Sydney University Cricket Club boasts over 150 years of passion and tradition. From the first University of Sydney students taking to the Garrison Ground (what is now the site of the SCG), through to the 2018/19 Club Championship, the 2019/20 NSW Premier Cricket 1st Grade One Day Cup and Third and Fourth Grade Premiers, Sydney Uni Cricket is founded on excellence.
One of the oldest cricket clubs in Australia, the Sydney University Cricket Club has been in continued existence since 1864-65 although games were played by teams representing the University of Sydney from 1853-54.
Since the introduction of Sydney Grade (Premier) Cricket in 1893, there have been two ‘golden eras’ for the Club.
The first was just before the Great War when the 1st Grade side won three premierships and produced a succession of NSW and Australian players. With admirable sense of service and commitment, over 100 from the Club then enlisted. 17 did not return, the majority of them still undergraduates.
The second ‘golden era’ has taken in the last 20 years. In that time, 1st Grade has won six premierships and has been runner-up in another four seasons. 2nd Grade has enjoyed seven premierships. Four times the Club has won the Club Championship and nine times has been runner-up. The Club has continued to produce Test and 1st Class players. In most recent seasons, Nick Larkin has represented NSW and the Melbourne Stars in the BBL; Hayden Kerr has made his debut for NSW and has played for the Sydney Sixers; Nivi Radharkrishnan has made his debut for Tasmania; Will Somerville, who played in two premierships for the Club, has played Test cricket for the land of his birth, New Zealand.
The Club has been well represented in the administration of cricket in NSW since the 19th century and currently former 1st Grade captain, Greg Mail, is ‘Head of Cricket’ for Cricket NSW, having been a NSW Selector for a number of years, and Ed Cowan, captain of the Club’s first under 16 side, serves on the NSW Cricket Board. Mail is the highest run scorer in the history of 1st Grade in Sydney Premier Cricket. Cowan played 18 Tests for Australia and scored over 10,000 1st class runs.
The Club has continued to play cricket well beyond the grounds of the University. Tours to England and Sri Lanka have complemented intervarsity games (the first in Australia was played between the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne in 1870) and NSW Country tours.
James Rodgers
Patron, SUCC
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