Schoolboy stars put their skills to test at Neil Dansie Cricket Festival

Some of Australia’s best schoolboy cricketers are in Toowoomba putting their skills to the test in the prestigious Neil Dansie Cricket Festival. With day two of the four-day festival wrapped up here’s our look at the top 15 performers so far.

Former South Australia Sheffield Shield player Neil Dansie at Toowoomba Grammar School for the Neil Dansie Cricket Festival in 2017.

Toowoomba Grammar’s picturesque sports ovals are playing host to the 15th annual Neil Dansie Cricket Festival.

Remembered as one of South Australia’s finest cricketers and pathways mentor Dansie also holds the distinction of being the last batsman to partner Sir Donald Bradman.

Cranbrook School (Sydney), St Kevin’s College (Melbourne) and St Peter’s College (Adelaide) are in action during the four-day festival alongside Grammar.

With some top tier schoolboy cricketers in action we will be looking back at the top 10 performances of each day’s play.

Day 1

After winning the toss Toowoomba Grammar sent St Peter’s College into bat.

SPC turned it on scoring an impressive 162 runs off their 25 overs.

Cruising at 2-115 TGS looked to be in pole position to secure a day one victory but a middle order collapse as they chased the big score almost proved costly.

Despite losing four wickets for just nine runs TGS were able to hold on for a draw.

Late afternoon showers forced the abandonment of the game between Cranbrook School and St Kevin’s College.

Cranbrook were 9-99 from their 25 overs after being sent into but with St Kevin’s unable to bat due to rain.

Day 2

The second day of play was all about big scores and aggressive run chases.

Opting to bat first Grammar posted a competitive 144 thanks in part to Oliver Lockwood, who battled his way to 54 from 81 balls.

St Kevin’s needed to just 26 overs to secure an impressive eight wicket win.

In the other match, Cranbrook’s Timothy Molnar, who scored 65 off 112 at No. 7, was the standout star despite his side losing.

St Peter’s College chased down Cranbrook’s total of 166 in the 27th over, securing a comfortable six wicket win.

Top performances

15. Edward Thomas and Oliver Walker (SPC)

It’s hard to separate the duo who were the pick of the SPC bowlers.

Thomas finished with 2-26 and Walker racked up 2-28.

14. Charlie Moule-hooworth (SPC)

Opening the batting Moule-hooworth battered Cranbrook into submission early.

He scored 43 off 44 balls with 32 of those runs coming from boundaries and sixes.

13. Hedley Donges (TGS)

Donges’ quickfire 44 off 36 had TGS in prime position to secure what would’ve been an impressive day one win.

The No. 3 bat hit two fours and three sixes in an impressive cameo for the home team.

12. Lachlan Estcourt Hughes (SPC)

The No. 3 steadied the ship with a quickfire 39 off 27 balls.

More than 75 per cent of his runs came from boundaries with Hughes hitting two fours and three sixes – striking the ball at 144.44

11. Charlie Abbott (SKC)

With Yole and Flower laying down the perfect platform – Abbott swung freely to secure a win for SKC.

The No. 3 hit a quickfire 38 off just 26 including six fours and two sixes.

Joshua Cranston (pictured batting for Highfields against Western Districts in a Toowoomba Cricket match) has produced some good performances for Toowoomba Grammar in the Neil Dansie Cricket Festival.

10. Jack Flower (SKC)

Matching the efforts of his skipper Lucis Yole, Flower bloomed at the top of the order hitting 45 not out of 70 balls.

Flower hammered six balls to the boundary in his unbeaten knock.

9. Lucis Yole (SKC)

Chasing 145 for victory Yole got his team off to the perfect start.

The skipper hit 45 off 58 balls at the top order including four boundaries.

8. Joshua Cranston (TGS)

Opening the batting Cranston got TGS off to a flyer.

Cranston cleared the rope three times and hit two boundaries on his way to 46 off 52 balls.

7. Charlie Moule-hooworth (SPC)

Moule-hooworth was the pick of the SPC batters scoring 54 off 46 in the middle order.

6. Xavier Healey (SKC)

Oliver Schofield (3-26) and Alberat Macgowan (3-21) took more wickets but it was Healy who turned the match in his team’s favour against Grammar.

Healy, who finished with 2-18, narrowly missed out on a hat-trick after claiming the wickets of Darcy Muckert and Hedley Donges in consecutive balls.

5. William Howard (SPC)

Claiming the key wicket Donges, Howard produced a quality spell with the ball taking 3-12 off his four overs.

4. Albert Macgowan (SKC)

Macgowan mesmerised the SKC line-up taking 3-12 off four overs.

After claiming the wicket of Aren Atkin (caught and bowled) he then bowled his opening partner Timothy Molnar.

Alexander Greenhill was his other victim and Macgowan also ran out Felix Malcolm in the middle order.

Jackson Haynes (pictured bowling for Toombul) has produced some good performances for Toowoomba Grammar in the Neil Dansie Cricket Festival. Picture Lachie Millard

3. Jackson Haynes (TGS)

Haynes was the pick of the TGS bowlers as he tore through the SPC middle order claiming 4-16 including the key wicket of Moule-hooworth.

2. Oliver Lockwood (TGS)

With his team reeling at 4-34 Lockwood produced a defiant half century that ultimately gave his team a shot at victory.

Lockwood stood tall in the middle order hitting 54 off 81 balls including four boundaries.

Batting at No. 4 his knock was vital to Grammar posting a competitive 144 total.

St Kevin’s lost just two wickets and only needed 26 overs to pass the total but things would’ve been a lot easier for the Melbourne school without Lockwood’s runs.

1. Timothy Molnar (Cranbrook)

Winning the toss and electing was the right move with the St Peter’s College bowling attack tearing through the Cranbrook top and middle order.

Batting at No. 6 and with his team reeling at 4-26, Tom Dawson offered some resistance with a gritty 22 off 53 before Molnar made a real nuisance of himself.

Molnar was absolutely defiant in the bottom order hitting 65 off 112 balls including five fours and a six.

Cranbrook lost but Molnar was the star of the match.

Originally published as Schoolboy stars put their skills to test at Neil Dansie Cricket Festival