Only active Kookaburra Cup players were considered for selection, ruling out competition standouts like Travis Harker (Runaway Bay) and Joel Kennan (Broadbeach Robina), who are unlikely to feature in this year’s campaign.

While some older veterans have taken wickets that predate the MyCricket era (2004-present) these have been discounted in this list for comparison purposes.

1. Reece McDonald

Broadbeach: 443 career wickets (241 for Southport)

Broadbeach’s 2021/22 captain overtook Paul Johnstone as the Coast’s greatest active wicket-taker in the first round of last season.

By season’s end McDonald had built a lead of 23 wickets.

Catching Troy Newton’s haul of 643 first grade wickets is the next lofty goal, with 200 to go.

2. Paul Johnstone

Southport: 420 career wickets

The Southport stalwart has taken all of his 420 MyCricket era first grade wickets in 225 games for the Tigers, in a stint stretching back to the platform’s launch in 2004.

3. Sam Winton

Queens: 376 career wickets (33 for Broadbeach)

The chief bowler of Queens’ famous Winton clan, Sam has taken the exact number of first grade wickets as both his brothers Harrison and Jackson combined.

The left armer has evolved his game beautifully to maintain relevance in a competition he debuted in back in 2007. 203 matches ago.

4. Corey Galloway

Alberton: 365 career wickets (27 for Surfers)

The prince of Alberton has been a reformed off-spinner for a decade now, with more than 300 wickets taken with an upright seam.

Galloway has stuck with the Cyclones (previously Force) for 13 of his 14 seasons in the Gold Coast’s top grade, with a season-long flirtation with Surfers in 2015/16.

5. Wayne Phillips

Surfers Paradise: 300 career wickets (151 for Mudgee; 47 for Burleigh)

Phillips estimated he had taken 573 wickets on the eve of his 299th first grade match in February 2016, 25 years after his debut at 14.

90 matches later, MyCricket records show Phillips collected at least his 300th scalp in Surfers’ washed out semi-final defeat to PBC.

6. Ryan Kettle

Palm Beach Currumbin: 268 career wickets

The Kookaburra Cup’s leading wicket-taker of 2020/21 enjoyed his greatest season with the ball yet, taking 37 one- and two-day wickets and one more in the pre-season T20 tournament.

It beat his previous record of 33 in the 2014/15 season.

Kettle has taken the most wickets of any active spinner in the competition.

7. Michael Durbridge

Queens: 208 career

The Queens veteran has been credited with 208 wickets since rejoining the Kookaburra Cup from the Dolphins but his true figure is much higher.

Durbridge was a standout quick for Palm Beach Currumbin before joining the Dolphins, posting a man of the match performance in the 05/06 final with figures of 6-27 against Broadbeach.

PBC were slow to take up MyCricket, rendering Durbridge’s figures from that stint lost in the sands of time.

8. Jackson Winton

Queens: 194 career

The youngest Winton gave up wicketkeeping to follow his two elder brothers into the Queens pace attack and is now one of the competition’s top 10 active wicket-takers.

In 192 first grade matches Winton has taken 194 wickets.

9. Shane Connors

Alberton Ormeau: 192 career wickets

The veteran all-rounder will turn 43 this season with a 200th MyCricket era Kookaburra Cup wicket firmly on the radar.

Two wickets in just three overs in the 2021 T20s have proved that the ageing quick has enough tricks up the sleeve to outwit batters.

10. Harry Winton

Queens: 182 career

The middle child of the Winton family has taken the fewest wickets in the family but in 122 Kooka Cup starts, 70 fewer than Jack and 81 fewer than Sam.

He has played the fewest matches of any of the Gold Coast’s top 10 active wicket-takers.

11. Ryan Maloney

Helensvale: 179 career wickets

The bowling all-rounder has been a strike paceman in 161 Kookburra Cup matches for Helensvale Pacific Pines.

His best season was in 2017/18, finishing third in the bowling aggregate with 38 in a season the Hawks reached the grand final.

12. Jared Austin

Runaway Bay: 157 career wickets

Austin enjoyed his best calendar yet in his sixth Kookaburra Cup season, taking 41 wickets across the T20s and regular season.

In 103 matches Austin has taken 157 wickets at a rate of 1.52 per match, among the best of the leading active wicket-takers.

13. Kevin Chapman

Mudgeeraba-Nerang: 154 career wickets

The workhorse Bushmen all-rounder has taken double-digit wickets in every first grade season he has bowled 40 overs or more.

14. Chris Perry

Southport Labrador: 148 career wickets

In 152 starts since 2008/09 the Tigers spinner has taken 148 career first grade wickets.

15. Jack Baird

Helensvale Pacific Pines: 147 career wickets

The son of club Hall of Famer Paul Baird spun his way to the top of the Gold Coast’s all-time T20 wicket leaderboard with 18 wickets in seven matches in this year’s tournament.

Baird has now played in 126 Kookaburra Cup matches including T20s.

16. Devon Hamley

Southport Labrador: 143 career wickets (38 for Burleigh)

After taking his first 38 Kooka Cup wickets for Burleigh between 2013 and 2015 Hamley made the move north to Southport, taking his 100th wicket for his new club last year.

He has played 112 matches in total.

17. Dhanushka Mitipolarachchi

Southport Labrador: 137 career wickets (80 for Broadbeach; 56 for Burleigh)

The former Sri Lankan first class all-rounder played his 100th Kookaburra Cup match in Mudgeeraba’s washed out semi-final defeat to Palm Beach last season.

That would prove his last with that club, with an off-season move to Southport Labrador where his right arm off-breaks will prove a valuable asset.

18. Josh Reid

Southport Labrador: 128 career wickets

Reid played just five matches last season, three in the Kookaburra Cup, which allowed his 2021/22 teammates Devon Hamley and Dhanushka Mitipolarachchi to overtake him on the active wicket-taker’s list.

After debuting for Southport in 2009 Reid has played 101 first grade matches for the Tigers.

19. TJ Miller

Southport Labrador: 129 career wickets (93 for Burleigh; 1 for Mudgee)

Tierce John ‘TJ’ Miller debuted for Mudgeeraba in 2007/08 but has still only played 71 Kookaburra Cup matches, the fewest of any player to take 100 first grade wickets.

20. Mackenzie Barclay

Mudgeeraba Nerang: 107 career wickets

Barclay took his 100th Kookaburaa Cup wicket in his 84th start.