A fresh-faced Ollie Sykes arrived in Sydney as a Surrey academy player through the International Cricket Programme with tremendous wraps on his ability to dismantle bowling attacks and single-handedly take the game away from the opposition.
He ended up living up – and surpassing – all of the accolades above during his season of Grade Cricket with the UTS North Sydney Bears and beyond.
“Getting awarded that contract was a dream come true and still hasn’t really sunk in. When I was told, my family stood outside the door, trying to listen to the phone call. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but I believe I can go further now. I have since been told I’m getting a 2-year contract, so hopefully, it’s the start of a long career at Surrey.
