Clarence Victor "Clarrie" Grimmett (born December 25, 1891 - died May 2, 1980) was an Australian cricket player, thought by many to be one of the finest early spin bowlers, and usually credited as the developer of the flipper.
Grimmett was born in Dunedin, New Zealand. New Zealand at that time was not a test cricketing nation, and it was not surprising that a cricketer of his ability should ply his trade mainly in neighbouring Australia, then as now one of the sport's superpowers. After playing for several seasons in Wellington, New Zealand, he made his way to Sydney, before moving on to Melbourne and becoming part of the Victoria, Australia state team. He later also played for South Australia, but it is for his performances in tests that he is best remembered.
Grimmett played 37 tests between 1924 and 1936, taking 216 wickets at an average of just 24.21 runs apiece, and in doing so he became the first bowler to reach the milestone of taking 200 test wickets. That he should amass so many wickets in so few tests is remarkable, more so in that he was a leg-spin bowler - he is still the only bowler with career figures of over 200 wickets in fewer than 40 tests. He took a five-wicket 'bag' on 21 occasions, seven times finishing with ten wickets or more in a match.
His first class records are equally impressive, with a grand total of 1424 wickets in 248 matches between 1911 and 1941, again at a rate close to six wickets per match. This total included 5 wicket bags on over 120 occasions and - in one memorable performance for a touring Australian side against Yorkshire in 1930, he took 10 wickets for 37 runs of 22.3 overs, one of only a very small number of players to have claimed all of the wickets in an innings.
In 1996 he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame as one of the ten inaugural members.
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Last updated: 08-26-2005 04:52:18
