Nick Bertus ‘A knack for Winning - Parramatta District Cricket Club
Parramatta District Cricket Club | May 30, 2025
The Parramatta District Cricket Club was one of the eight foundation members of the NSW Premier Cricket Competition, then known as Electorate Cricket, in the 1893/94 season.
But despite, along the way, being led by such illustrious captains as Les Pye, Mudgee Cranney, Edgar Waddy, Ron James, Richie and John Benaud, and Doug Walters Parramatta had only won three First Grade Premierships up to 2017/18.
The premiership victories occurred in the following seasons:
· 1899/00 – this team featured L.W. Pye, B.W. Farquhar, E.L. Waddy, W.P. Howell and was captained by W.D. Loveridge.
· 1932/33 – team luminaries were R. Rowe, J. Fitzpatrick, W.H. Howell, L. Leabeater and M. Bosley (captain).
· 1964/65 – this side contained R. Benaud, D. Walters, J. Benaud, and the Aitken brothers (John and Bobby). Richie Benaud was the captain, but due to his unavailability Doug Walters captained the team (scoring 138) to victory in the Final over Western Suburbs.
Apart from the premiership wins the ‘two-blues’ had also been First Grade runners-up on nine occasions:
· 1894/95
· 1896/97
· 1909/10
· 1952/53
· 1953/54
· 1955/56
· 1965/66
· 1969/70
· 1993/94
Nick Bertus started his Grade playing career with Parramatta in the 2007/08, whist still being a member of the club’s A.W. Green Shield team and has emerged as one of the best batsmen to represent the club. His personal list of achievements up to the 2024/25 season is voluminous, brief highlights being:
· In all grades he has compiled 10,059 runs @ 38.39 (H.S – 215, 206*), held 283 catches and made 16 stumpings.
· 1st grade – 8,644 runs @ 40.02 (H.S. – 215) – second only to H ‘Mudgee’ Cranney’s 9,414).
· First batsman to score 1,000 + runs (all formats) in a 1st grade season for Parramatta 1,018 [2017/18] and 1,053 [2018/19].
· Leading run scorer for Parramatta in Poidevin-Gray Shield with 1,257 runs.
· Represented NSW in the Sheffield Shield and One Day competitions, plus Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash.
Apart from his personal talent as a cricketer, it’s his ‘knack for winning’ that distinguishes Nick Bertus from all other prominent captains of the Parramatta District Cricket Club teams.
His winning association with Parramatta commenced in 2007/08 when he was a member of the premiership winning A.W. Green Shield team (captained by Sean Abbott). Nick’s own captaincy success started when he guided Parramatta’s Poidevin-Gray Shield team to the 2012/13 title.
Bertus was appointed 1st Grade captain in 2016/17 and the team’s fortunes lifted dramatically when they made it through to the Semi-Finals against Sydney University, going down in fighting fashion in a rain truncated match.
The following season (2017/18) was the seminal moment in Nick’s captaincy career, when amongst much excitement, he led Parramatta to its first Belvidere Cup title in 53 seasons by crushing the much vaunted Sydney University team.
With a taste for Belvidere Cup premierships in his vein he then demonstrated his continued evolution as a leader by steering Parramatta to further championships in 2022/23 and 2024/25. These victories were very meritorious because the teams comprised a snack of inexperienced youngsters and bore testament to Nick’s stewardship and cricket savvy.
In recognition of Nick Bertus’s great service to the Parramatta District Cricket Club he was honoured with Life Membership at the Club’s Cumberland Medal Function on 24th May 2025.
Nick and Dom (wife) with the award.
(By Tom Wood – Club Historian)
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