GPS First XI cricket: Round 8 Team of the Week named ahead of tense finale
GPS First XI cricket’s latest Team of the Week can be revealed ahead of a tense final round which has The Southport School in the box seat – but not guaranteed the title. See who starred from all eight schools here.
Local Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Southport School will win its 11th premiership in 15 seasons if the side defeats Brisbane Grammar School at the Village Green on Saturday.
A TSS win will also take second placed St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace out of play.
However, if the Eli Brain inspired Brisbane Grammar School somehow upset TSS, and Terrace defeat Nudgee at Nudgee, then Terrace can sneak past TSS and snatch the premiership.
ROUND 8 RESULTS
Terrace 7/238 defeated BSHS 201
BGS 7/159 defeated BBC 9/158
Nudgee 7/113 defeated TGS 112
Churchie 8/216 defeated IGS 209
TEAM OF THE WEEK
1. Sohaan Sharma (IGS)
While he would have loved another 90 minutes at the crease, Sharma’s match high 59 from 95 balls was considerable and gave his side a chance of reeling in Churchie’s imposing 216.
2. Blake Armstrong (BBC)
Armstrong’s 2-32 from 10 overs and 28 elevates him into yet another Team of the Week side. His left arm spin gave BBC every chance after he dismissed BGS openers Alistair Langdon and Oliver Harris, although he would have been frustrated not to turn 28 runs into a 50-plus score. Armstrong also claimed a catch.
UNSUNG PLAYERS OF DECADE – INCLUDING FROM THIS SEASON
3. Eli Brain (BGS)
Brain was the player of the round after a huge effort with bat and ball.
The Queensland U17 representative top scored in a low scoring game with a robust 56 - after dismissing both BBC openers, Will Garate and Zac Robinson, during the morning session.
After disturbing the BBC batting with those two wickets, he continued to build pressure across his 10 overs.
4. Hayden Hamilton (Nudgee)
In a tense match where every run scored and conceded was vital, Hamilton’s game double of 30 and 2-21 was significant. He carried Nudgee to 3-79 before losing his wicket - after also snaring two top order wickets during the TGS innings.
5. Hugh Burke (Terrace)
Burke (65 not out, 70 balls) gave Terrace the finishing clout the innings needed after top order players Theodore Bacalakis (12), Harry DeSouza (15), Jackson McDonald (24), Lenny Henry (20) and Samuel Jones (15) had all got starts. His innings was a round high performance in a series of matches dominated by the ball.
From 5-105 Burke took charge, dominating a 58 run partnership with Jones on his way to batting through the rest of the innings.
6. Lenny Henry (Terrace)
The promising all-rounder from South Brisbane played a big role in the win.
After making 20, the pace bowler ousted BSHS best player this season, the aggressive Charles Hinze, and BSHS’s vice-captain Sree Shauri Parthiv Bachu on his way to snaring 3-32.
Henry took some tap from Kethmin Meegasdeniya (32), but ultimately trapped him LBW which ended BSHS’s unlikely push for a victory from 9-152.
7. Hugo Spencer (BGS)
The BGS vice-captain portrayed Mr Cool with his 69 ball innings that guided his team home in a tense final. Christian Alexander had changed the momentum of the innings with his bowling for BBC, but Spencer withstood that barrage to calmly score 27 not out and pilot his team to victory.
8. Tighe Morris (Churchie)
Morris’ looping leg spin bowling was pivotal to Churchie’s narrow win.
At 6-180 IGS were slightly ahead, but Morris’ responded by sweeping out the tail after Oscar Dioth (32) had done his best to get IGS over the line. He also scored 28 to go with his 3-30.
9. Cruz Baker (BGS)
Brain’s right hand man this season, Baker’s dismissal of state representative Ryan Atley was crucial, and his outstanding spell of 10-0-21-2 was just what the doctor ordered. A country boy from the Fraser Coast, Baker’s bowling followed up Brain’s wicket taking start to the innings and was a nice tonic to the BGS performance.
9. Billy Connellan (Nudgee)
Along with his bowling buddy Spencer Green, Connellan helped end the TGS innings in a hurry after somehow forcing defiant TGS opener, Joshua Cranston (26, 79 balls) into error.
He claimed 3-22 from 10 overs.
10. Spencer Green (Nudgee)
In partnership with Connellan, Green swept the TGS innings to a swift conclusion after taking the important wicket of Henry Maunder who was proving a nuisance with his aggressive batting. The leg spin bowler not only took three wickets, but he built pressure by conceding just 16 runs from his 10 overs.
11. Darcy Muckert (TGS)
Muckert (4-29) bowled the house down to almost bring off a mission impossible for Toowoomba Grammar. Nudgee were 1-72 chasing just 113 for victory when Muckert dismissed Nudgee’s best batsmen, Hamilton and Abhay Dhaliwal, in the same over. He then claimed another two wickets, including a second caught and bowled effort. He deserved to be on a winning side.
12. George Hales (Terrace)
The right arm swing bowler unravelled BSHS early and put his side on the path to victory. Adam Eastgate and Tharuk Mahaarachchi both fell to Hales (2-25) during his 10 controlled overs that also featured three maidens.
13th man: Christian Alexander (BBC)
Alexander missed out with the bat, but his 3-27 was an explosive mid-innings effort that dragged his side back into the match, Alexander dismissed the dangerous Brain, caught behind by Atley, and also ousted Oliver Dauber (37) who was dug in for the long haul.
SPECIAL MENTIONS
Jackson McDonald (Terrace) has been a rookie of the season who has batted high and bowled first change. Against BSHS his bowling built pressure (5-1-10-1) after he made 24 against the dangerous Jordan Hook, the classy Kethmin Meegasdeniya and Charles Hinze who has had a knack of collecting wickets this season.
Kethmin Meegasdeniya (BSHS)
BSHS were never going to win from 9-152, but Kethmin Meegasdeniya caused plenty of ripples with his bold 32 that had Terrace a little concerned when BSHS got to 200. His bowling (10-2-26-1) was again first class.
Other special mentions include: Charles Hinze (BSHS), Colby Rudd (IGS), Angus Storen (Churchie), Oliver Hottot (BBC), Angus Peters (Churchie), Kian Chapman (Churchie), Daniel Desmet (Churchie), Will Neubecker (Nudgee), Abhay Dhaliwal (Nudgee), Lachlan Cullen (IGS).
Originally published as GPS First XI cricket: Round 8 Team of the Week named ahead of tense finale
Top sports club president’s shame: ‘Truly sorry I offended you’
A major Gold Coast cricket club’s president has faced investigation after a complaint - and issued an emotional apology to a fellow club member. Full story
Club cricket: Where each member of Wests’ title winning girls came from
Club cricket finals’ special: Meet every member of the champion, premiership winning Wests women’s team and find out who were the 3-2-1 best and fairest players from the men’s first and second semi-finals.