Nudgee College, Ipswich Grammar School and St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace claim GPS First XI wins

Only three schools could be the victors in a stunning afternoon of third-round GPS First XI cricket.

St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Ipswich Grammar School and St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace emerged victors during a stunning afternoon of GPS cricket.

In brilliant sunshine and under a canvas of blue sky, players rose to the challenge during helter-skelter matches.

The match of the round was at Ipswich where IGS’s Shahzaib Farhan (3-17) was a hero for the winners and Will Sheedy (22 not out) a near hero for Brisbane Grammar School as Ipswich won by one run.

Dylan Kritzinger batting here in round two, but today he was the hero with the ball taking 3-20.\ (AAP Image/Renae Droop)

At Oakman Park, there was an 18 over-a-side shoot out as St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace (5-125) claimed a win after a storm swept over the ground in the late morning.

In reply to the Terrace score, Brisbane Boys’ College, the close game specialists of the competition, made 8-101.

At Ross Oval, Brisbane State High School (128) again showed plenty with bat, ball and in the field, but for the second time this season finished second – this time to Nudgee (7-176).

Set 177 to win, BSHS were positioned to pounce courtesy of Aaron Joby (37) and Sam Geyer (38), and needed to come home with 87 runs in the final 20 overs.

Nudgee College First XI players Lachlan Mark and Hayden Brough at Friday’s season launch.

But the run out of classy left hander Joby and Chase Leon’s dismissal of Geyer ripped the rug out from beneath BSHS who fell away to be all out for 128.

At 5-104 they were still a chance, but the outfield was slow and the bowling accurate and the task was much harder than it looked on paper.

Noah McFadyen, the Nudgee captain,coming into bowl for Norths this season.

Nudgee paceman Rupert McDonald (3-34) jumped out of the pack to take two wickets and with his captain Noah McFadyen and the slick Tom Balkin having overs in the bank, it was always going to be a tough ask for BSHS to finish with a flourish.

In the attack McDonald is wedged between McFadyen, a Norths first grader, and Australian representative Balkin.

But after emerging last December as a bolter for a bowling spot, McDonald has lost nothing in comparison to his fast bowling mates.

BSHS batsman Joby, coming off a bucket of runs for his club South Brisbane, was up to the challenge thrown at him by McFadyen, McDonald and Balkin. Joby looked all class and is one to watch.

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All-rounder Geyer, having bowled splendidly during the morning session for BSHS, then did his bit with the bat.

With a high arm action, spinner Jackson Mills supported his pacemen expertly for Nudgee and his 2-22 was a rich reward for his control.

Jacob Verstegen of Churchie earlier in the season. (AAP Image/Renae Droop)

When Nudgee batted earlier in the day, lower order batsmen Jake Robertson (21 not out) and Nick Glass (31 not out) kept their nerve to add crucial runs, taking the total from 7-133 to 7-176 from 50 overs.

Both Glass and Robertson, accomplished batsmen with the Toombul and Sandgate-Redcliffe clubs respectively, were positive running between the wickets while keeping a look out for anything they could swing their bats at.

The pair added a flighty 43 run stand that ensured Nudgee went from merely giving their bowlers someone to defend, to the front runners.

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Nudgee were dazed when Geyer ran out Balkin (45) who was untroubled in holding his team’s batting together.

Balkin constructed 45 from 90 balls and his dismissal with the score on 122 left Nudgee vulnerable at 6-122.

Tom Balkin with some fellow Nudgee College students at Friday’s season launch

Hats off to Balkin. On an oval with grass as green as the Yorkshire Dales and featuring a slow pitch, scoring runs was not easy.

The new ball glistened in the hand of BSHS fast bowler Luke Hatherell and the site of him coming off his long run in favourable conditions could not have been an easy one to digest.

But Balkin, batting at No. 4, was a class above and the 50 milestone looked inevitable until Geyer’s run out.

It was Geyer who struck first with the ball for BSHS as well, dismissing round one century maker Hayden Brough.

TOOWOOMBA SURPRISE TERRACE IN ROUND 2

BSHS off-spinner Alex Maynard, as he did in round one against BBC, was like a miserably old English off-spinner and the green backdrop was apt when he was at the bowling crease.

With variations of pace and unerring accuracy, Maynard took 2-17 from just 10 overs, dismissing Lachlan Mark (12) and the dangerous McFadyen (8), both caught by Shanmukh Sai Valluru.

In support of Maynard, both Khabir Panchal (1-29) and Connor McMillan (0-28) did their job, but it would have been frustrating for BSHS to see Nudgee escape from 7-133 to reach 7-176.

At Ipswich, it was edge of the seat stuff as Brisbane Grammar School’s No. 9 Sheedy fired the trigger to score 22 not out, (26 balls) as his side lost an old fashioned cliffhanger by one run.

Anglican Church Grammar School had their game washed out.(AAP Image/Renae Droop)

Sheedy farmed the strike as he and No. 11 Daniel Skoien scrambled BGS from 9-143 to 9-163 before Farhan bowled Skoein.

This was after Ethan Bartley (45) built a moot around the BGS innings for 113 minutes before he was dismissed with the score on 104, victim to Ipswich bowler Riley Denny.

BGS lost another quick wicket and at 5-107, Ipswich were on the front foot.

Then came Sheedy; s surge after IGS bowlers Lucas Sefont (3-20) and Farhan (3-17) had shone for their side to win.

In the morning, Brisbane Grammar School won the toss and sent Ipswich Grammar School into at bat.

After 68 minutes of defiance, Brisbane Grammar’s Bartley struck to dismiss Ipswich opener Danny Young.

Noah Emmerson (29) was then run out following a stoic 107 minutes occupying the crease, there was then a steady erosion of the IGS batting as the Brisbane Grammar School bowlers applied pressure.

Taj Annan batting for Brisbane Boys' College earlier in the season. (AAP Image/Renae Droop)

Hugh Weibgen (0-20), Daniel Skoien (1-24), Robbie Sanders (0-26) and Bartley all fronted for business for BGS, while Charlie Thomas claimed two wickets.

Ipswich batsman Lachlan Bell (17) hung in for an hour before Tom Whitney produced a match winning knock with an enterprising 66 from just 57 balls.

Whitney glided from 10 to 20, 20 to 30 and beyond, all the while elevating the IGS tally to a winning total.

Four sixes sailed over the ropes as Whitney took on the bowlers.

The enterprising Whitney was second last man out with the score on 164 and his knock was the difference.

The stylish Ali Zaidi batting in round two, and he was again in good form today against Terrace. (AAP Image/Renae Droop)

At Oakman Park, the Brisbane Boys College and St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace clash was halted by a storm which dumped rain after just an over of action.

When play finally resumed mid afternoon, Terrace made up for lost time by scorching to 5-125 – all that on a slow outfield.

There were even contributions down the Terrace batting order, but young Will Campbell stood out when he iced the innings with a brisk 33 from 22 balls.

Needing 162 to win, Brisbane Boys College slumped to 1-3 and 3-22 as the well organised Terrace pace attack honed in. They eventually made 8-99.

Taj Annan (23, 18 balls) got his side going forward while the exciting Ali Zaidi, who is a pleasure to watch, pressed on to 25 before being bowled by Jack Pilgrim.

Dylan Kritzinger was outstanding with the ball for Terrace, taking 3-20 from his four overs.

The other two matches at Southport and Northgate were abandoned due to the condition of the ground while Toowoomba Grammar School had a bye.