| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Craig Joseph Simmons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 December 1982 Paddington, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Simmo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Slow left arm orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003/04–2004/05 | Western Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005/06–2006/07 | New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008/09–2014/15 | Western Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013/14–2014/15 | Perth Scorchers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014/15–2015/16 | Adelaide Strikers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:CricketArchive,19 May 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 side 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 side 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.