NSW Premier Cricket (formerly known as Sydney Grade Cricket) is a

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

competition played in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Australia. The competition began in 1893 when a number of clubs that had been playing for many years on an ad hoc basis voted to create a formal competition structure. The NSW Premier Cricket competition is generally played on Saturdays and begins in mid-September and continues until the grand final is played on the first weekend of April. Spectators are generally few and far between at matches, mostly family members, partners or club members. The exception to this is at T20 matches which can attract crowds into the hundreds and occasionally the low thousands. Players for the NSW team are selected from the first-grade competition. While modern day cricketers have few breaks outside the international calendar, when they do NSW players often return to play in the first-grade competition.

History

This competition has grown substantially since its formation and by 1985 the Sydney Grade Cricket Competition encompassed 20 clubs. Since the 1940s there had been a number of club mergers (Mosman with Middle Harbour, Petersham with Marrickville and Glebe with South Sydney followed in 1965 by the forced merger of Paddington with Glebe-South Sydney to form Sydney District CC). In 1965 Sutherland joined the competition, followed by Nepean (now Penrith) and University of NSW in 1973. In 1985 Sydney District CC left the competition but 3 new clubs from the outer suburbs of Sydney joined - Fairfield, Campbelltown and Hawkesbury. In the late 1990s there was a push to remove some inner-city clubs from the competition, but although no clubs were forced out, in 2001 Randwick and Petersham-Marrickville (itself the product of a merger in 1951) decided to merge and formed the Randwick Petersham club. Some clubs were renamed to reflect their wider representation (Waverley renamed as Eastern Suburbs, Fairfield becoming Fairfield-Liverpool and Campbelltown becoming Campbelltown-Camden). Finally in 2002 Blacktown were promoted from the second-tier shires competition to bring the number of clubs back up to 20. Each of the 20 clubs fields a side in each of the five senior grades as well as a side in the Poidevin-Gray Shield and AW Green Shield junior competitions. In recent times some clubs have started broadcasting scorecards in real-time on the

Cricket Australia Cricket Australia (CA), formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the 'Australian Board of Control for International Crick ...

website. Some clubs also have detailed video and photographs each weekend. Most but not all clubs actively update their website and have information across a variety of social media platforms. Sydney grade cricket also has a proud history of welcoming budding, current or former first-class and Test cricketers from around the world. Players are primarily sourced from England's county competition. In 2015/16, there were over 10 players in the competition plying their trade in the first-grade competition. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss amongst others played seasons in Sydney. Such is the strength of the competition that some well-known players have been known to play multiple matches in second grade. To address shortcomings in players making the transition from first-grade to State cricket, two seasons ago a different type of ball was introduced into the first-grade competition. This ball is the same used by state players but had not previously been used due to its cost (A$150 each). While the ball is still a four-piece ball, its seam is less pronounced and more difficult to swing. Bowlers, in particular fast bowlers, have had to work much harder at getting wickets. Since its introduction scores within the competition have increased. There have been higher team and individual scores (400+ scores by teams are not the rare occurrence they once were). In the 2016/17 season, the competition changed its name to NSW Premier Cricket. The name change was part of a

initiative to standardise the naming of the elite men's cricket competition within each state's capital city.

Clubs

Clubs in the 2021/22 season of NSW Premier Cricket are: *

Bankstown District Cricket Club Bankstown District Cricket Club is a cricket club based in Bankstown, Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1951, the Bulldogs joined the Sydney Grade Cricket Competition in 1952. The club's home ground is Bankstown Oval, and it has won 7 first grad ...

– The Bulldogs play at

Bankstown Oval Bankstown Oval (officially known as Bankstown Memorial Oval) Bankstown Council Sporting Faciliti ...

, one of the better first grade grounds, having hosted first class matches and women's internationals. The club has won 7 first grade premierships, the first in 1958/59 under the captaincy of Ron Briggs, and the most recent in 2015/16. Bankstown have a proud history and are among the strongest clubs. Notable Bankstown players have included all four Waugh brothers ( Steve,

Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

and Danny),

Jeff Thomson Jeffrey Robert Thomson (born 16 August 1950) is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he is one of the fastest bowlers in the history of cricket; he bowled a delivery with a speed of 160.6 km/h against the West Indies in Perth ...

Len Pascoe Leonard Stephen Pascoe (born Leonard Stephen Durtanovich, 13 February 1950) is a former Australian Test cricket, Test and One Day International cricketer. Born at Bridgetown, Western Australia, Pascoe was educated at Punchbowl Boys' High School ...

, Corey Richards,

Mark Stoneman Mark Daniel Stoneman (born 26 June 1987) is an English cricketer who plays for Middlesex County Cricket Club and for England. He made his international debut for England in August 2017. He bats left handed and normally plays as an opening bats ...

and

Aaron Bird Aaron Christopher Bird is an Australian cricketer who played first-class cricket for the New South Wales Blues. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler. Bird arrived from Taree, NSW as a 16-year-old to play Sydney Grade Crick ...

. * Blacktown District Cricket Club – Nicknamed the Warriors, Blacktown participated in the Sydney Shires Competition before entering the Sydney Grade competition in 2002/03. Blacktown is yet to taste success across any grade but has shown steady improvement. Its catchment area in the North West of Sydney is among the fastest growing regions in Australia. Their two lower-grade home grounds at Whalan are among the largest in the competition, with it reported to be larger in size than the

Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...

. In recent years games have been interrupted by deadly snakes crossing into the field. Former players include Australian off spinner

Gavin Robertson Gavin Ron Robertson (born 28 May 1966) is a former Australian cricketer. He was a right-handed offbreak bowler and a lower-order batsman. Career Robertson made his debut for the New South Wales Blues in 1987. Two seasons later he moved to Tas ...

, NSW paceman

Don Nash Donald Anthony Nash (born 29 March 1978 in Dubbo, New South Wales) is an Australian first-class cricketer who played for the New South Wales cricket team, New South Wales Blues. A right arm fast medium bowler and hard hitting lower order batsman ...

and West Indian bowler

Corey Collymore Corey Dalanelo Collymore (born 21 December 1977) is a former Barbadian cricketer, who represented the West Indies team in both Tests and ODIs cricket as seam bowler. Collymore also played for Barbados, Warwickshire, Sussex and Middlesex ...

. *

Campbelltown-Camden District Cricket Club Campbelltown-Camden District Cricket Club (also known as the Ghosts) is a cricket club in New South Wales, Australia. History The club was formed in 1985 and won its first title (the first grade limited overs crown) in 1986-87. Since then, it ...

– Nicknamed the Ghosts, the club was formed in 1985 and won its first title (the first grade limited overs crown) in 1986/87. Since then, it has won many lower grade titles. Like Blacktown, its local area is growing rapidly which has translated into a wealth of talent. Past players of note include Ian Davis,

Brett Brett derives from a Middle English surname meaning "Briton" or "Breton", referring to the Celtic people of Britain and Brittany, France. Brette can be a feminine name. People with the surname * Adrian Brett (born 1945) English flutist and writer ...

Shane Lee Shane Lee (born 8 August 1973) is a former Australian first-class cricketer. He was an all-rounder known for his hard batting and medium-pace bowling and is the elder brother of Australian pace bowler Brett Lee. He played for Australia and al ...

Michael Bevan Michael Gwyl Bevan (born 8 May 1970) is a former Australian cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and a slow left arm wrist-spin bowler. He has been credited for initiating the art of finishing matches. For several years, he was considered as ...

, Corey Richards,

Monty Panesar Mudhsuden Singh "Monty" Panesar (born 25 April 1982) is a former English international cricketer. A left-arm spinner, Panesar made his Test cricket debut in 2006 against India in Nagpur and One Day International debut for England in 2007. In E ...

and

Ollie Pope Oliver John Douglas Pope (born 2 January 1998) is an English professional cricketer who plays for the England cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club. He is a right-handed batsman who occasionally plays as a wicket-keeper. He made his Test de ...

. *

Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club is a cricket club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. They are also known as the Eastern Suburbs or latterly Easts Cricket Club and play in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition. Known ...

– Founded as the Waverley Cricket Club in 1894, it changed its name in 1996 to reflect a broader regional basis. Easts have won 8 first grade premierships, the most recent being in 2003/04. Nineteen Australian players have played for the red, white and blue of the Dolphins, including the Gregory family ( Syd,

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

Frank Iredale Francis Adams Iredale (19 June 1867 – 15 April 1926) was an Australian cricketer who played 14 Test matches between 1888 and 1902. Early life Frank Iredale was born to Thomas Richardson and Margaret Iredale (nee Adams) on 19 June 1867 at th ...

Alan Kippax Alan Falconer Kippax (25 May 1897 – 5 September 1972) was a cricketer for New South Wales (NSW) and Australia. Regarded as one of the great stylists of Australian cricket during the era between the two World Wars, Kippax overcame a late sta ...

Arthur Mailey Alfred Arthur Mailey (3 January 188631 December 1967) was an Australian cricketer who played in 21 Test matches between 1920 and 1926. Mailey used leg-breaks and googly bowling, taking 99 Test wickets, including 36 in the 1920–21 Ashes ser ...

Jack Fingleton John Henry Webb Fingleton, (28 April 190822 November 1981) was an Australian cricketer, journalist and commentator. The son of Australian politician James Fingleton, he was known for his dour defensive approach as a batsman, scoring five Test ...

Greg Matthews Gregory Richard John Matthews (born 15 December 1959) is a New South Wales and Australian former cricket all rounder ( off-spin bowler and left-handed batsman) who is now a television cricket commentator. When Australian cricket was in the d ...

Kepler Wessels Kepler Christoffel Wessels (born 14 September 1957) is a South African-Australian cricket commentator and former cricketer who captained South Africa after playing 24 Tests for Australia. Since retiring he has been a lawn bowls competitor. He ...

. Current players include

Brad Haddin Bradley James Haddin (born 23 October 1977), is a former Australian cricketer, vice-captain and coach who represented Australia in all three forms of international cricket. He played domestically for New South Wales as a right-handed batsman ...

Nathan Bracken Nathan Wade Bracken (born 12 September 1977) is a former Australian cricketer. A tall left-arm fast-medium bowler, Bracken is capable of swinging the ball both ways. He has represented Australia in all forms of the game. Bracken represented Ne ...

Peter Nevill Peter Michael Nevill (born 13 October 1985) is an Australian former cricketer who played 17 Tests and 9 T20 internationals for Australia. He also represented New South Wales and the Melbourne Stars, having previously played for the Melbourne R ...

Nic Maddinson Nicolas James Maddinson (born 21 December 1991) is an Australian cricketer. He is a left-handed opening batter who has represented Australia in both Test matches and Twenty20 Internationals. Domestically he plays for the Victoria cricket team a ...

and

David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...

. Notable overseas players include

Tony Greig Anthony William Greig (6 October 194629 December 2012) was a South African-born Test cricket captain turned commentator. Greig qualified to play for the England cricket team by virtue of his Scottish parentage. He was a tall () all-rounder w ...

Geoff Boycott Sir Geoffrey Boycott (born 21 October 1940) is a former Test cricketer, who played cricket for Yorkshire and England. In a prolific and sometimes controversial playing career from 1962 to 1986, Boycott established himself as one of England's m ...

and

Tim Murtagh Timothy James Murtagh (born 2 August 1981) is an English-born Irish cricketer who is the current club captain of Middlesex County Cricket Club. He is a left-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler who represented England in the 2000 ...

. * Fairfield-Liverpool Cricket Club - Nicknamed the Lions and have won 2 first grade premierships since joining the Sydney Grade competition in 1985, most recently in 2005/06. Rosedale Oval, its first/second grade ground, is the largest first grade ground in Sydney. As such, the frequency of boundaries here is notably lower which means much more running for batsmen. The most notable former players are former Australian bowler

Doug Bollinger Douglas Erwin Bollinger (born 24 July 1981) is a former Australian cricketer. He has played first-class cricket for the New South Wales cricket team and international cricket for Australia. He is a left-handed batsman and a left-arm fast bowl ...

and former NSW players

Grant Lambert Grant Michael Lambert (born 5 August 1977) is an Australian cricketer. He played first-class cricket for New South Wales as a right-arm fast-medium bowler and a right-handed batsman. His best bowling effort was 4/80 against Tasmania in 2005/06. ...

and

Ben Rohrer Ben Rohrer (born 26 March 1981) is an Australian former cricketer who played for the New South Wales in Australian domestic cricket from 2007 to 2016 and various Twenty20 teams in the Big Bash League. Rohrer had a breakout season in the 2012� ...

Pat Richards Pat Richards (born 27 February 1982) is a former professional rugby league footballer. An Ireland international er, he played in the National Rugby League for Sydney clubs the Parramatta Eels and the Wests Tigers, with whom he won the 2005 NRL P ...

, a rugby league footballer for

Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...

Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...

and

Wigan Warriors The Wigan Warriors are a professional rugby league club in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the Super League. Formed in 1872 as Wigan Football Club, Wigan was a founding member of the Rugby Football League, Northern Rugby ...

is also a former player. * Gordon District Cricket Club - The Stags were founded in 1905 and have won 6 first grade premierships since then, most recently in 1990/91. They share their home ground of

Chatswood Oval Chatswood Oval is located south of the Chatswood railway station in northern Sydney. It has four small pavilions and seating surrounding the oval. It is one of the Lower North Shore's largest sportsgrounds, and the home ground of the Gordon Rug ...

with Gordon rugby club. Chatswood Oval is notable for being surrounded by high-rise buildings and is next to major train line. Unfortunately for the fielding team, the ball is often dispatched in the vicinity of the train line and proves rather difficult to retrieve. Nineteen players have gone on to represent Australia, including

Victor Trumper Victor Thomas Trumper (2 November 1877 – 28 June 1915) was an Australian cricketer known as the most stylish and versatile batsman of the Golden Age of cricket, capable of playing match-winning innings on wet wickets his contemporaries found ...

Charlie Macartney Charles George Macartney (27 June 1886 – 9 September 1958) was an Australian cricketer who played in 35 Test matches between 1907 and 1926. He was known as "The Governor-General" in reference to his authoritative batting style and his flamb ...

Bert Oldfield William Albert Stanley Oldfield (9 September 1894 – 10 August 1976) was an Australian cricketer and businessman. He played for New South Wales and Australia as a wicket-keeper. Oldfield's 52 stumpings during his Test career remains a record ...

Brian Taber Hedley Brian Taber (born 29 April 1940) is an Australian former cricketer who played in 16 Test matches as a wicket-keeper from 1966 to 1970. He represented New South Wales in domestic cricket. Taber played 129 first-class matches with a car ...

, Ian Davis,

Adam Gilchrist Adam Craig Gilchrist (; born 14 November 1971) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer and captain of the Australia national cricket team. He was an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keep ...

and

Phil Emery Philip Allen Emery (born 25 June 1964) is a former Australian cricketer. A wicket-keeper and valuable left-handed batsman, he represented Australia internationally and New South Wales domestically. Born in St Ives, Sydney, Emery was educ ...

. * Hawkesbury Cricket Club – Nicknamed the Hawks and joined the Sydney Grade competition in 1985. Their home grounds at the Bensons Lane Complex at Richmond, which includes 3 grade grounds, are among the best wickets in the Sydney Premier competition but are amongst the most oppressive grounds due to the heat (it is around 50 km inland), flies and smell (paddocks surround the ground). For teams based close to the CBD, the travel to Hawkesbury often takes close to two hours each way. The main oval, Owen Earle Oval, has recently been upgraded with a new picket fence. Notable players: Stephen O'Keefe (NSW & Aust),

Peter Forrest Peter James Forrest (born 15 November 1985) is an Australian former professional cricketer who played for New South Wales, Queensland and Brisbane Heat. He played in 15 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for the Australian national cricket team in ...

(NSW, QLD & Aust), John Hastings (Vic & Aust), Scott Henry (NSW & Qld),

Anthony Kershler Anthony Kershler (born 6 July 1968) is an Australian cricketer. He played seven first-class and three List A matches for New South Wales between 1994/95 and 1995/96. See also * List of New South Wales representative cricketers This is a l ...

(NSW), and

Arjun Nair Arjun Nair (born 12 April 1998) is an Australian cricketer. He is an All-Rounder who bats in right hand and bowls right arm off-spin. He made his first-class debut for New South Wales in February 2016 in the 2015–16 Sheffield Shield against ...

(NSW). Hawkesbury also produce regular members of NSW under-17 and 19 teams. *

Manly Warringah District Cricket Club Manly Warringah District Cricket Club is a cricket club in based in Manly, Sydney, Australia who play in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition. Founded in 1878, Manly was a foundation club in the Sydney grade competition. Manly are relatively suc ...

- Founded in 1878, the Waratahs are a foundation club in the Sydney grade competition. The Waratahs have won the first grade premiership 5 times, most recently in 2014/15 and have won the club championship title a number of times in the last 15 years. Recent players include NSW captain Stephen O'Keefe,

Alvin Kallicharran Alvin Isaac Kallicharran (born 21 March 1949) is a former Indo-Guyanese cricketer of Tamil origin who played Test cricket for the West Indies between 1972 and 1981 as a left-handed batsman and right-arm off spinner. Kallicharran was born i ...

Stuart Clark Stuart Rupert Clark (born 28 September 1975) is an Australian former cricketer who played for New South Wales and the Australian team. He was a right-arm fast-medium bowler. His nickname "Sarfraz" originates from the similarities of his bowli ...

, Chris Green and

Morne Morkel Morne is an Old-French word for a small mountain. It may refer to: * Morne a Chandelle, a village in the Sud-Est department of Haiti * Morne-à-l'Eau, a commune in Guadeloupe * Morne Bois-Pin, the fourth highest mountain in Haiti * Morne la Vigie ...

. Manly Oval is one of the most picturesque grounds in Sydney. * Mosman Cricket Club - Nicknamed the Whales and entered the Sydney first grade competition in 1921, having played in lower grades in previous seasons. Mosman has won 5 first grade premierships, but only one (2021/22) since 1938/39. Former Australian cricket captain

Allan Border Allan Robert Border (born 27 July 1955) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test ma ...

is probably the most famous former Mosman player and, in recognition of his contribution, the club renamed its home ground Allan Border Oval. Former players include Australian

fast bowler Fast bowling (also referred to as pace bowling) is one of two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket, the other being spin bowling. Practitioners of pace bowling are usually known as ''fast'' bowlers, ''quicks'', or ''pacemen''. ...

Brett Lee Brett Lee (born 8 November 1976) is an Australian former international cricketer, who played all three formats of the game. During his international career, Lee was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in the world. In each of his first two ...

, his older brother and former

NSW ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

captain

Shane Shane may refer to: People * Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress * Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946) * iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer * Shane (name) Shane is mainly a masculine g ...

, former England captain

Andrew Strauss Sir Andrew John Strauss (born 2 March 1977) is an English cricket administrator and former player, formerly the Director of Cricket for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He played county cricket for Middlesex, and captained the Engla ...

. * UTS North Sydney Cricket Club - The ''Bears'' were formed in 1893 as a foundation club in the grade competition and have won 5 first grade premierships, but none since 1931/32. The club is based at

North Sydney Oval North Sydney Oval is a multi-use sporting facility in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, owned and operated by North Sydney Council. First used as a cricket ground in 1867, it is also used for Australian rules football, rugby league, rug ...

, a regular venue for first class cricket in NSW and one of the spectator's favourites given its postage stamp size and its heritage stands, capable of holding 15,000 spectators. The club's most famous players include

Sir Donald Bradman Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has bee ...

, Bill O'Reilly,

Keith Miller Keith Ross Miller (28 November 1919 – 11 October 2004) was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. His ability, irreverent m ...

Stan McCabe Stanley Joseph McCabe (16 July 1910 – 25 August 1968) was an Australian cricketer who played 39 Test cricket, Test matches for Australia from 1930 to 1938. A short, stocky right-hander, McCabe was described by ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, ...

, Stuart MacGill,

Trevor Chappell Trevor Martin Chappell (born 12 October 1952) is a former Australian cricketer, a member of the South Australian Chappell family which excelled at cricket. He played 3 tests and 20 One Day Internationals for Australia. He won the Sheffield Shi ...

Doug Walters Kevin Douglas Walters (born 21 December 1945) is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, a useful part-time bowler, and also as a typical ocker. In 2011, he was inducted into the Cricket Hall of Fame by the CA. ...

Sid Barnes Sidney George Barnes (5 June 1916 – 16 December 1973) was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test cricket, Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to Batting order (cricket)#Opening batsmen, open the innings or Ba ...

Charles Macartney Charles George Macartney (27 June 1886 – 9 September 1958) was an Australian cricketer who played in 35 Test matches between 1907 and 1926. He was known as "The Governor-General" in reference to his authoritative batting style and his flamb ...

, Phil Marks and

Kerry O'Keeffe Kerry James O'Keeffe (born 25 November 1949) is a former Australian cricketer and a current cricket commentator for Fox Sports. O'Keeffe played 24 Test matches and two One Day Internationals between 1971 and 1977. Playing career He was a spin ...

.
*

Northern District Cricket Club Northern District Cricket Club is a cricket club based in the upper North Shore of Sydney at Waitara, New South Wales, Australia. They are also known as the Northern District and play in the Sydney Grade Cricket NSW Premier Cricket (formerly ...

- Nicknamed the Rangers, Northern District is home to former Australian and NSW captain Mark Taylor,

Harry Conway Harry Conway (born 17 September 1992) is an Australian cricketer. He made his first-class debut for New South Wales on 5 March 2016 in the 2015–16 Sheffield Shield. He made his List A debut in the final of the 2016–17 Matador BBQs One-Da ...

Nathan Lyon Nathan Michael Lyon (born 20 November 1987) is an Australian international cricketer. He made his Test debut in 2011 and plays domestic cricket for New South Wales. Lyon is an off spin bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman. Considered ...

, Chris Green, former England Internation

Scott Borthwick Scott George Borthwick (born 19 April 1990) is an English cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and leg-break bowler who captains Durham. He was born in Sunderland. Borthwick played in the North East Premier League for Philadelphia during the ...

and former Sri Lankan International All - Rounder

Upul Chandana Deshabandu Umagiliya Durage Upul Chandana (born 7 May 1972), popularly known as Upul Chandana, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played both Tests and ODIs. He was more specifically a leg spin bowler and was also an outstanding fielder. Unfo ...

. The club has won 6 first grade premierships, most recently in 1992/93. *

Parramatta District Cricket Club Parramatta District Cricket Club is a cricket club based in Parramatta, New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_ty ...

- Formerly Central Cumberland, the club was founded in 1843 and a foundation member of the grade competition. It claims to be the oldest existing club in NSW and the second oldest in Australia. Former players include

Richie Benaud Richard Benaud (; 6 October 1930 – 10 April 2015) was an Australian cricketer who, after his retirement from international cricket in 1964, became a highly regarded commentator on the game. Benaud was a Test cricket all-rounder, blending l ...

John Benaud John Benaud (born 11 May 1944) is a former Australian cricketer. Benaud is the son of Louis and Irene Benaud. His only sibling was fellow cricketer Richie Benaud, who was older by 13 years. John is married to Lindsay Benaud with two children. ...

Ben Duckett Ben Matthew Duckett (born 17 October 1994) is an English cricketer who plays for Nottinghamshire. He is a left-handed batsman who can play as a wicket-keeper. He made his international debut for England in October 2016. Domestic, under 19 and n ...

and the winner of 4 first grade premierships, the most recent in 2017/18. Bob Simpson is a coaching advisor. *

Penrith District Cricket Club Penrith District Cricket Club is a cricket club based in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. They are also known as the Panthers, and play in the Sydney Grade Cricket NSW Premier Cricket (formerly known as Sydney Grade Cricket) is a cricket c ...

- Like the local

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

team, the Penrith District Cricket Club are known as the Panthers. Penrith are currently under the guidance of

as their coach. England coach,

Trevor Bayliss Trevor Harley Bayliss (born 21 December 1962) is an Australian cricket coach and former first class cricketer. He played for New South Wales between 1985 and 1997 before becoming a coach. Bayliss was coach of England from 2015 to 2019. He coa ...

, played his Sydney Grade Cricket career at Penrith. Penrith won the 2008/09 club championship. Patrick Cummins also plays for Penrith, being the first test player from Penrith for some decades. Penrith is the most inland of the 20 clubs and sits at the foot of the Blue Mountains and has won 3 first grade premierships since joining the Sydney Grade competition in 1973/74, most recently in 2018/19. *

Randwick Petersham Cricket Club Randwick Petersham Cricket Club, also known as the Randy Petes, competes in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition in Grades 1 to 5, Poidevin Gray (under-21) and AW Green Shield (under-16). It also fields two sides in the Sydney Metropolitan compe ...

– Nicknamed the Randy Petes. Home of former Australian players

Simon Katich Simon Matthew Katich (born 21 August 1975) is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer. He captained New South Wales and also, until the end of the 2007 season, Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Katich also played for Lancashire, represen ...

Nathan Hauritz Nathan Michael Hauritz (; born 18 October 1981) is a former Australian cricketer who has represented Australia in Tests, One-dayers and Twenty20 Internationals. He is mainly noted for his off spin bowling. After representing Australia at Und ...

and

Usman Khawaja Usman Tariq Khawaja ( ur, ; born 18 December 1986) is an Australian cricketer who represents Australia and Queensland. Khawaja made his first-class cricket debut for New South Wales in 2008 and played his first international match for Australi ...

. England's

and

Rory Burns Rory Joseph Burns (born 26 August 1990) is an English cricketer who plays internationally for the England Test cricket team. In domestic cricket, he captains Surrey in first-class and List A cricket. Burns made his Test debut in 2018. He le ...

have both played for the club. Coogee Oval is one of the nicest grounds, sitting just over 100 metres from

Coogee beach Coogee Beach may refer to: *Coogee, New South Wales, beach in Sydney, NSW, Australia *Coogee, Western Australia Coogee is a southern coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Cockburn. History The suburb takes its ...

. It is a lively venue with many locals and backpackers passing the ground on their way to the beach. * St George District Cricket Club – Established in 1911 but not entering the Sydney Grade competition until 1921, the club was the home of

and Bill O'Reilly,

Ray Lindwall Raymond Russell Lindwall (3 October 1921 – 23 June 1996) was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league f ...

Arthur Morris Arthur Robert Morris (19 January 1922 – 22 August 2015) was an Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for ...

, Brian Booth,

Murray Bennett Murray John Bennett (born 6 October 1956) is a former Australian cricketer who played in three Test matches and eight One Day Internationals in 1984 and 1985. Early career Bennett made a promising start to his career as a left arm orthodox ...

and

. Recent players include

Moisés Henriques Moisés Constantino Henriques (; born 1 February 1987) is a Portugal-born Australian professional cricketer who plays for Australia, New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers. An all-rounder, he is the first cricketer born in Portugal to play for ...

Trent Copeland Trent Aaron Copeland (born 14 March 1986) is an Australian cricket player and commentator. He is a right-arm fast bowler who currently plays first-class cricket for New South Wales. He made his Test debut for Australia against Sri Lanka in A ...

and

Josh Hazlewood Josh Reginald Hazlewood (born 8 January 1991) is an Australian international cricketer. He is a tall pace bowler known for his accuracy and has been compared to former Australian paceman Glenn McGrath. Hazlewood currently ranks no.2 in ODI, no.1 ...

. The club became the first club to win the Sydney first grade premiership 4 times in a row. It has won 17 first grade premierships, most recently in 2012/13 and it achieved its 100th premiership in all grades in the 2009/10 season. The club celebrated its centennial during the 2010/11 season. *

Sutherland District Cricket Club Sutherland District Cricket Club (SDCC) is a cricket club based in the Sutherland Shire, New South Wales, Australia. They are also known as the Sharks and play in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition. They were founded in 1965. Australian Test p ...

– One of the newest clubs in the competition, the Sharks entered the competition in 1965 and have won 2 first grade premierships, most recently in 1997/98. Past greats include former Australian Chairman of Selectors

Andrew Hilditch Andrew Mark Jefferson Hilditch (born 20 May 1956) is a former Australian international cricketer who played in 18 Test matches and eight One Day Internationals from 1979 to 1985. He played for New South Wales from 1977 to 1981 and for South ...

, John Dyson,

Steve Rixon Stephen John Rixon (born 25 February 1954) is an Australian cricket coach and former international cricketer. He played in 13 Test matches and six One Day Internationals between 1977 and 1985. He has coached the New Zealand cricket team, New S ...

Glenn McGrath Glenn Donald McGrath (; born 9 February 1970) is an Australian former international cricketer who played international cricket for 14 years. He was a fast-medium pace bowler (cricket), bowler and is considered one of the greatest international ...

, Stuart MacGill,

and

Phil Jaques Phil may refer to: * Phil (given name), a shortened version of masculine and feminine names * Phill, a given name also spelled "Phil" * Phil, Kentucky, United States * ''Phil'' (film), a 2019 film * -phil-, a lexical fragment, used as a root ter ...

. It is the home club of former Australian captain

Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...

as well as NSW batsman

. * Sydney Cricket Club – A merger in 2007 between the UTS Balmain Cricket Club (a member of Grade Cricket since 1897 as Balmain) and the

Sydney Cricket Ground Trust The Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust (popularly known as the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust or SCG Trust) was an agency of the Government of New South Wales that operated the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, New S ...

. The Tigers play out of

Drummoyne Oval Drummoyne Oval is a multi-use sports ground in the Sydney inner-west suburb of Drummoyne, New South Wales. The ground has been used for international women's cricket matches, domestic men's cricket matches and first grade rugby league as well as ...

and have won 4 first grade premierships, most recently as Balmain in 1998/99. Over the past decade the Tigers have occasionally played at the SCG. The most famous players from this club are Archie Jackson,

, Greg Hayne (who has scored a record 12,000 runs for the club),

Graham Thorpe Graham Paul Thorpe, (born 1 August 1969) is a former English cricketer who played for England internationally and Surrey domestically. A left-handed middle-order batsman and slip fielder, he appeared in 100 Test matches. Early life Thorpe was ...

Russel Arnold Russel Premakumaran Arnold ( Tamil: ரசல் பிரேமகுமரன் ஆனோல்ட், born 25 October 1973), or Russel Arnold, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer of Tamil descent, who played all forms of the game. He played ...

Jason Krejza Jason John Krejza (born 14 January 1983) is a former Australian cricketer. He played for the Tasmanian Tigers and Leicestershire. Krejza's father was an association football player from Czechoslovakia and his mother was born in Poland. His ...

Joe Denly Joseph Liam Denly (born 16 March 1986) is an English professional cricketer who plays for Kent County Cricket Club. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional leg break bowler who plays as a top-order batsman. Denly played age group cricke ...

and

Zak Crawley Zak Crawley (born 3 February 1998) is an English professional cricketer who plays for Kent County Cricket Club. He plays Test cricket for the England cricket team, having also played One Day Internationals for a short period. Crawley is a top-o ...

. Drummoyne Oval has for many years hosted one-day matches for NSW (along with North Sydney Oval and Bankstown Oval). * Sydney University Cricket Club - Nicknamed the Students. Founded in 1864, it was a foundation member of the grade competition in 1893. It has 9 first grade premierships, the most recent in 2016/17 and has had twenty Test players including

Tom Garrett Thomas William Garrett (26 July 1858 – 6 August 1943) was an early Australian Test cricketer and, later, a distinguished public servant. Early life Tom Garrett was the second son of a newspaper proprietor and politician who bore the same n ...

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...

, Stuart MacGill and

Kevin Pietersen Kevin Peter Pietersen (born 27 June 1980) is a cricket commentator, conservationist, and former England international cricket player. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who played in all three formats for England betw ...

. Its three home grounds are set upon Sydney University's Camperdown campus just outside the CBD. It has been a strong club over the past decade and has been able to recruit many current first-class players. Its ability to offer educational opportunities at Sydney University to first grade players is its largest advantage. *

University of NSW Cricket Club University of New South Wales Cricket Club is a cricket club associated with the University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia. They are also known as the Bumble Bees and play in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition. They were founded ...

- Nicknamed the Bumble Bees and have won 2 first grade premierships, most recently in 1980/81. Home to former Test players Geoff Lawson and

Michael Slater Michael Jonathon Slater (born 21 February 1970) is an Australian former professional cricketer and former television presenter. He played in 74 Test matches and 42 One Day Internationals for the Australia national cricket team. Early life S ...

. Entered the Grade Competition in 1973/74. Its first grade ground is located at UNSW's Kensington campus, while its lower grade grounds are located at playing fields a few suburbs away. Has the benefit for fielders to watch high-level gridiron matches on the adjoining field. *

Western Suburbs District Cricket Club Western Suburbs District Cricket Club is a cricket club based in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. They are also known as the Western Suburbs and play in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition. They were founded in 1895 a ...

– Nicknamed the Magpies and have won 11 first grade premierships, the first 2 when the club was called Burwood, but none since 1972/73. Joined the Sydney Grade competition in 1895 as Burwood. Home of Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke and Australian players

Phillip Hughes Phillip Joel Hughes (30 November 1988 – 27 November 2014) was an Australian Test and One Day International (ODI) cricketer who played domestic cricket for South Australia and Worcestershire. He was a left-handed opening batsman who play ...

and

Mitchell Starc Mitchell Aaron Starc (born 30 January 1990) is an Australian international cricketer who plays for the Australian national team and New South Wales in domestic cricket. A left-arm fast bowler and a lower order left-handed batsman, Starc repres ...

. Wests have had a number of notable former Australian players such as Bobby Simpson,

Dirk Wellham Dirk MacDonald Wellham (born 13 March 1959) is a former Australian cricketer who played in six Test matches and 17 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1981 and 1987. He is one of three players to score a century in both his first class an ...

, Alan Davidson,

Greg Dyer Gregory Charles Dyer (born 16 March 1959) is a former New South Wales and Australian wicketkeeper. Dyer played in six Tests and 23 ODIs from 1986 to 1988, including playing in the victorious 1987 World Cup Final. He toured India in 1986 as a ...

Gary Gilmour Gary John Gilmour (26 June 1951 – 10 June 2014) was an Australian cricketer who played in 15 Tests and 5 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1973 and 1977. At the peak of his career, Gilmour combined "talented hitting" with "penetrative ...

and Dave Gilbert. Wests home ground is

Pratten Park Pratten Park is a sporting complex in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield. It was officially opened on 12 September 1912 by the Governor of New South Wales, Frederic Thesiger. Pratten Park was named after Herbert Pratten, an alderman and then mayor ...

in Ashfield.

Former clubs

Sydney's suburban sprawl over the past 120 years has seen the introduction of new outer-suburban clubs and the disappearance or mergers of some inner-city clubs. The most successful club no longer in the competition is Paddington which won 9 first grade titles between 1894/95 and 1953/54 before being forced to merge with Glebe-South Sydney to form the Sydney District CC in 1965 - this merged club later left the competition in 1985. Other ex-clubs include a previous club called Sydney that won 3 titles, East Sydney (the inaugural first grade champion in 1893/94), Glebe (5 titles), South Sydney, Canterbury, Redfern, Middle Harbour, Leichhardt and Newtown. Petersham and Marrickville had each won a first grade title prior to merging to become Petersham-Marrickville. They won 4 titles as a merged outfit before merging again with Randwick, which had won 7 titles, to become Randwick-Petersham.

NSW Premier Cricket

The competition consists of 20 clubs who field one side in each of the five grades. In the 1st Grade competition, each side plays every other side over a total of 19 rounds. All other grades play only 15 rounds, thus missing out on playing 4 teams each season. The additional 4 rounds that are played by the 1st Grade sides are generally one day matches that take place on Sundays (won by Sydney University in 2010/2011). The 2010/11 season, for all grades, included 10 two-day matches (generally played on two consecutive Saturdays), 4 one-day matches and 1 Twenty-20 match. The 1st Grade sides played an additional one-day match and 3 Twenty20 matches. The 1st Grade Draw can be found her

and the 2nd Grade draw, which is identical to the 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade draws, can be found her

The final series generally consists of Qualifying Finals, Semi-Finals and a Final. These matches are played over two days, with the First Grade Final being played over three days. In the Qualifying Finals, the 1st placed team plays the 6th placed team, 2nd plays 5th and 3rd plays 4th. The three winning teams (or better placed team in the case of a draw) and the best placed losing team go through to the Semi-Finals. Points are allocated to the teams according to the results of each match. These points go towards the Club Championship which is awarded at the end of the regular season. All of the current NSW first-class cricket players are selected from their performances in Premier Cricket. This includes those players who also represent Australia although the demands of the international schedule means the Australian players rarely get to play at grade level these days.

Premiers

Poidevin-Gray Shield

The Poidevin-Gray Shield, or PG's as it is more commonly known, comprises teams who represent their grade sides in an Under 21 competition. All points received in this competition go towards the Club Championship.

A W Green Shield

The A W Green Shield, or Greenies as it is more commonly known, comprises teams who represent their grade sides in an Under 16 competition consisting of 7 preliminary rounds, qualifying finals, semi-finals and a Final.

Club Championship

Won by the club with the highest competition points in aggregate across all 5 grades plus points from the PG and Green Shield competitions. Points are only accrued across round matches and do not include finals. For each club, each grades' points tally is multiplied by a factor for the purposes of calculating Club Championship points. A point in first grade is worth more than second grade and so on. Due to this system, the winner of the Club Championship usually comes from a club whose first-grade team is within the top 6. However, consistency across the top 3 grades in particular is important. Club Championship Factors First grade = 6 points per competition point, Second grade = 5, Third = 4,Fourth = 3, Fifth/PG/Green Shield = 2...

Records

Batting

Most Career Runs

Highest Career Average

Most Centuries in a Season

Most Runs in a Season

Highest Individual Innings

Highest Average in a Season

Highest Partnerships

Youngest to Score a First Grade Century

Oldest to Score a First Grade Century

Most Sixes in an Innings

Century in Each Innings of a Match

Bowling

Most Career Wickets

Lowest Career Average

Most Wickets in a Match

Most Wickets in a Season

Most Wickets in an Innings

Lowest Average in a Season

Youngest to Take 5 Wickets in an Innings

Oldest to Take 5 Wickets in an Innings

Double Hat Tricks

= Four Wickets in Four Balls

= Four Wickets in Five Balls

= Five Wickets in Six Balls

Wicket Keeping

Most Dismissals in a Season

Team Records

Highest Team Innings

Lowest Completed Team Innings

Other

Youngest First Grade Player on Debut

Brothers Taking All 10 Wickets in an Innings

Brothers Scoring a Century in the Same Innings

References

8. AW Green Shield Final scorecard. http://www.premier.nsw.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/match.aspx?matchID=3177634&entityID=4

External links