Grimmett was born in Duniden in the Otago province of New Zealand in 1891. Practicing assiduously at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, he first attracted attention at age fifteen when he took 6 for 5 and 8 for 1 for Wellington Schools in a representative match; he was playing Plunket Shield at seventeen. A schoolmaster encouraged him to concentrate on spin bowling rather than fast bowling. He played club cricket in Wellington, and made his first-class debut for Wellington at the age of 17. He was named as emergency for Reese's side which toured Australia in 1913-14, but no SOS came. At that time, New Zealand was not a Test cricketing nation, and in 1914 he moved to neighbouring Australia.
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