Nathan Fitzgerald - always wanted the ball
Sutherland District Cricket Club | May 22, 2023
Nathan Fitzgerald made his first grade debut for Sutherland District Cricket Club on 29 November 2003. Nathan is Sutherland DCC first grade player number 206.
A former first grade captain Nathan played 173 first grade games and took 317 wickets at an average of 22.2. He took 5 wickets in an innings on 10 occasions and has the best bowling figures of 9 for 102. In the 2012/13 season Nathan took 67 wickets in first grade.
In all grades Nathan played 237 games for Sutherland DCC and took 428 wickets at an average of 21.8.
Let’s find out more about Nathan’s journey in the game.
What year you were born?
1984
Can you remember your first game of cricket?
Yes it was for Helensburgh Tigers on my 10th birthday. Can’t remember much about it except I tried to bowl leg spin like everyone else after Shane Warne’s ball to Mike Gatting.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
Best memories are in the backyard with my cousins, neighbours, and my brothers. Then junior cricket on Saturday mornings with men’s cricket in the arvo, learnt more than a 14-year-old probably should but it prepared me for the verbal barrages of grade cricket and sharing dressing rooms with the likes of Keith Meadows and Jay Holley.
Playing juniors in the country system meant my parents, my sister and 2 brothers did a lot for me and we did a lot of travelling to places like Dubbo and Albury on Boxing Day etc. so that I could have the opportunities that I did. I repaid them by becoming an electrician.
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
I think I was 17 and was talked into to going to the last trial at Sutherland and got a run in 5’s. I didn’t know anything about the club or have a clue what Grade Cricket was, but luckily had Dave Givney as captain and loved it straight away. Last time I ever dared to turn up at the ground wearing whites.
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
A little bit, I was 18 and on the way to Raby Oval I was pulled over for speeding on Appin Road so was late to warm up. 40 degrees in the shade, bowled terribly and got smashed on the toe by Scott Coyte for a duck. Then had to buy a carton of Extra Dry for 10 blokes that I didn’t know. What a day.
Nathan celebrates taking a wicket against Northern District
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
I think whoever is taking the time to read this will probably have their own answers.
What were your strengths as a player?
Again, hard for me to judge. I wasn’t overly talented but I wanted to win every game and every small contest within the game. Always wanted the ball in my hand when the best players were batting or to take the winning catch.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
Sutherland in a losing semi v Easts at Waverley. We got hammered but more importantly I made 50-odd.
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
It was for Sutherland the same day we held our 50th anniversary. 9-102 vs Balmain at Glenn McGrath Oval. It was my 4th game as a reluctant captain and we had a team of very talented kids but were desperate for a win. We’d just lost 2 in a row and there where whisper of a mutiny from some senior guys, so the thought of losing wasn’t on my mind. I think I just kept bowling til they were all out. We got the last wicket right at the death and won by a couple of runs in front of a bigger than usual crowd.
It was a special win and got our season kick-started, we won quite a few on the trot from there and played finals. A great atmosphere at the ground that day with some of the club’s legends staying around chatting to the younger guys about their time at Sutherland.
*Special mention to Riley Ayre who dropped the 10th wicket earlier in the morning.
Nathan Fitzgerald - another wicket
Who were the best fast bowlers you have played against?
Cummins the obvious one with Starc and Hazelwood but rarely saw them, so Trent Copeland is the stand-out for me. His skills and determination defy everything you hear about what’s needed to be successful on Australian wickets and Trent had to keep proving himself against the best just to get a shot at the next level.
Ian Moran got everything out of himself and was someone I would’ve liked to have played with. Mitch Phelps had amazing skills and led Bankstown to a few titles, he had the ability to go further if he had wanted to.
Trent Copeland
Who were the best spinners you have played against?
I most liked watching and playing against Jarrad Burke, I just wish I was good enough to stay out there longer. I can’t recall anyone more competitive and he is such an entertainer on the field without realising it. Beau Casson was sensational and should have played a lot of test cricket but had some awful luck.
Who were the best batsmen you’ve played against?
Ben Rohrer was always the big wicket when we played Fairfield, likewise with Greg Mail at Sydney Uni. Dave Warner was hard work in more ways than one when he was coming through and thankfully didn’t see him much again. Simon Katich was intense even in grade cricket, he played like every game was his last. For me Nic Maddinson was/is the most naturally talented. Unfulfilled at the moment but I think he has a lot to give Australian cricket in the next 6 years with some luck.
Nic Maddinson
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Minor details might be wrong here but Phil Jaques finished a shield game in Brisbane early on a Saturday morning when we were in trouble at Glenn McGrath Oval against Penrith chasing plenty. We got the call that Jaquesy’s boarding a plane so don’t get bowled out.
I think he got to the ground 5 down for not many and when the next wicket fell he went to work on them slowly, then destroyed the bowling in the last session. Luke Morrissey is a mate of mine and it was great to see the reaction from him when Phil first walked through the gates. It was Jaquesy at the peak of his powers and both teams were in awe of him. It’s such a shame his back injuries held back what would have been a long test career.
Phil Jaques
Was there any batsman in particular who for whatever reason always seemed to cause you a few problems?
When it was flat they all did. But Steve Cazzulino gave us more trouble than anyone before he left for Tassie. Blunted your best ball and like his team mates just wanted to win. As much as that St George era caused us misery I admired the way they were able to get 11 players all working for each other year after year.
Can you recall a time when you thought, wow, this is a step or two up from what you were used to?
Twice, I was 21 in a semi-final bowling to Brad Haddin and it felt like he was holding a sightscreen in his hands. I knew I had to get better and he let me know about it too.
We also had a game at Waverley in 2012 and I wondered why I was there at times. Easts had Peter Nevill, Sam Robson and Haddin. We had Steve Smith, Shane Watson, Phil Jaques, Nic Maddinson, Steve Cush and Adam Zampa, and we lost. I was a spectator.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Peter Nevill, although any non-keeper who’s says they really notice opposition keepers is just trying to sound smart I reckon.
To play with it was Linton Ball. I missed his best years keeping to McGrath, Clark, MacGill etc winning a premiership with Sutherland, but when he returned after a premature end we got to see a pure specialist wicketkeeper go about it. He forced his way back to 1st grade and I ran him out in his last ever game of cricket. Sorry again Mothy. I would also have liked to see more of Ash Doolan at Sutherland before he was moved on.
Peter Nevill
Who are the players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Skill and competitive spirit don’t necessarily go hand in hand, but I admire players that want to win and do the hard stuff for their team. Plenty might have decent records but just happy to have their name in the paper or be known for working the hardest at training, then go missing on Saturday when the pressure is on.
If winning premierships is the benchmark then Jarrad Burke and Trent Copeland take the honours. Ian Moran is another that comes to mind. And I won’t give him the satisfaction of saying I admired him, but with the ball in hand and game on the line Luke Dudman was always in the fight, at least verbally anyway.
Jarrad Burke
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
There’s a variety, Dave Givney was perfect for young players and transitioned so many from kids to men’s cricket. Adam Zampa at a young age was tactically brilliant and kept it simple. Jason Young was a natural leader and one of my favourite team mates, I would have loved to play under his captaincy. Adam Fleming was a leader in any team, I played under him when he captained 2s whilst injured and he still reads the game better than anyone I know. Worked incredibly hard on overcoming his back injuries but it wasn’t meant to be and we will never know how far he would have gone.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Adam Zampa by far. But Nathan Rowe, Louis Talay and Adam Whatley are very funny people, and Tim Freeburn will cut down anyone with a one-liner and leave them speechless.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
Some like me will never forget the horror of the seasons we used the flatter Kookaburra Turf ball instead of the Regulation with the bigger seam. Thankfully by then I knew my body had had enough. I wasn’t playing well and it was my last season, but Ben Dwarshuis kept picking me because I drove him to away games and he liked the car trips with Mitch Brown. We played Mosman at Allan Border, and there’s a brick missing in the wall between both change rooms.
On day one Mosman were belting the spinners into the houses until we ran out of balls. As a last resort Ben brought me on to bowl but we only had a tattered old “regulation” ball. Matt Day was having none of it and refused to take guard, arguing with the umpires and Benny that we should forfeit. The umpire finally got him to face up but he was so full of rage that he missed the first ball, it had just enough pace on it to knock a bail off. So Matt’s gone off again and wouldn’t leave the square, demanding a Royal Commission or something. We were a bit shocked and without thinking I blurted out “f*** off Daysie I woulda bowled you with an orange.”
The next day someone brought an orange into the change room with a seam drawn down the middle and Chris Williams rolled it through the hole in the wall and into Mosman’s room. We ended up winning easily but Mosman appealed for the result to be reversed and Dwarshuis spent the week dealing with that. Served him right for picking me.
Best Sledge?
Played Easts in a one-dayer, Sam Robson opened the batting and I wasted a lot of energy letting him know I thought he was batting a bit slow. When he got his hundred in the last over Cushy and I were still carrying on like morons, but Sam couldn’t have cared less. As we were walking off he turned slowly and said, “thanks for the throw-downs Fitzy”.
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
There’d be plenty. Take your pick.
Who was your childhood cricketing hero?
Brian Lara
Brian Lara
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to have met?
All for very different reasons, Jarrod Lyle, Malcolm Marshall, Diego Maradona.
Jarrad Lyle
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
David Lloyd. And would love to hear Bill Lawry one more time
What was your favourite ground to play at?
Coogee Oval
What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
Saints because there was always a twist, so competitive and it was always something to get up for. Bankstown was always great intensity too, we usually had a few mates in the side and every ball mattered.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
Two stand out, winning the 50 over comp in 2010 v Sydney Uni after a 2-over demolition by Andre Adams. And losing the main comp in 2014 on the morning of day 3 after being in a winning position for 2 days, watching Trent Copeland destroy us. Both games were high intensity for long periods but were decided in 10-minute periods. They had lasting memories for everyone involved and reminded everybody that bowlers win matches.
Sutherland District Cricket Club First Grade Limited Over Premiers. The team was Matthew Hughston (captain), Andre Adams, Matthew Bradley, Stephen Cush, Luke Dudman, Nathan Fitzgerald, Adam Fleming, Phil Jaques, Nic Maddinson, Daniel Rixon, Louis Talay
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
The 50 over final in 2010.
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
We had 34 turn up to an end of season trip to Byron in 2012-ish and it we still talk about it. I reckon I’d just get the same blokes round but not at my place.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Don’t spend your weekends playing cricket, go to the beach.
What is your occupation?
I work at TLE Caringbah - electrical wholesaling.
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
Not at all but would like to be again one day and try to help anyone that asks. My spare time is spent with my family so if either of my kids choose cricket then I would probably be involved again, unless it’s umpiring.
If you were running a state cricket association what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
I think to start with, understand what motivates people to play the game. For me, getting to the next level wasn’t the reason, it was about winning with your mates and testing yourself against the best at your own level, and I think that’s true of most players. Not many people get to represent their country so you’d have to say there’s other reasons people keep turning up and they’re not all the same.
You hear people say “get state players back into 1st grade, back to the good old days”, whatever they were. To me that’s a lazy response that doesn’t do a lot for the other 85% of players so it’s worth looking at it from the bottom up. Keeping experienced people around who can share their knowledge at all levels is important.
From juniors to Green Shield to Sheffield Shield, effort and performances need rewarding and associations should ensure the competitive integrity of each game isn’t reduced by picking players on a hunch or because of their age, potential or what school they went to. There are outliers like Steve Smith who was 15 or 16 when Trent Woodhill elevated him into 1st grade, but they can’t be the basis for your whole set-up.
