Dick Hassett

Richard Joseph Hassett (7 September 1909 – 15 November 2006) was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Victoria from 1930 to 1932. He was the elder brother of Lindsay Hassett.

Dick Hassett
Personal information
Full nameRichard Joseph Hassett
Born(1909-09-07)7 September 1909
Geelong, Victoria
Died15 November 2006(2006-11-15) (aged 97)
Melbourne
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm leg-spin
RelationsLindsay Hassett (brother)
John Shaw (nephew)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1929–30 to 1931–32Victoria
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 8
Runs scored 397
Batting average 56.71
100s/50s 2/1
Top score 114 not out
Balls bowled 1272
Wickets 21
Bowling average 33.00
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 4/50
Catches/stumpings 4/0
Source: Cricket Archive, 15 May 2015

Born in Geelong, Dick Hassett went to The Geelong College with his brothers Harry, Vincent and Lindsay.[1] In 1928–29 he played for a Geelong team against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club, taking the wicket of Jack Hobbs.[2] A few weeks later, playing for Newtown & Chilwell in the semi-final of the Geelong competition, he took 9 for 16 and ran out the tenth batsman.[3]

Along with three other young Victorians he made his first-class debut for Victoria in 1929–30 against Western Australia, taking four wickets and top-scoring in the first innings with 58.[4] A month later he played against Tasmania, taking 3 for 27 and 4 for 50, getting the 15-year-old Jack Badcock stumped off his bowling in each innings on his first-class debut.[5] Victoria won both matches.

Hassett's only match for a full-strength Victorian team came in 1930–31 against the touring West Indians. Victoria won again, but Hassett made a duck and took only one wicket.[6] He played two matches against Tasmania later that season. In the first innings of the first match in Hobart, coming to the wicket at number eight with the score on 6 for 98, Hassett scored 114 not out, reaching his century in 138 minutes, and Victoria totalled 342.[7] In the next match, in Launceston a few days later, he batted at number six and scored 102, reaching his century in 148 minutes, taking Victoria to a first-innings lead after Tasmania had made 446.[8]

Despite his success in these two matches, Hassett never played a Sheffield Shield match. He played three times against Tasmania in 1931–32, with moderate success, and then devoted himself to his career. He worked as a chemical engineer, employed for 43 years by the clothing manufacturer Holeproof in Melbourne.[9] For some years before his death at the age of 97 he was the oldest living Victorian player.[10]

See also

References
  1. The Argus, 28 January 1938, p. 20.
  2. "Geelong v MCC 1928–29". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  3. "Untitled history of Newtown & Chilwell Cricket Club" (PDF). www.two-blues.com.au. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  4. "Victoria v Western Australia 1929–30". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  5. "Victoria v Tasmania 1929–30". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  6. "Victoria v West Indians 1930–31". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  7. The Mercury, 22 January 1931, p. 10.
  8. The Mercury, 28 January 1931, p. 10.
  9. Wisden 2007, p. 1556.
  10. Nabila Ahmed, "Reliving the Victorian dream in the Long Room", The Age, 18 October 2003.
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