Vale Stan Wilson

A great of the Midland-Guildford Cricket Club and right-arm Western Australian pace bowler Stan ‘Steamer’ Wilson has passed away at the aged of 73.

Wilson made his First-Class debut for WA against Victoria in a Sheffield Shield match at the WACA Ground in November 1968.

He played six matches for WA between 1986-69 and 1975-76. Wilson’s best performance for WA came against South Australia at Adelaide Oval when he took five wickets, including career-best figures of 4-29 from 6.3 overs in the second innings that featured the wicket of Greg Chappell.

At a time when WA boasted an attack featuring Dennis Lillee, Graham McKenzie, Bob Massie, Sam Gannon and Laurie Mayne opportunities were limited. Wilson did play against Pakistan in November 1972, claiming 2-99 off 15 overs which included four maidens.

Wilson played 175 matches over 15 seasons of club cricket in WA. Over his playing career he took 495 wickets at 17.58 with 28 hauls of five wickets or more in an innings.

His best performance in club cricket came in 1970-71 when he claimed 8-12 against Claremont-Cottesloe at Creswell Park.

He made his debut for Midland-Guildford in the 1965-66 season at the age of 18 and became a formidable opening bowler in Midland-Guildford’s first-ever premiership victory in 1968-69 and back-to-back win in 1969-70.

Stan is a Life Member of Midland-Guildford and was selected in the Club’s Team of the Century.


References: Making the Grade: A history of WACA Club Cricket by Bill Reynolds and Cricket Archive