Sunshine Coast men’s and women’s cricket season preview 2022/23
Top grade cricket is getting underway on the Sunshine Coast with senior men’s and women’s captains revealing their aims for the season and key players. See the list.
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Rugby League, union and Aussie rules season is barely behind us and already the bats are being wielded as another season of top-grade Sunshine Coast cricket gets underway.
The T20 format has already begun with the limited overs matches on October 8 and the two-day format beginning in November.
Tewantin-Noosa dominated last season’s division one men’s competition in all three formats with grand final victories over Maroochydore in the T20 and Caboolture in the two-day and limited overs.
Yandina were successful in the women's tier one competition defeating Coolum in the grand final.
Former Australian pace bowler Ben Laughlin and competition leading run scorer Lewis Waugh had standout seasons and were named in the Sunshine Coast Daily’s Team of the Year.
We caught up with senior men’s and women’s captains to find out their aims for the season as well as which players to watch.
All clubs and captains were approached before the time of publishing.
Men’s Division 1
Caboolture
Last season result: Second
Captain: John Flew
Season aim: “We’re looking at definitely winning some trophies. We’ve sort of been up there the last couple of years but haven't been able to get the chocolates for the most part. It’s about making sure we win as many games as possible to finish at the top of the ladder,” Flew said.
Cameron Trask
“He’s come from playing in Brisbane, wanting to take a step back from the riggers of Brisbane cricket but wanting to still enjoy his cricket,” Flew said.
“He’s already started on a bit of a high and will play a big role for us going forward with bat and ball in all formats.”
Jackson Simpson
“Young Jackson or ‘Tex’ opened the batting for us last year and really found a spot at the top but have left him in the middle for the T20s but come one day cricket he’ll find himself up the order,” Flew said.
“I think this year is the one he might make some big scores if he keeps his head down, works through it and with all those big guys around him hopefully they can nurture him further and that’s the same for his brother Carter who is only 17 but has found himself in the Queensland squad.”
Coolum
Last season result: Wooden Spoon
Captain: Sam Curtis
Season aim: “The last three seasons we’ve either finished bottom or in that bottom three so we’re definitely pushing to make top four this year and if we can make the finals in one of the competitions that would be amazing,” Curtis said.
Hamish Bennett
“We recruited really well in the off season with our biggest signing being Hamish who is an ex-international player from New Zealand,” Curtis said.
“He only played his last T20 for New Zealand in September 2021 so he’s only going to be available sporadically but when we get him on the park that’s a massive positive for us.”
Stefan Hook
“Another guy we’ve recruited is Stefan who played one first class match in New Zealand as a quick but he’s just had an ACL reconstruction in June so he probably won’t be bowling for us until later on,” Flew said.
Brayden Simpson
“We’ve also picked up Brendan Kelly from Caloundra who is scoring truck loads of runs, there’s also a Pom playing for us in Jack England but in terms of breakout year I’m going to throw some confidence behind Brayden Simpson who is a little unusual given he’s a left arm chinaman,” he said.
“He’s taken some small bags like three or four wickets against some of the better teams in past seasons but hoping he can get out on the park more this year and do a job for us.”
Glasshouse
Last season result: Fourth
Captain: Joel Owen
Season aim: “The plan is to make finals, which I’m presuming that’s what everyone is going to say but mainly for us, we’re a pretty young side this year so it’s a year of learning for our younger players. I think as a club we’d like to get as many young players ready for first grade as we can,” Owen said.
Nathan Van Eekeren
“He’s a new recruit from Bundaberg that’s a bit of an all rounder as a seam bowler and left handed batsman,” Owen said.
Curtis McAllister
“He’s a younger fella that I feel could have a pretty good year. He’s been in the Lord Taverners set up for a few years and started the season well batting and keeping for us,” Owen said.
Gympie
Last season result: Sixth
Captains: Jared Sippel/Trent Riddell
Season aim: “The main plan is to win the title, but we’re looking to compete at the top and improve on last season. It’s probably been a few rough years for us but hopefully we can get into the finals,” Sippel said.
Trent Riddell
“I’ve picked up an injury and am likely now to be out for the season so Trent is our skipper now and is our opening batsman and keeper and one that always goes well,” Sippel said.
Michael Wostear
“Michael is an all-rounder, he’s a fast bowler and a lower order bat that should go well,” Sippel said.
Saif Dhingi Malek
“He’s a top order bat, only 18-years-old but I reckon he’ll have a pretty good year and is one to keep an eye on,” Sippel said.
Tewantin-Noosa
Last season result: Premiers
Captain: Jacob Dennien
Season aim: “We’re probably not as happy as where we would like to be to start the overall season but we’re looking forward to rolling into these one day matches and our main aim is to play finals and then see where that takes us. Hopefully we’ll get a few more of our troops back ahead of the limited overs season. We saw last year that the consistency we had on the park and I think we only used 20 players all year made a massive difference,” Dennien said.
“Our key players are obviously blokes like Tom Stewart, Dom Taylor, Lewis Waugh and those sort of guys that had big breakout years last year and made that team of the year,” Dennien said.
“We’ve lost young Cody Pyne who also made the team of the year last season as he’s gone off to play Scorchers which is good for him so I think it’ll be the usual suspects for us.”
Talon Reichert
“We’ve got quite a strong side in the bowling and batting stock wise but he’s one that’s been coming up the ranks and biding his time in the lower grades,” Dennien said.
“He’s learning off the back of guys like Tom Stewart, Ben Laughlin and Scotty Aufderheide which hopefully sees him get a few more games this year.”
Maroochydore
Last season result: Third
Captain: Blaine Schloss
Season aim: “I think over the last couple of years we’ve made or contested the one day final and the way the that we’ve performed so far in the T20 competition has shown we will be really capable in that limited overs format,” Schloss said.
Josh Tyson
“He’s back playing for us this year after representing the Scorchers the past couple of years and showed some really good signs in the T20 comp so far,” Schloss said.
“He’s a really good all rounder that bowls nice left arm medium pace and can hit a ball too as a left handed batter so I think he’s our player to watch, a real match winner that we probably haven’t had with the bat the last couple of years that can clear the pickets consistently.”
Matt Watson
“Matt has been outstanding for us in the T20 arena so far, he’s been able to rotate and develop his game really well and has taken his game to another level.
“Showing a few guys how he can find the boundary rope and also perform well at keeper.”
Caloundra
Last season result: Fifth
Captain: Matt Tebb
Season aim: “For us our biggest goal is building consistent and an exciting brand of cricket. We’ve got a lot of young and talented cricketers in our squad and my job as one of the senior players and the captain is to build them into confident, exciting cricketers that are going to go far,” Tebb said.
Thomas Cain
“Thomas is one to watch out for, he’s a top order bat who also bowls great off spin,” Tebb said.
“He’s a very talented young cricketer that has exceptional technique.”
Ethan Carter
“He’s a left arm quick that’s causing nightmares for opening batsmen,” Tebb said.
Nambour
Last season result: Seventh
Captain: Nicholas Wallace
Season aim: “I think growing on what we did last year, we finished the year pretty well and have been able to keep the core together too which is probably the first time in a few years. There’s no reason why we can’t push for top four this year. I know it’s a goal we set ourselves as a group at the start of the year and while we have’'t had the best results in the T20 we’ve improved each week and remain optimistic heading into the extended formats,” Wallace said.
Jayden Francis
“Jayden is returning to us this year, he played a bit of first grade in the last decade but has since been overseas in New Zealand,” Wallace said.
“He really adds to our bowling and batting depth as a left arm opening bowler and middle to lower order bat so I’m predicting a pretty big year for him if his body can hold together.”
Jatinder Singh
“Jatinder has a bit of a shoulder issue at the moment so he’s missed the first few rounds but once he’s back he’ll be key for us,” Wallace said.
“He’s a really talented leg spinner that gets natural variation and played probably half a dozen games for us last year and gave us another point of difference.
“Spin is becoming more and more important in Sunshine Coast cricket and he compliments our bowlers really well so very excited to see him once he gets back on the field.”
Kai Jankowiak
“I think Kai is due for a breakout year, he had patches last year getting consistent 20s and 30s but just didn’t quite kick on but being his first full season in first grade you sort of expect that,” Wallace said.
“He’s learned and developed a bit more so if he can put it all together this could be the year that he stands out as a quality first grade batsman and I’m really excited to see what he can do.”
Women’s Tier 1
Caloundra
Last season result: Third
Captain: Amy Bock
Season aim: “Well we’ve got a new coach this year and a couple of new players so we made the semi’s last year and now aiming to go a bit better and improve overall this season,” Bock said.
Taylor Fitzgerald
“Tayla is a young player that has been in the Scorchers system before so we’re looking to her to build on her performances from last year,” Bock said.
Casey Clarke
“Casey is only relatively new to the game but she’ll enjoy learning a bit more at training under our new coach and I’m looking forward to seeing her improve,” Bock said.
Cooroy/Eumundi
Last season result: Fourth
Captain: Amanda Tie
Season aim: “Our season plan is to develop the skills of our new and emerging players and we’ve got quite a few of them. We hope to build a really supportive team environment and come away with a few wins,” Tie said.
Rita Cross
“She has potential to be an all rounder, she hasn’t played since the juniors and is new to the club this season but we think there’s a lot of potential with her,” Tie said.
Alison Lindsay, Carys Underwood and Emily Shepperson
“I’m not sure if Alison will actually play for us because she’s just been picked up by the Scorchers but we’ve got a few young players in Carys and Emily as well who will be good for us,” Tie said.
Coolum
Last season result: Second
Captain: Samantha Franks
Season aim: “We’re rebuilding some of our team with a few players having to leave, moving interstate or family commitments, so we’ve got a new look side that we’re developing. We’re just aiming to have some fun and play some good cricket,” Franks said.
Kara Petersen and Ruby Bower
“I think we’ve got a couple of players that are going to make the step up this season after developing the last few seasons and I really think Kara Petersen is one of those,” Franks said.
“Kara is a bit of an all-rounder and the other is Ruby who is focusing on her batting and also going to try her luck behind the stumps too.”
Caboolture
Last season result: N/A
Captain: Rechelle Adams
Season aim: “We’ve got two teams in the women’s competition and our objective is to be one squad and provide a pathway for our younger girls that are coming through the junior ranks or wanting to make the step up to representative cricket,“ Adams said.
Jasmine Thorne
“She's a leg spinner, she’s only young but has grown her confidence coming through the juniors and womens cricket that last few years,” Adams said.
“We’re giving her that opportunity to now step up and I think she’s going to do a great job.”
Claudia Arjun
“She played last year in the tier two competition so she’s making the step up now,” Adams said.
“This woman can hit a ball I tell ya, she’s definitely one to watch.”
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