Gold Coast Dolphins second grade captain Howard Biddle to join Mudgeeraba Nerang in 2019-20

MUDGEERABA Nerang have added another Gold Coast Dolphin to their Kookaburra Cup ranks, with Kevin Chapman to be joined at Nerang RSL Oval next season by a former teammate.

MUDGEERABA Nerang have added another Gold Coast Dolphin to their Kookaburra Cup ranks, with second grade skipper Howard Biddle to join Kevin Chapman at Nerang RSL Oval next season.

With Chapman to return to the Bushmen in 2019-20 as a player and specialist skills coach, Biddle has decided to follow his close mate to the club after nine seasons at the Dolphins.

A dashing top-order batsman and handy medium pacer, Biddle rose through the ranks at The Southport School and has also spent time at Queens in between his Dolphins commitments.

In the final stages of a law degree, the 24-year-old said shifting priorities had sparked his fulltime Cricket Gold Coast switch.

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“It’s just a change, just a directional thing. Obviously playing QCA cricket is a big commitment with the weekends and potentially Saturday-Sunday cricket and I’m just moving more towards a professional life now so it’s time to focus on that side of things,” Biddle, who also works under Mudgeeraba president Matthew Gill at MCG Legal, said.

Howard Biddle in action for the Dolphins last season. Picture: Mike Batterham

“There’s a few of the boys there that I became really close with at the Dolphins and Kevin is one of them, Mitch Daly is another and so is Josh Nelson. They’re all local, junior Mudgee boys so that definitely persuaded me somewhat.”

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Biddle bows out of the Dolphins after another successful campaign in which he scored 684 second grade runs at 34.20 and took 24 wickets at 19.58.

He also played three matches for the club’s first grade side.

Having tasted Kookaburra Cup action at Queens, Biddle said he had been a keen observer of local cricket during his time at the Dolphins.

Biddle’s new Mudgeeraba Nerang teammate, Kevin Chapman.

“It’s always interesting to know who are the young guys performing in the local comp. Obviously it’s good to get those guys to come down to Dolphins and while I was at the Dolphins that was our main goal.

“We wanted to make the club as strong as we could so anyone who was performing well in the Kookaburra Cup, we always were hoping they would one day venture towards the Dolphins. That is really the ultimate goal for any younger cricketer on the Coast, or should be.”

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BIDDLE FACT FILE

Age: 24

Playing role: top order batsman, medium pacer

Teams: The Southport School (2011-12), Queens (2009-16), Gold Coast Dolphins (2010-2019)

2018-19 statistics:

■ 23 second grade matches

■ 684 runs at 34.20

■ High score of 132

■ 24 wickets at 19.58

■ Best bowling of 5-32

■ 3 first grade matches (15 runs at 7.50, 0 wickets)