Iona premiership hero among first picked in AIC First XI Team of the Season
AIC First XI cricket Team of the Season: No prizes for guessing the first player picked, but who joined Iona College’s Harley Malpass in our squad? Revealed here.
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Iona College’s premiership success, Harley Malpass’ amazing season and St Patrick’s College winning the Cricket Aggregate Championship title were among the highlights of a wonderful AIC First XI cricket season.
Malpass, the elite Iona No. 3 batsman who also bowls medium pace, made our Team of the Season featured below for the second successive year.
IONA PREMIERSHIP WINNING EFFORT – ROUND 7 STORY HERE
This season he scored 324 runs at an average of 108, while also taking seven wickets at 19.86. Last year Malpass averaged 129.33 while also claiming 12 wickets.
His success was part of the reason for Iona College’s premiership success, a title winning effort built around team play - just as it was when the school last won the title in 2022.
“At the end of the day we have had different people contribute across the course of the season,’’ said coach Wayne Niven.
The season was also a success for St Patrick’s cricket program.
St Patrick’s, who played most of the First XI season without Australia’s No.1 junior cricketer, batsman Steve Hogan, won nearly every A premiership from Year 7-10.
For one of the smaller AIC schools, this was a huge achievement.
“This was a reward for five years of hard work and development,’’ said St Patrick’s Director of sport Jim Potts.
“Every team and individual played their part. In order to have strong teams at the top, you need players underneath creating competition and pushing for selection.
“The manner in which the win was sealed was outstanding. In the final round 8, St Pat’s won eight of 10 against Iona.
“Cricket co-ordinator Dan Nethery should be very proud of the program that he has built. The challenge for is to try and repeat the feat in 2025.’’
THE TEAM
1. Liam Carter (Iona)
A veteran of three seasons in the Iona First XI, the classy Carter was Malpass’ right hand man who often fired his side away to a slick start. With the pressure on last Saturday following the loss of Joshua Ritchie and Harley Malpass, Carter responded with a nice half century. He was also an on-field mentor to rookie Joshua Ritchie.
Carter averaged 62.33 with the bat.
2. William Nickelson (Marist)
This side is blessed to have both Nickelson and Harley Malpass returning as Team of the Season players after Nickelson also made our 2023 side.
A gloveman from the Valley club, he produced another outstanding season with the bat, making 261 runs at 52.
3. Harley Malpass (Iona)
The son of a bayside tennis playing and coaching ace Ian Malpass, Harley is a Wynnum Manly club junior with elite hand, eye coordination who has simply been a class above in two successive seasons. His 2024 highlights included back-to-back centuries against Villanova and Padua College.
4. Noah Johnson (St Peters)
The St Peters skipper had a true captains knock from start to finish.
Helping his side finish second on the season, No.3 Johnson scored a ton of runs, especially when under pressure.
The veteran of two seasons scored 165 runs at 33.
5. Aiden Mohr (St Laurence’s)
Mohr was a revelation this summer, making 275 runs – many of them when wickets were falling around him. Only Malpass scored more runs, and his average of 55 was also the second highest in the competition.
6. Cameron Plackett (Padua)
Plackett was such a good allrounder, he would have made our side if he was a specialist bat or bowler. The Valley Taverner’s player garnished his season’s work for Padua at the bowling crease on Saturday by claiming 5-28. He took 14 wickets and scored 186 runs at 37 and was Padua’s best player all season long.
7. Louis Morris (Ashgrove)
Morris is another repeat member of our Team of the Season who backed up from his gala 2023 with another bumper summer. He was a remarkably economical left arm slow bowler whose bowling helped wickets fall at the other end, while also taking nine wickets himself at, wait for it, an amazing average of just 4.4. He was also an aggressive lower order batsman.
8. Joey Laner (Ashgrove)
Laner was one of the most valuable players in the First XI competition, always contributing with wickets, pressure building spells or handy runs. He took 10 wickets at 12, and averaged 21 with the bat.
9. Sam Lewis (Ashgrove)
Like his spin twin Morris, Lewis was a miserly bowler who refused to give a batsman a free ball. A regular in the Team of the Week, he took wickets himself, but also built pressure on the batsman. His 12 wickets came at an average of just 10.
10. James Turner (Iona)
The Year 10 student took four wickets in his first match, then another bag of four in his second. He finished with a season topping 15 scalps at 16. A valuable team man, Turner had on the job training every time he bowled and will be better for the experience in 2025.
11. Henrik Frederiksen (Villanova)
Frederiksen’s stunning season best effort of 10-3-22-5 against St Patrick’s was the icing on the cake in what was an excellent seven match campaign for the Redlands junior. He was a fast bowling enforcer who ruffled plenty of feathers, taking 13 wickets.
12. Matthew Pereira (St Patrick’s)
The consistent Pereira was at his best again this season, leading the St Patrick’s attack in both good and not so good times. A medium-pace bowler, he finished with 11 wickets at 11, including the prized scalp of Harley Malpass last Saturday. He proved difficult for opposing batsmen to dominate.
13th men Xavier Santos (St Laurence’s) and Lachlan McClure (Iona)
We would have loved to have found a place for these fellows. Santos was a four season veteran of First XI who gave his all with the ball and bat, while McClure was the premiership captain who bowled 50 overs - among the most in the competition - taking 10 wickets at just 7.7. Both deserve recognition here.
Heavy Lifters we would love to have fit in the team:
James Nelson (St Peters)
The brilliant St Peters opener started the season with a score of 33 and upheld his standard across the term.
He hit 33 in game No.2 and then 18 in No.4 before a half century helped his side down Padua.
He averaged 30 with the bat and was excellent against the new ball.
Liam Bahemia (St Peters)
The measured opening batsmen was Nelson’s partner in crime and together they were a big reason for St Peters’ success this season.
Bahemia opened the batting to begin the season where he found success, before sliding down the order to No.4 where he was able to take advantage of a slightly worn in ball.
Roman Dunne (Villanova)
Villanova’s batting specialist was there in good times and in bad. He held his nerve when wickets tumbled around him and always seemed to score in games where Villanova needed someone to put their hand up.
The right hander never over played his hand and proved a class act.
He averaged just shy of 30.
Will Easter (Ashgrove)
Easter was outstanding for Marist with his consistency and wicket taking ability. He disabled St Edmund’s top order last weekend with two early wickets and went on to claim another two, finishing with 13 wickets at an average of 13.77.
Finn Thallon (Villanova)
The tall middle order batsmen had another stellar season where as the season progressed he got better and better.
Thallon was one of Villanova’s best with the blade, and despite only facing 185 balls across the entire season he was still able to deliver 166 runs at 33.
He was tremendous.
Special mentions:
Will Tozer (Padua)
Padua’s ace all-rounder scored 168 at 42 and racked up two half centuries. He also took six wickets to give Padua an extra dimension.
Rookies of the Season
Thomas Vaseo (St Laurence’s College)
He was a shooting star for Laurie’s who opposing batsmen will dread facing in 2025 once he grows more and gathers additional knowledge about his craft. He took seven wickets in his last two matches and 11 wickes at 21 on the season, mnking an impact with the new ball and in the field.
Joshua Ritchie (Iona)
Ritchie hit 14 fours and one six in scoring a debut century and will be a Player to Watch in 2025.
He was the fourth highest run scorer in the entire competition, belting 211 at 42 in a terrific debut season opening the batting.
Lars Sagorski (St Peters)
The Saints have a natural leader, along with an outstanding bowling and batting talent to build their side around in 2025. He bowled beautifully to finish the season last weekend.
He bowled 42.3 overs across the season and went for just 2.4 runs an over.
His highlight of the season came in round four when he took 4-22 to defeat Ashgrove on St Peters’ Pink Stumps Day.
Adam Hogan (St Patrick’s)
Hogan finished the season with an enhanced reputation as an off spin bowler, finishing on a high with 1-30 from 10 overs against the premiership chasing Iona batsman last weekend.
James Turner (Iona)
As mentioned previously, he shone in his debut season which included a four wicket haul in his first match two matches
Ryan Out (Padua)
Whether he was facing adversity or not, off spin bowler Out maintained his composure and was outstanding for Padua.
Lachlan Wigan (St Laurence’s)
The rookie leg spinner arrived on the scene mid-season and made an instant impact. He finished the competition on a high last Saturday with 2-26 in a winning team effort.
Evan Chamberlin (St Laurence’s)
Chamberlin was a big of an unsung hero who consistently took wickets for Laurie’s.
Bolt from the blue surprise packet players
Aiden Mohr (St Laurence’s) and Cameron Plackett (Padua)
True blue performers
Will Webster (Padua), Lachlan McClure (Iona), Xavier Santos (St Laurence’s), Austin Croll (St Peters), Ned Godwin (Villanova), Daniel Gray (St Laurence’s), Toby Collins (Iona), Adam Richter (Iona) and Liam Johns (Iona).
Greatly admired award winner
Rylan McDonald (St Edmund’s), Jack Watson (Ashgrove) and Max Halls (St Edmund’s)
Also on our watch list were: Frank Piper (Ashgrove), Thomas Stenhouse (St Laurence’s), Clancy Muniandy (Iona), Alexander Bullock (St Patrick’s), Austin Croll (St Peters), Ned Godwin (Villanova)
Ashish Neredumilli (St Peters), James Nelson (St Peters), Mitchell Francis (Villanova).
Originally published as Iona premiership hero among first picked in AIC First XI Team of the Season
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