Cricket
He was already an outstanding schoolboy cricketer whilst at St Patrick's College, where he took 118 wickets in four years, at a time when the College's team only played four matches a year. At 15 years of age he was selected to play in the Ballarat Cricket Association's (senior) team that competed in the Provincial Group of the March 1939 Country Week Carnival in Melbourne. He played at least one of these matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
He played District Cricket for the Melbourne Cricket Club from the beginning of the 1941/1942 season. In his first match for Melbourne, playing against the Essendon Cricket Club, he put on an exceptional performance after the break for tea:
…Splendid bowling by Hill, formerly of St. Patrick's College, Ballarat, was a striking feature of Melbourne's display against Essendon (167). Up till tea time he had 0/24, but he finished with 6/36 off 15.1 overs. Bowling leg breaks slightly faster than usual, he showed good control in his first senior match.
…At Essendon Hill, a new M.C.C. bowler form Mordialloc took 6/3. He kept a good length and got wickets with top spinners that made pace from the pitch.
During the time he was in the R.A.A.F. he was stationed near Sydney and, whilst there, he played intermittently with the Mosman Cricket Club. In 1945 he transferred to the St Kilda Cricket Club.
Reporting on his October 1945 debut for St Kilda, following his 1945 transfer from Melbourne, The Argus commented:
…A remarkable debut in the St Kilda team was made by Jack Hill, who transferred from Melbourne. At North Melbourne on Saturday he took four for 5 off 6.3 overs, making great pace off the wicket and turning slightly from the leg. Still in the RAAF, he is something of the O'Reilly type, although there is not the same swirl of arms and legs.
Read more about this topic: Jack Hill (cricketer)
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A cricket like a dwindled hearse
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