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A fine century for Harold

Smashing Richie Benaud's father for six just one of Harold Stapleton's cricketing achievements

Australia’s oldest living first-class cricketer has notched his latest century.

Harold Stapleton celebrated his 100th birthday on January 7 and he spent the day doing one of the things he loves most – watching the cricket.

With such feats to his name as 10-13 in a club match for Keira and an innings of more than 300 as a young man playing for Kyogle, Mr Stapleton has another claim to fame – he once hit Richie Benaud’s father for six.

"I played against Lou Benaud and I can recall hitting him and it landed on top of the grandstand, and that was because Bill O'Reilly had put me in and told me to have a hit," Mr Stapleton said in an interview with the ABC.

He also recalls playing with Arthur Morris and Sid Barnes.

Richie Benaud has said on more than one occasion that his father described Mr Stapleton as a “sensational cricketer”, while spinner O’Reilly once gave him a book and wrote on the inside cover that he was the best close-in fieldsman he had seen.

Mr Stapleton played one first-class match for New South Wales, becoming the 443rd player to represent the state, while he also enjoyed a long and successful club career with St George before continuing his passion for cricket as a spectator.

His first and only match for NSW yielded one run and no wickets and unfortunately, Mr Stapleton had little opportunity to improve on the record; it was the final match of the season and he was then taken away from the game after enlisting in the Australian Army to serve in Papua New Guinea during the 1940s.

Mr Stapleton’s statistics playing for St George in Sydney’s First Grade competition include 2242 runs at 32.49 with three centuries and a top-score of 146, in addition to 93 wickets at 17.56 with best figures of 6-17.

Now, Mr Stapleton enjoys watching any format of cricket.

"I think T20 is quite lively and interesting to watch,” he said.

Mr Stapleton’s skilled are not limited to cricket, either.

His nephew, Kevin Everingham, said the keen sportsman had also had a successful career in tennis, table tennis and golf, while he was also a handy rugby league player in his younger days.

Mr Stapleton celebrated the milestone at Wollongong Tennis Club, where he is a founding member, on January 10 with more than 80 friends and family members.

His gifts included a signed Australian Test shirt provided by Cricket Australia.