GPS First XI cricket: The Southport School, Nudgee College respond
GPS First XI cricket: Two cricketing empires strike back hard; BBC five wicket hero finishes with a loss.
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It was a case of The Empires striking back as The Southport School and Nudgee College returned to the winners circle, with Nudgee opener Kane Nielsen helping get his team home in a thriller yesterday.
Twice beaten this season, TSS produced a monumental batting effort to score 8-268 at home and deflect Churchie out of the game - despite a bold innings by inform Churchie all-rounder Hamish McDonald (57).
And at Oakman Park, Brisbane Boys College captain Sam Bell took five late wickets as Nudgee claimed victory with an over to spare.
Set 231 to win - Nudgee pair Nielsen (89) and Dan Seaton (85) took their side to the cusp of victory, only for leg-spinner Bell to engineer a collapse of 6-7.
It was left to Matthew Fielding (17 not out) and Naite Grauf (seven not out) to scramble 21 runs in 10 minutes to win the game for Nudgee. Nudgee were also coming off a loss.
A junior of the side, Fielding played four amazing shots to get Nudgee over the line, displaying nerves of steel.
In other matches, Brisbane Grammar School all-rounder Angus Tolhurst did it again with bat and ball as BGS collected its third win of the season to remain on top of the table, while St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace batting ace Tom Campbell made 91 not out against Brisbane State High School.
Defending that total, leg-spinner Michael Harper and left arm slow bowler Sam Loch were outstanding for Terrace.
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On the Village Green, The Southport School (8-268) fought back hard, with a withering finish to its batting innings ensuring victory over Churchie.
With Blake Raymond (65 not out, 31 balls), Justin Faber (52, 60 balls) and Daniel Statham (20, 16 balls) squeezing the trigger, TSS scored 138 runs from the last 15 overs.
TSS were well placed at 3-130 after 35 overs after Jacob Bath (58, 87 balls) and Zac McDermott (39) had overcome the first over loss of a wicket to thread together a partnership of 74.
But no one could have predicted the batting assault that followed as Raymond, who is also a First XV rugby star, put the foot to the floor.
When Churchie batted they faced a confrontation with paceman McDermott and guile from spinner Gabe Leitch who snared two early wickets bowling to his field.
Not for the first time this season, Churchie opener Clancy Brady (32, 99 minutes) displayed plenty of fortitude while the inform Hamish McDonald ensured Churchie did not go down without a fight.
McDonald, who opens the bowling with leg-spin, hit four fours and three sixes on his way to 50.
Brisbane Boys College (8-230) looked winners after producing its most accomplished team batting performance of the summer to blast 80 runs in the last 10 overs - but that effort was swamped by the Nielsen and Seaton show.
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The BBC foundations were firm at 4-150 (40 overs), an innings built around captain Sam Bell (46, 51 balls), gloveman Lachlan Biggs (22, 24 balls), middle order player Declan Fawkner (29, 22 balls) and tailender James Alexander (18) who all scored at pace.
This was despite the miserly bowling returns of Jack Balkin and Tom Malone, and early efforts from Morgan Bourke (0-41) who bowled his 10 overs unchanged.
When Nudgee batted, the competition’s inform batsman Nielsen and his opening partner Seaton had 70 runs on the board by the 15th over, 111 runs on the board by the 23rd over and 134 runs accumulated (28th over) when they were parted - due to Seaton retiring hurt for 54 (84 balls) due to cramps.
Nielsen, who is having a whale of a season, reached his 50 (from 68 balls) after 90 minutes and then Seaton returned to the crease to make 85.
Nudgee looked to be easing to victory at 1-200, but spinner Bell had the BBC fieldsmen roaring in anticipation with not one wicket, or two, not three or four - but five wickets.
Nudgee tumbled hard, until Fielding displayed maturity beyond his years to smack Nudgee over the line. Wow, what a match.
On the Main Oval in Ipswich, BGS laid down the challenge with a first innings score of 7-174 after Ethan Du Payne (27, 37 balls) and Angus Tolhurst (43, 44 balls) got on their speed racing bikes.
Half of BGS’s batting was built around opener Matthew Love (45, 119 balls) after Ipswich Grammar School bowlers Bloomfield, Evetts and Wegner had bowled tightly across the first 35 overs (3-95) of the innings.
After the new ball effort, IGS’s Jack GELDARD then continued his outstanding contribution to Ipswich Grammar School effort - this time with the ball.
But when Love and captain Hugh Weibgen (28) were dismissed, the inform all-rounder Tolhurst rushed the innings along for BGS.
When IGS batted, they confronted a mix of pace (Will Sheedy) and spin (Tolhurst), with the left arm Tolhurst capturing Bloomfield and Sheedy the wicket of Ramsden.
Tolhurst then claimed his second wicket and Weibgen his first as IGS slipped to 4-33.
Fast bowler Callum Vidler then went bang, bang, bang with three quick wickets and IGS were all out in a hurry.
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GPS FIRST XI – PLAYERS TO WATCH
GUN GPS FIRST’S OLD BOYS XI TO HELP THE HEAT, BULLS
At Carina, St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace batting ace Tom Campbell (91 not out, 113 balls) was the player of the match as Terrace came home with 82 runs in the last 15 overs to reach 203 - just enough to beat a gutsy BSHS (188).
In last hour drama, BSHS batsman Daniel Skipwith almost stole the match with 52 from 75 balls, rallying the tail from 6-89.
But the headline act remained Campbell.
Entering the last over Campbell needed 13 runs to score 100, but he could not get enough of the strike.
Still his unbeaten 91 was as good as a hundred and ensured Terrace were in a strong position.
Earlier, Terrace had slightly the better of the morning session, posting 4-121 from 35 overs against a probing BSHS attack.
BSHS bowlers Blake Mclean, Jake Kranen, Paavan Singh and Miron Nanayakkarawasam - despite a few wides - kept things tight, while Brayden Meegama completed his 10 overs for 1-40.
Terrace spearhead Campbell was the batting mainstay, pushing on to his 50 after losing Brayden Laffan (23) following a 46 run, second wicket partnership.
Harry Dutton 30 (40 balls) gave Campbell splendid support by ramping up the run rate.
BSHS’s response was positive and to the point, with Dylan Crees threatening to take the match away from Terrace.
Crees made 44 out of the opening standing of 62, but was dismissed for 45 - the first of three victims to reliable leg-spinner Michael Harper.
Spinner Sam Loch - who bowled a remarkable 10 for 1-10 - then chimed in with a wicket, and when Hayden Evetts claimed two scalps, BSHS were 6-89.
Enter Skipwith who almost did the impossible from a long way back in the field.
OUR COVERAGE CONTINUES ON SATURDAY
ROUND 5
Toowoomba Grammar School v Churchie
BSHS v Ipswich Grammar School
Brisbane Boys College v TSS
Nudgee College v Brisbane Grammar School
Bye: Terrace
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