Bill 'Tiger' O’Reilly

Born on 20 December, 1905 in the far flung western NSW town of White Cliffs, medium-pace leg-spin bowler Bill O’Reilly was gangly, fiercely competitive and relentlessly emitted waves of hostility down the pitch towards the unfortunate batsman.

Trained as a school teacher, ‘Tiger’ O’Reilly first played for New South Wales in 1927-8 and in 1931-2 gained Test selection in the 4th and 5th Tests against South Africa. From then until the outbreak of the Second World War he and the wily Clarrie Grimmett provided a contrasting and fearsome spin attack.

A right-armed bowler, his stock delivery was the leg break, yet such was his pace few batsmen could move out to the pitch of the ball, his accuracy and hostility unremitting.

Additionally he was a powerful left-handed batsman, his top score was 56* against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1935-36. In both his tours of England in 1934 and 1938 he took 100 first-class wickets and led the bowling averages, while consistently taking over 25 wickets in other series.

The master spinner Bill O'Reilly demonstrates his unorthodox grip (bending his ring and little fingers)

Two Greats Meet in Bowral

Bill O’Reilly first encountered Don Bradman in the summer of 1925-26 on Glebe Oval in Bowral (later renamed Bradman Oval). O’Reilly, returning home while on holidays from teachers college, played for Wingello against a Bowral Cricket Club team that contained the boy Bradman. At this point in time, neither player understood how intertwined their destiny would be. Although O’Reilly was not selected for Australia until 3 years after Bradman, both would go on to play Test cricket with each other throughout the 1930s.

Don Bradman’s career simultaneously coincided, coalesced and competed with O’Reilly’s. In 1939 Bradman, batting for South Australia, made 251 not out against NSW at the Adelaide Oval. He followed this with an unbeaten 90 in the second innings. Both were made against an O’Reilly led bowling attack. Bradman later rated the two innings as among his finest performances.

‘My choice for the greatest of all bowlers falls on Bill O’Reilly … power and control simply ooze out of (him) ... can’t you feel the tenacity and ferocity of the fellow?’

After 26 pre-war Test matches Bill O’Reilly appeared in the first and only Test against New Zealand at Wellington in March 1946. He took 5 for 14 and 3 for 19 and immediately retired, publicly and emphatically, by dropping his boots out of a second floor pavilion window.

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Image, two ship's officers pose with Les Fleetwood-Smith (left), Bill O'Reilly and Stan McCabe (right), during the ocean voyage to England, 1938.

Eleven years after Bill O'Reilly's retirement, a Testimonial match was organised at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), in joint honour of him and former team-mate Stan McCabe.

Reunited 50 years later on Bradman Oval

Bill O'Reilly (L) and Don Bradman (R) stride to the pitch where they met as district cricketers, to ceremoniously commence a match between a NSW XI and a Bowral XI, September 3, 1976.

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The ball used in the 1976 match, held by Bill O'Reiily in the image shown, is on display at the Bradman Museum. It was the last ball Bill O'Reilly bowled, to his old teammate and rival.

National recognition

After cricket, Bill O'Reilly turned to sports journalism and produced two tour books and much forthright newspaper comment. He was Voted Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1935.

Amongst many of his accolades, he was awarded the OBE in 1980. In 1988 the Bill O'Reilly Stand was opened at the Sydney Cricket Ground and he was listed as one of the 200 most influential Australians during the Bicentennial Celebrations at the same time.

Bill O’Reilly died on October 6, 1992. In 1996 he was posthumously inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

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Image, Bill O'Reilly, aged 71.

Local Legacy

In 1985, Wingello town saw fit to name its oval in his honour of its illustrious 'son' Bill O'Reilly, to coincide with the centenary celebrations of the local Wingello Public Primary School (of which Bill's father Ernest had been a headmaster). The Bill O'Reilly Oval is located at his home ground in the leafy Southern Highlands village of Wingello, NSW.

Whilst the Wingello cricket club ceased playing for many years, it reformed in 1997/98 cricket season, as the 'Wingello Tigers', in honour of 'Tiger O'Reilly'. The inaugural Bill“Tiger” O’Reilly Shield was held at the oval in October 2006 - played between Wingello Tigers XI and the O'Reilly XI. It continues to be contested in February as a tribute to their local legend.


In the summer of 2019, Highlands District Premiers the Wingello Tigers were honoured to host Bill O'Reilly's son, grandson and great grandson in the Bill O'Reilly Cup of that year ensuring the continuation of the legacy.

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Pictured are the Wingello Tigers and O'Reilly XI, with Bill O'Reilly's son Peter O’Reilly, Michael O’Reilly (grandson) and Daniel O’Reilly (Great Grandson). Pictured at Wingello Oval, NSW February 2019).


Team photo 2019

Wingello Tigers XI (Green Shirts)
Back (L to R) Jack Baldwin, Matthew Pike, Nathaniel Tonks, James Baldwin, Will Simpson, John Gale, Shane Robson. Front (L to R) Cameron Pike, Steven Baines, Grant Pike, Garry Newham, Roddy Acton, Rodney Acton, Brandon Martin.


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O’Reilly XI
back (L to R) Michael O'Reilly, Jeremy Hagenbach, Stephen Bennett, Mark Bryant, Daniel O'Reilly, Jack Murrie, Patrick Abrahams. Front (L to R) Harry Rosengren, Zac Lewis, Angus Grigg, Eduard Grigg, Louis Grigg.