Week 2 Wrap vs Gordon, Sydney, Manly and UNSW

1st Grade Round 2: UTS North Sydney v Gordon at Bon Andrews Oval

UTS North Sydney 4/364 (cc) (J Avendano, 171 TL Reynolds 91, *TA Jagot 27) def by Gordon 6/365 (JN James 2/43, M Jenkins 2/52)

After winning the toss and with the top six all in great form, captain Tom Jagot decided to have a bat. Jagot (27) and Jack James (21) got the home side off to a strong start taking the score to 50 in the 8th over. However, two wickets in four balls left the Bears 2/52 at the end of the 9th. Justin Avendano and Aiden Bariol (24) then set about rebuilding the innings moving the score to 95 before Bariol was dismissed in the 18th over. Avendano was joined by Tim Reynolds with the pair dominating the bowling for a long period and, in the process, amassing a huge 224 run partnership for the fourth wicket. Avendano reached his 10th First Grade hundred for UTS North Sydney off 92 balls in the 38th over. Upon achieving the milestone, he moved into a higher gear hitting a further 71 runs, including 8 sixes, from the next 30 balls. He was finally dismissed for 171 off 122 balls including 11 fours and 11 sixes in the 46th over with the score 4/319.

We understand that the 11 sixes, several onto the freeway, is the second highest haul of maximums and the 171 runs is the 7th highest limited overs score in Premier Cricket Limited Overs history. Further, the 11 sixes places Justin 7th on the list for any NSW Premier Cricket innings. Justin now sits at the top of the batting aggregates for first grade and his amazing innings is a reminder to NSW selectors and BBL franchises of his immense talent.

There was more to come for the Bears with Reynolds not out 60 when he lost his partner. He was joined by Brent Atherton (12*) and, despite facing just 12 of the remaining 23 balls, Tim plundered a further 31 runs to finish 91 not out and surely deserved a hundred. It is the second week in a row that Tim has achieved a red ink. With 4/364 on the board, it was another powerful batting display by the Bears’ top order, but I guess the question that everyone was asking was whether we would have enough cricket balls to complete the game with Gordon yet to bat on the same surface.

The Gordon openers also made a good start for their team, notching up 48 runs after 9 overs before Mac Jenkins made the first breakthrough going straight through the batsman’s defences. For the next 26 overs, it was tough going for the home side, as Dylan Hunter and Taj Brar built up a 165 run partnership for the second wicket. Brar was dismissed for 117, once again to Mac Jenkins (2/52 off 8) and once again bowled. It was an incredibly important wicket that steadied the nerves of the Bears supporters and, at 2/213 after 35 overs, the Stags still required 152 runs from the remaining 15 overs. A few overs later, James Campbell (1/76 off 9.3) returned for his third spell, claiming a wicket with his first ball courtesy of a great catch by Mac Jenkins leaving Gordon at 3/232 after 38 overs.

However, with wickets in the sheds Gordon kept coming. Hunter upped the ante, crunching 3 sixes and 6 fours from the next six overs. His partner, Barnsley ,also got in on the act hitting 3 fours of his own. Two lots of 4 wides also helped Gordon’s cause. By the end of the 44th it was 3/310 – the Stags required 55 runs – a much more manageable 9 per over and at this point they were favourites despite the huge total. Enter Jack James. In the second over of his second spell, Jack first removed Barnsley with a safe catch by Tom Jagot and then, on the next ball, the dangerous Hunter (139 runs) to be on a hattrick with a great catch taken by Robbie Aitken on the boundary. At 5/313 with two fresh players now at the crease and 52 needed from 30 balls, the game took a new twist. James finished his spell of 7 overs at 2/43 with the new ball bowlers set to return for the final 5 overs. Matt Alexander (1/80 off 9) took the 6th Gordon wicket with the catch taken by Justin Avendano.

Unfortunately though, like a bad fairy tale, the Stags were too hot in the final overs and the Bears did not get their porridge, with Gordon passing our score with 3 balls remaining. To add salt into the wounds, the Bears now have the unenviable record of the highest successful chase in Premier Cricket Limited Overs history against them. It was certainly a day of milestones and records!

To be fair there were a few missed chances, but we can only congratulate Gordon on an outstanding run chase and hope to learn from the experience to be smarter in the field and with the ball on the next occasion.

2nd Grade Round 2: UTS North Sydney v Gordon at Chatswood Oval

UTS North Sydney 9/196 (46.2 overs) (J Aitken 68*, F Nixon-Tomko 31, RD Alexander 26) def Gordon 195 (48 overs) (F May 4/31, J Hedges 2/14, S Alexander 2/29)

The second game of the season saw the local clash against perennial rivals Gordon. Chatswood Oval looked more resplendent than ever, the outfield and wicket immaculate, a picture-perfect location for the local derby.

UTS North Sydney won the toss and sent the home side into bat. Opening bowlers Brad Wilson (0/39 off 8) and James Aitken (1/10 off 10) bowled tight and probing spells with James taking the first wicket as he often does. Gordon consolidated after the early loss, but the introduction of Sam Alexander reaped immediate results with the finger spinner deceiving the set batsman who was adjudged leg before wicket. Despite the two opening wickets, runs kept accumulating on the extremely fast outfield and the score quickly advanced to 75.

Inspired spells of bowling from Fletcher May and Kobe Allison energised the game. Kobe bowled with aggression and pace, intimidating all batsmen. This reaped rewards at the other end with Fletcher May bowling with pace, seam and consistent line and length. Kobe’s 7 overs went for only 22 runs and Fletcher bowled a straight 10 overs for 4 wickets and only 31 runs. A shared effort and wonderful partnership spell.

One of the most promising and exciting aspects of the game was the wonderful debut of Jamieson Hedges. He bowled a fantastic spell of 6 overs (limited only due to his age) finishing with the figures of 2 for 14 runs. He demonstrated great control and maturity. He is a fantastic prospect and showed that he was immediately comfortable at the level.

The captain asked Sam Alexander to finish the innings. With a wink of his eye and an extended pause at the top of his run, he flighted the ball deftly through the strong wind and through the batsman’s gate. With the smashed stumps lying on the ground, he chased the boys back into the shed with 2 overs still in the bank saying, “I’ve done my job boys!”. Sam was expecting a relaxing afternoon; however, his story was not over.

UTS North Sydney needed 196 for victory and the opening batsmen for the Bears started positively. Unfortunately, two quick wickets left the boys 2/9, but then Ray Alexander (26) and Finn Nixon-Tomko (31) batted with control and fluency. Both batsmen looked set and comfortable, hitting boundaries to all areas of the field. The total seemed well in hand and the opposition started to get frustrated.

Sadly, the momentum shifted quickly with the dismissal of both set batsmen and a few other quick wickets. The Bears were 5/75 and in some trouble, but James Aitken (68*) and Fletcher May (23) steadied the ship. James was particularly impressive. He struck the ball more cleanly than anyone else on the day. Powerful cover drives, dominance through wide mid-on and ruthless cut shots brought the game back into the hands of the North Sydney side.

However, just as the total seemed in reach, there was another twist in the game. Fletch May was caught at mid off. Debutant Jamieson Hedges continued to demonstrate his maturity and concentration by supporting the set batsman and enduring a surging Gordon who smelt blood. A run-out saw Jamieson dismissed with the total on 162, and painfully close to our target.

James showed the years of experience and calm attitude that he is known for, batting with the tail and pushing the total ever closer. It was going to be a tight finish. Gordon were ferocious with the pressure boiling over out on the field. There were some questionable send offs and even more questionable haircuts. Brad Wilson showed a lot of class, scoring an important 5 runs and to support James and bring the Bears to within 14 runs of victory. With the score at 9/182, Sam Alexander picked up his bat, walked over to the skipper and whispered “I’ll bring you back six points” in his ear. They both knowingly looked at each other, and Sam confidently strode out to the crease. The pressure and atmosphere were palpable with the Gordon side throwing everything they had at the batsmen. Sam showed great determination scoring an invaluable 2 off 6 balls in the highest-pressure stakes of the day.

With 8 runs required, Gordon were vocal, confident and aggressive. However, at the mid-wicket discussion, Sam and James looked calm and relaxed. The first ball of the 46th over, James sent the ball to the mid-wicket boundary, splitting the fielders perfectly; they didn’t have a chance! With four runs required, the captain thought that bringing the field up might pressure the batsmen. However, James has more years of grade experience than they had years of life on earth. James just smiled, choose his spot and waited for the ball to be delivered. The ball left the bat faster than any ball bowled by the Gordon attack and crashed into the exact same spot on the boundary! The Bears had won a close game.

Women's 2nd Grade Round 1: Gordon / UTS North Sydney v Sydney @ Chatswood Oval

Gordon / UTS North Sydney 6/111 (cc) (S Chun 49, O Callaghan 36) def by Sydney 5/164 (cc)

The first match for our joint-venture team took place under very sad circumstances with coach, Michelle Goszko having been admitted to hospital having suffered a stroke the previous day. Michelle (at the point of writing) is said to be doing as well as could be expected in her situation and has a good chance of making a full recovery, but this of course will take some time. In order to send a message of love and support, the GNS girls agreed with the Sydney team, to where blue ribbons. Why blue? Well, Gozzy loved playing for her State and, since retiring and taking up coaching, has become such an influential figure in NSW women’s cricket. Everywhere you go in NSW cricket, it is hard to find a player, coach, umpire and/or parent who has not been affected by Michelle in a positive way. We wish her a full and speedy recovery and look forward to having her back in charge as quickly as possible.

The match itself was also going to be a tough assignment for the GNS girls, even without the shock of the news about Michelle. Sydney fielded a very strong team and, on paper, were clear favourites. Our girls also had to bond together with many not having played with each other before. Skipper, Jessie Maclain, did an outstanding job, getting the girls together to face Sydney who were sent into bat first. The Sydney batters did a very good job of steadily compiling runs early on with wickets in hand on a good pitch and a quick outfield. GNS were brave in the field and well directed by the skipper. Our bowlers for the most part kept the run-rate to only about 7rpo, until the class of Sydney was able to surge in the late overs to reach 164. Bears, Charlotte Moss, Chloe Day and Anushka Dongre took a wicket each.

Even with Sydney taking the momentum into the second half of the game, a wonderful second wicket partnership of 83 between Sarah Chun (49) and Liv Callaghan (36), both with some beautiful stroke play, put GNS right back in the game. At one point we reached a scoring rate of 9, and above the required rate, when Sydney’s off-pace bowlers managed to slow the scoring with some nagging line and length to allow them to shift the momentum back their way. In the end it was too much for our remaining batters and Sydney closed out the match as worthy winners.

It must be said though the GNS girls acquitted themselves admirably and can be very proud of their efforts in their first outing together. With the talent and spirit on display, there is much to be encouraged by and much to look forward to this season. Well done girls, you made everyone very proud. Especially Gozzy. Get well, Michelle.

3rd Grade Round 2: UTS North Sydney v Gordon at Tunks Internatonal Sports Park

UTS North Sydney 203 (49 Overs) (J Nevell 93, C New 49) def by Gordon 7/267 (cc) (C Savage 4/53, FJ Noack 2/53)

The Bears’ Third Grade side kicked their season off with a fixture against local rivals Gordon at Tunks Park. After a wet week, the outfield and square were in great shape for the match and the Bears XI were ready to get stuck in.

After winning the toss, UTS North Sydney sent Gordon in to bat. The first session was a tale of two ends, with one of the openers chancing his arm at regular intervals, resulting in a number of near misses in the field that on another day would have stymied the early batting effort. The result though was that Gordon found themselves 0/75 at the drinks break after 17 overs bowled.

Two quick wickets after the interval brought a measure of control back into the bowling ranks. Debutant Everett Oxenham returned another promising performance with the ball off the back of his trial form, with assistance in regular intervals from the seam trio of Harrison May (0/31 off 10), Fraser Noack (2/53 off 10) & Chris Savage (4/53 off 10). Fraser and Chris battled hard running into a strong wind to peg back some of the early hitting.

Gordon finished their innings 7/267. An imposing total at Tunks Park, but still only a tick over 5 an over in the asking.

Early wickets in the batting innings were not the desired outcome. Unfortunately, a nick behind in the third over and a run-out at the non-striker’s end from a brilliant fielding effort left the Bears at 2/28 from the first 10 overs. An excellent partnership between John Nevell (93) & Cameron New (49) of 131 steadied the ship through the middle overs to give the Bears a chance of a winning outcome. John batted very well on a field with a slower outfield and wind holding up the ball from reaching the boundary.

Unfortunately, when skipper Cam New lost his wicket at 3/145, there was a regular fall of wickets which saw the last 7 Bears wickets fall for the addition of a further 58 runs. The innings closed on 203, a total that would have been very competitive across all one-day fixtures played at Tunks Park over the past 3 seasons. However, with 267 to chase it was not enough.

In all, a disappointing first result for the Third Graders with some promising moments to build towards the season ahead.

Women's 3rd Grade Round 1: UTS North Sydney v Manly at Balgowlah Oval

UTS North Sydney 5/82 (cc) (G Keating 31*) def by Manly 6/98 (cc) (G Keating 2/17, A Williams 2/22)

We know it will always be a tough match against Manly. In last season's opening T20 match they won by 49 runs and in the semi-final they won by more than 80 runs. Could we do better?

We won the toss and asked Manly to bat. Anjali d'Cunha was immediately in form with tight bowling, returning great figures of 4 overs 0/13, while Grace Keating (2/17 off 5) and Abby Williams (2/22 off 4) picked up 2 wickets each without a single no-ball or wide. Liz Buckley (1/12 off 4) was even more economical, with excellent line, length and pace drying up the runs. In her first cricket match ever, Cabby Bailey (0/12 off 2) bowled a fantastic first over but lost some rhythm in her second, while Anna Lucas (0/10) and Hetti Blackburn (0/8) both felt some of the firepower of Manly captain Mia Nel in an over each.

But it was in the field where we've shown the most amazing improvements over last season. Fielding positions were great, everyone knew where they needed to be and runs were much harder to come by for Manly. It was two of our newcomers who actually starred in the field for us: Anna Lucas with a brilliant pick-up and direct-hit run out was much celebrated by the whole team, followed by an awesome running catch by Cabby Bailey - up there as a catch-of-the-season candidate in her very first game! And who doesn't love a stumping - lightning quick hands from Evy McKay off Abby Williams' bowling, great to see.

In the end we held Manly to under 100 - their lowest full-innings score against us - very exciting!

Our batting plan was to maintain positive intent all the way through the 20 overs and give this a full go. If that meant losing a few wickets along the way, we were OK with that. Generally in our league it's difficult to accelerate hard towards the tail end in the same way that international cricketers do, so we adopted more of the Alyssa Healy and David Warner approach, trying to play positive cricket all the way through.

Evy McKay looked amazingly strong during warm-up and took that intent into the opening overs, unluckily falling to a good catch early on. Sarah Gibbons and Hett Blackburn showed a great mix of defence, singles and a four each, batting at about 3 an over until the midway mark. Manly were especially miserly in their extras, giving us only one wide and zero no-balls from their top 6 bowlers. Anna Peterson, who only joined the Bears two days before the match, looked very good in the middle, playing great straight bat shots and looking like she may be hard to get out (excellent news for our 40-over games coming up!). Liz Buckley showed fantastic positive intent and played some powerful shots, only to be robbed of fours by the long grass before unluckily being run out. Cabby Bailey knocked off some first match nerves before letting one through the gate without troubling the scorers.

But it was Grace Keating whose positive intent and power would make Manly think twice today: not about whether they'd win by 50 runs or not, but whether they could possibly lose this match. Grace dispatched their bowling all over the field, picking up more fours in her innings (5) than Manly did in the whole of their innings! Grace made 31 off only 24 balls - superb batting. Anjali d'Cunha has been working hard on her batting and it showed, looking very good for 3*, and Chloe Blackwell, also in her first game of cricket ever, joined Anjali in a score of 3* - well done Chloe!

In the end, just 18 runs short! This was by far our best performance against Manly, and we can be really proud of an excellent start to the season.

4th Grade Round 2: UTS North Sydney v Gordon at Beauchamp Oval

UTS North Sydney 8/185 (cc) (D Singh 61, MJ Cole 35, D Johnson 26*) def by Gordon 7/186 (45.1 overs)) (AC MacGill 2/37)

The Fourth Grade Bears travelled the short distance to Beauchamp Oval in Chatswood, eager to start the season positively against local rivals Gordon.

The toss was lost and the Bears were asked to bat first on a hard looking wicket. A circumspect start (0/0 off 5 overs) lead to debutant Pat Heuzenroeder lifting the scoring until he was dismissed for 13 to a sharp chance in the gully. From there, Dilraj Singh (62) and Matt Cole (35) on debut took the score to 1/114 off 35 overs, laying a solid platform for the Bears to post a competitive total.

Unfortunately, the innings spluttered to 8/185 which was probably 30 below par, on the back of some poor shot selection and good bowling. Dylan Johnson on debut showed poise to finish 26 not out.

Nevertheless, the Bears were confident 185 would be enough and with Gordon 4/79 after 20 overs we were in the hunt. Unfortunately, the Bears couldn’t dry up the 4 ball, and 20 wides and no balls indicated some early season sloppiness that was punished by Gordon. Nuwan Whyte (1/39 off 10) and Sol Balbi (1/22 off 6) were the pick of the bowlers.

4s are at Blacktown for Round 3 and will look to bounce back into the winners’ circle.

5th Grade Round 2: UTS North Sydney v Gordon at Roseville Park Oval

UTS North Sydney 8/137 (45.3) (P Sampath 47, R Lavery 31) def Gordon 136 (37.3 overs) (C Fursman 4/30, J Thomas 3/16)

A week of torrential rain threatened to put the start of season on hold for another week for the Fifth Grade Bears, however, the cricket gods were on our side, with Friday clearing up to allow a full day of preparation on the wicket at Roseville Park Oval. Saturday morning rolled around and nothing but blue sky showed as the sun rose in the North. As a result of the rain during the week, six games in Fifth Grade had already been called off, making the clash with local rivals Gordon all the more important to kick off the season.

A mix of familiar faced veterans and fresh-faced debutants all arrived at the ground ready for action after another extended pre-season. Oli Millar, Henry Charles, Henry Riseborough and Jack Mannix were all making their debuts for the club, and Callum Fursman returning more than a decade after representing us in Green Shield. A robust and energetic warm up led into the toss, which skipper Perry won, and given the conditions, bowling first was the only option. The team swiftly suited up and were out on the field to get the 2021/22 season underway.

Gordon got off to a quick start, with their openers taking the team to 0/19 off 5 overs before James Edwards stepped up and began the counter, sending a ball into the opener’s pads. After a strong appeal, the Bears were off and running for the season with their first wicket. This, coupled with the veteran resolve of Jack Thomas, who took the next three wickets, resulted in the Stags being 4/49 at drinks.

The two debutant change bowlers, Henry Charles and Oli Millar, continued the momentum, building pressure with dot balls. Both were unlucky not to take wickets with numerous half chances and appeals throughout this middle spell. Callum Fursman stepped in to break the key partnership, and take two more before the end of his spell. His speed was too much for the Gordon batsmen, as the Bears begun to squeeze the Stags. A lower order fightback of pure hitting wrestled some momentum away from the Bears, until Perry dismissed the heavy hitter for a well struck 40.

To finish off the innings, Pranav Sampath secured his first Grade wicket after some tidy glove work behind the stumps from Jack Mannix. Fursman took the last pole and Gordon were dismissed for 136. Overall, for the first outing with the ball, to restrict last year’s runners up to under 150, with minimal extras was exceptional. Fursman finished with 4/30, Thomas 3/16 and a call out to Mannix as well who kept tidily with no byes.

Riseborough and Sampath strode out to the middle looking to begin the chase on the right foot and set up a victory. They took the team to 25 before Riseborough was caught at mid off. Henry batted with patience, seeing off the new ball and setting up the team for the rest of the chase.

Jack Thomas was unfortunately dismissed for 2, bringing the skipper Perry to the crease. Sampath and Perry continued to meticulously pick off the bowling with a combination of quick singles, twos, and boundaries, keeping the momentum rolling and taking Gordon out of the game. The score was at 75 before Perry chipped one back to the bowler, leading to a mini collapse, with Charlie Rose unfortunately dismissed for a second ball duck.

Long time Bear, club vice-president and well-respected veteran Rob Lavery then joined Sampath at the crease, to set about finishing the job themselves. After a well-built innings of flurrying cover drives, pull shots and flicks, Sampath went for one too many aggressive strokes, and was caught for 47.

Lavery began to take the match into his own hands, hitting a number of boundaries, putting a stop to Gordon's momentum, taking the score to 110 before Fursman was caught out by a bit of extra bounce from the opening bowler. With 27 runs still required, 4 wickets in hand and 15 overs to go, the Bears were not home yet. However, a little bit of help was received with a big 5 wides, and a further 5 penalty runs.

After building towards a match winning innings, Lavery saw his opportunity to put the sword through the game with another short ball coming his way, and unfortunately instead of steering it into the gap, he picked out the fielder at mid-wicket. Lavery was dismissed for 31, leaving the final 15 runs to the young Bears.

Mannix was solid as a rock, never looking like getting out and determined to be there at the end, both Charles and Edwards also playing handy knocks, with big knockout blow shots to finish the chase off 8 down with 5 overs left.

A huge win to start the season, placing the Bears 4th on the ladder, a place they aim only to stay or rise above this season. With the veteran play of Lavery, Thomas and co, coupled with the energetic youthful core, this team has high hopes for the season ahead.

Next up, Blacktown at Bon Andrews.

Round 1 Kingsgrove Sports T20 Cup: UTS North Sydney v UNSW at Bon Andrews Oval

UTS North Sydney 110 (18 overs) (TL Reynolds 39, J Avendano 25) def by UNSW 5/113 (17 overs) (O Knight 2/20, S Alexander 2/23)

Bon Andrews was the venue for first of the Kingsgrove Sports T20 fixtures and it was to be against last season’s runners up – University of NSW. The Bees had a strong roster with T20 specialist Dan Christian and State player Matthew Gilkes appearing for the visitors. The Bears lost their left arm ortho in Mac Jenkins prior to the game after he picked up a suspected broken thumb in the preceding Poidevin-Grey fixture. Mac was replaced by another left armer in Sam Alexander.

The toss was won by UNSW and they inserted the Bears, preferring to chase. Tom Jagot got the scoring underway with consecutive fours but was dismissed on the final ball of the first over. Brent Atherton followed shortly after and it was 2/13 after 3. Aiden Bariol and Justin Avendano moved the score to 44 in the 7th before Bariol was dismissed. The team reached 50 runs by the 9th over but the wickets of Avendano (25) and Jack James saw the Bears slump to 5/51. Tim Reynolds and Olly Knight took the score to 68 before Knight was out. Reynolds and Robbie Aitken (11*) then took the total past 100 into the 17th over. When Reynolds fell for 39 off 27 balls it was 7/103. The team managed a further 7 runs and were bowled out with 12 balls still remaining with 110 on the board. T20 is a fickle game and, when the usual suspects don’t fire, things can sometimes fall apart. It may be time to go back to the drawing board with a set plan of attack as it is usually not possible to win T20 games with 110 runs.

Despite the low total, the boys tried hard with Olly Knight grabbing two wickets for 20 in his four overs – both wickets coming in his first over. The first was a fantastic reflex caught and bowled that flew through at hip height and just stuck. Olly took the catch as casual as you like and got things underway for the Bears. The second wicket splattered the stumps of the batsman and this reduced the Bees to 2/33 after 5 overs. In the 6th over, calls of “yes, no, oh no!” were heard as James Campbell picked up and fired in a brilliant throw to the keeper’s end to run out a diving Gilkes and provide a minor chance of a miracle with UNSW 3/37. Sam Alexander also picked up two wickets including the prized scalp of Dan Christian with James Campbell catching a bullet catch at cover. I am sure Samoz enjoyed it even more after being struck on the foot in front of the stumps by a Christian sandshoe crusher earlier in the afternoon. His second wicket was also a bowled. UNSW did not lose any further wickets and cruised home in the 17th over. On a positive note, it did take 17 overs and that may be useful at the back end of the season.

Poidevin Grey Shield (T20) Round 1: UTS North Sydney v UNSW at Bon Andrews Oval

UTS North Sydney 111 (19.4 overs) (TL Reynolds 28) def by UNSW 5/133 (cc) (H Lee-Young 2/13)

Bon Andrews played host to the first PGs T20 fixture, and with over 700 runs scored at the ground the day prior, there was high expectation. UNSW were set to bat first with conditions favouring a high first innings total. The skipper, Mac Jenkins took the new ball, setting the tone for the Bears with a tight first over. The UNSW openers looked in control and were settling in before big quick Toby Laybutt provided the breakthrough; UNSW captain Jack Attenborough picking out Jake Hardy who took a sharp catch at cover.

The two North Sydney spinners continued where Laybutt left off. Oxenham and Knox bowled with great control in the middle overs, restricting the top order batsmen who were hesitant to expose the lower order. Knox was rewarded with a wicket whilst Oxenham finished with a tidy 0/18 off his 4. Debutant, Harri Lee-Young was the star at the back end for the Bears, picking up 2 wickets for only 13 runs. UNSW reached 133 at the end of their 20 overs.

Tim Reynolds picked up from where he left off the previous day, getting us off to a flyer with Hardy. Reynolds’ 28 came off just 14 balls and included 3 towering sixes clearing the fence, sending the ball bouncing down the freeway. UTS North Sydney looked in control and in the box seat, however, a quick succession of wickets would cause strife as the incoming batsmen struggled to get going. The UNSW spinners accounted for 8 of our wickets. A late fight back from Jenkins, who bravely batted with a suspected broken thumb, and Hedges provided some hope, however, it was not enough as UNSW closed it out, bowling the Bears out for 111 in 19.4 overs.

Whilst this was a disappointing start to the season for UTS North Sydney, the bowling performance provides a positive outlook for the team as we aim to turn it around next week against Easts at Waverley Oval.

U18 Brewer Shield Round 1: UTS North Sydney v Bye

Media courtesy of Tony Johnson, David James, Sarah Berman, Adam Cavenor, Gordon Women's Cricket Club, Alan Gibbons and team captains.