news It’s raining milestones at the UTS North Sydney Bears The UTS North Sydney Bears first grade team are still in the hunt for a finals birth despite a rain affected draw against Sutherland in the first two day game of the competition. With four games remaining in the regular season, the Bears are placed eighth on 38 points, just one win behind sixth placed Sydney Cricket Club. The highlight of the Sutherland game played over the pre Valentines’ Day weekend was a third century to champion batsman Justin Avendano who scored 127 runs. Avendano has now scored 564 runs at an average of 70 and is placed fourth highest on run aggregate for the competition. Justin’s prowess has been noted with an incredible 100 runs not out from just 53 balls in the T20 Cup in December last year. Overall, Justin has over 5000 first grade runs for UTS North Sydney. There are milestones a plenty at the club. The leading wicket taker for the Bears in first grade is fast bowler, Matt Alexander with 19 wickets at an average of 28. Matt passed 100 wickets for the club just prior to Christmas last year. His opening partner James Campbell achieved the milestone of 250 first grade wickets for the club at around the same time. Other first graders to achieve milestones have been all rounder, Olly Knight and wicket keeper batsman, Aiden Bariol. They have both recently passed 1000 runs for the club. 6 TVO
Justin Avendano
In the lower grades Harrison May claimed his 100th wicket for the club in Round 11. Third grade captain, Cameron New and 16 year old Hamish Reynolds have both reached 1000 runs for the club. Harrison has 16 wickets at an average of 24 and sits 10th on the in third grade bowling aggregates. His brother Fletcher May has 20 wickets at an average of 19 and is the fifth best bowler on aggregates in second grade this year. In fifth grade, Callum Fursman has made a big impact for the club with 15 wickets at an average of 11 and is also placed fifth on the bowling aggregates for that grade. A most notable milestone is the feat of club President, Patrick Lindsey who has just passed 350 wickets for the club with his left arm tweakers. Robbie Aitken and James Campbell are the only current players who have accumulated more wickets than Pat. Pat also sits in third place with 20 wickets at an average of 9 in the fourth grade aggregates. In the womens’ section of the club 15 year old Grace Keating is one to watch over the coming weeks with
755 runs for North Sydney and 231 runs for the Gordon / North Sydney combined second grade side, adding to 986 total club runs for the season. Grace scored her maiden century, (105 not out) for the club last round and it was a special moment being the first ever century for a female cricketer at the Bears. As well as the first grade boys, the third and fourth grade teams are also just one win outside the top six in very congested competitions. Despite a couple of close losses to top four teams, our fifth grade side is clinging onto the fourth spot making upcoming games against Faifield-Liverpool, Parramatta and Hawksbury vital to all of our teams’ chances.
The next few weeks at North Sydney oval are going to be exciting.
