Pellew Nip Image 1 South Australia 1921

Description

Port Pirie, South Australia born right-hand batsman Clarence Everard “Nip” Pellew was an attacking batsman, a fine straight driver and a great exponent of the off-drive played slightly late to send the ball between cover and third-man. He was also a competent player off his legs and a splendid runner between the wickets. After showing promise for South Australia in his debut season of 1913-14 and making 97 against New South Wales in 1914-15, he went to the First World War and it was not until 1919, when he was a member of the Australian Imperial Forces side in England, that he really became prominent. Starting with 105 not out against Cambridge University in his first match, he made 1,260 runs with an average of 38, including four centuries.

Returning to Australia he made 271 in four and three-quarter hours against Victoria, equalling a record set up by George Giffen 30 years before. In 1920-21 he played in four of the five Tests against England, making his Test debut at Sydney in December 1920, scoring 116 in just over three hours in the Second Test at Melbourne and hitting brilliantly in the Third Test at Adelaide to get 104 in two hours.

Though he made two hundreds in the 1920-21 Test series and for his career in Sheffield Shield cricket he had an excellent batting average of 39.50, it is as an outfield that he is chiefly remembered, being regarded as an exceptionally brilliant fieldsman. In 1946 Dudley Carew wrote, “across the years the memory of the fair-haired Pellew, of the Australian Forces team of 1919, stands out in thousands of minds while the centuries and hat-tricks of more famous players have grown dim”. His Wisden obituary noted: “Credited with being able to run the 100 yards in 10.2 seconds and to throw a cricket ball over 100 yards, he might well, after sprinting 40 yards round the boundary, save not one run but two or three, so swiftly did he get rid of the ball. In any discussion of the world’s greatest outfields, he must be a candidate for a place.”

He was disappointing as a batsman with Warwick Armstong’s team in England in 1921, failing to reach 1,000 runs and making a single fifty in the Headingley Test, but even so he was never omitted from the Test side. That was almost the end of his regular first class career but, reappearing for South Australia in a few matches in 1928-29, he showed what a loss his premature retirement had been. From his 10 Test matches he ended with a batting average of 37.23, somewhat better than his career batting average of 33.60 from 91 first class matches, including 9 centuries and 21 half centuries. He also bowled occasional right-arm medium pace and took 12 wickets in first class cricket at a bit over 70 apiece with a best return of 3-119. He held 43 catches with his fielding.

Pellew was also a leading Australian rules footballer who, due to permit problems, was only allowed to play one game for North Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He played in the centre against Sturt Football Club’s star player Vic Richardson (who also played Test cricket for Australia).

He was South Australia’s State coach from 1930 till the Second World War, and again from 1958 to 1970.

Until his death aged 87 in 1981, Pellew was the last survivor but one of Warwick Armstrong’s great Australian side of 1921.

Pellew’s brother Lance Pellew also played first class cricket for South Australia.

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