Justin Avendano - Doing the extras every day
UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club | December 14, 2025
Justin Avendano is the UTS North Sydney Bears’ fifth highest First Grade run-scorer in history and under 100 runs away from fourth position. He returned to the club this season and has carried on where he left off, scoring important, match-winning runs and playing a leadership role amongst our predominantly young side.
We sat down with Justin to find out about his cricketing beginnings and inspirations, what he learned from his time in the BBL, and what excites him about this current crop of Bears.
1. When did your cricketing journey begin?
I started my cricketing journey as a mistake when I was 9. I went to my friend’s house and his parents forgot he had cricket trials on that day so they took me along to watch. I then picked up a ball and the coach asked me to try it out. I never looked back after that!
2. Which player or players did you look up to most growing up, and why?
The two players I looked up to the most as a kid were definitely Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting. As I got older, I fell in love with AB De Villiers and probably watched more South African cricket than I did Australian. I changed my whole technique to look like him as well.
3. You've returned to the Bears for 2025/26 after playing 12 seasons with us up to 2023/24. What excited you about our squad, setup and prospects for 2025/26?
The biggest thing that excited me about coming back to the Bears was seeing old heads that have guided me for nearly 15 years. The young talent we had was huge as well. They are still raw and figuring out their games but they are coming to the age where they will grow as individuals off the field which I believe helps every player on the field becoming a little smarter with how they approach the game.
Someone like Tim Reynolds has always had the talent for the next level but he was one of a lot of cricketers (including me) who don't find it at 18-20 years old when rookie contracts are getting handed out. Over the last couple of years, he’s putting some great numbers on the board and the best is yet to come. We have countless more of these players coming through which is going to keep the club extremely strong over the next decade.
I also love the inclusion of Simon Keen, our Head Coach this year. Before I had any intention of re-signing for the club, I was still good friends with a lot of the players and I told them that he would best signing of a player or coach in years.
4. In over 200 matches for the club, you've scored over 7,000 runs and made 15 First Grade hundreds (most recently, in Round 9 a week or so back). What is your best performance in the red and black and what's your favourite memory?
One of my favourite memories was winning the First Grade one day final at Bankstown Oval in my first year at the club. 13 years later, I’ve never played in another Grand Final. They are tough to make and even harder to win. Glenn Aitken and Rob Aitken stole the show. If those two players didn’t play the game, it would’ve been over in two hours.
Justin and the Bears celebrate the 2012/13 Limited Overs Premiership
My favourite innings was definitely the 2018/19 semi-final at Penrith when we batted first on a wet wicket and I was lucky enough to score 100 to give us a chance of winning the game. Unfortunately, the rain came and we didn’t get to finish, when we were well in front of the game. The highlight of the match was actually Matt Alexander’s batting performance. Matt was traditionally a number 10 but put his hand up to open the batting as we had some poor performances during the year and desperately needed an opener to face more balls early on. He said “I’m the man for the job and will get it done”. I think there were many people around the club who were shocked that we made the semi-final and promoted a number 10 to 1 for the first time in his career. He went on to score 18 off about 80 balls against the best bowling attack in the comp on a terrible wicket.
5. What did you learn in four seasons with Sydney Sixers (and a brief stint with the Melbourne Stars) in the BBL?
The thing I learnt the most from the BBL and professional cricket is that you need to keep yourself accountable for everything. Everyone growing up believes that if they had a State contract then they would instantly become a much better cricketer and perform at the highest level.
While you do have access to incredible coaches and experienced players, without doing extras with teammates and getting coaches to stay back after training and work on issues you have, you won’t get better at all. If you just show up to training and do what you’re told, you will only develop so far. It’s still on the individual to grow, not the coaches and pathway. The best players are generally the hardest working doing the extras every single day.
Justin in action for the Sixers (photo: Coast Community News)
6. Who's the best competitor you've played against and why? And what about the best you've shared a dressing room with?
Two of the best competitors I’ve come up against and played with are Jake Turner and Rob Aitken.
Jake runs in at full tilt whether it’s the first ball of the game or the last. He’s always in your face trying to inspire his team every over.
Rob is on another level. He’s 50 years old and captaining Second Grade at Norths. He could easily slot back into the middle order in First Grade and do a great job with bat and ball. I think he’s averaging 60 this year already with the bat. If a team had the competitive spirit of 11 Rob Aitkens, they would win the comp every year.
Rob and Justin celebrate a wicket at North Sydney Oval
7. This is perhaps the toughest question on the list - if you could only pick one, would you play cricket or golf?
That’s actually an easy question - cricket.
The memories I’ve made with friends on the cricket field will surpass anything I’ve ever done on the golf course. Cricket has a lot more ups and downs than golf, which gets incredibly frustrating but I really do love the game. Even today I get my dad to feed me cricket balls on the machine 2-3 times a week. I always tell the boys that I’m 10 hundreds in a row from playing for Australia so look out!
I’m 32 and well and truly out of the professional system but for some reason I still have this energy and drive to compete at the top level. My performances aren’t there any more but my love for training and playing hasn’t left me yet.
8. Is there more you still want to achieve in the game?
Personally, I’m not chasing any goals in the game other than just trying to become the best player I can be. If that means 400 runs a year or 1,000 runs a year, I’m happy. I hate failure, but if I fail and did everything possible to succeed then I’m not fussed at all. My body has often let me down when pushing myself so it’s about finding a balance to stay fit and sharp on the field.
As a team, I would love to win a Belvidere Cup and I think if this young squad can stay together for a period of time then we have a chance.
9. What's the best piece of advice you've been given?
The best piece I’ve ever received was from my dad who has never played cricket. I gave up the game when I was 21, thinking I was never going to make it. I used to put so much pressure on myself to succeed and fear of failure held me back without me realising it at the time. When I returned at 23, he told me to stop caring about results and just play for the love of the game but to play the game the way I wanted to play. I was always focussed on what I thought I needed to do to become a professional cricketer. When I got rid of the fear of getting out, I played with so much more freedom and the runs started to come.
After speaking to a few of the Western Suburbs players over the last few years, I think Harjas Singh (who’s just signed for the Sixers as a replacement player) is playing the same way but on another level. Zero fear and doing it his way.
10. What would you tell a 12-year-old Justin Avendano?
I would tell myself exactly what my dad told me in the answer above. Everyone has a different path and stay true to yourself.
