Teen Dare Devil leads his team to Barrier Reef Big Bash glory

A nailbiting Barrier Reef Big Bash finale came down to the wire, but teen Seth McGinty emerged the hero to ensure his club was crowned champions. BIG BASH COVERAGE >>>

A NAILBITING Barrier Reef Big Bash finale came down to the wire, but a bit of final over heroism from Designer Homes Dare Devils batter Seth McGinty ensured his club was crowned champions in the tournament’s second season.

Down eight runs chasing 123 in the 16th over on a damp Tuesday night, the teenage Rovers batsman put together two decisive strikes against the Halpin Hurricanes.

RELIVE THE DRAMATIC FINAL, AND EVERY REPLAY, HERE

The first was a well-placed ball that ended up rolling out of the clutches of Hurricanes outfielder James Belczacki for four.

Harry Gardner bowls for the Dare Devils in the Barrier Reef Big Bash grand final match between the Designer Homes Dare Devils and the Halpin Hurricanes, held at Griffiths Park, Manunda. Picture: Brendan Radke

The next came on the very last ball, where McGinty charged Hurricanes captain Michael Salerno, cracking the ball for two runs to put his team up by one.

Dare Devils captain Brenton Edwards said he decided to move McGinty up the order when he knew the game was going to be close, and he did not regret it whatsoever.

“It was unreal, we had about five or six overs and I looked around and thought who can see the boundary?,” Edwards said.

“I knew his age wasn’t really a factor because he’s done it with Rovers – come out and not shown fear in any situation.

“I decided to bring him in ahead of other batters … he said to me as he walked out ‘what do I do?’ and I said ‘just go for ball one mate’.

“He was shocked but excited, then he hit his first ball for four and went from there.”

McGinty was also drafted by the Dare Devils as a junior selection last season, when the team finished in last place.

Rovers' Seth McGinty. PICTURE: STEWART MCLEAN

Edwards added that he’d noticed McGinty had been building to a top performance in the final after showing marked improvement in recent weeks.

“Last year his role wasn’t as big, being a 14-year-old, but he was given opportunities,” Edwards said.

“I’d say it’s been in the last six weeks I’ve really seen him take another step. Back at Rovers, I’ve given him the new ball and he’s taken some big wickets.

“You look at how quick he bowls and how hard he hits the ball at that age of a 15-year-old, I reckon he’s got a bright future if he stays on track. I can see him going places.”

With intermittent rain slowing play all night, both teams found it hard going when it came to generating scoring bursts.

Despite losing skilled batter Andrew Phelps – who was named player of the series – to a duck in the opening ball, fellow opener Tim Ward collected a tidy 24 runs to start the Dare Devils’ innings off on the right foot.

Edwards and top bowler Daniel Freebody struck 18 and 16 runs respectively to keep their side in the game, which precluded the match-winning 26 runs from McGinty.

The Hurricanes were the only team to beat the Dare Devils this season in a super over stunner.

Edwards said the hard-fought match emphasised the level of skill both sides showed throughout the competition.

“It epitomised how close the two teams were, playing two super overs then going into that last game down to the last ball, it’s unbelievable,” he said.

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DEFEATED HURRICANES’ QUESTIONS OVER TARGET

RAIN wasn’t the only thing to dampen the grounds at Griffiths Park in the Barrier Reef Big Bash grand final, with the Halpin Hurricanes left scratching their heads at a controversial decision.

With rain looming the entire evening, both the Hurricanes and Designer Home Dare Devils had agreed to play at least 10 overs.

When rain cut the Hurricanes’ innings short at 17 overs, the decision was made on-field not to award the team runs via the Duckworth-Lewis model.

Hurricanes captain Michael Salerno said his side was unaware the innings would end at 17, thus making their approach vastly different.

“It was a 20/20 game, but because of the rain Duckworth-Lewis comes into it and our score should have been 133 (runs),” he said.

“Unfortunately, the umpires didn’t see it that way.

“Hopefully next year they’ll be able to put systems in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

The Hurricanes got their Big Bash final match off with the top start from run regular Justin Reid, who struck 35 runs. He was joined by fellow opener Greg Misener of Atherton, who nabbed a nifty 23 runs.

Barron’s Adam Trewin got on a hot streak towards the end of their innings with 36 runs comprising three fours and a six.

After play resumed and the Hurricanes found themselves doing well in containing the Dare Devils’ batting thanks to a tremendous effort from Blake Raper, who finished with 4-29 in four overs.

McGinty managed to strike a couple of massive runs in the eleventh hour to secure a win.

HOW DARE DEVILS PREPARED FOR FINAL

A first-to-worst turnaround of the ages will culminate in a showdown under the lights at Griffiths Park on Tuesday.

After finishing last in the Barrier Reef Big Bash in 2021, the Designer Homes Dare Devils will face a formidable foe in the Halpins Hurricanes for what should be a thriller of a finale.

For Dare Devils captain Brenton Edwards, making the last hurdle showed how hard work in the draft and finding a winning formula paid off.

“We’re very confident, we had a really good regular season,” he said.

“I think we’ve put a lot of time and effort into this year so we know the result show that from where we are – on top of the table.”

WATCH THE SEMI FINAL, AND EVERY REPLAY, HERE

Big help came to the Dare Devils’ batting order in the form of Barron batters Andrew Phelps and Tim Ward, the former of which leads the Big Bash with an aggregate of 308 runs making him a hot candidate for player of the tournament.

On the other side of the crease, bowlers such as Norths’ Harry Gardner and Daniel Freebody – ranked first and second respectively in overall bowling efficiency – have helped round out a Dare Devils team that’s been hard to beat.

Alas, one side was able to get the upper hand at the start of the competition – an extra innings nailbiter that saw Hurricanes batter Justin Reid eek out 13 runs and run out Edwards to win it.

“It shows how tight the two teams are so I think it’s going to be pretty much the same on Tuesday,” Edwards said.

“We’re confident in what we’ve got going, we’ll just set a platform early and try and bring it home late with the bat.

“We’ve got plenty of bowlers who can keep it tight too.”

The Hurricanes managed to get a quick route to the final via a rained out semi final match against the Piccones Badgers.

The side boasts plenty of batting depth of it’s own, incluinding Adam Trewin, Brendan Nasser and Justin Reid.

While it’s been a some time since anyone has played T20 cricket in Cairns, Reid managed to notch 80 runs off 100 balls for Mulgrave in the Cricket Far North competition.

First ball for the Big Bash grand final will be at 6.30pm.

Big Bash semi final washed out; what happens next?

HALPIN Hurricanes are through to the Barrier Reef Big Bash final after Friday night’s semi final was washed out.

Persistent rain swept across Cairns on Friday, with 12mm recorded to 5pm, but organisers still held out hope they would be able to get the Griffiths Park game played.

But the consistency of the downpour left them with little choice but to make a decision.

Defending champions Piccones Badgers were set to face Halpin Hurricanes for a spot in the decider, which is scheduled for Tuesday night.

Organisers had considered postponing both finals, but on Friday afternoon confirmed the highest-ranked team would progress to the final.

Hurricanes, who finished second, will face Designer Homes Dare Devils for the silverware.

It’s an unfortunate end to the Badgers’ title defence.

They went through the first season undefeated, but suffered from inconsistent player availability this tournament, which left them without their top squad most weeks.

Badgers coach Wade Frazer is set to play his strongest side against Hurricanes captain Michael Salerno and his men, with the winner taking on the Dare Devils in the grand final match. Picture: Brendan Radke

The rise of the two worst performing teams of the inaugural Barrier Reef Big Bash tournament to the finals is evidence of this competition’s strength.

But the defending champion Piccones Badgers aren’t about to let Halpin Hurricanes complete the fairytale in Friday night's semi-final.

The winner of the Griffiths Park clash will go on to face Designer Homes Dare Devils in the decider on Tuesday night, and while Badgers have the elite reputation courtesy of their unbeaten championship win last year, coach Wade Frazer conceded his side was clunky as they limped into the finals with a 2-4 record.

Frazer will take a rare, near full strength lineup into the grand final qualifier, but the men who wear orange must get the simple things right - or it will be season over.

“If we’re brutally honest, we’ve only been good in patches,” Frazer said.

“There’s certainly some room for improvement there. But if we can be better, for longer, we can be competitive.”

Badgers coach Wade Frazer is set to play his strongest side against Hurricanes captain Michael Salerno and his men, with the winner taking on the Dare Devils in the grand final match. Picture: Brendan Radke

“We’ve been clunky for most of this season. We’ve had turnaround of some players, and availability of players. This is the second week we’ve had our preferred top eight.

“We are full strength, bar one - Amy Hunter’s away on female representative duty, so hopefully she goes well.

“We just need to really get the basics right. That’s the area that’s let us down. If we can do the little things well, the big things happen automatically.

“The expectation for this competition is that the standard will be a bit higher than your normal club stuff, and at times we’ve let ourselves down and maintained that club level.

“For us to be better, and for us to win games, we need to be playing at a higher level.”

WATCH THE SEMI FINAL, AND EVERY REPLAY, HERE

Hurricanes captain Michael Salerno has been impressed with the way his team has shown fight throughout the Twenty20 tournament.

But he said Badgers, despite the woeful win-loss record, remained the team to beat.

“Just the fight we’ve shown,” Salerno said. “We’ve got ourselves in a pickle a few times. We probably haven’t scored the runs we’ve wanted but out bowling attack has kept us in most games.

“Badgers are still the team to beat. They’ve been unlucky, they haven’t been able to field their best 12 or 13 guys; there's always been one or two guys who have missed out because of work or other commitments.

“When they get their full team on the park, which I’m sure they’ll have Friday night, they’ll be hard to beat.”

Salerno said their two wins against Badgers this season, one of which went to a super over, provided his troops a major confidence boost.

First ball is at 6.30pm.

BADGERS NEED BATTERS TO FIRE

Piccones Badgers will need their much-vaunted batting line-up to fire if they are to finally beat Halpin Hurricanes and qualify for the Barrier Reef Big Bash final.

Badgers went through the inaugural season of the region’s newest, and most high-profile, cricket competition undefeated, winning eight straight games to lift the trophy.

However, this campaign has been anything but the same as Badgers limped to just two wins from six games.

WATCH REPLAYS + EVERY BARRIER REEF BIG BASH GAME HERE

Two of those four losses came against the Hurricanes, who beat Badgers courtesy of a super over when they first met on December 4, then bowled their way to victory on December 12 – the most recent weekend of games.

The presence of two the league’s top-three runscorers – Justin Reid (third) and Badgers captain Jake Roach (second) – make the game unmissable. All three are in good form and capable of smacking the ball into neighbouring backyards.

Hurricanes enter the clash as favourites, having beaten Badgers twice and been the only team to stop minor premiers Designer Homes Dare Devils this season.

The winner of Friday night’s semi-final will go on to face Dare Devils in the final on Tuesday night.

DARE DEVILS’ DRAMATIC TURNAROUND

The Designer Homes Dare Devils – last season’s wooden spooners – are just one win away from claiming their first Barrier Reef Big Bash title.

The Dare Devils will go straight through to the 2021-22 grand final after Saturday’s seven-wicket win over the Piccones Badgers guaranteed they would finish on top of the ladder.

And while there is still work to be done, just by making the big dance the Dare Devils have vastly exceeded their one-win campaign from the inaugural season.

Skipper Brenton Edwards said the franchise was determined to make amends after they were the first to be knocked out in 2020-21.

He said he was proud of the way they balanced their list and picked up key figures in the off-season, such as Andrew Phelps and Dan Freebody, who were the tournament’s leading run-scorer and wicket-taker, respectively, heading into Sunday’s final round games.

“We just pinpointed what we needed to do – we drafted quite a few batters,” he said.

“Obviously losing the first game was tough but we showed enough signs there to see that we were going to compete well this year.

“Everything we’ve implemented through the side, all the boys have taken it on and people are enjoying each other’s successes.

“While Phelpsy’s sort of been in his own world and has really had the side bat around him, everybody’s played their role to a tee and they’ve all contributed in some way.”

The Dare Devils can watch on Friday, January 21, as the Badgers play the Halpin Hurricanes in the semi-final for the right to face the Dare Devils in the grand final on Tuesday, January 25.

Edwards said, with the grand final more than a month away, maintaining form could be a challenge.

“It is going to be tough – a month is a long time in cricket and form can go out the window in a few games, the mental side of things,” he said.

“We’ll keep talking to the boys and make sure they’re ticking it over at club level.

“There’s a lot of club cricket to be played before then so they should be right.”

Pressure off new faces as Badgers hunt back-to-back titles

Piccones Badgers all-rounder Aaron Lock says he believes the side’s first loss as a franchise could provide the spark needed to go all the way again as they hunt back-to-back Barrier Reef Big Bash titles.

The Badgers lost for the first time in tournament history last week, going down to Halpin Hurricanes in a super over.

WATCH EVERY BARRIER REEF BIG BASH GAME HERE

The men in orange were unbeaten in nine games, going through the 2020-21 season, including qualifying and grand finals, and their first match of this season without loss.

And while Lock avoided the cliches – “it’s a loss we had to have”, “it’s a wake-up call” – he said the side would only be better for it, as was evident in last Sunday’s bounce-back win over the Thunder.

“It’s probably a bit of pressure eased off us now that we’ve had that first loss, so going into Sunday, there wasn’t as much pressure (to keep the win streak going) and it was just good to get back in the ‘W’ column,” he said.

“With a lot of new faces in the side, I think there was a bit of pressure (on them) after the boys went undefeated last season, so that loss is only going to benefit us going forward.”

The Badgers will look to ride the momentum from last Sunday’s win over the Thunder into Friday night’s top-of-the-table clash against the Designer Homes Dare Devils.

The Dare Devils will also be full of confidence after they won both of their games last weekend, with Andrew Phelps leading the side with unbeaten knocks of 93 and 58.

Lock said while the Badgers had a plan to unsettle the Dare Devils batsman, they could not put all their attention on him.

“He’s in good form at the moment but if we just worry about one, then the others will get away from us,” he said.

“We’re not too focused on Phelpsy as such; there are a lot of players in that side that can take the game away from you.”

Dare Devils all-rounder Josh Chadwick said the side was looking forward to taking on the reigning premiers.

“We had two good wins last week, one in the super over, which obviously gives you a lot of confidence, and a couple of our players are coming into a bit of form – it works well into this weekend,” he said.

Barrier Reef Big Bash best XI: Who made the cut in Round 2?

The Cairns Post has combed through the stats to select the best XI from the Barrier Reef Big Bash’s blockbuster weekend.

Only two players from the opening round’s best XI have retained their spots, while 12th man Wade Matthews has been promoted into the side at the expense of Jake Roach, who just misses out this time around.

WATCH EVERY BARRIER REEF BIG BASH GAME HERE

Four members of the Designer Homes Dare Devils made the cut, after they were the only side to go undefeated last weekend, while three Badgers were also selected.

The Hurricanes and the Thunder contributed two players each.

All four teams take the pitch this weekend across another blockbuster three days of cricket, with five matches to be played at Griffiths Park.

The action starts on Friday night when the Dare Devils take on the Badgers at 6.30pm, before double-headers on Saturday (2pm, 6.30pm) and Sunday (1pm, 5pm).

1. + Justin Reid, Hurricanes (71 off 47 balls v Dare Devils, 35 off 36 balls v Badgers)

2. Tim Ward, Dare Devils (48 off 36 balls v Thunder)

3. Andrew Phelps, Dare Devils (93* off 54 balls v Hurricanes, 58* off 42 balls v Thunder)

4. Adam Trewin, Hurricanes (45* off 37 balls v Dare Devils; 27 off 32 balls v Thunder)

5. Tajinder Vicki Kumar, Badgers (42 off 42 balls v Hurricanes)

6. Ben Shrimpton, Thunder (38 off 36 balls v Badgers)

7. Wade Matthews, Thunder (3-22 from 4.0 overs v Hurricanes; 41 off 31 balls v Dare Devils)

8. Dan Freebody, Dare Devils (3-25 from 4.0 overs, 25 of 15 balls v Hurricanes)

9. Will Robertson, Badgers (4-14 from 4.0 overs, 20 off 13 balls v Hurricanes)

10. Chris Davies, Badgers (3-15 from 4.0 overs v Thunder)

11. Harry Gardner, Dare Devils (3-19 from 4.0 overs v Thunder)

12th man:Jake Roach, Badgers (36 off 32 balls, 2-14 from 4.0 overs v Thunder; 0-9 from 3.0 overs v Hurricanes)

Badgers suffer first Barrier Reef Big Bash loss to Hurricanes

It took 10 games and a dra­matic super over but the undefeated run of the Piccones Badgers came to an end at the hands of the Halpin Hurricanes on Saturday night.

With the match tied after 40 overs, Hurricanes’ Cam­eron Davis kept Jake Roach (2 from 2), Angus Warnock (9 from 3) and Will Robertson (0* from 1) to 2/11 from his over.

In reply, opening batsman Justin Reid (14 off 5) did it all himself, smashing two fours and a six off Roach’s over to power his side to victory.

Chasing 137, the Badgers were cruising at 0-70 after 10 overs, following a solid opening partnership between Warnock (33 off 31) and Tajinder Kumar (42 off 42).

WATCH EVERY BARRIER REEF BIG BASH GAME HERE

Needing four runs off the final six balls, and with Robertson (20 off 13) at the crease, the Badgers looked poised to claim their 10th straight victory, ­before the Hurricanes fought back through Davis’ death bowling.

The classy allrounder bowled the 18th and 20th overs and took 2-6 from his final 12 deliveries, with a pair of run-outs off his bowling as well, to force a super over.

“We felt like we were ­a good match-up against the Badgers,” Hurricanes captain ­Michael Salerno said.

“At the halfway point we were probably 10-15 runs short, and when they were batting they were none for 70 off 10 (overs), with 10 (wickets) in the shed and one Jake Roach still to bat, so we done well to peg it back and get to the super over, and obviously ‘Reidy’ went nuts in the super over, which was pretty handy.”

Salerno, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Saturday, said it was nice to mark the ­occasion with a win.

“Particularly to do it against the Badgers – they’ve been such a quality side for those first nine games,” he said.

The Hurricanes played in another super over – their third this season – in Sunday’s clash against the Dare Devils, but finished on the wrong end.

“We’re getting sick of these super overs,” Salerno said with a laugh.

Who made the first Barrier Reef Big Bash best XI?

The Cairns Post has combed through the stats to select the best XI from the Barrier Reef Big Bash’s opening matches, ahead of the tournament’s return to Griffiths Park.

Only one member from the defending champion Piccones Badgers made the cut despite starting the season with a win against the Twomey Schriber Thunder, who contributed three batsmen to the XI.

WATCH EVERY BARRIER REEF BIG BASH GAME HERE

Four Halpin Hurricanes were picked after the side’s thrilling super over win, while three Designer Homes Dare Devils also made it.

All four teams take the field this weekend across a blockbuster three days of cricket, with five matches to be played at Griffiths Park.

The action starts on Friday night when the Thunder takes on the Hurricanes at 6.30pm, before double-headers on Saturday (2pm, 6.30pm) and Sunday (1pm, 5pm).

1. Andrew Phelps, Dare Devils (24 off 25 balls)

2. Luke McAvoy, Thunder (43 off 38 balls)

3. Jake Roach, Badgers (91 off 50 balls; 1-11 from 4.0 overs)

4. Matthew Wilkins, Hurricanes (51 off 45 balls)

5. Ben Shrimpton, Thunder (31 off 25 balls)

6. + Matthew Hopkins, Dare Devils (26 off 18 balls)

7. Joel Sykes, Thunder (25* off 16 balls)

8. Barry Weare, Hurricanes (2-35 from 4.0 overs; 21 off 21 balls)

9. Brenton Edwards, Dare Devils (4-24 from 4.0 overs; 20 off 20 balls)

10. Linden March, Hurricanes (3-18 from 4.0 overs; 12 off 11 balls)

11. Blake Raper, Hurricanes (3-12 from 4.0 overs)

12th man: Wade Matthews, Thunder(2-22 from 4.0 overs)

Hurricanes, Dare Devils go to super over in BRBB first

The Halpin Hurricanes survived a tense super over tie-breaker to fend off the Designer Homes Dare Devils in a thrilling Barrier Reef Big Bash clash on Friday night.

The Hurricanes prevailed by seven runs, with the bowling of Mulgrave spearhead Blake Raper successfully muzzling Dare Devils’ skipper Brenton Edwards and left-handed batsman Andrew Phelps as they failed to score the required 17 runs to win at Griffiths Park.

REPLAY: Hurricanes v Dare Devils in Barrier Reef Big Bash

A pair of sixes were needed off the last two balls of the Dare Devils’ super over for them to snatch victory – and while Raper’s fifth delivery was declared a no-ball, Edwards was run-out as he tried to pinch a quick single.

Raper, who was one of the best death bowlers in the first Barrier Reef Big Bash tournament, regained his composure to close out the match with a pair of yorkers.

The Hurricanes were 0/6 with just two balls remaining in their super over before opener Justin Reid smashed a six and a four, and that proved enough, with the men in blue getting the early-season win that eluded them in their inaugural campaign.

“Not too many guys had been in a super over before – I know Reidy said it was the first time he’d be in a super over,” Hurricanes captain Michael Salerno said.

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“To get 16 off it was a good start for us, and then Blake came out and bumped Eddy first ball, which I didn’t expect … which got us on the front foot and gave us the momentum for the rest of the over.”

It came after the two sides could not be split, each scoring 134 runs in the regulation 20 overs despite a classy knock from teenager batsman Matthew Wilkins (51 off 45) that almost won it for the Hurricanes.

Set 135 to win, the Hurricanes were cruising along at 3/100 in the 14th over, thanks to a 52-run fourth-wicket partnership between Wilkins and Barry Weare (21 off 21).

Needing 35 off 32, the Hurricanes lost 4/34 in the final five overs, with Dare Devils’ bowlers Edwards, Harry Gardner, Tom Boorman and Dan Freebody all playing a part.

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The Dare Devils had a chance to win the match on the final ball when Edwards’ delivery went through to wicketkeeper Matthew Hopkins, but his throw at the stumps missed to set up the first super over in Barrier Reef Big Bash history.

The next Barrier Reef Big Bash clash will be held on Friday, December 3, with double-headers to be played on Saturday, December 4, and Sunday, December 5.

All games will be livestreamed on the Cairns Post.

In the meantime, you can watch replays of the first two games here.

SCOREBOARD

HALPIN HURRICANES 7/134 (Wilkins 51; Edwards 4-24) and 0/16 def DESIGNER HOMES DARE DEVILS 9/134 (Hopkins 26; Raper 3-12, March 3-18, Weare 2-35) and 1/9.

‘We’re all good now’: BRBB foes bury hatchet in new season

Their running battle was one of the highlights of the inaugural Barrier Reef Big Bash, but former foes Brenton Edwards and Andrew Phelps have patched up their differences to become Designer Homes Dare Devils teammates.

Playing for the Twomey Schriber Thunder last season, Phelps locked horns with the Dare Devils skipper in a gripping, if short-lived, contest, which culminated in Phelps smashing the experienced all-rounder for six, before he was given out lbw the next ball.

Bookmark this link to watch every Barrier Reef Big Bash game this season

Words were exchanged in the heat of the moment, with neither player willing to take a backwards step.

But, this season, the pair will be teammates, after Edwards picked up Phelps in one of the surprises of the player draft.

“That’s part of the competitive nature of playing high-quality cricket,” Edwards said of last year’s run-in.

“You go at blokes and sometimes there’s a few blow-ups, but once we get off the field it’s all in the past.

“The first thing that I did when we were looking at picking him up, I made contact and we put all those things to bed.

“We’re all good now, and I think it will be good for us to play together, having not played with him before.

“I think we’ll feed off each other and hopefully make sure we’re winning those tight games, especially with a quality player like him.”

While he was not the biggest fan at the time, Edwards said Phelps’ determination and fearlessness made a strong impression on him last summer.

“Definitely, and it’s been showing in his results,” he said.

“His form at the back end of last year and then into this year has been really good, in the rep games he got some decent knocks for his first time down there (Mackay).

“I think the addition of having him in the side is going to be a good one.”

Phelps said any tension between the players was in the past and he was excited about joining forces with Edwards and picking the brain of the former Australian Country representative.

“The first season we knocked heads a bit but that’s just cricket – on the field you’re really competitive,” he said.

“I haven’t really played with him too much, so it’ll be good.

“We’re both keen to really put it to the other teams this season, and he’s definitely a good skipper and he can lead us to victory.”

Phelps said he was looking forward to a return to the shorter format, with his game better suited to T20s.

“It’s just the attacking side of my batting, I’m not the most patient batsman,” he said.

The Dare Devils and the Halpin Hurricanes will play their first games of the season when they meet at Griffiths Park on Friday night.

Hurricanes skipper Salerno puts faith in young gun

Halpin Hurricanes captain Michael Salerno has tipped one of his young charges to shine on the Barrier Reef Big Bash stage.

The Hurricanes were the envy of their rivals when they picked up former Piccones Badgers blaster Matthew Wilkins in the player draft, and Salerno believes the 17-year-old is set for a big campaign.

Wilkins announced himself to the wider Queensland cricket community during his recent stint with the Darling Dingoes in the Brisbane Premier League Under-17 Twenty20 competition.

In six innings for the Dingoes, the teenage tonker scored 282 runs at an average of 47.00 with a strike rate of 152.43, including 71 off 60 against the Northern Kings, and a ridiculous 130 off 58 against the Southern Rockets.

“He (Wilkins) is going to bat in the top three and we’re really looking for big things from him,” Salerno said.

“A lot of us have seen what he did in the Brisbane Premier League – getting 130 off 60-odd rocks – so he’s got the talent, it’s just about transforming that into the Big Bash now.”

Meanwhile, Salerno will be chasing a fairytale finish, with plans to hang up the spikes at the end of the tournament.

“The (Hurricanes) owner, Darren Halpin, said ‘come on, mate, one more season’. We’re good mates away from this, so hopefully we can win it this year and hopefully it’ll be a good send off,” he said.

The former Queensland Country representative, who retired from club cricket last summer, said he might be a little dusty, having not bowled a ball since.

“To be honest, I probably haven’t really prepared too well for this,” he said.

Teams chase fast start in second Barrier Reef Big Bash

It may be their first games of the season but the Halpin Hurricanes and the Designer Homes Dare Devils will enter Friday night’s clash with the same win-at-all-costs attitude.

All four Barrier Reef Big Bash teams will play just six games before the finals in January, leaving little room for error during the short and sharp round stage.

Hurricanes skipper Michael Salerno knows just how important a win will be this Friday night, after his side lost their first two matches last summer and were left to play catch-up for the rest of the tournament.

“If you lose that first game, or the second game, you’re going to be right behind the eight-ball with only the top three going through (to the finals),” he said.

“Guys are going to get an opportunity at the start but if you fail … you could be batting at three in one game and then back down at seven or eight the next, so you’ve got to take your opportunities when they’re there.”

Salerno said the Hurricanes were “champing at the bit to get out there”.

“We saw what a great night last Friday night was and everyone wants to play under lights – everyone’s just ready to go,” he said.

Dare Devils top-order batsman Andrew Phelps, who was aligned with the Twomey Schriber Thunder last year, said his side was just as eager to start the season with a victory.

“The first few games are where you can really set yourself up for the rest of the season,” he said.

“There’s a lot of games to cram into a short period of time, and injuries and things like that need to be taken into consideration as well, but with the depth of the Dare Devils side, if we have injuries then we’ve got players there who can step up.”

The match will be livestreamed on the Cairns Post website at 6.30pm on Friday.

HURRICANES V DARE DEVILS: EVERY PLAYER’S STATS

HALPIN HURRICANES

Owner: Darren Halpin

Captain: Michael Salerno

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 2 Average: 59.0 Strike Rate: 55.0 Economy: 6.4

Runs: 13 HS: 12 Average: 6.5 Strike Rate: 56.6

Justin Reid

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 227 HS: 99 Average: 32.4 Strike Rate: 148.4

Barry Weare

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 7 Average: 28.4 Strike Rate: 24.3 Economy: 7.0

Runs: 120 HS: 32 Average: 20.0 Strike Rate: 118.8

Blake Raper

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 14 Average: 11.1 Strike Rate: 12.4 Economy: 5.4

Brendan Nasser

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 234 HS: 99* Average: 33.4 Strike Rate: 111.4

Adam Trewin

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 29 HS: 16 Average: 5.80 Strike Rate: 50.0

Gregory Misener

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 13 HS: 7 Average: 4.3 Strike Rate: 86.7

Linden March

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 5 Average: 18.0 Strike Rate: 14.4 Economy: 7.5

Runs: 54 HS: 31 Average: 10.8 Strike Rate: 85.7

Mark Ellis

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 7 Average: 15.3 Strike Rate: 18.0 Economy: 5.1

Runs: 16 HS: 12 Average: 16.00 Strike Rate: 66.7

Matthew Wilkins

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 41 HS: 18 Average: 13.7 Strike Rate: 78.8

Angus Goetze

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

N/A

Arjun Maini

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

N/A

James Belczacki

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

N/A

John Stampa

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

N/A

Kaiden Sorensen

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

N/A

Kaleb Eaton

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

N/A

DESIGNER HOMES DARE DEVILS

Owner: Marcus Lawson

Captain: Brenton Edwards

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 11 Average: 14.4 Strike Rate: 10.9 Economy: 7.9

Runs: 98 HS: 64* Average: 19.6 Strike Rate: 100.0

Tom Boorman

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 6 Average: 20.8 Strike Rate: 20.0 Economy: 6.3

Runs: 48 HS: 22 Average: 8.0 Strike Rate: 94.1

Seppe Barletta

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 4 Average: 25.5 Strike Rate: 25.5 Average: 6.0

Josh Chadwick

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 4 Average: 19.75 Strike Rate: 16.5 Economy: 7.1

Runs: 178 HS: 42 Average: 29.7 Strike Rate: 82.4

Tom Lever

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 6 Average: 19.5 Strike Rate: 14.0 Economy: 8.4

Runs: 87 HS: 32 Average: 17.4 Strike Rate: 95.6

Andrew Phelps

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 115 HS: 33 Average: 19.2 Strike Rate: 91.3

Brett Souvlis

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 27 HS: 14 Average: 5.4 Strike Rate: 100.0

Daniel Freebody

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 7 Average: 17.9 Strike Rate: 12.9 Economy: 8.3

Runs: 99 HS: 36 Average: 19.8 Strike Rate: 110.0

Darren Lees

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 1 Average: 6.0 Strike Rate: 6.0 Economy: 6.0

Runs: 97 HS: 26 Average: 13.9 Strike Rate: 85.8

Mitchell Warnock

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 3 Average: 42.7 Strike Rate: 36.0 Economy: 7.1

Runs: 54 HS: 29 Average: 9.0 Strike Rate: 87.1

Rowan Giddens

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 50 HS: 45* Average: 25.0 Strike Rate: 113.6

Seth McGinty

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 0 Average: N/A Strike Rate: N/A Economy: 8.7

Runs: 4 HS: 4* Average: N/A Strike Rate: 100.0

Tim Ward

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 4 Average: 16.25 Strike Rate: 12.0 Economy: 8.1

Runs: 22 HS: 16 Average: 7.3 Strike Rate 88.0

Dibas Bhandari

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

N/A

Mathew Hopkins

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

N/A

Carlo Manno

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

N/A

Much more to Roach’s game than brute strength

Chris Gayle might call himself the Universe Boss, but the title of Far North Queensland Boss belongs to Jake Roach.

The Piccones Badgers skipper started the new Barrier Reef Big Bash season where he left the last, smacking an unbeaten 91 off 50 balls as the Badgers began their title defence in the best possible way.

In a rematch of last summer’s grand final at Griffiths Park on Friday night, the Badgers showed they will again be a force in the franchised T20 competition as they chased down the Twomey Schriber Thunder’s total of 138 with eight balls to spare.

Roach played a leading hand in the victory, finishing with figures of 1-11 from his four overs before unleashing with the bat in an innings where he hit 15 boundaries, including five sixes.

But the classy all-rounder was not done yet – playing for Mulgrave in Saturday’s Cricket Far North first-grade clash against Rovers, Roach powered his side to victory with 83 not out off just 68 balls.

But Badgers coach Wade Frazer said Roach’s game was about more than brute force. “He’s at the point where he’s starting to understand the capability of just how much skill he has,” Frazer said.

“He’s got some class, put it that way, and I don’t want to blow smoke up his clacker but when you talk to him about why he did this or that as a captain, or as a batsman or a bowler, there’s certainly some method to what he does.

“It’s not just brute strength; he is a very thoughtful cricketer and I think he just understands what’s required at particular times in games.”

Meanwhile, Atherton young gun Amy Hunter – the first female to participate in the Barrier Reef Big Bash – was impressive in her Badgers debut, with figures of 1-4 from her sole over.

“We used 10 bowlers on Friday, which is something you don’t often see,” Frazer said.

“Jake is willing to give everyone a shot and that in turn gives them confidence, especially if they’re young kids.”

The Barrier Reef Big Bash returns to Griffiths Park this Friday night, when the Halpin Hurricanes take on the Designer First Homes Dare Devils at 6.30pm.

Piccones Badgers 4/142 (Roach 91*; Matthews 2/22) def Twomey Schriber Thunder 7/138 (McAvoy 43, B Shrimpton 31; JJ Sykes 25*)

Bookmark this link to watch every Barrier Reef Big Bash game this season

ROVERS BECOME RIVALS IN BIG BASH OPENER

TEAMMATES will become rivals when the second Barrier Reef Big Bash begins with a blockbuster on Friday night.

Piccones Badgers were the undefeated winners of the inaugural tournament, and the men in orange will start the Twenty20 competition against the team they beat in the rain-shortened grand final, Twomey Schriber Thunder.

Both teams will look a little different – franchises kept five players, including captains, then had free selection of the rest of the nominees on draft night – but the hunger to win remains the same.

That hunger drives Badgers’ Aaron Lock and Thunder’s Finn Churchward, who are Rovers teammates in CFN first-grade but will be fierce competitors in the Big Bash.

And there is plenty of banter. When asked if he was looking for a big score, Churchward put the heat on Lock.

“That would be nice, especially against someone like Aaron Lock. He’s a good bowler but I think I have the wood on him,” Churchward said.

Lock has been in good form for Rovers, and is confident the strong Badgers can get it done.

“Consistency across the board,” he said. “We bat pretty deep, we’ve got some good leggies and off-spinners in the team as well, and a good mix of youth and older guys, who bring some experience.

“Having fun as well, that’s our motto – have fun – and we proved that last year with the way we performed.”

Churchward said the best aspect of this tournament was the chance to play alongside cricketers he usually faced.

“It is different, but this is what I love about the Big Bash,” he said.

“You talk to your mates on the field, there’s a bit of banter, and that’s what makes it fun. You get to know different people and better your cricket.”

BADGERS V THUNDER: EVERY PLAYER’S STATS

PICCONES BADGERS

Owner: John Piccone

Captain: Jake Roach

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 9 Avg: 9.56 Strike rate: 12 Econ: 4.10

Runs: 250 HS: 75* Avg: 62.5 Strike rate: 182.5

Angus Warnock

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 130 HS: 32 Avg: 18.57 Strike rate: 121.5

Rhys Camilleri

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 145 HS: 42* Avg: 48.33 Strike rate: 98.6

Chris Adams

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 166 HS: 42 Avg: 27.67 Strike rate: 122.1

William Robertson

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 10 Avg: 15.8 Strike rate: 15 Econ: 6.32

Runs: 29 HS: 19 Avg: 9. 67 Strike rate: 126.1

Aaron Lock

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 9 Avg: 10.44 Strike rate: 8.56 Econ: 7.32

Runs: 8 HS: 8 Avg: 8 Strike rate: 80

Aidan Beach

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 5 Avg: 19.4 Strike rate: 16.8 Econ: 6.93

Amy Hunter

NA

Ben McCartney

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 6 Avg: 26.17 Strike rate: 29 Econ: 5.41

Chris Davies

NA

Jacob Stanton

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 50 HS: 17* Avg: 10 Strike rate: 92.6

Louis Piccone

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 9 HS: 4* Avg: 4.5 Strike rate: 69.2

Prashant Goel

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 4 Avg: 9 Strike rate: 7.5 Econ: 7.2

Shaun Henrich

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 2 HS: 2* Avg: NA Strike rate: 40

Tajinder Kumar

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 1 Avg: 19 Strike rate: 12 Econ: 9.5

Runs: 55 HS: 32 Avg: 13.75 Strike rate: 117

Tom Maher

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 7 Avg: 17.43 Strike rate: 17.14 Econ: 6.10

Runs: 54 HS: 28* Avg: 9 Strike rate: 114.9

TWOMEY SCHRIBER THUNDER

Owner: Kev Twomey

Captain: Dan Parnell

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 1 Avg: 69 Strike rate: 41 Econ: 10.10

Runs: 119 HS: 58 Avg: 14.88 Strike rate: 101.7

Wade Matthews

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 5 Avg: 28.8 Strike rate: 26.4 Econ: 6.55

Runs: 85 HS: 23 Avg: 17 Strike rate: 144.1

Jordan Fulton

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 9 Avg: 10.56 Strike rate: 12.67 Econ: 5

Paul Nasser

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 7 Avg: 23.43 Strike rate: 22.71 Econ: 6.19

Runs: 153 HS: 46* Avg: 21.86 Strike rate: 102.7

Ben Shrimpton

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 116 HS: 40* Avg: 23.2 Strike rate: 119.6

Luke Parnell

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 5 Avg: 35.6 Strike rate: 27.6 Econ: 7.74

Runs: 8 HS: 8 Avg: 8 Strike rate: 200

Joel Sykes

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 51 HS: 21 Avg: 12.75 Strike rate: 106.3

Mason Blaney

NA

Sam Musgrove

NA

Finn Churchward

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Runs: 27 HS: 11 Avg: 9 Strike rate: 65.9

Fred Pittorino

NA

Sean Prior

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 1 Avg: 112 Strike rate: 116 Econ: 5.79

Runs: 2 HS: 2 Avg: 2 Strike rate: 28.6

Haydn Cox

NA

Luke McAvoy

2020-21 Barrier Reef Big Bash

Wickets: 5 Avg: 25.2 Strike rate: 21.4 Econ: 7.07

Runs: 48 HS: 33 Avg: 16 Strike rate: 320

Tait Coghlan

NA

Follow @MMcInerney89

Originally published as Teen Dare Devil leads his team to Barrier Reef Big Bash glory