By Matt Austin

The Kenthurst Upper Hills Cricket Club is a friendly, community-focused club competing in the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai & Hills District Cricket Association in Sydney. Founded in 1896, the club caters for cricketers of all ages – from five-year-olds taking their first swing of a bat to lifelong players still enjoying the game well into their later years.

The club’s home ground is Kenthurst Park on Roughley Road, with a catchment that includes Kenthurst, Dural, Annangrove, Glenhaven and Galston.

Formed on 4 May 1896, Kenthurst Cricket Club played its first match just 12 days later against neighbouring Pennant Hills. While the club did not compete in an organised competition during the 1896–97 season, it arranged unofficial matches against local rivals including Castle Hill, Rouse Hill, Dural, Galston, Glenorie and Glenhaven. In 1899–1900, Kenthurst joined the Parramatta & District Junior Cricket Association, before becoming a foundation member of the Northern Districts Cricket Association in 1907.

The club joined the Hornsby District Cricket Association in the 1930–31 season and, apart from a brief three-season absence between 1957–58 and 1959–60, has remained part of the association ever since.

One of the club’s most celebrated eras came during the 1930s with the arrival of outstanding all-rounder Les Stranger. Moving to Kenthurst in the mid-1930s, Stranger made his debut in the 1936–37 season. Over his first 15 years, he amassed 8,263 runs at an average of 37.87 and claimed more than 400 wickets. He continued playing into the 1960s and is estimated to have finished his career with more than 10,000 runs and over 500 wickets.

In 1990, the club recognised the need to expand its junior pathways and adopted the name Upper Hills Cricket Club for its junior teams, drawing players from Kenthurst, Glenhaven, Annangrove, Dural and surrounding areas. The juniors remained under the Kenthurst Cricket Club banner until 2010–11, when the senior and junior sections were reunited under the current name, Kenthurst Upper Hills Cricket Club.

Today, the club continues to evolve alongside the game itself. One of its most popular modern programs is Cricket Blast, designed for children aged five to 10. The fast-paced, fun-focused program runs over eight to 10 weeks, with 60-minute sessions that introduce fundamental cricket skills while emphasising teamwork, friendships and enjoyment. Junior cricket then provides a structured pathway from under-7s through to under-17s, preparing players for senior cricket or representative opportunities.

The club fields several senior teams competing on Saturday afternoons, including A Reserve, B Reserve, C2 and D2 sides. This season, the D2 team sits fifth on the ladder with 33 points and a strong chance of securing a finals berth. The C Reserve team is currently second with 47 points, just two behind leaders Kissing Point Red, while the B Reserve side leads its competition and is well placed to finish the regular season on top. The mixed A Grade team is in fifth position and remains firmly in contention for a semi-finals spot, determined to continue the club’s proud tradition.

The club’s ultimate goal remains adding to its senior honours, with hopes of replicating its first A Grade premiership victory from the 2000–01 season – a milestone that may not be too far away.