Flashback! – UTS North Sydney end a 39-year drought to win the Poidevin-Gray Shield in 2024

After a long wait from their semi-final victory over Randy Petes, the young Bears side met a strong Northern District side in the Grand Final, fresh off a First Grade Limited Overs Premiership.

The Bears lost the toss on a flat-looking deck at Allan Border Oval and were asked to field first. The Bears got off to a good start thanks to Sherriff's great building of pressure before Fergusson struck with a slight edge through to Moore. Despite the positive start, the Bears were still on edge as the opposing captain, Shaw, joined Tunks to build a robust first-wicket partnership. The pair looked comfortable on a pitch, providing less and less for pace bowling, forcing skipper Hedges to throw the ball to his spinners to earn back the momentum. The NDs batters tried to attack Desai and Oxenham, bringing about wickets as Desai beat Shaw through the air to have him stumped swiftly by Moore for 38. Soon after Desai took his second key wicket, a sharp caught and bowled to remove Miller, who was fresh off a first-grade century the day before.

Nihal Desai’s brilliant c&b to dismiss Miller

Tunks and Crayn then came together to take momentum away from the Bears again, with boundaries beginning to flow. A change in the bowling finally brought on Harry Gardner, who waited no time to impact the game. Gardner took the wickets of both set batters in consecutive overs thanks to a series of sharp catches by Johnson before waiting no time to spin another through the gate of the new batsmen. With wickets having fallen quickly, the Bears restricted the run rate well into the final powerplay before 3 more wickets fell to Gardner as the ND's middle and lower order failed to clear the ropes in the dying overs. Gardner finished with a brilliant 6/26 (which later earned him the player of the match award) to restrict NDs to 196.

Harry Gardner, the proud Player of the Final

After finishing on the back of one Englishman, another stepped up to start the Bears run chase off brilliantly. Sykes took to NDs’ bowling attack, striking 11 boundaries in the opening session, including 3 maximums. The fast start gave the Bears significant momentum into the run chase; however, quick wickets of Sykes (60 of 42) and Moore soon after (20) brought NDs back into the fight.

Jordan Netto in action in the chase

Netto joined Sherriff at the crease with 105 still left to win. The pair absorbed the pressure of the NDs' spinners and gradually began to take the game away from their opponents. Sherriff played the anchor role (32) as Netto (66) aggressively chased down the total, striking 4 sixes. The two comfortably brought home the match for North Sydney with 7 wickets in hand, ending the 39-year drought and giving the Bears their second ever PGs victory.