Townsville Cricket: Round 3 Team of the Week From Every Senior Grade

Brothers’ posse of young quicks have blown away Norths while Sub Parks came from the clouds to bring Wanderers back down to earth. Recap the weekend and meet the players honoured in our XIs.

Brothers Brandon Hamilton-Kaurila. Picture: Evan Morgan

Brothers’ posse of young quicks have blown away Norths to steal a 34-run victory and the top of the Townsville cricket leaderboard after three weeks of competition.

One week after the club took just two wickets in a shock defeat to Wanderers, Brothers’ pace battery put the club back on the map to roll Norths for its lowest all-out total in five years.

Chasing 110 for victory, Norths was dismissed for 75, the club’s worst batting performance since Round 8, 2019.

A lively deck underscored the collapse but emerging pace spearheads Brandon Hamilton-Kaurila (4-9) and Declan Murray (2-4) produced their finest spells of the season to extract full advantage from the conditions.

The teenage quicks opened the bowling and left Norths 3-9 in nine overs, with Hamilton-Kaurila returning to clean-bowl Norths’ topscorer and skipper Travis Busch for 33.

Brothers Declan Murray. Picture: Evan Morgan

“It was obviously a bit of a surprise after we only made 109 but I’m pretty happy with it,” Brothers captain Cooper Guest said.

“Having such a young attack, we were pretty disciplined in keeping consistent and keeping the pressure on Norths throughout the innings which was great to see. Declan has been putting plenty of work in and seeing him take the opportunity with both hands this season has been really awesome to see. You can see him growing up around the group and being one of our leaders, which is fantastic.”

Guest praised his bowlers for sticking to the plan with tight line-and-length bowling, allowing a tricky pitch to work its magic in a defence with little margin for error.

At Gill Park, Suburban Parks captain Chris Gartrell bowled his side back from the brink with three late-game wickets to deny Wanderers in a thrilling nine-run victory.

Kevin Rebgetz, Chris Gartrell and Chris Stanger. Picture: Evan Morgan

Wanderers were soaring towards back-to-back wins with captain and Queensland Country star Ryan Eaton at the crease on 62, with five wickets in hand and a required run-rate of 2.78 from 18 overs.

In a dramatic conclusion Sub Parks came from the clouds to snatch victory, with skipper Gartrell playing a decisive role at the death to earn the club’s first win of the season.

Trent Walsh delivered the breakthrough by bowling danger man Eaton around the legs in the 32nd over to expose the Wanderers tail.

Teenage No.8 Tyron Bethune was caught behind for a 13-ball duck off the bowling of Shaun Green (4-27) and Gartrell did the rest.

In his final four overs for the match Gartrell (4-25) took 3-12, bowling 16 dot balls to seal a come-from-behind victory.

Opening bat Daniel Gartrell said it had been a nerve-wracking finish but was proud of his brother for closing out the match.

Suburban Park's Dan Gartrell and Wests keeper Luke Lamborn. Picture: Evan Morgan

“It got pretty close. We were very nervous,” Gartrell said.

“The last couple of years have been quite tough for us. We haven’t really been able to finish any games off.

“As a brother I’m very proud. It’s good to see him stand up. He’s worked hard over the last couple of years and it was one of those games that (in the past) we haven’t been able to finish off. For him to come on and do that was very impressive.

“For him I think it was just about backing himself to get the job done. There were 10 overs left when he came on and he continued to build pressure with a couple of key wickets.

“Ryan Eaton and Shane Squire had taken a liking to our two spinners in the previous overs so for Chrissy to come on and back himself against those two was very impressive.”

Sub Parks have batted out 50 overs in consecutive weeks to deliver on the club’s pre-season pledge to not throw away wickets.

A GRADE TEAM OF THE WEEK

1. Cooper Guest, Brothers (29 off 63)

2. +Heath O’Brien, Sub Parks (Three catches, one stumping; 15 off 14)

3. Ryan Eaton, Wanderers (62 off 71)

4. Travis Busch, Norths (33 off 55; 2-14 from 6.0)

5. Clint Thompson, Sub Parks (37 off 91)

6. Shane Squire, Wanderers (42 off 46; 2-12 from 6.0)

7. Shaun Green, Sub Parks (30 off 59; 4-27 from 10.0)

8. Chris Gartrell, Sub Parks (4-25 from 7.4; 15 off 28)

9. Brandon Hamilton-Kaurila, Brothers (4-9 from 6.5)

10. Chris Horn, Brothers (3-9 from 4.0)

11. Kai Adami, Norths (3-23 from 7.5)

More to come.

Originally published as Townsville Cricket: Round 3 Team of the Week From Every Senior Grade