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Jason Coleman – The Coach

Parramatta District Cricket Club | October 27, 2025

Jason Coleman can best be described as a dyed-in-the-wool ‘cricket tragic’, the complete devotee of the game. Originally a Kings Langley junior player he has dedicated his entire adult life to partaking in cricket related escapades. His ongoing romance with cricket has, over the past three decades, seen him playing non-stop Grade and Shires cricket in Sydney (plus Coaching) during the Australian summer, and then jetting-off to England to play, coach and work in cricket administration in the U.K. league and minor counties competitions over the English summer.

His stamina and durability have been noteworthy for a player whose ‘bread and butter’ forte is medium-paced bowling. Jason’s approach to his cricket is ‘totally at odds to modern day thinking’ of bowling restrictions and resting of pacemen, he epitomises the old-fashioned adage of - ‘keep your body fit for bowling by bowling.’

Jason played his early Premier grade cricket with Western Suburbs and Fairfield, but ‘saw the light’ and joined Parramatta District Cricket Club in 2003/04 where he played until season 2008/09. He then undertook a five-season stint as captain-coach at the Auburn Shires Club, before resuming at Parramatta in 2014/15 and was still captaining the club’s 3rd team in the 2020/21 season.

Of medium height and build, because of his vast experience both in Australia and the U.K. he developed into a thoughtful and competent captain, and a proficient and cagey medium-pacer and a more than useful lower-order batsman. His bowling strength rested upon the ability to seam and move the ball around, good control and the stamina to bowl long spells. With bat in hand, he fitted into the hard-grafting fighter category.

At Parramatta this ‘all-year-round-cricketer’ has forged an impressive career. In the twelve seasons he has played for the club – ranging between 2003/04 and 2021/22 (excluding his Auburn stint) – Jason’s all-grades statistics read:

· Batting – 1,991 runs @ 23.70 – this includes a top-score of 97 in 3rd grade in 2004/05 (he made 3 other half-centuries.

· Bowling – 294 wickets @ 20.99 – B.B. – 6/41(he has captured 8 five-wicket hauls).

· Catches – 59.

Jason played 1st grade between 2004/05 and 2006/07 – capturing 21 wickets @ 40.42 (B.B. – 5/60), and 105 runs @ 7.50 (H.S. – 24). In 2nd grade his bowling efforts were quite productive 69 wickets @ 22.71, with strong performances in 2006/07 resulting in 27 wickets @ 31.41(B.B. – 5/68) and 2007/08 he claimed 37 wickets @ 15.84 (B.B. – 4/18).

But 3rd grade was his most fruitful forum, he has been a wonderful competitor on that stage, gathering an impressive 201 wickets @ 18.28 (B.B. – 6/41, 6/44, 5/14, 5/21, 6/83 and 5/25). Jason is one of only six bowlers to have taken over 200 wickets in 3rd grade for the Parramatta club. He also scored 1,416 runs @ 27.26 (H.S. – 97).

His outstanding season in 3rd grade in 2014/15, in which he grabbed 40 wickets @ 14.18, saw him win the club’s prestigious ‘Bill Anderson Memorial Trophy’- Cricketer of the Year, and the inaugural player’s player award the Cumberland Medal.

Jason provided great service to the club as a knowledgeable and mentoring captain over several seasons as illustrated below:

· 2nd grade: 2006/07 and 2007/08.

· 3rd grade: 2004/05, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21. He led the team to the Minor Premiership in 2017/18.

At the backend of his playing career Jason has focussed his attention firmly on the Coaching sphere. He has complemented his practical experience by undertaking the formal educational courses needed to equip him with the qualifications required for senior coaching positions. In fact, he is one of a rare group who hold Level 3 Coaching Certificates in both Australia and England.

He joined the Parramatta District Cricket Club’s coaching panel in 2014/15 as an assistant coach and was officially appointed the club’s Head Coach in 2015/16, a role he has continued to fill and is currently guiding Parramatta’s 2025/26 campaign. Since taking charge of the club’s coaching operations Jason has greatly lifted and maintained the club’s training programme, it is rare that the Tuesday and Thursday night sessions don’t have around 50 players in attendance.

His term in office has overseen a spectacular upsurge in Parramatta’s on field performances, especially in 1st grade where they made the Semi-Finals in the Belvidere Cup in 2016/17, and then after a 53-season hiatus they won the premiership (Belvidere Cup) in 2017/18. As a result of that triumph Jason Coleman was awarded the NSW Premier Cricket’s – Bob Simpson Award for the NSW Premier Cricket ‘Coach of the Year’.

This performance was no fluke, as Jason then coached Parramatta to Belvidere Cup premierships again in 2022/23 and 2024/25, and on each occasion, he again was recognised as the NSW Premier Cricket’s Bob Simpson Coach of the Year award winner – the only Coach to win this honour three times.