We name our Lord’s Taverners cricket Team of the Year

Revealed: Our Lord’s Taverners Team of the Year, including three western suburbs cricketers who did it all in their club’s first premiership in 10 years.

The victorious Western Suburbs Lord's Taverners team.

As Wests celebrate their cherished Lord’s Taverners premiership, which they secured with a victory over Valley on Sunday, we take the chance to name our Team of the Season.

The Wests boys lasted tasted victory in the Tavs’ competition in 2012-13, as such we have three of them featured in our XI.

It had been an evenly matched cricket season with Valley breaking free late in the piece.

But, rivals Wests were too strong in the Grand Final, taking them down by 107 runs.

Such is the depth of this side, we weren’t able to find a place in the starting XI for consistent performers who could well and truly mix it with the best.

Sandgate-Redcliffe’s Kane Neilsen was brilliant with the bat, averaging 32.55, while Valleys’ Saxon Jeh, Ipswich’s Kori Ramsden, Toombul’s Eshwin Kapoor and Sunshine Coast’s Talon Reichert all had incredible campaigns.

Nudgee batsman Kane Neilsen GPS first cricket between Nudgee college and Brisbane Boys College. Picture: John Gass

Jeh took 23 wickets, two coming in the Grand Final and Kapoor 19.

Ramsden showcased his ability to make an impact with both bat and ball, the all rounder a top 10 wicket taker and an excellent bat with an average of 24.

Reichert was also the seventh leading wicket taker.

UQ’s Jamie Alexander was a class allrounder, playing just 11 games, taking 17 wickets and scoring just shy of 250 runs.

But here were our heavy hitters of season 2022.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Daniel Skipwith

A nine-year-old Daniel Skipwith after making the SEQ under-12 cricket team to compete at the State Titles in Cairns. Picture: Peter Cronin

Club: Western Suburbs

Skipwith strikes it well, quickly and never wavers in the face of a swinging new ball. He averaged 32 this season and is an easy selection to open the batting given the start he can get a team off to.

Harry Frost and Luke Ward

Club: Valley

There’s little wonder why Valley made it so far, when they have the best opening batsmen in the competition.

They come as a packaged deal these two and their heroics throughout the season will be called upon come Grand Final Day.

Frost scored a century, two fifties and 491 runs on his way to a brilliant batting average of 35. Ward wasn’t far behind with an average of 31 and three fifties.

Alexander Procopis

Club: Northern Suburbs

The powerful Procopis had himself a summer of dreams. He was the best batsmen in Tavs’ this season, a class above whose wicket was celebrated with the utmost joy.

In his 12 innings, he racked up 545 runs, five fifties and a century at an average of 45.42.

And don’t forget he struck it at over a run-a-ball.

Jack Sonter

BSHS batsman Jack Sonter GPS First XI cricket match between Brisbane Boys College and Brisbane State High School. Picture: John Gass

Club: Western Suburbs

All season Sonter featured in our Team of the Week. He was close to a century in what was a brilliant campaign for the first drop batsmen.

He averaged 32 but his value in the top order can’t be put down to just numbers. When Wests lost one, he was there to steady the ship and get the scoreboard ticking over.

Steven Hogan and Carter Simpson

Club: Sandgate-Redcliffe

Hogan had his way all season and so did Simpson for that matter.

It doesn’t matter where Hogan bats in the order, he will get you 30 or more runs. His average was just shy of 56. Out of his 11 times at the crease, he was unbeaten three times. That really says it all about the calibre of player he is.

It was a similar story for his partner in crime, Simpson averaging 38.22 when opening the batting. As such, he was rewarded with selection in the Queensland Under-17 team.

Jackson Steinhardt

Club: Wynnum Manly

This spot was destined for Steinhardt and no one came close. Indeed he is a masterful all rounder, a Do It All who would have taken the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for his side.

He was lethal with ball in hand, tying second with Fergus McFadyen for the most wickets taken—23. Oh, and he averaged 40 with the bat as well.

Griffith Williams

Griffith Williams bowls for The Southport School (TSS) against Toowoomba Grammar School (TGS) in GPS Competition 1st XI round seven cricket at Mills Oval. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Club: Gold Coast

Williams was an excellent bowler for the Gold Coast, but sometimes it didn’t show on the stat sheet.

He took 19 wickets in 12 games, but a few went begging. The Queensland Under-17 team member completes this team’s bowling lineup, but depending on what you’re after, Ipswich’s Kori Ramsden or Toombul’s leg spin king Eshwin Kapoor could’ve snuck their way in given their magnificent seasons.

Amitoj Sidhu

Amitoj Sidhu bowls for Metropolitan North against Darling Downs in Queensland School Sport 13-15 Years Boys Cricket Championships at Captain Cook oval. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Club: Toombul

Toombul talent Amitoj Sidhu erased six batsmen in one innings this season and that alone is enough to earn him a spot in this team.

Valleys’ Saxon Jeh challenged, as did Sunshine Coast’s Talon Reichert, but we couldn’t go past the Queensland Under-17 select.

Fergus McFadyen

Nudgee College bowler Fergus McFadyen First XI match between Nudgee College and Toowoomba Grammar School. Picture: John Gass

Club: Northern Suburbs

Another Queensland Under-17 reserve squad member, McFadyen strengthened his case for a spot in the starting XI with not only his bowling but his fielding also.

To go along with the fierce attack he posed which amounted to 23 wickets, you’d trust him over anyone to catch your phone over a high rise balcony.

It’s hard to leave out the competition’s second leading wicket taker.

Kye Martin

Kye Martin bats for Highfields-Railways. Round 2 A Grade cricket 2 day comp Highfields - Railways vs Western Districts. Picture: Nev Madsen

Club: Western Suburbs

Mr Consistent. Kye Martin was a maiden specialist, who bowled in the right areas, kept it tight, never letting the dam fall to allow runs to leak.

He took 21 poles at an average of 14 and should give himself a pat on the back after his efforts this season.

Brayden Meegama

Club: UQ

Masterful is the word that comes to mind. This young spinner had batsmen back in their crease playing every ball with extra care.

He took 31 wickets in 11 games, bowled 15 maidens and got fifer at an out of this world average of 7.26

He is a reserve squad member for the Queensland Under-17 team.

12th Men

They may be the 12th men, but they could easily be in the starting XI. Jacob Bath (Gold Coast) and Jamie Diggles (Sunshine Coast) both averaged almost 30. Bath had a sensational 111 run knock which made his inclusion in the squad a no-brainer.

Ramsden is also an easy selection if both batting and bowling prowess is required. We knew how deadly he could be with the bat, but in just nine matches with ball in hand he took 19 wickets.

Meegama was the lone bowler in the competition averaging better than Ramsden’s 10.53, with 7.26.

Chace Oates in action for Queensland Reds. Picture: Kev Nagle

Footnote: High praise to Sunshine Coast’s Chace Oates, who played just six matches due to his Queensland Reds Under-16 commitments in the National Championships.

Oates was rewarded with selection in the first installment of the U16s Australian Development Squad.

Check out the 2022-23 Queensland Under-17 Squad here.