GPS First XI cricket: Meeting the Captains who were leading the way
What you didn’t know about the nine GPS First XI captains. Meet the skippers here.
Local sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
They hold one of the most prestigious titles in Queensland school sport - captain of a GPS First XI team.
It is an honour bestowed upon just one person every year, a milestone moment in their lives.
So who are these young men anointed to the prestigious post this season? Get to know them through this question and answer exchange.
RELATED LINKS
ROUND 4 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK HERE
GRADE CRICKET’S BEST IN FOUR GRAND FINALS
ST JOSEPH’S GREGORY TERRACE
THOMAS STUBBINS
Q. You first memory of cricket?A. Playing backyard cricket with dad and cousins.
Q. Your first team, either club or school?A. The Wilston Norths under 8’s.
Q. What you enjoyed about cricket? A. Playing with my mates on and off the field.
Q. Favourite player you have enjoyed watching growing up and why?
A. Mitch Starc. I have loved how fast he bowled and how scared he made the batsmen.
Q. Biggest influences of your cricket? A. Dad
Q. Your best team moment and also individual moment of your career so far?
A.The best team moment was last year with the Firsts. Even though we didn’t win, it was still the most rewarding season I’ve ever had. The best individual moment was scoring my first ever hundred back in Year 9 against Nudgee.
Q. What it means to you to be given the honour of captaining the First XI?
. It means a lot as ever since I came to Terrace, I’d always look up to the First XI and to finally go through the program and to have the opportunity, it means a lot.
Q. Your club?A. Norths Cricket Club
Q. What is your team and personal ambitions for the season and beyond?
A. My ambitions for this season is to win and to be the hardest working team. For the future I want to keep playing cricket for norths and keep progressing with my cricket.
BRISBANE BOYS COLLEGE
JAMIE ALEXANDER
Q.You first memory of cricket?
A. My very first memories of cricket are playing beach cricket and backyard cricket as a really young boy. I would also get in trouble for bowling balls in the house and dragging my plastic bat everywhere.
Q.Your first team, either club or school?
A. The first team I played in was a UQ Under 7 team when I was only 5 years old. I just couldn’t wait to get started but had to play in shorts, because I was too small for whites.
RELATED RANKS
FROM GPS FIRST XI WINNER TO TEST COACH - BUCHANAN’s REVEALS ALL
Q. What you enjoyed about cricket?
A. Definitely the best part about cricket is the people you play with. I love playing with my mates and getting to know boys in both your own team and the opposition. I also just love the feeling of hitting a cricket ball and making runs or knocking over the wickets with a really good ball.
Q.Favourite player you have enjoyed watching growing up and why?
A. As a really young boy Michael Clarke was a bit of a hero. I loved watching him bat and begged my parents for a Spartan bat, so I could be just like him.
Q.Biggest influences of your cricket?
A. Two of the greatest influences have been Wally Wright, who coached me early on. He’s amazingly positive, understood me well and taught me so much. Josh Singh who coached me in U12 and U13 MSW teams made cricket fun and taught me the importance of the team.
Q.Your best (most rewarding) team moment and also individual moment of your career so far?
A. My most rewarding team and individual moment were both being part of the Qld under 17 men’s team, winning the National Championships. Just amazing.
Q.What it means to you to be given the honour of captaining the First XI?
A. Captaining the First XI for BBC is an absolute privilege. It is an honour to lead an amazing group of boys who wear the green, white, black. BBC has a great cricket history and I’m proud to play my part.
Q. Your club? A. University of Queensland!
Q.Team and personal ambitions for the season and beyond?
A. The BBC First XI have ambitions to win the premiership this year in a clean sweep. Aim high. Personally my ambition is to contribute with the bat, ball and on the field for BBC this season. Ultimately I’m aiming for the Australian U19 men’s team, the Qld Bulls and to play for Australia one day.
RELATED LINKS
ROUND 2 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK HERE
THE BEST GPS PLAYERS NEVER TO PLAY A TEST MATCH HERE
THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL
DAN STATHAM
Q.You first memory of cricket?
A. Milo cricket on Friday afternoons, learning the basics, I think I was 6 or 7 years old.
Q. Your first team, either club or school?
. Surfers Paradise Cricket Club U/10’s
Q.What you enjoyed about cricket?
A. I enjoy the social skills it involves such as co-operation, communication and learning how to cope with winning and losing. It’s a great way to meet people.
Q. Favourite player you have enjoyed watching growing up and why?
A. My favourite player growing up was Mitchell Johnson. His ability to take the game on and not shy away from a challenge.
Q.Biggest influences of your cricket?
A. Dad was 1st XI captain at Scots college in Sydney, he introduced me to the game. Tony Bins has advanced my game with his mentoring in net sessions and Steve Baker for my keeping skills.
Q. Your best (most rewarding) team moment and also individual moment of your career so far?
A. In 2021 I made my debut for the First XI in a very tight game at BSHS. I was in Grade 10 chasing the runs with zero wickets – the TSS 1st XI team went on to win an undefeated premiership.
Q.What it means to you to be given the honour of captaining the First XI? A. I have been at TSS since prep, played every year for the school and to finish my school years as captain is a great way to end.
Q. Your club? A. Surfers Paradise Cricket Club
Q.Team and personal ambitions for the season and beyond?A. As a team we obviously want to have a successful season. It will be great to get some runs, keep well and lead the boys to a successful season. After TSS cricket I hope to play a season in England and see where that takes me.
BRISBANE GRAMMAR SCHOOL
BRAD MacKINTOSH
Q.First memory of cricket? A. It was my first week of year two when my dad bought me a Gunn and Moore kids kit, and I loved it so much I bought Gunn and Moore bats ever since.
Q.What I enjoyed about cricket?
A. I have learnt so much about myself and how to deal with pressure. Cricket provided me with a platform to make some great friendships as well.
Q.Favourite player I watched growing up?
AB de Villiers. His leadership was something I always aspired to match, because despite the weaker team in the later part of his career, he was still so passionate about putting in matchwinning performances. He was revered worldwide for his outstanding sportsmanship, respect, and positivity, and I have always aspired to be like that in the smaller school community.
Q. The biggest influences of my cricket?
A. My pride for my school and wanting to make a good representation for them. Also Blake Micallef and Haydn Murray were some inspiring coaches for me when growing up and I think they really challenged me to make me a better player.
Q. My best (most rewarding) team moment and individual moment of my career so far?A. I don’t have to think hard about my best team moment – winning the premiership last year was incredible. As for individual moment, scoring bulk runs at the beginning of year 10 was special.
Q. What it means to me to be given the honour of captaining the First XI?
A. Ever since Year 6 when I was first asked to captain the A team, I have always aspired to captain on the highest school level. It is the biggest honour I have had in my life to date, and I intend on doing my best on and off the field. To me, it means more than making the best decisions for the team, it is an obligation to leave the program better than where I found it, to give enthusiasm and vigour to younger year levels and make sure that the future of grammar cricket lies in good hands.
Q.My Club and personal ambitions for the season and beyond?
A. I play at UQ in a fourth grade team. I absolutely love the team culture and the fun the boys have while putting in their best efforts on the field. For me, cricket is about exactly that – enjoying yourself with good company. I will play cricket for years to come and would like to continue playing in this team.
CHURCHIE
JACK RYAN
Q.Your first memory of cricket?
A. My first memory of cricket was playing in the Milo cricket blast at my primary school.
Q. Your first team, either club or school?
The first team I was ever involved in was in the U9 Holland Park Junior Cricket Club.
Q.What you enjoy about cricket?A. I always enjoy being around the 11 blokes in the team and having a good laugh with them on and off the field. I also enjoy the competitive spirit about the game and the will to fight and compete through tough situations.
Q.Favourite player you have enjoyed watching growing up and why?
A. My favourite player that I have enjoyed watching especially in recent times would be Travis Head. I love the way in which he approaches all of his innings in all formats, particularly how he looks to be aggressive from the very start of his innings by hitting the ball hard with a still, stable base.
Q.Biggest influences of your cricket?
A. One of my biggest influences of my cricket career would be my dad, he was the first person to get me into the game and I owe him countless hours of throwing balls to me in the nets helping me improve.
Q.Your best (most rewarding) team moment and also individual moment of your career so far?
A. My best individual cricket moment would be my selection in the QLD U15s and 19s in School Sport teams. Being able to represent my state at any level had always been a goal of mine growing up so to achieve that milestone was very rewarding.
My most rewarding team moment would have been beating Ipswich grammar school last
year in an intense last ball thriller in round 2. As underdogs of that fixture, an upset at the
very back end of the game was satisfying for the whole group.
Q. What it means to you to be given the honour of captaining the First XI?
A. After spending 8 years within the Churchie cricket program and entering my third year of playing in the First XI competition, being given the opportunity to lead from the front of the group is a massive honour. I have learnt a lot from the past two Churchie captains and I am excited to see how I can contribute with and without the bat to hopefully lead our school to the premiership.
RELATED LINKS
ROUND 2 REPORT HERE - click here
GPS CRICKET’S BEST 10 NEVER TO PLAY A TEST MATCH
QUEENSLAND 17s THRASH NSW METRO TO WIN GRAND FINAL
Q.Your club? Northern Suburbs district cricket club – U19s and third grade
Q.Team and personal ambitions for the season and beyond?
A. Our team goals for the season is to carry the form we have shown in the trial games into the up coming fixtures in an attempt to put forward our best possible performance with each game. Hopefully winning the premiership. Personally, my goal is to lead the team as well as possible by making as many of the right decisions in challenging situations along with having a successful season with the bat.
TOOWOOMBA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Sewmith Samarawickrama
Q. Your first memory of cricket? –
A. My first memory of cricket goes back to when I was about 8 years old. My dad and I built half of a cricket pitch in our front yard with cement and a bit of Astro turf. It was something we used day after day after school and it really made me fall in love with the game.
what you enjoyed about cricket –
One thing I have always enjoyed about cricket is how it is always a 1 on 1 competitive environment when you either bowling or batting. It is you versus the batter you are bowling. It is you versus the bowler you are facing. Being a competitive person, I thrive in this and I love this part of cricket.
Another part of cricket I love is the energy you can have in the field. When you are fielding for hours on end, it can sometimes be an enduring challenge; however, you can always create an energetic environment that everyone has fun in.
Q. Favourite player you have enjoyed watching growing up and why?
A. There have been a couple players I enjoyed growing up. One of those was AB De Villiers. He could hit the ball to any part of the ground and was constantly positive and a role model in the way he played the game.
Obviously Pat Cummins is one for me. He can bowl. He can bat. He does everything in the spirit of the game and his fight and determination is something I look up to.
Q. Biggest influences of your cricket?
A. The First XI cricket coach, Ben Schumacher, was a huge part of my journey. Coaching me in the 9A’s and showing me a positive, fun way to play cricket really went a long way and the few years I’ve spent in the First XI team have been some of the best cricketing years.
Additionally, my coach for the U15’s Lord Taverner’s DDSWQ team, Adrian Bidgood, was a great influence on my game. That was truly my first experience captaining and he fostered an environment where everything was positive and taught me lessons in the game. The environment he created was something you wanted to be a part of and we had an amazing season.
Q. Your best (most rewarding) team moment and also individual moment of your career so far?
A. The most rewarding team moment was winning the U17 Nationals Competition with Queensland in Hobart. After coming out of the group stage with 2 wins and 2 losses and scraping into the semi-finals. We put together two dominating performances and learnt from our mistakes and got the better off Victoria Country in the semi-final and bowled New South Wales out for 90 in the final.
My best individual moment was also in the same tour where I made the Australian U17 Team of the tournament with 13 wickets at an average of 10.83. It was one of the weeks where I bowled as well as I could’ve and truly capped off an incredible journey.
what it means to you to be given the honour of captaining the First XI.
Captaining the First XI is a true honour. The First XI cricket team is a team that dates back to the 1900s and to lead such a team is a privilege. The team and I have the role of representing the entire cricket program at Toowoomba Grammar and it is a responsibility which we thrive with. The ability to lead this team can further hone my leadership skills and help me develop a better understanding of the game.
Q. Your club?A. Marburg Mt Crosby Thunder
I played in Toowoomba for most of my life with Souths Magpies and Darling Down and South West Queensland in the Lord Taverners competition in 2021. However, recently I played for the South Brisbane District Cricket Club in the Lord Taverners competition.
Q. Team and personal ambitions for the season and beyond?
A. Our team has a had a great start to the season with two commanding wins and we hope to continue that and finish the season as well as we can and possible be in contention for a premiership.
Personally, I wish to pursue my career in Queensland Cricket by putting in good performances and making the Queensland U19 teams and possibly making the Australian U19 side.
IPSWICH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Kori Ramsden
Q. First memory of cricket – A. Being about 2 or 3 and playing in the backyard with family and friends on Australia Day.
Q. First team – A. Boyne Island Tannum Sands (BITS) Cricket Club under 9’s.
Q. What I enjoy about playing cricket – A. What I enjoy about playing cricket is playing within a team environment where everyone is around each other and willing to put in the extra effort to help the team succeed. As well the ultimate goal of the team succeeding, personal success is another reason I enjoy playing the game.
Q. Favourite player that you enjoyed watching growing up – My favourite player growing up was David Warner, the way that he attacked the game and took the bowlers on at the start of the innings was an inspiration to the way that I wanted to bat.
Q. Best team moment and best individual moment so far – Best team moment so far would be playing Under 12’s State Championships for Central Queensland and finishing 5th out of 12 teams while being held in Rockhampton. Best individual moment so far would have to be scoring 169* in the first round of Warehouse winter cricket in 2021. What made this so special was that my mother and sister were able to make the trip down from Gladstone to Brisbane for the weekend to watch me play.
Q. What it means to me to be given the honour of captaining the 1st XI – Being given the honour of captaining the 1st XI cricket team is a real privilege that I could have only dreamt of before coming to the school. Now that I have been given the honour I can only strive to lead the team and inspire the future generation of IGS cricketers.
Q. Current club: — BITS Cricket Club
Q. Team and personal ambitions for the season and beyond – Team ambitions for this season would be to become premiers for 1st XI Cricket which would be the first time since 2016. My personal ambitions for this season is to lead the team to a potential premiership and inspire the younger Spartans to excel in what they love to do.
NUDGEE COLLEGE
JACK BALKIN
Q. Your first memory of cricket?
A. Playing with my brother Tom in the U8 competition and taking a hat trick when I was 6 on La Franz oval at Toombul.
Q. Your first team, either club or school?
The Toombul U8’s which was played on a Saturday morning.
Q. What did you enjoy about cricket?
Playing in a team environment with my mates and making new friends from other teams.
Q. Favourite player you have enjoyed watching growing up and why?
I don’t really have a favourite player. There are things about different players I admire and in different forms of the game. Currently I’m a big fan of Marcus Stoinus.
Q. Biggest influences of your cricket?
I’ve learnt a lot throughout different programs with different coaches over the years. Being able to spend time with Gavin Fitness and Ryan Harris at the U17 carnival in Hobart was a highlight.
Q. Your best team moment and also individual moment of your career so far?
Best team moment would easily have to be winning the U17 national titles in Hobart earlier this year.
Best individual moment was being presented with my first grade cap for Toombul last year.
Q. What does it mean to you to be given the honour of captaining the First XI?
It is a massive honour to be the Nudgee First XI captain. I’ve aspired to captain the First XI since year 5 and I feel privileged to be leading this team and representing my school.
Q. Your club:
Toombul District Cricket Club
Q. What is your team and personal ambitions for the season and beyond.
Ideally we’d like to win the GPS premiership - we have a good young team who will only get better the more we play together. Personally I want to see where my cricket will take me. I’d like to play more for Qld and hopefully Australia one day.
GPS First XI cricket: BBC’s finest past and present recognised here
GPS First XI cricket: BBC’s finest past and present recognised here, including a mysterious Test omission who stands aloft as the college’s greatest player.
Harvey Norman U19 countdown: Redcliffe Dolphins’ squad
Harvey Norman U19 rugby league countdown: The Redcliffe Dolphins were set to make a splash in the 2025 junior representative season. The full squad here.