Dave Gregory (cricketer)

Dave Gregory

Personal information
Full name	David William Gregory
Born	(1845-04-15)15 April 1845 Fairy Meadow, New South Wales, Australia
Died	4 August 1919(1919-08-04) (aged 74) Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia
Batting style	Right-hand batsman
Bowling style	Right-arm fast (Roundarm)
Role	Batsman
Relations	EJ, CS, AH Gregory (brothers) SE, CW, JM Gregory (nephews)
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 5)	15 March 1877 v England
Last Test	2 January 1879 v England
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1866-1883	New South Wales
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 3 41 Runs scored 60 889 Batting average 20.00 14.57 100s/50s 0/0 0/5 Top score 43 85 Balls bowled 20 1360 Wickets 0 29 Bowling average – 19.24 5 wickets in innings – 1 10 wickets in match – 0 Best bowling 0/9 5/55 Catches/stumpings 0/– 35/–
Source: Cricket Archive, 21 February 2009

David William Gregory (15 April 1845 – 4 August 1919) was an Australian cricketer of the 19th century. A right-handed batsman, Gregory was the first Australian national cricket captain, leading the side for the first three recognised Test matches between England and Australia in March and April 1877 and January 1879. Gregory was also the captain of the New South Wales team, notably during the Sydney Riot of 1879 when he rebelled against an unpopular decision by Victorian umpire George Coulthard during a game against the touring English team.

Gregory was part of a large cricketing family: his father, Edward William Gregory, was a "capable cricketer" with eight sons, five of whom played for New South Wales in international or intercolonial matches between 1861 and 84; in all, twenty of Edward William Gregory's descendants represented New South Wales in cricket and other sports.

David William Gregory was a man of striking appearance, he "looked like an Old Testament prophet not long out of training college."

David William Gregory was born on 15 April 1845 at Fairy Meadow, near Wollongong, the son of Edward William Gregory, a bootmaker, and his wife Mary Anne née Smith, who were married on 25 May 1835 at Sydney. His was educated at the St James Model School, Sydney.

In 1861, he joined the New South Wales public service, assigned to the Auditor-General's Department. In 1883 he became inspector of public accounts and later paymaster of the Treasury for nine years until he retired.

His family came to include six other first-class cricketers: his brothers Ned, Charles and Arthur, and his nephews Syd, Charles William and Jack who lived nearby during his early life. (Ned would additionally become a curator of the Sydney Cricket Ground.) He first appeared for New South Wales in 1866, for whom he would play 38 matches until his retirement in early 1883. Averaging a low 14.57 with the bat, including a debut first-ball duck, he managed five half centuries including strong knocks of 85 and 74 at Melbourne and Sydney. Of the former, it was noted that he was a "marvel of patience at first, and then followed a grand display of good, punishing power, combined with a splendid defence". His score was a record at the time for New South Wales, and the match also saw the debut of his brother, Arthur. Despite his low average, however, it is illustrative of the conditions of the pitches on which he played that he would reach double figures on several occasions when other members of his team failed. He would find success with the ball also, in his first match, he took 3/36 off 24.1 overs. and he would go on to take 29 wickets at 19.24, including a five-wicket-haul of 5/55.