| Fullname | Craig Joseph Simmons |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 1 December 1982 (age 43) |
| Birth place | Paddington, New South Wales, Australia |
| Heightm | 1.70 |
| Batting | Left-handed |
| Bowling | Slow left arm orthodox |
| Role | Batsman |
| Country | Australia |
| Club 1 | Western Australia |
| Year 1 | 2003/04–2004/05 |
| Club 2 | New South Wales |
| Year 2 | 2005/06–2006/07 |
| Club 3 | Western Australia |
| Year 3 | 2008/09–2014/15 |
| Club 4 | Perth Scorchers |
| Year 4 | 2013/14–2014/15 |
| Club 5 | Adelaide Strikers |
| Year 5 | 2014/15–2015/16 |
| Columns | 3 |
| Column 1 | FC |
| Column 2 | LA |
| Column 3 | T20 |
| Matches 1 | 7 |
| Matches 2 | 21 |
| Matches 3 | 29 |
| Runs 1 | 187 |
| Runs 2 | 501 |
| Runs 3 | 711 |
| Bat avg 1 | 15.58 |
| Bat avg 2 | 23.85 |
| Bat avg 3 | 25.39 |
| 100s/50s 1 | 0/1 |
| 100s/50s 2 | 0/3 |
| 100s/50s 3 | 2/0 |
| Top score 1 | 60 |
| Top score 2 | 98 |
| Top score 3 | 112 |
| Deliveries 1 | 120 |
| Deliveries 2 | – |
| Deliveries 3 | 84 |
| Wickets 1 | 1 |
| Wickets 2 | – |
| Wickets 3 | 3 |
| Bowl avg 1 | 72.00 |
| Bowl avg 2 | – |
| Bowl avg 3 | 29.33 |
| Fivefor 1 | 0 |
| Fivefor 2 | – |
| Fivefor 3 | 0 |
| Tenfor 1 | 0 |
| Tenfor 2 | – |
| Tenfor 3 | 0 |
| Best bowling 1 | 1/37 |
| Best bowling 2 | – |
| Best bowling 3 | 2/26 |
| Catches/stumpings 1 | 3/– |
| Catches/stumpings 2 | 4/– |
| Catches/stumpings 3 | 5/– |
| Source | https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/44/44276/44276.html CricketArchive |
| Date | 19 May |
| Year | 2019 |
Craig Joseph Simmons (born 1 December 1982) is an Australian former professional cricketer. He played domestically for Western Australia, New South Wales, Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers. At grade cricket level, he plays for Rockingham-Mandurah in the WACA district competition, having previously played for Fremantle in WACA district matches and Gordon in Sydney Grade Cricket matches.[1] A left-handed batsman, Simmons represented the Australian national under-19 team at the 2002 Under-19 World Cup, playing seven matches.[2] At the tournament, he scored 155 runs from 115 balls against Kenya's under-19 team, contributing to Australia's total of 6/480 from 50 overs and eventual win by 430 runs.[3]
Simmons made his first-class debut for Western Australia in December 2003, against Victoria at the WACA Ground in Perth.[4] He transferred to New South Wales for the 2005–06 season, and regularly played ING Cup matches, as well as top-scoring for New South Wales in the final of the inaugural KFC Twenty20 Big Bash season, which the team lost to Victoria.[5] Playing only twice at state level the following season, Simmons' Cricket NSW contract was not renewed for the 2007–08 season, and he subsequently returned to Western Australia,[6] breaking into the team for a small number of games during the 2008–09 and 2011–12 seasons.[7]
After good form for Rockingham-Mandurah at district level, Simmons replaced the injured Liam Davis in the Perth Scorchers' squad for the 2013–14 Big Bash League season.[8] In his fourth game for the Scorchers, against the Adelaide Strikers in mid-January 2014, Simmons scored a century from 39 balls, breaking the record for the fastest Big Bash League century; a record that would not be matched until 11 years later when Mitchell Owen of the Hobart Hurricanes tied it during the 2024-25 final.[9][10] He was dismissed shortly after, finishing with 102 runs from 41 balls, with his innings including eight fours and eight sixes.[11] In the team's semi-final against the Sydney Sixers, Simmons scored another century, 112 runs from 58 balls.[12] He thus became the first player to score two centuries in Big Bash League matches,[13] and also equalled Chris Gayle's competition record of eleven sixes in a match.[14] As of that match, he has a strike rate of 176.51 runs per 100 balls, the best of any player who has faced over 125 balls in the competition.[15] He subsequently signed for the Adelaide Strikers for the 2014–15 and the 2015–16 BBL seasons.
References
- ^ "Player Profile". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
- ^ Under-19 ODI matches played by Craig Simmons (7) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ Australia Under-19s v Kenya Under-19s, ICC Under-19 World Cup 2001/02 (Group D) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ "First-Class Matches played by Craig Simmons". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
- ^ New South Wales v Victoria, KFC Twenty20 Big Bash 2005/06 (Final) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ "Simmons goes home to Western Australia" – ESPNcricinfo. Published 19 May 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ List A matches played by Craig Simmons (14) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ "Adam Voges’s return to Perth Scorchers squad approved" – The Cricket Country. Published 2 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ "Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers opener Craig Simmons blasts record century" – Sydney Morning Herald. Published 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ Walsh, Dan (27 January 2025). "As it happened: Mitch Owen's stunning 39-ball 100 breaks Hobart's BBL drought". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Craig Simmons smashes century off 39 balls for Perth Scorchers in Big Bash League" – couriermail.com.au. Published 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ Alex Malcolm (2014). "Simmons 112 powers Scorchers to final" – ESPNcricinfo. Published 5 February 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
- ^ Big Bash League / Records / List of hundreds – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
- ^ Big Bash League / Records / Most sixes in an innings – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
- ^ Big Bash League / Records / Highest strike rates – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2014.