Test players, an Irish international and Shield cricketers spearhead this AIC/TAS all-star First XI
Two Test players, an Irish international and eight Sheffield Shield cricketers spearhead this AIC/TAS all-star First XI.
Local sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Former Test openers Matthew Hayden and Robbie Kerr would spearhead this all-star AIC/TAS First XI team.
Marist College Ashgrove old boy Hayden and St Paul’s School alumni Kerr would be flag-bearers of a team which contains another seven Shield players, including a former state captain.
Throw in an Irish international and you have an imposing cricket side.
But the batting battleship is Hayden who boarded at Marist College Ashgrove from his home town of Kingaroy before playing for Valley, Queensland and Australia, while Kerr shone for Northern Suburbs and Queensland before playing for his country.
A small army of outstanding club cricketers were considered for the 12, with the wicketkeeper and bowling positions the most hotly contested.
RELATED LINKS
But three stand out as really unlucky omissions, including two current players.
LACHLAN THOMPSON
Sandgate-Redcliffe batting ace Lachlan Thompson, a Marist College Ashgrove old boy, was in the side until the last moment, and his golden summer of 667 runs at an average of 74.11 in Bulls Masters Premier grade cricket made it almost impossible to exclude him, particularly after scoring 126 last round.
CHRIS KNIGHT
Padua College old boy is a modern day shaker and mover who has stormed to a competition best 51 wickets this season at an average of 20.06. Only last weekend he claimed another seven wickets for the famous Toombul club and will be a smokey to break into the Queensland side later this season. He is a big, strong man who is getting better the more he competes and miles in his legs. He is the son of former Toombul stalwart Andrew Knight, an outstanding batsman for the Toombul Bulls.
CHRIS HOLDING
From Padua College, Holding was an elite all-rounder who would have been in the cusp of Sheffield Shield selection throughout his career. He was a clever seam and swing bowler who could also swing a match in the middle order for the Toombul club. He was a very good player and deserves recognition in this line-up.
St Patrick’s College old boy Brian Grace (six games for Queensland), Souths batting gun Lucky Petersen (St Laurence’s College) and Norths premiership winning skipper James McPherson (Marist College Ashgrove) were among other first grade batting aces.
But many others have also stretched out commendable careers in club cricket having come from the AIC/TAS system.
Iona College threw up two strong contenders, leg-spinning all-rounder Brayden Teece who played for Second XI for Tasmania, and fast bowler Sean Pearce, a Queensland under 19 representative who played more than 100 games for Wynnum.
\
Padua College also had a strong cricket culture, with long serving Toombul gloveman Tony O’Hara, elite Norths batting veteran Marty Raadschelders, former Norths all-rounder James Donnelly, current Padua First XI assistant coach Simon Stower and father and son, Jim and Chris Holding, proudly flying the school’s flag.
St Edmund’s College old boy and spinner Dylan McAteer was a serious contender and if this all-time First XI selection story is repeated in five years, who knows, McAteer may make it.
Matthew Hayden’s brother, Gary, was also considered for the side. Unlike his brother, Gary was a batting tactician, a technically correct opener who earned Australian under 19 selection from the Valley club.
He later became Matthew’s coach, throwing thousands and thousands of balls at his little brother which played a huge role in Matthew’s sensational start to his career batting for Queensland.
Marist Brothers Rosalie also contributed contenders like the Donaldsons (Western Suburbs) from the late 1960s and Barry Maranta, one of the Brisbane Broncos founders who played club cricket at University as a gloveman in the 1950s and 1960s.
A host of former Wallabies also made their mark in First XI cricket for their respective schools.
Batsman Andrew Slack was captain during a strong era of Villanova cricket in the early 1970s and for all his achievements in rugby, to this day, Slack treasures his time in the Villa First XI.
Decorated St Peter’s Lutheran College old boy Mark Harris, who won two NSWRL premierships (Roosters) and played rugby league for Australia, was also a good 1st XI cricketer.
And Marist College Ashgrove Wallabies like Des Connor, Barry Honan, Bob Wood, Greg Dux and John Eales, along with rugby league international Wayne Stewart, were talented cricketers.
An all-rounder, Eales was so good he earned the player of the tournament at the annual Marist carnival of the time and played first grade at University before concentrating on rugby.
His coach at the Queensland Reds, John Connolly (Marist College Ashgrove), was also an outstanding keeper-batsman for Valley and kept wickets to leg-spinning great Malcolm Francke.
THE FIRST XI (plus 12th man)
1. MATTHEW HAYDEN
Is he Australia’s greatest ever opener? The powerhouse left handed run machine produced batting feats in Sheffield Shield cricket not seen since the great Sir Donald Bradman – then went on to average 50.73 across 103 Tests (8625 runs).
Just to be mentioned in the conversation alongside of Sid Barnes, Arthur Morris and Bob Simpson as Australia’s greatest opener would humble the down-to-earth Hayden. Hayden’s power resembled legendary South African left hander Graeme Pollock, and there was also little difference between he and the great West Indian batting enforcer Viv Richards. Hayden also played 161 one-day internationals, scoring 6133 runs at 43.80.
2. DANIEL PAYNE
The St Laurence’s College old boy was a schoolboy prodigy who, remarkably, played four seasons of First XI from 1992 to 1995. He was a run machine for the Redlands club and became one of the few cricketers in Queensland to win a Sheffield Shield competition after also playing in a losing grand final side.
3. ROBBIE KERR
Kerr was an opener but would bat No. 3 with ease in this side. Kerr was stylish and classy, the real deal in an era of Sheffield Shield cricket when Test bowlers played most matches.
A St Paul’s School old boy, he cut his teeth in the TAS competition before shining for Norths. In 93 games for Queensland, Kerr scored 5709 runs at an average of 37.31, but to be honest seemed a better player than his sub-40 first class average. He played two Tests, but if he was playing today Kerr would be an automatic selection. In his two Tests he was unfortunate to run into New Zealand fast bowling great Richard Hadlee.
For the benefit of younger readers, Hadlee was one of the great pacemen in history. That series he took something like 33 wickets in the three Test series – including nine wickets at the Gabba, and it was just unlucky Kerr’s time came at that moment.
Sadly he was never called upon again, but it would have been great to see him get a five Test series sometime.
4. DARYLL KING
Another St Laurence’s College old boy, Daryll King played eight matches for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield competition between 1962-63 and 1966-67.
5. ALEX CUSACK
An all-rounder from Marist College Ashgrove, Cusack was a batting hero in one of cricket’s greatest upset – when Ireland beat England at the 2011 World Cup. Cusack scored 47 runs in a game defining partnership alongside Kevin O’Brien. Cusack made his limited overs debut in 2007 playing against the great South African attack of Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, scoring 36 not out.
6. KEITH DE JONG
Originally from St Paul’s School, De Jong played for the Northern suburbs club. He was an all-rounder who played four Sheffield Shield matches for Queensland in 1981-82. His presence alongside Cusack gives the side bowling depth.
7. CHRIS SIMPSON (captain)
Villanova College old boy Chris Simpson makes the team as captain and spinner.
Figures alone across his 51 match Shield career do not tell the whole, because aside from his handy batting and bowling, he was a shrewd leader and an acute feel for the game. For the record he scored 1971 runs at 21.57 runs including two hundreds, while claiming 47 wickets in a slow bowling support role to the Queensland fast bowlers. An excellent one-day player, Simpson was once selected in the Prime Minister’s XI against the West Indies.
7. TONY O’HARA
A Toombul Bulls stalwart, O’Hara makes the team as the gloveman on the strength of his longevity playing first grade. A Padua College old boy, O’Hara played season after season after season in first grade as keeper.
9. BRENDAN CREEVEY
Tall and lanky, St Patrick’s College old boy Creevey earned his place in the 1996-97 Sheffield Shield winning side after taking a mountain of wickets for Sandgate Redcliffe. Like many pacemen of the time, Creevey did very well to even make the Shield side – so strong was the bowling group. In the end he managed 12 games, taking 31 wickets at an average of 30.
10. BOB JOYCE
A stalwart of the Sandgate Redcliffe club, Joyce played so long in grade cricket that he became part of the furniture – no matter what ground he played on. A great competitor, the St Patrick’s College old boy also played 16 matches for Queensland between 1969 and 1973, scoring 531 runs at 20 and claiming 11 wickets.
11. PETER MCPHEE
A Valley and Marist College Ashgrove product, McPhee had to go interstate to Tasmania to get his chance at Shield cricket after having his path to the Queensland side blocked by local bowlers like Carl Rackemann, Craig McDermott and Dirk Tazelaar. A right arm swing bowler, McPhee had the distinction of winning a match for his adopted state against an all-star Queensland with a career best haul of 6-36 at the Gabba. How sweet it must have been for McPhee. In all, McPhee claimed 89 first clash wickets at 33.16 – all for Tasmania.
12. DAMIEN MACKENZIE
Iona College old boy Damien Mackenzie was a fine medium fast workhorse who was good enough to play more than the 10 first class games he did. Like a lot of aspiring Queensland fast bowlers from his era, MacKenzie could not have timed his career worse – running into a state squad bristling with international bowlers. But when he got his chance he let no one down and should be proud of his five match career in Shield cricket which yielded 14 wickets at 23.71.
Ward’s way the only way in Tav’s Lew Cooper Cup round 7
Taverners under 17 cricket’s round 7 reveal: Gold Coast Dolphins all-rounder takes seven wickets, snares a run out and scores half century in a Player of the Round performance. See who else shone from your club here.
Club cricket: Brightest sparks from last round revealed across premier men, women grades
Queensland premier club cricket: Who shone brightest in men’s and women’s first, second and third grade matches last weekend, which included premiership glory for Uni and Norths? All is revealed here.