Gold Coast Junior cricket stars: First and Second XI revealed

Are these the best opening batters in Gold Coast junior cricket? A host of young stars have put their name up in lights at representative level and these two willow wielding talents have stood above the rest.

GOLD Coast cricket continues to bat well above its weight, headlined by the Dolphins’ First Grade side romping to the Queensland Premier Cricket one-day and T20 titles late last year.

But a representative program is only as good as its pathway and in that regard, our juniors continue to put themselves front and centre for state and national representative honours.

The Bulletin has gone back through the first half of the 2021-22 Gold Coast representative cricket season to select a First XI and Second XI of the best performing junior cricketers.

FIRST XI

1. Ishaan SANDHU

U13 QJC Southern Challenge

HS: 59, Runs: 175, Ave: 35.00, STR: 50.4

The only player in a field of 92 to have scored more than one half-century so far in the 2021-22 Gold Coast reps season. Sandhu, an opener for the U13s, sits second – but one run – for the most scored by any Gold Coast reps batsman this season, also.

2. Elijah WELSH

SEY Youth Cup / U14 QJC Southern Challenge

HS: 58, Runs: 176, Ave: 25.14, STR: 51.6

Opening alongside Sandhu is the boy who holds the title of top runscorer. Welsh started his rep season on fire with 58 and 46 in the SEY Youth Cup. While his form in the U14 Southern Challenge wasn’t as dominant, he’s still the top junior bat on the Coast.

3. Alvina RAUF

U13 Girls / U15 Female Southern Challenge

HS: 52*, Runs: 135, Ave: 27.00, STR: 113.4

An U13s regular who played up a grade to the U15s in the Female Southern Challenge, Rauf ended her rep campaign for the 2021 calendar year in fine fettle with scores of 20, 34 and 52. Able to bat anywhere in the order, Rauf’s strike rate of 113.4 is the third-best of any bat within the Gold Coast reps system.

4.Leo DAVIES

SEY Youth Cup / U15 QJC Southern Challenge

HS: 75*, Runs: 119, Ave: 23.80, STR: 55.9

Davies started his rep season with a stellar 75 not-out in the SEY Youth Cup back in September – the second-best innings total of any player in Gold Coast reps. Stepping up to the U15 Southern Challenge he struggled to get going in his first few innings, but finished brightly with a commendable 24.

5. +Max KEMP

U13 QJC Southern Challenge

HS: 52*, Runs: 91, Ave: 22.75, STR: 79.8; 7 catches, 3 stumpings, 1 run out

The pick of the wicketkeepers is Kemp, who leads all-comers with catches behind the stumps and for stumpings. He’s also, importantly, been very handy with the bat going at an average of 22.75 including a stellar 52 not-out.

6. Lucy LOGAN

U13 Girls / U13 Female Central Challenge

HS: 26*, Runs: 78, Ave: 78, STR: 43.1

Lucy ‘The Wall’ Logan certainly values her wicket. In six at-bats for the U13s she was dismissed just once – an incredible stat that lends itself to her Gold Coast reps-leading average of 78. If you’re a player prone to throwing away your wicket, perhaps ask Lucy for some tips.

7. Oliver LUM

U12 QJC Southern Challenge

Best: 3-9, Wkt: 10, Ave: 8.30, ECN: 2.96; HS: 37*, Runs: 98, Ave: 32.67, STR: 39.0

With 10 wickets in five outings Lum is the leading wicket-taker in Gold Coast reps – and he’s not too shabby with the bat, either. A more than respectable average of almost 33 means you could make the argument for the U12s star to be the best all-rounder of his representative peers.

8. Riley ECKERSLEY

SEY Youth Cup / U14 QJC Southern Challenge

Best: 3-19, Wkt: 7, Ave: 20.86, ECN: 2.73; HS: 32, Runs: 94, Ave: 18.80, STR: 36.6

The only bowler in our First XI not belonging to the U12s Southern Challenge squad, Eckersley ranks in the top 10 in both runs scored (10th) and wickets taken (T-6). Lum (above) is the only other player to feature in both top 10s.

9.Tom BOUWMEESTER

U12 QJC Southern Challenge

Best: 2-12, Wkt: 7, Ave: 9.71, ECN: 1.99; HS: 34, Runs: 81, Ave: 16.20, STR: 45.5

A miserly sub-2.00 economy headlines the quality bowling of young Tom Bouwmeester, making him the second-most economical bowler in Gold Coast reps. And like his fellow bowlers above him in the order, he doesn’t mind swinging the bat, either.

10. Aiden SANTHOSH

U12 QJC Southern Challenge

Best: 4-9, Wkt: 9, Ave: 7.78, ECN: 2.08

The best wickets-per-runs average of any player in Gold Coast reps, as well as the best single-innings figures (4-9) of his peers, puts Aiden Santhosh into our First XI. He was also the pick of the U12s bowlers in a heartbreaking Southern Challenge grand final loss to MSW on December 17, taking 2-19.

11.Archie ATKINSON

U12 QJC Southern Challenge

Best: 4-13, Wkt: 9, Ave: 10.22, ECN: 2.79

Atkinson joins teammate Santhosh as the only two bowlers to have taken a four-for in Gold Coast reps so far this season. He’s also one of only three bowlers to have taken nine or more wickets. An easy inclusion in our First XI.

READ MORE:

Every Cricket Gold Coast Senior Grade’s Team Of The Mid-Season

Every Coast cricketer ranked from 1-3763: Batting and bowling stats

SECOND XI

1. Parker CUNEEN

U12 QJC Southern Challenge

HS: 39*, Runs: 99, Ave: 33.00, STR: 47.1

2. Nathan IFFLAND

U13 QJC Southern Challenge

HS: 61, Runs: 102, Ave: 25.50, STR: 39.1

3.Kayla PRIGG

U13 Girls / U13 Female Central Challenge

HS: 40*, Runs: 83, Ave: 27.67, 115.3

4.Claire SCHILLER

U13 Girls / U13 Female Central Challenge

HS: 29*, Runs: 62, Ave: 62, STR: 72.1; Best: 2-10, Wkt: 4, Ave: 10.00, ECN: 5.00

5.Brodie PHELAN

SEY Youth Cup

HS: 28, Runs: 52, Ave: 52.00, STR: 27.5

6.William SLACK-SMITH

SEY Youth Cup

HS: 32, Runs: 51, Ave: 25.50, STR: 59.3

7.Joshua WILSON

SEY Youth Cup / U15 QJC Southern Challenge

HS: 31, Runs: 117, Ave: 16.29, STR: 41.6; Best: 2-6, Wkt: 4, Ave: 25.50, ECN: 3.58

8.Rory DUNSTAN

SEY Youth Cup / U15 QJC Southern Challenge

Best: 3-24, Wkt: 8, Ave: 32.50, ECN: 2.17; HS: 34*, Runs: 60, Ave: 15.00, STR: 30.9

9. Cooper Johnson

SEY Youth Cup / U14 QJC Southern Challenge

Best: 4-22, Wkt: 8, Ave: 20.38, ECN: 4.31; HS: 32, Runs: 62, Ave: 10.33, STR: 52.1

10.+Joshua COX

SEY Youth Cup / U15 QJC Southern Challenge

HS: 18, Runs: 49, Ave: 7.00, STR: 50.5; 6 catches, 1 run out

11. Isaiah LEO

U13 QJC Southern Challenge

Best: 3-16, Wkt: 6, Ave: 19.00, ECN: 3.68