Club cricket’s unsung heroes of Tav’s, men and women
Who are the unsung heroes of Qld Premier Cricket club cricket? They include a travelling country trio, school age aces, seasoned veterans and fabulous female talents.
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As part of our expansive coverage of club cricket we have canvased Taverners, men’s grade and women’s senior competitions and come up with a list of unsung heroes.
The list includes some seasoned, established players, but also rising rookies quickly making an impression and a travelling trio from Toowoomba.
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UNSUNG HEROES
MEN
Steve Cawood, Sandgate Redcliffe
Steve Cawood is a consistent first grade top order batsman who is always up for the contest.
A hero of Armitage Bridge’s push for the premiership earlier this year while playing in the Huddersfield league earlier this year, he can be relied upon.
Another unsung hero in the Gators’ ranks is Ben Brandt, a consistent second grade spinner who always puts his hand up and never stays away from a contest.
Lachie Hearn, Toombul
Lachie Hearn joined Toombul from Sydney this season and has been a fabulous addition.
He scored 200 not out against Sunshine Coast and then scored 140 for the Queensland 2nd XI against Tasmania.
Hearn is a quality left handed top order batsman who will likely push for higher honours.
Ryan Walker, Norths
Ryan Walker is a dedicated and hard working cricketer regarded by his peers as a great teammate. “We are lucky to have him,’’ praised Jon Hopes.
The captains, Wynnum-Manly
Wynnum-Manly coach Wes Aspeling has high praise for the club’s leadership group who were largely unsung champions of the Sea Eagles.
Captains Liam Guthrie, Jed Wilson, Chris Lloyd, Nick Boller, Austin Billing, Jon Shaw, Dale D’souza, Lachlan Reberger, Dale Hanson and Darcy Gray were “all skippers doing a great job to develop our young cricketers,’’ Aspeling said.
Hugo Burdon and Xavier Bartlett, Gold Coast
Both The Southport School old boys, Burdon is a junior batting prodigy while fast bowler Bartlett is both a Bulls and Heat T20 paceman of considerable promise.
Bartlett is a new ball bowler first, but it is his batting which gets him into the “unsung category’’.
“Both have been so reliable for us and got us over the line or past formidable totals on numerous occasions,’’ praised Dolphins head coach Simon Belston.
Ash Muir, Sunshine Coast
Scorchers head coach Andrew Pearce described Muir as a “brilliant athlete who has the skill to play high level cricket.’’ Those traits, combined with his great character, make him a great asset to the Scorchers system.
Levi Thomson-Mathews, Ipswich
Mathews plays senior grade for Ipswich and is an unsung hero in every way.
The opening batsmen is the heart and soul coach of the club and there are no finer examples of a club man for young Ipswich cricketers coming through to aspire to.
Liam Smith and Jasper Sumner, Redlands
After a relatively quiet white ball campaign, Smith was moving into his work in red ball cricket Aged 26, he now consistently gets decent scores and does his job.
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His summer is gathering momentum and it would not surprise if he pushed for higher honours like Second XI.
Sumner is a leg-spinner who came across from Norths about five years ago. He trains the house down and puts so much time into other players while still trying to find his way in his career.
He is regarded as a selfless cricketer.
Aryan Jain, Sam Geyer and Brandon Faber, South Brisbane
Souths is a club with an exceptional young group which is headed up by Queensland representative opener Aryan Jain.
“Aryan is a contracted player who has the skill, work ethic and ability to go all the way and be successful,’’ praised head coach Ken Healy.
Healy said Faber was another who was flying under the radar. “He is a top order batsman and wicket keeper, someone who has all the modern day shots to accompany a long form game as well.
“He spent the off-season in England refining the skills that has seen amazing improvement over the last off-season.
Geyer was another up and coming all-rounder, as was leg spinning young gun Connor McMillan. Both boys were BSHS First XI players.
In addition, Healy said “our two young quicks, Eddie Leslie and Luke Wegner, are proving a handful for the most seasoned batsmen at just age 16 and 17 respectfully,’’ Healy praised.
Steve McGiffin, Western Suburbs
The club captain and one of the most consistent first grade players over the last few seasons, McGiffin is very much an unsung hero. “He is very dependable in all departments,’’ praised the club’s coaching ace Peter Steindl.
Valley
Valley’s red ball coach Peter Clifford said without doubt the person who was an unsung hero at the club was Jim Shinnick. the first grade manager. “Jim Shinnick was also the water boy, team psychologist, father figure, lolly buyer and dog walker,’’ Clifford explained.
“He keeps the players hydrated, the coach in a good mood and above all he bleeds Valley blue.’’
Callum Henderson, University of Queensland
Henderson didn’t play pathway representative cricket and has had to work his backside off to become a very good first grade player. As a result he is an easy choice as an unsung player of the club. “He is always committed to training and getting himself better and asking about the little extras he can do or help with to make the team better,’’ said club coach Peter Clarke.
“He is probably starting to get recognition now from other teams but he has operated excellently for us on and off the field.’’
WOMEN
Olivia Winter, Jaimie-Lee Strang and Lucy Neumann, Gold Coast
The trio drive a country mile every week, travelling from Toowoomba to the Gold Coast to train and play. Olivia Winter, Jaimie-Lee Strang and Lucy Neumann, the Dolphins’ captain, all have an enormous amount of talent as individuals.
But as teammates they display a willingness to play roles in the team to help others achieve success, sometimes to the detriment of their own game.
The travelling trio bring a great culture to the playing group and a lot of what they do often goes unnoticed.
Delyse Laycock, Wynnum-Manly
Sea Eagles’ veteran Delyse Laycock was always available to listen to her players and was like a big sister who everyone in the squad can go to for support.
Phoebe Murphy, Sunshine Coast
Murphy is regarded as the ultimate team player, in many ways the heartbeat of the women’s squad.
“She is always looking to give back and grow the game while improving her own game,’’ said club coach Andrew Pearce.
Emily Titmarsh, South Brisbane
The highest run scorer for the team, Titmarsh has an ability to score runs when the side is under pressure. She has also taken over the wicket keeping role for the team and continues to improve with every game.
What a grand player she is.
Lilli Hamilton, Western Suburbs
It’s hard to believe Toowoomba star Lily Hamilton is still eligible for the under 16 age group, because she seems to have been playing and having success in the Raymond Shield with Wests for years.
“Lilli is a very smart bowler who enjoys taking on and taking down the opposition big name players with her clever off-spin deliveries,’’ praised Darren Sonter.
Hamilton was captain of Wests’ Paul Pink winning side last year and was selected to the Queensland U16 team last season, and again in the current squad announced this week for the nationals in January.
Keely Freiberg, Ipswich
Batting at No. 7, Freiberg has been the team’s most consistent T20 batter this season. “She was our Player of the Year last year and has really owned her spot in the batting order,’’ praised coach Melissa Lewis.
Lewis said she was a “genuine finisher’’ who had also taken some great catches on the boundary.
She snares wickets as well.
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Toby Lamond, Wide Bay
From Brothers Cricket Club in Bundaberg, Lamond is a No. 3 right hand batsman who bowls handy off-spin.
His spin bowling is accurate, economical and takes wickets, but what makes Lamond an unsung member of the side was his attitude and his belief in his own abilities.
Returning halfway through the season due to a shoulder injury, the skilful Lamond would have only just missed out on Queensland under 17 selection.
Rushi Kakkad, Wests
The right-handed batter from Ipswich Grammar who has performed with both bat and ball this season.
An explosive batter, Kakkad has had a handful of excellent knocks this season including back to back half-centuries against Wynnum-Manly and Valley where he struck it at over run-a-ball pace.
Ashton Clark and Zac Griggs, University
There aren’t many more unsung than Clark.
Injured from the start of the season, Clark has just rejoined University’s Brisbane Metropolitan Cricket squad.
He travelled to Wide Bay in round one to run waters for the side which spoke volumes as to the team player he is.
The same can be said about youngster Zac Griggs, a team player who, despite being injured, shows up to games and delivers messages when running the water out.
Ashton Schultz, Sunshine Coast
Mr Consistent is right here. Schultz, a Sunshine Coast seamer, has been rock solid all season.
You know what you are getting from Schultz, a quiet and respectful young man who doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
He is deceptively quick and can swing the ball both ways.
Harry Frost and Sam Lewis, Valley
Harry Frost has had a relatively quiet Taverners season in comparison to last year, but he has been rewarded for some promising performances by being promoted to third grade as an opener batter.
Meanwhile Lewis has been busy chipping away with his off-spin bowling in Taverners and grade cricket, earning him a fourth grade call-up.
A Marist College Ashgrove student, Lewis continues to broaden his skills to progress up the grades.
With more than 20 wickets so far this season across Taverners and grade cricket, Lewis will be a handful for those who come up against him during the 2024 AIC First XI season.
Nikhil Sharma, Toombul
Sharma has slid under the radar despite his batting coming along in leaps and bounds.
His batting complements his bowling which has always been economic and effective.
Indeed Sharma is a noted strong leader in the group.
Noah Maguire (Wynnum-Manly)
Maguire is an elite wicket-keeper-batsmen who has found himself batting at No. 8 due to the depth of his team.
In any other team he is easily a top six batter, and when he returns next summer, he will be.
Ultra-competitive, Maguire often finds himself at the crease when there is little time to build an innings and with the game on the line. But that is where the selfless Macguire excels.
He did it at the weekend with an unbeaten 37 after a middle order collapse and did it in the first game of the season where he scored 52* against the likes of Lakshdeep Singh (Sandgate-Redcliffe).
The Brisbane State High 10As player will go out swinging for his team.
Jackson Robson (Gold Coast)
He has taken the most wickets in the competition’s best side and can also score runs late in the innings to give the Dolphins extra runs.
Gurnoor Singh (Darling Downs & SW)
The Darling Downs captain hasn’t had the season he would’ve hoped for with the bat but was effective with ball in hand as one of the leading wicket-takers in his team.
It was a tough season for the Darling Downs side, but their captain Singh did a great job getting his teammates up for the battle each Sunday.
Ryan Weththasinghe (Ipswich)
Weththasinghe flew under the radar but was an excellent opening batting option for Ipswich.
He started the season strong with plenty of double-figure scoring performances which took the shine off the ball and allowed Joseph Sippel and Rohan Brady to come in do their thing.
He can also bowl handy leg spin.
Cruz Baker (Norths)
There aren’t many more unsung than Baker, the Norths captain who did it all.
Hervey Bay product Baker opened the batting and more often than not delivered with a brilliant innings.
If he wasn’t batting or setting the field, Baker was at the bowling crease snaring wickets to assist the likes of Kyle Young, Rishi Mehta, Joey Laner, Eli Brain and Louis Morris.
Riley Johnson (South Brisbane)
A third year player, Johnson has flown under the radar but is one of, if not the best wicket-kepper in the competition.
He started the season slow, but came into his own towards the end with two half-centuries.
He has a future playing first grade.
Originally published as Club cricket’s unsung heroes of Tav’s, men and women
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