THE late Bill "Tiger" O'Reilly would have been proud of the annual oration named in his honour to launch the new Sydney Cricket Association season at Hurstville Oval on Friday.
O'Reilly, the former St George, NSW and Australian spin bowler, lived at Bexley for many years.
His deeds on the field and then later as a brilliant writer and analyst of the game have placed O'Reilly favourably in the annals of the game.
St George club co-patron and former top batsman Warren Saunders delivered the O'Reilly Oration, spinning many yarns and tales about the great slow bowler.
"Bill was a wonderful man," he said.
‘‘I don’t think we will ever see another one like him. One season he took 147 wickets at an average of just seven.’’
Saunders said O’Reilly, was a unique bowler and person who held the first grade club record for the most wickets, 766 averag-
ing 8.7 a wicket.
‘‘Four times he held the record for most wickets in a season with 147, 109, 108 and 86 dismissals,’’ he said.
Former Australian Test opener and Sutherland batsman and now NSW assistant coach Phil Jaques was one of the special guests, and other well-known cricket personalities included former St George and Australian batsman Brian Booth, former NSW all- rounder Brad McNamara and Peter O’Reilly, the son of the late ‘‘Tiger’’.
Peter O’Reilly played for the St George club like his late father, in the lower grades. O’Reilly, 76, is a retired pharmacist who owned a Kogarah chemist for many years, and lives at Dolls Point.
St George first grade opens the new season against UNSW at 9.30am this Saturday at Hurstville Oval.