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Fitzroy Doncaster Cricket Club
Played 1964-65 – 1975-76
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Player records
Club honours
Hall of Fame · inducted 2015
1st X1 career 1964-65 to 1975-76 (12 seasons; 113 matches)
Right hand opening bowler, 322 wkts, average 17.67, including 5WI 19 times.
Member of 1966-67 premiership team, taking 6/72 in the Final
First Class Career: 44 matches, taking 184 wkts, average 26.72, including 5WI on 12 occasions. Member of Australian Touring Team to New Zealand 1969-70.
4 Tests, taking 12 wkts, average 54.50
Played in the first ODI, taking the very first ODI wicket.
Club Legend · inducted 2020
Alan Thomson was born and grew up in Reservoir, attending Northcote High School, and coming to Fitzroy Cricket Club in 1961, aged 16. He worked his way through the grades until he made the 1st XI in 1964-65. In his debut game he took 5/39 against Richmond. Alan ultimately played 113 games for Fitzroy, taking 322 wickets @ 17.67. Universally known as “Froggy” he had an unusual bowling action, which resulted in him having to do more than others to earn each promotion he achieved throughout his career.
Alan formed a great opening bowling partnership for Fitzroy with Eddie Illingworth, and opposition teams were never keen to come to Brunswick Street Oval in this era.
Alan was a key player in the Premiership in 1966-67, taking 6/72 and 2/40 in the final to bundle Essendon out for 161 and 177 to give Fitzroy (348) an outright win by an innings and 10 runs.
Alan also captained the Club for three seasons from 1973-74. The Annual Report from 1973-74 states that “In his first season as skipper of our Club, Alan Thomson set his players a fine example with his untiring efforts and dedication to the job of winning games for Fitzroy. Alan met challenges to his personal stamina as he had many long spells of bowling and his leadership brought about a return of team comradeship and spirit which has not been apparent for some time, and augurs well for the future.”
In January 1969, Alan made his first class debut for Victoria against NSW in Sydney, taking 6/114 in the first innings. His next match for Victoria was against the touring West Indies side at the MCG, where he took 5/76 and 6/84. In the 1969-70 season, with the Test team away in India and South Africa, he was the outstanding players of the season, taking 55 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 18.74. Against NSW at the MCG, he took 5/54 and 8/87, his best innings and match figures for Victoria. At the end of that season Alan was selected as a member of the Australian Touring Team to New Zealand, opening the bowling in the first match against a Test-strength NZ team and taking 5 wickets.
Early in the 1970-71 season he took 6/80 and 3/101 against the touring MCC team, earning a call up for Test cricket.
Alan played in 4 Tests, all in 1970-71 against England. The first was at the Brisbane where his only wicket was England captain Ray Illingworth. His final Test was in Adelaide where he took 2/94 and 3/79, his best Test figures. Overall he took 12 Test wickets at 54.50. Following the 1970-71 season he played only intermittently for Victoria, finishing in 1974-75.
At the end of his First Class career, Alan had played 44 matches, taking 184 wickets at 26.72, including 5 wickets in an innings 12 times. He was the fastest Victorian to take 100 wickets (16 matches); a record that still stands today.
Career figures combine what's recorded live in Morrie with the club's own historical records — averages are shown only where there's enough real data to be honest about.
Alan played in the first ODI match in 1971 against England, taking the first wicket (Geoff Boycott caught by Bill Lawry). It was his only wicket in the game and his only ODI. He was, however, the most economical bowler in the match taking 1/22 from 8 eight-ball overs.
Alan was also a VFL field umpire before the advent of the AFL and at a time when there was only one umpire controlling the game. While on the VFL list he umpired 6 Senior VFL games, 58 Reserves games and 94 VCFL games (including 5 grand finals), totalling 158 games in his VFL umpiring career.
References: Graeme Fellows, AFLUA
Cricket Victoria website
ESPNcricinfo
FCC Annual Reports
Wikipedia