OUR HISTORY
A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

The Northern District Cricket Club made its debut in the Sydney Grade Competition during the 1925/26 season, following a decision to form the club a year earlier at a meeting held in Epping on July 18, 1924. Even before joining the Sydney Grade Competition, NDs participated in the 1924/25 Municipal and Shires Competition, where the team played eleven matches and finished as runners-up. The New South Wales Cricket Association unanimously supported ND's admission to the Sydney Grade Competition, and in the 1925/26 season, the club fielded teams in all three grade competitions.

The official opening of Waitara Oval as a grade cricket ground on October 3, 1925, marked the beginning of a successful and enduring partnership between NDs and the Hornsby Shire Council. Prior to the start of the 1928/29 season, the club secured a seven-year lease on Waitara Oval and laid the foundation stone for a permanent pavilion, an event marked by Sir Frederick Toone, manager of the touring MCC team. This foundation stone remains visible today.

NDs has won the Club Championship in 1959/60, 1975/76, 1980/81, and 1998/99. The club’s first First Grade title was secured in 1948/49, with further victories in 1962/63, 1966/67, 1985/86, 1986/87, and 1992/93. In addition to these achievements, NDs has also won the First Grade Limited Overs competition and was the inaugural winner of the Sydney Cricket Association Twenty20 competition at the Sydney Cricket Ground in March 2008. NDs has secured premierships in all grades and competitions, with the exception of the elusive Fourth Grade title.

Over the years, NDs has produced many outstanding first-class cricketers, including Mark Taylor AO, who became Australia’s 39th cricket captain in May 1994. Neil Harvey MBE, another Australian captain, also played for the club. Other Test cricketers who have represented NDs include Peter Taylor, Adam Gilchrist, Brad Haddin, Alan Davidson, Jim Burke, and Arthur Chipperfield. Numerous others have excelled at First-Class level, with their achievements detailed in club records.

Our members have made significant contributions to the game as administrators, selectors, and managers. Notable figures include Tim Caldwell OBE, Austen Hughes OAM, and Neil Marks. Life Member Rocky Harris contributed as a leading umpire, and Robyn Sanday became the first NDs scorer to officiate at Test and One Day International levels.

In 1966, Northern District adopted the blue gum as its emblem, symbolising the area in which the club resides. The original badge, featuring intertwined letters NDCC, was modified over time, with the current version being adopted in 1994. In October of that year, the Austen Hughes Club Room at Waitara Oval was officially opened, following years of planning and fundraising by club members. In 1999, Hornsby Shire honoured former Australian cricket captain and NDs Life Member Mark Taylor AO by naming the Waitara Oval scoreboard "The Mark Taylor Scoreboard." In 2011, Waitara Oval was officially renamed Mark Taylor Oval.

The 1990s saw the emergence of the club’s victory song, the "ND Ranger," which, despite some debate about its origin, is widely credited to Bruce Mills, a future First Grade captain. The song became a symbol of the club’s on-field identity, embraced by players and supporters alike.

 

In December 2000, the club launched "Blue Gum & Willow – A History of the Northern District Cricket Club, 1925-2000," a comprehensive chronicle of the club’s history written by Alistair Kennedy. This book remains the definitive reference for those interested in the club’s rich heritage.

In the 2005/06 season, NDs began a new chapter by fielding four teams in the Sydney Women’s Cricket Association competitions, supported by the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai and Hills District Cricket Association. The club secured its first women’s premiership by winning the Brewer Shield in the 2009/10 season.

NDs has always been a leader in Sydney Grade Cricket. Recent initiatives include the acclaimed NDs Leadership Program and the Special Olympics Program, where our players coach individuals with intellectual disabilities weekly. These programs reinforce the club’s commitment to building future leaders and providing cricket opportunities for all.

The 2013/14 season was significant for the club, with two of our Special Olympics cricketers, Harry Langford and Nathaniel Quan, representing Australia. ND Test cricketers Brad Haddin and Nathan Lyon played key roles in regaining the Ashes and restoring Australia’s no.1 ranking. NDs won the First Grade Limited Over competition, and 3rd Grade won the two-day Premiership, with the club finishing second in the Club Championship.

The 2016/17 season saw further success, with NDs winning the coveted Club Championship, the 1st Grade T20 competition, the 3rd Grade Premiership, the Women’s Brewer Shield Premiership, the Women’s "Spirit of Cricket" award, and being crowned Green Shield Minor Premiers. This marked the fifth time the club had been crowned Club Champions.

In 2018/19, the club celebrated two significant Premiership successes: the AW Green Shield, won for the first time in 40 years, which led to the team being crowned State Champions; and the Women’s 2nd Grade, which the club had never won before.

Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the 2020/21 season was ND’s most successful yet, with the club securing the Club Championship, the 1st Grade Women’s Premiership, the 3rd Grade Men’s Premiership, the 5th Grade Men’s Premiership, the AW Green Shield Premiership (and State Championship), and the Spirit of Cricket Awards for both men and women.

For those fortunate enough to serve the club as players, administrators, or volunteers, NDs has always been a place that fosters strong friendships, builds character, and forges bonds between past and present members. It has instilled a deep love and respect for the game of cricket and created a legacy of strong values that will be passed on to future generations who wear the maroon, old gold, and royal blue of Northern District Cricket Club.