Club cricket U19s: Gators snare the T20 title; elite 8 players of the season named
VIDEO: Watch the remarkable moment the son of a Wallaby legend hit a last-ball six in dramatic Mens U19s T20 final’s match to send his team into a super over.
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Not even a dramatic last ball six by the son of a 101-game Wallaby legend could propel the Gold Coast into the Men’s Under-19 T20 final on Sunday.
Dolphins No.6 batsman Jason Campese belted a six to tie the game and send the semi-final spiralling into a super over against Souths - only for his side to fall short moments later against South Brisbane.
Campese scored an unbeaten 17 not out in a cameo that almost booked his side into the grand final against eventual winners, Sandgate-Redcliffe.
Twenty-four hours earlier The Southport School student scored 41 runs in his team’s First XI victory over Brisbane State High School.
THE GRAND FINAL
Sandgate-Redcliffe top order batsmen Kane Neilson and Abhimanyu Yadav were grand final top guns on Sunday when the Gators overcame South Brisbane in a thrilling .
Captain Neilson (47, 53 balls) and No. 5 bat Yadav (35, 22 balls) put on a telling 42-run partnership to steer the Gators towards the winning score of 136, leaving it up to Billy Nuss and Jacob Turner to finish the job.
Souths had finished with 6-135 and in response, Neilsen had a captains knock of all captains knocks to keep his side on course for a cherished title.
CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS
Neilson entered the fray sooner than expected. Opener Matt Fielding had been bowled by Souths pace bowler Luke Wegner for naught and at that moment it was do or die for the Gators.
Neilson’s measured knock of 47 featured four fours and a six and he was a rock alongside Steve Hogan (17), Aidan Firman (19) and finally Yadav, who contributed a crucial 35 from just 22 delivieres.
Yadav’s innings yielded two sixes and two fours and importantly, put pressure back on the Souths bowlers as the match hung in the balance.
He came in with the side needing 62 runs from 47 balls and boy did he deliver the goods.
Sandgate-Redcliffe 6-136 (Angus Vikionkorpi 2-13, Henry Patrick 2-18, Kane Neilsen 47) defeat South Brisbane 7-135 (Saxon Jeh 2-15, Jacob Bath 37, Daniel Gray 25, Eddie Comber 32).
There was a grand final before the grand final when the Gold Coast and Souths took each other all the way in a thrilling sudden death semi final, won in the super over by Souths.
It was a fantastic finish on Alan Pettigrew Oval which saw the Dolphins, against all odds, claim a draw on the final ball of the match.
Souths posted 4-155 and the Gold Coast were gone for all money at 9-149 when Jason Campese faced up for the last ball.
The Southport School No.6, the son of Wallaby great David, whipped away a cut shot which cleared the boundary rope and sparked a roar of excitement and astonishment from the Dolphins playing squad who were watching on nervously.
Campese was shocked himself and it took a few moments for him to realise he had just done the impossible and given his team the chance to down Souths in the super over that followed.
BRILLIANT BATH
Campese’s unbeaten knock of 17, which gifted the Dolphins a second chance, followed another superb innings the day before in round 4 of the GPS First XI competition.
On Sunday his batting brilliance was combated by Souths all-rounder Jacob Bath, whose bowling in the super over booked Souths their grand final ticket.
Bath took 2-3 and Souths made no mistakes with the bat to set up a grand final showdown against Sandgate-Redcliffe.
The Gators, courtesy of a Kane Neilson half century and a sublime all-round bowling effort, got past the Sunshine Coast by 58 runs in their semi final match.
ELITE 8 OF THE SEASON
KANE NIELSON (SANDGATE-REDCLIFFE)
Gators top gun Kane Neilsen was pulling the strings behind his team’s unbeaten run to the finals as captain.
Neilsen, arguably the top batter of the 2022 GPS First XI season, got the best out of his bowlers, set the fields to have Steve Hogan in prime position to take 14 catches and was impressive at No. 3 in various situations.
A finals phenom, Neilson added the finishing touches required to get his team over the line with 101 runs across the two most important innings of the season.
He warmed his engines with scores of 20, 17 not out and 31 during the regular season and then want bang to overcome South Brisbane in a frantic final at Ian Healy Oval.
LACHLAN MCCLURE (REDLANDS)
Of McClure’s four batting innings, he missed out just once to lead all scorers in the home-and-away season.
The Redlands No. 3 scored 174 runs at an average of 87 and had two fifties to go along with a match-high 45 in the Tigers round 3 clash with Toombul.
He had time, McClure taking great care of his wicket while keeping the scoreboard ticking over nicely.
He struck the ball at 127.
RYAN REID (GOLD COAST)
For the Dolphins, top order batsman Ryan Reid also showed his class when he scored at high rate of knots.
An entertainer, Reid took it to opposition bowlers and came out on top scoring 141 at 47 across his four innings.
He was a man on a mission (147 strike rate) and his quickfire 45 under pressure against Wests in round 2 was magic.
MATT FIELDING (SANDGATE-REDCLIFFE)
The Gators opener had the hardest task of any batter facing the new ball and fresh, energetic opposition bowlers and he was responsible for getting his team off to a flying start.
Sandgate-Redcliffe went undefeated in the home-and-away season and Fielding provided stability scoring 36,48 and 27 in the first three matches. In the semi-final he scored 15 and in the grand final 33 and every run counted.
Fielding was also worth his weight in gold with the gloves in hand. He pulled off four stumpies and 12 catches and was of course a key piece of the premiership puzzle for the undefeated premiers.
LAKSHDEEP SINGH (SANDGATE-REDCLIFFE)
The Gators gun leg spin bowler was, as expected, a high achiever in this format.
Always a threat, Singh snared 10 wickets in five regular season matches before saving his best for when it mattered most - in the sudden death semi final.
Against a high class Scorchers outfit, Singh took 2-10 in three overs to help restrict the Sunshine Coast to 96.
Sandgate-Redcliffe skipper Kane Neilsen knew exactly what he was getting when he brought Singh into the attack and that would’ve been a blessing in such a competitive competition.
CALLUM PAMENTER (WESTERN SUBURBS)
The promising Ipswich Grammar paceman was arguably Wests’ best bowler across the five matches, leading the charge with his ability to make a breakthrough.
Against the best batters Queensland has to offer, he took nine wickets at 11.11. It was great preparation for the school season where he has been elite for Ipswich Grammar in GPS First XI cricket, leaking next to no runs while picking up wickets here and there.
DAN SKIPWITH (SOUTHERN SUBURBS)
The Souths opening bat was among the runs from the get go and finished the season the leading runscorer with 184 at 46.
Skipwith’s haul included scores of 40 not out and a sensational 74 not out in the semi final against the Gold Coast.
SAXON JEH (SOUTHERN SUBURBS)
Saxon Jeh led the Souths bowling attack alongside Luke Wegner and boy did they do a go job.
Wegner was top notch taking 11 wickets a 11.91 while Jeh snared 14 wickets at 8.29 to finish as the pick of the bowlers across the competition.
As economical as you can get in this format, Jeh stuck to his guns and bowled a nice line and length to prevent batters from dealing damage.
Jeh’s 3-24 in Souths’ round 4 win over Valley was a highlight, as were his efforts on Sunday where he picked up six wickets across the two finals matches.
Originally published as Club cricket U19s: Gators snare the T20 title; elite 8 players of the season named
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