UTS North Sydney Men's Season Preview
UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club | September 26, 2024
The UTS North Sydney Bears got their season underway this past weekend with two wins in the Kingsgrove Sports T20 Cup, while PGs were defeated in the first match of their title defence, but what does the season have in store for the Bears and where are they looking to improve on last season?
The Bears finished 10th on the Club Championship last season, a solid result but disappointing after a strong start, with two grades missing out on finals on the final day of the regular season. So a higher positioning and several teams playing finals cricket are both being targeted this time around. Nic Bills has been appointed as Club Coach, assisted by Angelo Joseph, Liam Whitaker and Tim Reynolds, and several new players have seamlessly integrated into the squad following trials in late July.
The season gets underway for Second to Fifth Grade against Bankstown on Saturday, followed by all grades taking on local rivals, Gordon, the following week.
First Grade
Under the new leadership of Mac Jenkins, First Grade are certainly looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2023/24 which saw us finish 19th on the ladder. A sensational win against Manly in Round 2 raised hopes early, and it was followed with two other victories before Christmas, against Gordon and Wests. However, after Christmas we won just once and let a few good positions slip. However, we finished the year with a young and talented side having gained valuable experience at the top grade and have kept most of the playing squad together for the coming season.
Mac Jenkins will captain First Grade for the first time in a full-time capacity.
Last year’s breakout star was Addison Sherriff, who made 418 runs and took 15 wickets in the Belvidere Cup in his first season of First Grade, including becoming only the third player in history to make a hundred and take a 5-wicket haul in NSW Premier First Grade before the age of 18. Addison is currently in India with the Australian Under 19 side and we eagerly await his return next month.
In the fast-bowling ranks, experience will be provided by James Campbell, Olly Knight and Nic Bills, complemented by the young talent of Sherriff, Harri Lee-Young, Jamieson Hedges and Fergus Fergusson, meaning competition for places will be very strong. In the spin department, NSW pathways off-spinner, Everett Oxenham, is available for the full season having completed his school cricket commitments, and will pair up with Mac Jenkins.
Veteran quick James Campbell will go around again for Norths.
Amongst the batters, we welcome back Tom Jagot, who unfortunately injured his hand in a trial match, and look forward to seeing him in our top order alongside established First Graders Jimmy Greenslade, Tim Reynolds and Jenkins, as well as Sherriff and James Moore, who started his season with a 70 on each of Saturday and Sunday. Harrison Ward returns as our overseas professional in mid-October, following a strong season in the UK for Sussex and Oxfordshire.
The spirit in the squad is high, as are our hopes that this year will show a much-improved showing on the ladder, as well as have a strong tilt at the Kingsgrove Sports T20 Cup, which continues this weekend with fixtures against Blacktown and Wests.
Poidevin-Gray Shield
The story of our PGs Premiership deserves and will get an article of its own, with the Bears triumphing against Northern District in March to win the Shield for the first time in 38 years. Several of the side line up again this season, including skipper Jamieson Hedges, Addison Sherriff once he returns from India, James Moore, Jordan Netto, Fergus Fergusson and English off-spinner, Harry Gardner. Gardner bowled us to victory in the Grand Final with 6/26 and arrives this week in time for Round 2 against Wests on Sunday morning.
Back-to-back titles beckon for Norths' PGs.
The format of the competition is four T20 and three 50-over matches in the regular season, with our other matches against UNSW, Sydney University, Blacktown, Manly and Easts.
Surrey's Harry Gardener illustrated that he was made for a big occasion in last year's PGs Grand Final.
Lower Grades
Callum Hill takes the reins as Second Grade captain in his second season in the club, leading a squad likely to contain several young players keen to prove their worth and knock on the door of First Grade. The ageless Aitken brothers all go around again, with Glenn having been the competition’s top run-scorer only two seasons ago. Last season was a story of two halves, with six wins in the one-day rounds but just one in whites meaning we finished 11th.
Third Grade finished 8th in 2023/24 with hopes of playing finals cricket right up to the last round when we were defeated by Northern District. NSW Premier Cricket Third Grade Captain of the Year, Liam Whitaker takes the reins again, looking for another great season both as skipper and spinner, having taken 28 wickets at 19 last season.
Liam Whitaker will lead Third Grade for the second year in a row.
Fourth Grade also finished in mid-table with wicketkeeper Harry Davis being player of the year, while Fifth Grade missed out on finals in agonising fashion, having to wait until Sunday when Sydney Uni completed the victory which pushed us into seventh place despite Patrick Lindsay’s 36 season poles. Robin Broom steps up this season to lead 4s, while Alex MacGill will captain 5s.
– Sarah Berman.
