We’ve tried to go for an Olympics flavour with our latest Past Player Profile, featuring WCC Life Member, Jim R. Elmslie.
Jim’s niece, Brittany Elmslie, is a retired competitive swimmer who represented Australia at the 2012 London & 2016 Rio Olympics, winning five (5) medals, including two (2) golds, as a member of Australia’s extremely successful women’s relay teams.
Often known as “Elms”, Jim made his WCC debut in Colts by age 13 in 1981 and began playing A Grade by 1985, making scores of 53* & 63 before turning 17. For the next 25 odd seasons, Jim was an ultimate club player, frequently shuffling back & forth between A’s (where he would bat anywhere from opener to No. 8 but generally at either No. 6 or 7) & B’s (where he almost always opened the batting).
His first century came in A’s in 1994/95, 103 from No. 6 against Echunga at the Hill to top score in an absurd total of 7/463 (our 2nd highest team score in A’s), whilst his other century also came in A’s, in 2004/05 (almost 10 years later to the day), 115 against Mt Barker, this time as an opener & as part of a massive 177 run opening partnership with fellow Life Member, Damien “Moose” Nettle, who would make 88 himself, to set up another imposing score of 6/391.
Jim retired as a regular player after the 2011/12 season but returned for a handful of matches in C’s over subsequent seasons, including a memorable 69 from just 41 balls at age 46 in a C Grade T20 as part of a 197 run opening partnership with Simon Nunan.
A rarely used but handy medium pacer, Jim chipped in with 29 wickets across his seniors career, however, his best work when not at the crease came in the slip cordon, where Elms always exhibited quick reflexes and a very safe set of hands. His 105 career catches place him 9th on the all time WCC list but 3rd amongst non-wicketkeepers.
Jim was also an integral component of the club off the field, serving on the Committee for a number of years and always pulling his weight when any works were needed up at the Hill, including for the construction of the current clubrooms. He was rightly awarded Life Membership in 2011.
A four (4) time premiership player, Jim officially played 185 seniors matches, however, we only have limited records for B Grade for most of the ‘90s & early ‘00s such that we estimate he probably played closer to 215 seniors matches. In addition to his 105 catches & 29 wickets, Elms scored 3,549 runs (15th most in WCC history) @ 19.50 including two (2) centuries & 13 half-centuries.
Well done Jim (& Brittany)!
