Coomera Hope Island fast bowler Josh Henderson ready for finals push after injury & birth of first child

Cricket has taken a back seat for Josh Henderson over the past four months but the fit-again Coomera Hope Island quick has some unfinished business before the end of the Kookaburra Cup season.

CRICKET has taken a back seat for Josh Henderson over the past four months but the fit-again Coomera Hope Island quick has some unfinished business before the end of the Kookaburra Cup season.

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Diagnosed with stress fractures in his back following the Crocs’ Round 1 loss to Helensvale Pacific Pines in October, Henderson then welcomed his first child, Harvey, into the world later that month.

While the 31-year-old had planned on taking a short break from cricket following his son’s arrival, the back injury kept him out of first-grade action for more than three months.

The former Souths and Redlands Queensland Premier Cricket star finally returned in Coomera’s last-start win over Palm Beach Currumbin, bagging 4-46 from 21 overs as he and Phil Tunnicliffe (4-85) took control.

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The 40-run victory marked back-to-back triumphs for the Crocs for the first time since early November and they now sit just 10 points outside the top four with four rounds to play.

Their charge towards the finals will continue when they host Alberton Ormeau in a two-day fixture beginning tomorrow and Henderson is adamant they can still have a say in this season’s premiership race.

Coomera Hope Island fast bowler Josh Henderson. Picture: Steve Holland

“I do believe on our day we can beat any team in the competition. We’ve got a lot of matchwinners in that side,” he said.

“I think weather has to be our friend from now on (but) we played some pretty good cricket last round. The vibe in the dressing room is quite good.

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“Ryan Soars took over the captaincy from me when I got injured and is doing a fantastic job; Jimbo Martin is scoring runs and we’ve found a couple of other good players in the middle order.

“We’re in a pretty good position, if we can string some performances together (we can make finals). I believe we can be smarter cricketers but we definitely have the stock to go the whole way.”

Having collected 22 wickets at 17.86 in a stop-start maiden Kookaburra Cup campaign in 2018-19, Henderson said he was still finding his way back to top form.

“Twenty-one overs last game … there’s no drama with the back, I’m just lacking match fitness,” he said.

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“My control was good but I reckon I was down on pace. We were lucky the wicket was doing a bit so if you hit the seam you got rewards.

“I was concentrating on putting it in the same spot six times in a row. I’d say I’m over the back issue, the rest of my body just has to get used to bowling long spells.”

Coomera will also travel to Mudgeeraba Nerang in a one-day fixture on Sunday.

Henderson took 4-46 against Palm Beach Currumbin. Picture: Steve Holland

ROUND 15 FIXTURES (SATURDAY)

■ Burleigh vs. Palm Beach Currumbin

■ Coomera Hope Island vs. Alberton Ormeau

■ Surfers Paradise vs. Helensvale Pacific Pines

■ Mudgeeraba Nerang vs. Runaway Bay

■ Broadbeach Robina vs. Southport Labrador

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ROUND 16 FIXTURES (SUNDAY)

■ Surfers Paradise vs. Alberton Ormeau

■ Helensvale Pacific Pines vs. Southport Labrador

■ Burleigh vs. Runaway Bay

■ Mudgeeraba Nerang vs. Coomera Hope Island

■ Queens vs. Palm Beach Currumbin