Steve Nikitaras Explained

Steve Nikitaras
Country:Greece
Fullname:Steven Nikitaras
Stavros Nikitaras (Greek)
Birth Date:31 August 1970
Birth Place:Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia
International:true
Internationalspan:1990–2011
Batting:Right-handed
Bowling:Left-arm fast-medium
Role:Bowler
Family:Blake Nikitaras (son)
Club1:New South Wales
Year1:1996–1997
Club2:Western Australia
Year2:1999–2000
Columns:2
Column1:FC
Matches1:4
Runs1:24
Bat Avg1:6.00
100S/50S1:0/0
Top Score1:12
Deliveries1:577
Wickets1:7
Bowl Avg1:49.71
Fivefor1:0
Tenfor1:0
Best Bowling1:3/76
Catches/Stumpings1:2/-
Column2:LA
Matches2:14
Runs2:6
Bat Avg2:3.00
100S/50S2:0/0
Top Score2:6
Deliveries2:650
Wickets2:7
Bowl Avg2:69.14
Fivefor2:0
Tenfor2:n/a
Best Bowling2:3/30
Catches/Stumpings2:4/-
Date:9 January
Year:2013
Source:https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4366/4366.html CricketArchive

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

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

Notes and References

  1. http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/6930.html Steve Nikitaras player profile
  2. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4366/Miscellaneous_Matches.html Miscellaneous matches played by Steve Nikitaras
  3. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4366/List_A_Matches.html List A matches played by Steve Nikitaras (14)
  4. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/62/62885.html New South Wales v Western Australia
  5. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/62/62900.html Queensland v New South Wales
  6. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4366/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by Steve Nikitaras (4)
  7. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/63/63038.html New South Wales v Queensland
  8. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/67/67033.html Western Australia v Queensland
  9. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/0/Mercantile_Mutual_Cup_1999-00/Western_Australia_Batting.html Batting and fielding for Western Australia: Mercantile Mutual Cup 1999/00
  10. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/0/Mercantile_Mutual_Cup_1999-00/Western_Australia_Bowling.html Bowling for Western Australia: Mercantile Mutual Cup 1999/00
  11. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/0/Mercantile_Mutual_Cup_1999-00/Bowling_by_Economy.html Bowling in Mercantile Mutual Cup 1999/00 (order by economy)
  12. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/68/68998.html Western Australia v Australian Capital Territory
  13. Polack, John (2001).Campbell assumes inside running for Warriors' wicketkeeping role – ESPNcricinfo. Published 14 June 2001. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  14. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/australia/3020741/Waugh-has-retirement-in-mind.html Waugh has retirement in mind
  15. https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/emburey-calls-up-the-new-mcgrath-6332881.html Emburey calls up the "new McGrath"
  16. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/counties/3020925/Foreign-imports-continue-their-stream-into-county-cricket.html Foreign imports continue their stream into county cricket
  17. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4366/Second_Eleven_Championship_Matches.html Second Eleven Championship matches played by Steve Nikitaras (2)
  18. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/130/130850/Miscellaneous_Matches.html Miscellaneous matches played by Stavros Nikitaras
  19. http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/owzat-hellas Owzat Hellas!
  20. Web site: Sydney Thunder sign Blake Nikitaras for BBL 12. Cricket.one.