History

History

North Sydney District Cricket Club was founded in 1858. Initially the Bears played clubs such as Callan Park. North Sydney joined the Sydney Grade Cricket (now NSW Premier Cricket) Competition as a founding member in 1893. This makes the Bears one of the oldest elite clubs in Sydney.

The club's home ground is the famous North Sydney Oval where it has remained since its inception. The club also play at Bon Andrews, adjacent to North Sydney Oval in St Leonards Park, and the picturesque Tunks Park in Northbridge.

The Bears have won five first grade premierships, 11 second grade cups, 9 third grade titles, two fifth grade titles (most recently in 2019/20), and one each in Poidevin Gray (u21s) and AW Green Shield (U16s). In the 1980s and 1990s, a powerful North Sydney side captured four limited-overs titles over a six year span. That strength in the short form of the game continued in 2012/13, with the club claiming it's fifth one day premiership.

In 2018, North Sydney joined forces with the University of Technology Sydney to provide young cricketers with the opportunity to combine their passion for cricket with their tertiary studies. The UTS North Sydney Bears also incepted a senior women's cricket program in 2018/19.

The list of first class and test players to have plied their trade at the Bears is lengthy and includes Sir Donald Bradman, Bill O'Reilly, Keith Miller, Stan McCabe, Stuart MacGill, Trevor Chappell, Doug Walters, Sid Barnes, Charles Macartney, Kerry O'Keeffe, Phil Marks, Scott Hookey, Nic Bills, Daniel Hughes, Jay Lenton, Jason Krejza and Adam Crosthwaite. The club is also home to NSW Premier Cricket record games holder, Rob Aitken.

In 2018/19, the Bears established the Austin Punch Club for those who score centuries for Norths in any grade during the cricket season. You can read more about the life and cricketing career of Austin, Norths' leading First Grade run-scorer, here.