The cricket community in NSW is saddened by the passing last month of former Australian and NSW representative Patricia Thomson, aged 86.
Born on November 26, 1937, at Leeton in the NSW Riverina, Thomson moved to Sydney with her family aged three and excelled at a multitude of sports as a child.
Before taking up cricket as a teenager, Thomson swam at state level, once taking on Olympic legends Dawn Fraser and Lorraine Crapp at North Sydney Pool. The same year she competed in an athletics meet against Betty Cuthbert.
But it was on the cricket field, as an off-spinning allrounder, where Thomson’s star shone most brightly.
She made her NSW debut on January 9, 1957, against Victoria and went on to play 26 times for her state, taking 76 wickets at the incredible average of 7.36. Her best bowling figures in an innings was 6-14 vs South Australia in 1967, and in same game had match figures of 10-27.
Thomson made her Test debut for Australia against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1961, scoring 31 with the bat and taking 2-41 with the ball.
Overall, in four Tests, that included the 1963 Ashes tour, Thomson scored 107 runs at 26.75 and claimed two wickets at 73.5.
Following her cricket career, Thomson moved to the Northern Territory to become a police officer, rising through the ranks to lead the NT Police’s women’s division, before returning to NSW later in life.
Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon said Thomson was a great servant of cricket and the community.
“Looking at the details of Patricia Thomson’s life, it is easy to see that while she excelled in various sports, particularly cricket, she was also very active in the community in her role as a police officer,” Germon said.
“Her bowling average in domestic cricket is second to none and like anyone who reaches the heights of international cricket, her talent would have been obvious to those she played with at the time.
“We send our deepest condolences to Patricia’s family and friends at this difficult time and celebrate her contribution to our game.”
