Jack Treanor – A Leg-spinner of the highest order
Parramatta District Cricket Club | September 22, 2025
Jack Cassimar Treanor was born on 17th August 1922 at Darlinghurst and died on 7th November 1993 at East Ballina, NSW. He was a right-hand leg-spin bowler and moderate left-handed batsman.
Treanor bowled in a similar manner to the former great Test leg-spinner Bill O’Reilly, pushing the ball quickly through the air and bowling with great accuracy. Not being a big spinner of the ball, he relied on trapping the batsman around the crease line – utilizing a combination of the accuracy, nip off the pitch and a bouncing top-spinner to detonate the batsman’s downfall. A dedicated bowler he had ‘scant respect’ for batsmen – ‘they were his sworn enemies’.
After commencing his early grade cricket with the Randwick club, he returned to them after serving in World War II, but in 1952/53 decided to switch to Central Cumberland then captained by Ron James. Jack played for the Parramatta club from 1952/53 to 1958/59 and was tremendously successful, establishing himself as one of the very best bowlers of any type to ever represent Cumberland.
He captured 281 wickets @ 18.83 in just 7 seasons, an amazing average of 40 wickets a season (the club’s best). In the 1957/58 season he snared 56 wickets to equal the club record (Belvidere Cup) set by R.C. Coogan in 1913/14 (still the existing record), he topped the 50+ wickets in a season mark on another two occasions – 54 in 1953/54 and 53 in 1955/56. His ability to destroy the opposition batting line-ups is aptly illustrated by listing a few of his feats – 9/46 v. Manly (1954/55), 9/82 v. Manly (1957/58), 5/35 & 6/27 v. Mosman (1956/57). Sydneysider in the Sporting Globe 17/10/1956 said:
“In just four seasons NSW slow bowler Jack Treanor has taken 202 wickets for Cumberland. He took his 200th wicket on Saturday when he had Manly opening batsman Brian Taylor caught behind. Coming on with the Manly total 1/58, Treanor took the next five wickets to fall and finished with 5/67 in an unbroken spell of 19 overs. At one stage he took three wickets for four runs.”
Jack’s left-handed batting qualified him for a permanent 10 or 11 spot in the order, and with a mere 317 runs @ 9.32 (best – 58), it can safely be said his batting wasn’t as bountiful as his bowling.
At first-class level Jack represented NSW from 1954/55 to 1956/57 playing 17 matches – claiming 63 wickets @ 27.71 (4 x 5wkt. hauls – best 5/36 v. Victoria 1956/57) and managed 197 runs @ 11.58 (best – 33*).
After being called to Brisbane as a late replacement the day before the match with Queensland (29th October 1954) was due to commence – Jack debuted at the age of 32 years in triumph – bowling beautifully to claim 5/146 (37 overs) and 3/59 (including a Hat-trick) – he remains to this day the only Australian to take a hat-trick in his first-class debut. That season he also picked up 12 wickets in the two matches against the touring English Test team (batting greats Len Hutton and Peter May twice each) and claimed 5/97 v. Victoria.
(By Tom Wood – Parramatta District Cricket Club Historian)
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