From The Vault: Norths defeat Gordon late on Sunday in December 2023

UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club | April 30, 2025

The first Saturday / Sunday 2-day game of the 2023-24 season also brought the first home game at Bon Andrews Oval. With a few injuries and rep duty, there were a few changes to the side, with Nihal Desai (695) and Callum Hill (696) making their debuts and Jamieson Hedges and Harri Lee-Young also coming into the team for their first red ball First Grade fixture of the season.

Another loss at the coin flip saw the Bears sent in again. Gordon bowlers started well and used the conditions nicely to take 2 early wickets, but Mares and Reynolds steadied the ship to get us to 2/80 and set the platform for the rest of the day. From there, Ward and Jimmy Greenslade took control of our batting innings, guiding us well past 300 at stumps. We had seen out an entire day with the bat for the first time this season. The next morning, we batted on, but unfortunately for the mass of spectators, Greenslade couldn't quite get to his ton, falling agonisingly short on 98no. It was an elegant and impressive innings nonetheless. We left Gordon 346 to chase in 88 overs.

The winning moment at Bon Andrews.

The game ebbed and flowed from there as both teams grappled momentum during periods. With regular wickets and a steady flow of runs, Gordon got to 7/236 at tea, needing another 110 runs with about 42 overs and 3 wickets in the shed. The Bears bowlers turned on the goods in the last session with one of the best performances I've seen from a bowling group to bowl Gordon out for 328 in the 82nd over. Jimmy Campbell was the pick of the bowlers with 4/52 off his 17 overs, ably supported by Desai on debut with figures of 2/76 off 19 overs – the last 12 of which went for just 25 runs.

It was an incredible win to end a drought of a few losses and give us the momentum heading into the next white ball portion of the competition.