Marcus William ‘Marc’ Bosley – A Natural Leader - Parramatta District Cricket Club

Parramatta District Cricket Club | June 30, 2025

 

Apart from his own bowling prowess, Marc Bosley earned lasting repute within the Parramatta club as one of its most distinguished 1st Grade captains. During the 1930s he captained the team for six years, with the ‘jewel in the crown’ being the winning of the elusive 1st Grade Premiership - the club’s second title in 1932/33 – his leadership was at its pinnacle as he guided a very young and inexperienced Cumberland team to a totally unexpected premiership. A natural leader who set a great example of sportsmanship and competitive but fair play to his teammates, Bosley ensured that harmony and good team spirit was the hallmark of the sides he captained. A fine legacy he gave to Cumberland was the way he fostered and mentored the early careers of fledgling club stars such as Ray Rowe, Jack Fitzpatrick, the Howell brothers – all of whom became club stalwarts – Rowe, Fitzpatrick and W.H. Howell achieved first-class selection.

Marc Bosley’s career began with Cumberland in 2nd grade during the 1919/20 season, and he made his initial 1st Grade appearance in 1920/21 but didn’t appear in the top grade again until 1923/24 – he had a two-year hiatus from grade cricket. When he returned to the fray in 1923/24, he was in dynamic bowling form immediately in 2nd grade – capturing 37 wickets @ 13.94, securing five 5 wicket hauls (best – 6/27 v. Waverley). He continued this rich vein of form when promoted to 1st grade by snaring another 20 wickets @ 22.75. From that point on in his career he was a permanent mainstay of the 1st grade attack until 1937/38 (apart from missing the 1927/28, 1929/30 and 1935/36 seasons). He won selection in the NSW Sheffield Shield team in 1924/25, but after a moderate match he was never selected again – a pity because he became a much smarter and more versatile bowler later in his career.

Bosley was a crafty left-armed opening bowler, of medium pace who relied upon the strategic use of swing and cut to take his wickets – he often performed a workhorse role in the attack, bowling long economical spells on good batting pitches – but in the days of uncovered wickets he was adroit at exploiting rain damaged pitches. Batting was not his forte and he was very much in the rabbit category, scoring only 496 runs in his entire 1st grade career (best – 31*).

His bowling was highly productive – he became the third member, after L.W. Pye and R.C. Coogan, to join the exclusive ‘300 wickets club’ in 1st grade for Cumberland – overall he claimed 307 wickets at the excellent average of 20.06 – best individual efforts of 7/83, 8/37 and 7/29 – altogether he grabbed twelve 5 wicket harvests and on five occasions he captured 30 wickets or more in 1st grade.

 A few media extracts from his playing days, give a fine indicator of Mark Bosley’s style and bowling manner: 

• “M. Bosley, Cumberland medium-pace left-hander, bowled very steady, with neat variation in pace against Mosman. Changes in flight and pace helped him to wickets, and his 5 for 58. Bosley, who keeps a finer length than most Sydney bowlers, has done quite well and looks good enough to achieve even better results.” – (Not Out in The Referee 22/3/1933). 
• “Left-hander Mark Bosley, who has done many fine feats for Central Cumberland, took 8 of Glebe wickets for 37. He has been consistent and frequently hostile for his club.” – (Rambler in The Sporting Globe 22/11/1933). 
• “The wicket was favourable to bowlers, and left-hander Mark Bosley took six for 25 off 106 balls. He was tricky in the air and came back slightly from leg. A heady bowler, he is always very awkward when getting assistance from the wicket.” – (Rambler in The Sporting Globe 2/1/1935).

 

Club stalwart Lloyd Cadden who was an energetic young opening bowler in the 1932/33 Premiership team says of that season: “We were not a great side, but “Marc soon welded us into a team with his great captaincy”.

Bosley was always a very active and committed ‘clubman’, spending several years engaged in the administration of the club – he served on the general management committee, the ground committee, and as a NSWCA delegate. He also occupied the highest offices in the club with distinction, filling the Secretary’s role briefly in 1930/31 and the President’s chair for five years from 1935/36 through to 1939/40.

Marc Bosley passed away in June 1982 after a fine innings of 85 years.

(By Tom Wood – Parramatta District Cricket Club Historian)

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