickets @ 23.49 (B.B. – 5/55).
In another chapter in the long history of family connections In the Parramatta District Cricket Club Matt’s younger sibling Luke (a crafty off-spin bowler) has been a member of the 2022/23 and 2024/25 Third Grade Premiership winning teams, and their father Paul plays a conspicuous role in the club’s operations as a Board Member, Administrator of both the Academy and A.W. Green Shield team and a member of the Coaching Panel.
[By Tom Wood – Parramatta District Cricket Club Historian]
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