AIC First XI: Cricket: Players to watch, teams

It is a competition which produced Test great Matthew Hayden and on Saturday the AIC First XI cricket premiership race starts. Here we reveal the Players to Watch, round 1 teams.

It is a competition which produced Test great Matthew Hayden (Marist College Ashgrove) and ex-Queensland captain Chris Simpson (Iona College). So who are the AIC First XI cricket Players to Watch in 2021?

IONA COLLEGE

The Iona First XI will be spearheaded by captain and wicket keeper Cayman Poole, with top order batsman and College captain Tom Waters another key player in the line-up. Also watch for Hunter Ellis who recently hit a century in the AIC pre-season T20 clash against St Peters Lutheran College.

IONA FIRST XI

Jack Wilson

Hunter Ellis

Mitchell Yarrow

Thomas Waters

Cormac Jones

Daniel Linning

Archer Linning

Thisal Peiris

Bodie Richardson

Lachie Piket

Zane Thomas

Cayman Poole

St Laurence's bowler Lachlan Josefski in action. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

ST LAURENCE’S COLLEGE

Oliver Lunt, who topped the competition for runs in 2020, will be a leading player this season. From the famous South Brisbane, Lunt will also be the team vice-captain. Laurie’s captain Lachlan Josefski will be playing his third season. A Wests club player, his left arm spin and handy lower order batting will be an asset. He is following in a family tradition, being the fourth brother to player in the First XI since 2010.

ST LAURENCE’S FIRST XI

Lochie Josefski (c)

Oliver Lunt
Nicholas Parrott

Luke Stenhouse

Jack Richards

Noah Edmonds

Callum Reidy

Harry Holt

Max Peapell

Jared Cooper

Mackenzie Douglas

Xavier Santos

Toby Harris

Jacob Kumaru from Marist in the AIC cricket game between Padua College and Marist Ashgrove at Banyo, Saturday, March 14, 2020 (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

MARIST COLLEGE ASHGROVE

Marist College Ashgrove will feature a number of Players to Watch including bowling all-rounder Jacob Kumaru and batsman Cooper Mackie, who both played in the First XI last season, while bowling all-rounder Baxter White and batsman Darcy Lewis were others to monitor.

RELATED LINKS

ST PAT’S AWARDED 2020 PREMIERSHIP

WAS MATTHEW HAYDEN AS GOOD AS VIV RICHARDS?

ST EDMUNDS COLLEGE

St Edmund’s College’s Mr Consistency, Patrick Schmidt, will lead the side from the front. Schmidt has tremendous control and can build pressure with his line and length, while also being a handy batsman. Schmidt will be playing his third season in the Firsts, a tremendous achievement for this highly respected cricketer.

Patrick Schmidt batting in a Harding-Madsen Shield match last year. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Another Eddies’ player, Ben Naish, is a stylish batsman who will be the baby of the side. He has all the shots and displays a great level of maturity and judgment, with a happy knack of knowing when to put the foot down.

Another St Edmund’s player of promise is Year 11 student Harry Sammut, who made his First XI debut last year. He is described as a confident spinner who is not afraid to toss it up a little higher to draw the false shot. Sammut can also chip in with handy runs with the willow in hand.

ST EDMUND’S FIRST XI

Patrick Schmidt (Captain)

Sam Callaghan

Shaun Costello

Kobe Rae

Caleb McDonald

Harry Sammut

Ben Naish

Isaac Jordan

Angus Chisholm

Nathan Cox

Lachlan Skull

Andrew Bremner

Coach - Tony Potbury

ST PETERS LUTHERAN COLLEGE

Fast Bowler George Thomas will be playing his third year in the First XI and will lead a young bowling unit with pride. Lachlan Donohue is an attacking right hand batsman capable of a big innings for Saints.

George Kelsall playing in 2020 (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

PADUA COLLEGE

Under the coaching of former Toombul first grade captain Tom Rowley, Padua will again assemble a fine side spearheaded by George Kelsall who will be playing his third season in the First XI. A grade player at Norths, Kelsall is an all-rounder who opens the bowling and who bats at No.5.

Second season First XI player Ryan Pembroke scored a hundred against St Paul’s in a recent trial game while Dan Matheson, an opening bowler and middle order bat, was a grade player at Valley.

PADUA FIRST XI

Tom Francey

Braithyn Pecic

Joe Cotgreave

Ryan Pembroke

George Kelsall (c)

Pacey Broadhurst

Daniel Matheson

Ed Pembroke

Josh Neville

Coby Janas

Nathan Singh

Bailey Reed in action for St Patrick’s last season. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE

Last season’s AIC giant-killers, St Pat’s will again be led by top order batsman Charles Moore who proved the most consistent player across the competition in 2020. Around him, all-rounders Ben Beuchler and Bailey Reed will be solid in support with both bat and ball.

VILLANOVA COLLEGE

Lewis Henderson will be playing in his third season of Firsts and has been given the honour of captaincy. He is a right hand batsman, an attacking player who loves the competition and getting into the battle.

Gus Godwin playing rugby. He will also spearhead the Villa bowling attack. (Image Sarah Marshall)

On the bowling front, Villa have an even attack, with two year player Gus Godwin’s right arm pace leading the way. He is a talented young sportsman who later in the year will be a leading rugby player.

VILLA’s FIRST XI TEAM

Ben Scicca

Cameron Bucowski

Lewis Henderson (c)

Baiden Parker

Nicholas Fee

Liam McConville

Dan Fingland

Dimitri Horton

Gus Godwin

Ben Jeffs

Connor Moloney

ROUND 1

Saturday

Iona v Villanova

St Peters v Padua

St Patrick’s v St Edmund’s

Marist Ashgrove v St Laurence’s

NOTE: Each Saturday evening the www.couriermail.com.au will report on the AIC First XI competition.