Steve Nikitaras

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Steve Nikitaras
Personal information
Full name
Steven Nikitaras
Stavros Nikitaras (Greek)
Born (1970-08-31) 31 August 1970 (age 53)
Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingLeft-arm fast-medium
RoleBowler
RelationsBlake Nikitaras (son)
International information
National side
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1996–1997New South Wales
1999–2000Western Australia
Career statistics
Competition FC LA
Matches 4 14
Runs scored 24 6
Batting average 6.00 3.00
100s/50s 0/0 0/0
Top score 12 6
Balls bowled 577 650
Wickets 7 7
Bowling average 49.71 69.14
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 n/a
Best bowling 3/76 3/30
Catches/stumpings 2/- 4/-
Source: CricketArchive, 9 January 2013

Steven "Steve" Nikitaras (Greek: Stavros Nikitaras; born 31 August 1970) is a former professional cricketer who played at Australian domestic level for both New South Wales and Western Australia. A left-arm pace bowler, he went on to play for the Greek national side after the end of his professional career.

Nikitaras was born in Port Kembla, a suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, to Greek emigrant parents. He did not take up playing cricket until he was 19.[1] Batting right-handed and bowling left-arm fast-medium, Nikitaras was shortly afterwards selected for a Wollongong representative team, and within a year had progressed to the Sydney grade cricket competition. From the 1993–94 season onwards, he began to be regularly selected for New South Wales second XI matches.[2] Nikitaras made his debut for the senior team in a Mercantile Mutual Cup match against Western Australia during the 1996–97 season.[3] In the match, played in October 1996 at North Sydney Oval, he failed to take a wicket,[4] but was selected in another one-day match five days later, against Queensland, and again went wicketless.[5] Nikitaras' inaugural Sheffield Shield match came against Queensland the following month.[6] In the match, played at Bankstown Oval, Sydney, he took 3/76 in Queensland's first innings opening the bowling alongside Phil Alley.[7]

Although he appeared in several more matches during the 1996–97 season, including against a touring England "A" team,[3] Nikitaras did not play at all at state level during the 1997–98 season, and transferred to Western Australia the following season.[1] Playing for Perth in the local grade cricket competition, he made his debut for Western Australia towards the end of the 1998–99 season, in a Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at the WACA Ground.[6] Bowling first change behind Jo Angel and Matthew Nicholson, he did not take a wicket, and failed to play another match at state level during the season.[8] However, the following season was Nikitaras' most successful at state level. He gained regular selection in Mercantile Mutual Cup matches, playing seven out of eight matches in the tournament,[9] and taking seven wickets, third in Western Australia's bowling aggregates behind Angel and Darren Wates.[10] Nikitaras was particularly valued for his low economy rate, conceding just 4.00 runs per over to finish with Western Australia's best rate and the equal-fifth-best rate in the competition (for bowlers with over five wickets).[11] His best bowling figures, 3/30 from ten overs, came against the Canberra Comets in early January 2000.[12]

Despite his good form during the 1999–2000 season, which had helped him secure a contract from the Western Australian Cricket Association, Nikitaras played only four matches for Western Australia the following season, including a match against the West Indies on their 2000–01 tour of Australia.[3][6] Having failed to gain a contract for the 2001–02 season,[13] Nikitaras signed with the Middlesex County Cricket Club for the 2002 English cricket season, on a one-year contract.[14] As a Greek citizen, he was not counted as an overseas player, under the terms of the Bosman ruling.[15][16] Struggling with injury, he played only two matches during the season, both in the Second XI Championship.[17] Having first played for the side in 1990, against Guernsey, Nikitaras represented the Greek national cricket team at several tournaments after the conclusion of his first-class playing career.[18] In June 2011, he captained Greece at the 2011 European T20 Championship Division Two tournament, with the side finishing sixth overall after losing to Spain in the fifth-place playoff.[19]

Personal life[edit]

His son Blake Nikitaras has also played first-class cricket for New South Wales cricket team.[20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Steve Nikitaras player profile – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  2. ^ Miscellaneous matches played by Steve Nikitaras – CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  3. ^ a b c List A matches played by Steve Nikitaras (14) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  4. ^ New South Wales v Western Australia, Mercantile Mutual Cup 1996/97 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  5. ^ Queensland v New South Wales, Mercantile Mutual Cup 1996/97 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  6. ^ a b c First-class matches played by Steve Nikitaras (4) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  7. ^ New South Wales v Queensland, Sheffield Shield 1996/96 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  8. ^ Western Australia v Queensland, Sheffield Shield 1998/99 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  9. ^ Batting and fielding for Western Australia: Mercantile Mutual Cup 1999/00 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  10. ^ Bowling for Western Australia: Mercantile Mutual Cup 1999/00 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  11. ^ Bowling in Mercantile Mutual Cup 1999/00 (order by economy) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  12. ^ Western Australia v Australian Capital Territory, Mercantile Mutual Cup 1999/00 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  13. ^ Polack, John (2001).Campbell assumes inside running for Warriors' wicketkeeping role – ESPNcricinfo. Published 14 June 2001. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  14. ^ Waugh has retirement in mind – The Daily Telegraph. Published 25 March 2002. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  15. ^ Emburey calls up the "new McGrath" – London Evening Standard. Published 17 April 2002. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  16. ^ Foreign imports continue their stream into county cricket – The Daily Telegraph. Published 28 March 2002. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  17. ^ Second Eleven Championship matches played by Steve Nikitaras (2) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  18. ^ Miscellaneous matches played by Stavros Nikitaras – CricketArchive. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  19. ^ Owzat Hellas! – Neos Kosmos. Published 24 June 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  20. ^ "Sydney Thunder sign Blake Nikitaras for BBL 12". Cricket.one.
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