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From 1897-1900, a team known as the Balmain Electorate Cricket Club was included in the Sydney grade cricket competition. They joined teams known as East Sydney, Paddington, Waverley, Glebe, South Sydney, Burwood, North Sydney, Redfern, Central Cumberland and Leichhardt.
Between 1900 and 1904, the team was re-named the Leichhardt-Balmain District Cricket Club and from 1904 it became known as the Balmain District Club. In 2001-2002, the Club entered into a partnership with the University of Technology, Sydney and is now known as UTS Balmain Cricket Club. In over 100 years of competition, the Club has won 7 Club Championships, 4 First Grade Premierships and a number of lower grade premierships but the history of cricket is liberally sprinkled with players from Balmain who represented their State and Country with distinction.
Throughout the period from 1897 to 1946-47, Birchgrove Oval was the headquarters of the Club and it was 1947-48 when the Club moved to Drummoyne Oval. The most famous game ever played by Balmain was undoubtedly the one at Birchgrove on 18 and 25 March 1933 when around 10,000 people attended each day to watch St George with Don Bradman and Balmain with Arthur Mailey.
For the record, the match ended in a draw – Bailmain 394 – St George 7/358 (Bradman 134).
Probably the most famous Balmain players are Archie Jackson and Arthur Mailey, but the list of international and state players with Balmain at one time or another is star studded. The highest first grade run scorer of all time is, however current opening batsman Greg Hayne and he also heads the list of those who have scored the most centuries for the Club. So the grand history of a grand history of a grand Club continues… The black and gold colours of Balmain have been synonymous with its famous Tiger logo. And as the locals say – there are only 2 kinds of people in this world – there are those who were born in Balmain and those who wish they were !!!
Up the Tigers! – Neville Carnegie
The Greatest Tiger