GPS First XI cricket’s extraordinary results
Three last over thrillers highlighted an extraordinary round of GPS First XI cricket today.
Local sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Three last over thrillers highlighted an extraordinary round of GPS First XI cricket today.
In a near boilover, Churchie failed by two runs to lower The Southport School’s mast, while Ipswich Grammar School pipped BGS by a single run and Nudgee College got up with nine wickets down to defeat BBC in the last over.
It was breathtaking, amazing schoolboy cricket across Brisbane.
At Churchie’s picturesque No.1 oval, the home side (154) sprung an ambush and only TSS (9-155) could have escaped.
Lochie Butterworth-Love (24 not out) almost got Churchie home in the run chase, but the TSS bowlers of Liam O’Connor (4-7), Tom Gossett (2-29) and Jack Sinfield (3-33), backed by class fielding, were too good.
“We did not set world on fire with bat, but rely heavily on the fielding effort and pressuring teams with the ball and that is how they get it done,’’ said TSS director of cricket Steve Baker.
He said TSS’s slow bowlers made the most of a pitch that favoured spin in what was a fantastic contest from the start.
In the morning Churchie produced an inspired team bowling effort across the first 50 overs of play.
Steven Timms (2-26), Hamish McDonald (3-26), Henry Zietsch (0-28), skipper William Harris (0-28), Campbell Corrigan (2-13), Joshua Welsh (0-19) and James Holy (2-14) hunted as a pack.
Churchie’s chance at victory was set up by the bowlers.
Twice McDonald struck with the new ball, with he and Timms rocking TSS early to reduce them to 3-9 on their way to 153.
The class of Sinfield (51, 89 balls) then shone for TSS as he and Gossett (32, 62 balls) batted time against a disciplined attack.
Chasing 155, Timms then plunged the Churchie innings onto the front foot with a run-a-ball 35 as the home side reached 1-75 after just 16 overs.
But the dismissal of Timms and fellow opener Corrigan - victim to Gossett - put TSS back in the contest and it became a battle between the ears for Churchie as TSS started to apply pressure.
There was further pressure when O’Connor took two wickets in an over as Churchie were reduced to 4-82 after 20 overs.
But Holy was having a day out for Churchie and his two quick wickets, including that of Gossett, re-established Churchie’s strong position.
Holy also took the catch which dismissed Sinfield from Corrigan’s bowling.
TSS, as they so often do, fought to the death and the joint effort of No.9 Aadit Kelovkar and No.10 O’Connor (18 not out) in scurrying their side beyond 150 provided a psychological boost for TSS who have successfully defended less before.
At Northgate, Brisbane Grammar School also reared up to unsettle first round winners Ipswich Grammar School, only to lose by a run.
With disciplined team bowling and a unified fielding effort, BGS restricted Ipswich Grammar to 9-186. In reply BGS made 7-185 in another thriller.
IGS’s Noah Emmerson was again a hero after vital contributions with both bat (23) and ball (2-17, 10 overs).
But he had plenty of assistance with opening bowler Riley Denny (2-39) and Hayden Bloomfield (2-39) helpers alongside Jack Geldard (0-35) and Jackson Evetts (0-32).
BGS’s Matthew Lockhart was a hero with the bat, even in defeat.
Lockhart (73, 97 balls) batted magnificently to top score in the match and fell with his side just six runs from victory.
He and Angus Tolhurst (42), who batted for two hours, poured heart and soul into raising their side from 5-53 before both were dismissed with the score on 181 - both out to Bloomfield.
“Our rearguard action and partnership by our captain (Lockhart) of cricket showed a lot of leadership,’’ said BGS director of cricket Trevor Irvine.
“His level of maturity for a young player into the First XI was great as well.
“They (Lockhart and Tolhurst) shared in such a great partnership and to fall oh so close, it would have been nice for one of them to see us through.’’
It was a mighty contest from the start.
IGS’s Emmerson partnered early with Harry Sheppard (54 retired hurt) whose innings was unfortunately cut short.
No.10 Reynhardt Smit (26 not out, 28 balls) then gave IGS late momentum and a fascinating match was in the balance.
The BGS attack of Toby Matthews, Callum Vidler, Hugh Couper, Ethan Bartley (1-36, 10 overs) and Tolhurst was put onto the front foot by the earlier breakthroughs by
Marcus Bean (1-16) and Robbie Sanders (2-35) who each claimed a wicket each with the new ball.
After Sheppard and Emmerson had contributed for IGS, Couper (2-18) then collected two quick wickets while Bartley snared one and was involved in a run out.
RELATED LINKS
IPSWICH GRAMMAR SCHOOL’S GREATEST FIRST XI
NUDGEE COLLEGE’S GREATEST FIRST XI
When it came time for BGS to bat, Ipswich Grammar’s Bloomfield put a scare into the opposition with an early wicket, but no one could have envisaged the drama that was to follow.
In another development for BGS yesterday, year 10 student Brad MacIntosh scored back-to-back GPS premierships in the 10As.
In a heavyweight title fight at famous Ross Oval, Nudgee College (242) scrambled to a last over victory against Brisbane Boys College (8-238).
Classy Jackson Mills (75, 59 balls) gave Nudgee a chance after Blake Davis (74, 62 balls) seemed to put the game out of reach when Brisbane Boys College batted first.
But when Mills was out with the score on 214, there was still plenty of work needed.
Enter Nick Graham (17 run out) but when he fell two runs short of BBC, it was left to Nudgee bowlers Tom Malone and Kallum Russell to scramble the winning runs.
“We needed a run a ball off an over and a bit and they brought the field in. It went down to the wire,’’ praised Nudgee coach Terry Oliver.
“Full credit to BBC. They are solid across the park and they fielded really well.’’
Oliver said there were a couple of times when he thought his team was in the box seat, but BBC “seemed to get a wicket at the right time and kept themselves in the,’’ Oliver praised.
Earlier, fast bowler Tom Balkin was on song again early for St Joseph’s Nudgee College as he and Kallum Russell continued their round 1 form with sizzling new ball efforts before the subtle contribution of slow bowler Jackson Mills and Tom Malone further curtailed BBC.
“Balkin was our best bowler across the day,’’ Oliver said.
For the second week in a row BBC co-captain Taj Annan counterattacked after BBC lost early wickets, with his withering effort swinging the pressure back onto Nudgee.
When he was dismissed for 35, Davis and Darcy Large (49, 42 balls) continued to counter punch in remarkable fashion.
The pair added 105 in no time, with Davis hitting four towering sixes while Large went at better than a run-a-ball.
BBC’s tally of 8-238 seemed miles away after Balkin, who is really coming into his own this season, was a serious handful in his first seven overs (1-9).
Round one destroyer Russell also challenged before Mills bowled unchanged to claim 2-37, including three maidens.
Malone then had the distinction of dismissing BBC danger man Ali Zaidi (10) before Annan unleashed alongside Davis.
Earlier in the innings, Lachlan Biggs applied himself against quality opposition and his contribution was worth more than the 26 runs it yielded, given the circumstances. Harley Lammi (12) also did well in his hour of batting.
When Nudgee batted, the Daniels, Daniel Fielding and Daniel Seaton, gave Nudgee its second productive opening stand of the summer, raising the team’s 50 in just the 12th over to give the home team a launching pad. They went on to a partnership of 75 which laid foundations for a run chase.
RELATED LINKS
KEN ARCHER REFLECTS ON BRADMAN, WWII AND GPS CRICKET 1940s STYLE
On the Internationals Oval at Tennyson, Mitchell Bodimeade inspired St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace’s recovery from 2-5 to win after restricting a competitive Brisbane State High School to 172.
William Storrs and Matthew Holmes jolted Terrace early with a wicket each for BSHS, then slow bowlers Daemun Singh, Connor McMillan and Miron Nanayakkarawasam spun a web of intrigue around their rivals.
The three spinners bowled so tightly, the Terrace turned at the halfway point of their innings at 2-64, still needing 108 in the second 25 overs of the match.
But Bodimeade (86 not out, 139 balls) batted beautifully alongside Jack Manly (38) and Tom Campbell (31).
“He (Bodimeade) is as talented an athlete as we have seen for a long time, the way he moves, his striking,’’ said Terrace director of cricket Blair Copelin. “It was a real mature innings and he was graceful in the field as well, saving 10 to 15 runs.’’
In the BSHS first innings, Terrace opening bowlers Luke Davies (1-24) and Campbell (1-18, eight overs) set lofty standards for bowling teammates Brayden Laffan (1-25), Frederick Marshall (1-27), Bodimeade (1-21), Samuel Loch (1-22, 10 overs) and Robert Kelly (3-27).
Loch and Kelly bowled through the middle overs and were outstanding, with Kelly finishing with 3-27.
Loch also conceded just 22 runs from his 10 overs to hold the fort around wicket takers Campbell and Kelly.
BSHS were outstanding early in its innings, again building an innings around opener Aaron Joby (44) who cemented himself to the middle.
Joby batted for 152 minutes and around him Dylan Crees (23), Joshua Martin (18) and John Isoardi (18) positioned BSHS nicely at 2-119.
But the Terrace bowlers kept plugging away and eventually eroded the BSHS innings.
Hall eager to be back in the pool for cherished cause
Australian flag bearer and five time Paralympian Brenden Hall has reflected on his whirlwind Paris games as he uncovers his new found motivation for life in the pool.
Wynnum Manly juniors sweep into Seagulls’ Connell Cup squad
Wynnum Manly’s next generation of grade players will be glimpsed this season when a host of boys from its U16 Division 1 premiership winning side play Connell Cup. Story here.