Gordon Clem

{{short description|Australian cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Gordon Clem

| image = Gordon Clem.png

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1909|7|5|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Milora, Queensland, Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|1970|3|3|1909|7|5|df=yes}}

| death_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

| batting =

| bowling =

| role =

| club1 =

| year1 =

| clubnumber1 =

| club2 =

| year2 =

| clubnumber2 =

| date = 1 October 2020

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/4755.html Cricinfo

}}

Gordon Clem (5 July 1909 – 3 March 1970) was an Australian cricketer. He played one first-class match for Queensland in 1932/33.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/4755.html |title=Gordon Clem |access-date=1 October 2020 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}

Cricket career

Clem began his cricket career representing Virginia State School in school cricket, helping them win the 1924-25 premiership. As of 1926 he had begun playing for Toombul in club cricket and was described as "proving himself a good left-hand bowler".{{cite news | title = School Cricket| newspaper= Daily Standard|location=Brisbane, QLD| page =8 | date =3 February 1926| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179488101| access-date = 14 May 2021 }} By 1929, he had suffered a back injury but was still described as bowling well and above medium pace,{{cite news | title = Country Cricketers Draw Blanks| newspaper= Daily Standard|location=Brisbane, QLD| page =9 | date =28 October 1929| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186795937| access-date = 14 May 2021 }} and in 1930 he bowled the Toombul B grade team to the B grade premiership by taking 6 for 23 in the final.{{cite news | title = B Grade Premiership| newspaper= The Telegraph|location=Brisbane, QLD| page =12 | date =7 April 1930| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188243785| access-date = 14 May 2021 }}

In the 1931-32 Brisbane cricket season, Clem took 35 wickets at an average of 15,{{cite news | title = Our Cricket Team| date =2 November 1932| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184981593| access-date = 14 May 2021 }} and in October 1932 he represented a combined metropolitan Brisbane team in the Queensland Country Week cricket carnival and took 7 for 8 against the North Queensland side.{{cite news | title = Promising Queensland Bowler| newspaper= The West Australian|location=Perth, WA| page =6 | date =20 October 1932| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32549009| access-date = 14 May 2021 }} In November 1932 he was selected to represent the Queensland state side and made his First-class debut, however his bowling was criticized in the media with one paper writing that he did not seem to want to take wickets and noting that he dropped a catch due to being slow in the field.{{cite news | title = Cricket| newspaper= Truth|location=Brisbane, QLD| page =5| date =13 November 1932| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206124500| access-date = 14 May 2021 }}

In May 1933 Clem left the Toombul side as he had been unable to find regular employment in Brisbane and had taken a job in Rockhampton and it was suggested that his move would help Rockhampton cricket.{{cite news | title = Going to "Rocky"| newspaper= Daily Standard|location=Brisbane, QLD| page =10| date =1 May 1933| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/185459481| access-date = 14 May 2021 }} In 1935 he was selected in the Queensland 'Colts' side and was reselected for the First-class team however he turned down his spot in the side as he took a job in Melbourne instead.{{cite news | title = Clem for Melbourne| newspaper= The Telegraph|location=Brisbane, QLD| page =1| date =10 December 1935| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179950496| access-date = 14 May 2021 }} He played a season for the Essendon Cricket Club while living in Victoria but moved back to Brisbane and rejoined the Toombul Cricket Club in September 1936.{{cite news | title = Cricket: Gordon Clem's Return| newspaper= Townsville Daily Bulletin|location=Townsville, QLD| page =10| date =5 September 1936| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/64076693| access-date = 14 May 2021 }}

As of 1940, Clem had moved to Far North Queensland and was playing cricket for Gordonvale.{{cite news | title = Cricket| newspaper= Cairns Post|location=Cairns, QLD| page =6| date =13 December 1940| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/42246651| access-date = 14 May 2021 }} He joined the army during World War II and fought in the Greece and Crete campaigns for the Australian Imperial Force and as of 1941 he had played some cricket in the Middle East with other cricketers in the military.{{cite news | title = Prominent Cricketers with A.I.F. in Middle East| newspaper= The Telegraph|location=Brisbane, QLD| page =8| date =7 July 1941| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/172639299| access-date = 14 May 2021 }} In 1945 he returned to Brisbane from military service and rejoined Toombul.{{cite news | title = Qld Batsmen Back in Club| newspaper= The Courier-Mail|location=Brisbane, QLD| page =4| date =14 November 1945| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50255505| access-date = 14 May 2021 }} By 1952 he had moved to Southport and was playing as a spin bowler for Southport.{{cite news | title = Cricket| newspaper= South Coast Bulletin|location=Southport, QLD| page =18| date =19 November 1952| url = https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226261709| access-date = 14 May 2021 }}

See also

References

{{reflist}}