Schoolboy stars put their skills to test at Neil Dansie Cricket Festival
Some of Australia’s best schoolboy cricket players were in action in the Neil Dansie Cricket Festival and we’ve ranked the star players. Find out who made the list and check out our gallery.
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Toowoomba Grammar’s picturesque sports ovals played host to the 15th annual Neil Dansie Cricket Festival from January 13-17.
Remembered as one of South Australia’s finest cricketers and pathways mentors Dansie also holds the distinction of being the last batsman to partner Sir Donald Bradman.
Cranbrook School (Sydney), St Kevin’s College (Melbourne) and St Peter’s College (Adelaide) made the trip to the Garden City for the competition.
After three rounds of top notch schoolboys cricket – Grammar and St Kevin’s College went head to head in a thrilling final.
After winning the toss SKC sent Grammar into bat with the ‘home school’ posting a mammoth 240.
Dominic Seaby (45 off 69 balls) and Fraser Judd (52 off 77) lead the charge and were well supported by Hedley Donges (38) and Jackson Haynes (33).
The run chase couldn’t have started any worse for St Kevin’s College who were 1-0 after the loss of opener Jack Flower and soon found themselves struggling at 3-20.
Captain Lucis Yole – 47 off 63 balls – battled gamely in the middle order but his efforts were not enough with SKC all out for 146.
With the festival wrapped up for another year we’ve ranked the top 15 individual performances.
15. Lachlan Estcourt Hughes – SPC
The No. 3 produced a quickfire 39 off 27 balls against Cranbrook in round 2.
More than 75 per cent of his runs came from boundaries with Hughes hitting two fours and three sixes – striking the ball at 144.44
14. William Howard – SPC
Claiming the key wicket of Hedley Donges, Howard produced a quality spell with the ball taking 3-12 off his four overs in his side’s clash with Grammar.
13. Xavier Healey- SKC
Oliver Schofield (3-26) and Albert Macgowan (3-21) took more wickets but it was Healy who turned the match in his team’s favour against Grammar in round 2
Healy, who finished with 2-18, narrowly missed out on a hat-trick after claiming the wickets of Darcy Muckert and Hedley Donges in consecutive balls.
12. Jack Flower – SKC
The SKC opener posted an impressive 45 not out off 70 including six boundaries in his side’s wicket win over Grammar in round 2.
11. George Dwyer – SKC
Few would’ve picked Dwyer to be the highest run scorer in the match between SKC and SPC.
Batting at No. 8 Dwyer posted an unbeaten 52 off 65 balls.
10. Oliver Lockwood – TGS
Scoring more than a third of his side’s runs Lockwood tried his best to help Grammar post a competitive total.
Batting at No. 4 he scored 54 runs off 81 balls with Grammar all out for 144.
9. Charlie Moule-hooworth – SPC
One of just three bats to reach double figures for SPC – Moule-hooworth was the pick of the trio with a big hitting display down the order.
Batting at No. 4 he hit one boundary and cleared the ropes five times on his way to 54 off 46 balls.
8. Fraser Judd – TGS
Judd appears later on this list but this performance deserves mention.
Sent into bat in the final against St Kevin’s College, Grammar were in early trouble at 1-5.
Batting at first drop Judd expertly steadied the ship combining with Dominic Seaby for a 91-run stand.
Judd finished with 54 off 77 balls – hitting just three boundaries.
It proved to be a key knock with Grammar going on to post 240 and winning the final.
7. Timothy Molnar – Cranbrook
St Paul’s secured a comfortable six wicket win but Molnar produced the grittiest knock of the festival.
Sent into bat Cranbrook were in trouble at 5-25 and then 6-68 before Molnar dug in to help guide his side to 166 off 50 overs.
Batting at No. 7 Molnar ground out an impressive 65 off 112 balls including five boundaries and a six.
6. Albert Macgowan – SKC
Chasing 201 for victory the St Paul’s bats were always going to be up against it and Macgowan was the chief beneficiary.
The SKC bowler claimed the first four bats finishing with 4-17 off seven overs
5. Jackson Hayes – TGS
The young quick made the most of tricky conditions on day one of the festival.
After claiming the key wicket of St Paul’s danger man Charlie Moule-hooworth (54 off 46 balls), Hayes cleaned up the middle order finishing with 4-16 off four overs.
4. Tom Yeo – TGS
Yeo tore through the Cranbook middle order in the round 3 between the two sides.
Chasing 281 for victory Cranbrook got off to a solid start before Yeo claimed the wicket of opener Charlie Wright (24 off 77) reducing them to 1-42
Yeo finished with 4-10 including the wicket of Noah Tietler for a golden duck and Aren Atkin for no score.
3. Hedley Donges – TGS
Cranbrook had no answer to the 1-2 opening partnership that was Donges and Fraser Judd in the round 3 clash between the sides.
The Grammar duo combined for 167 run opening stand before Donges was bowled.
Donges hit 79 off 69 including eight boundaries and two sixes.
2. Lucis Yole – SKC
Yole earns the number spot because it would almost be unfair to separate and rank his
The SKC skipper was Mr Consistent throughout the festival scoring 45 off 58 (vs Grammar), 46 off 48 (vs St Paul’s) and 47 off 63 (vs Grammar in the final).
1. Fraser Judd – TGS
With his team sent into bat Judd promptly put the Cranbrook bowling attack to the sword.
The Grammar opener raised the bat hitting 100 off 137 balls including eight boundaries and a six before retiring.
Judd’s century knock is all the more remarkable considering his round 1 and 2 scores were 14 and 2 respectively.
Originally published as Schoolboy stars put their skills to test at Neil Dansie Cricket Festival
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