Gold Coast Dolphins teen Josh Kann the world’s no.1 ranked Last Man Stands all-rounder

HE will enter this weekend’s Australian Last Man Stands Championships as the world’s no.1 ranked all-rounder. But Gold Coast Dolphins teen Josh Kann is eyeing much bigger prizes.

HE will enter this weekend’s Australian Last Man Stands Championships as the world’s no.1 ranked all-rounder.

But emerging teen Josh Kann is keeping his sights firmly set on much bigger prizes as the Gold Coast Dolphins fight for an immediate return to the Queensland Premier Cricket winners’ circle.

The right-arm quick will be a key figure on Saturday and Sunday when the Dolphins, whose unbeaten two-day run came to an end at home to Wests last weekend, make the trip to Sandgate-Redcliffe.

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With the fixture keeping him out of the opening day of the Last Man Stands tournament at Runaway Bay on Sunday, the 18-year-old will make his entrance for the We’ll Bat First team on day two.

A practice game with the Queensland under-19s, ahead of next month’s national titles in Adelaide, will then keep him out of Tuesday’s action, before returning for the fourth and final day of Last Man Stands competition on Wednesday.

Gold Coast Dolphins teen Josh Kann.

A product of The Southport School, Kann has been used as a specialist fast bowler at the Dolphins, despite playing as an all-rounder throughout juniors with Broadbeach Robina.

While he treats Last Man Stands as “a bit of fun”, the Carrara resident is hopeful he can soon transfer his eight-a-side talents to first grade.

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“I’ve been speaking to the captain, Max Houlahan, and he’s just told me to keep batting how I am. Hopefully in the next couple of years I can play a bigger role,” said Kann, who has seven wickets at 25 and 52 runs at 17.33 for the Dolphins this season.

“In the Queensland 19s I’m an all-rounder so I’m batting eight there (as opposed to 10 at the Dolphins). I’ve always batted six in junior cricket and even higher.

Kann in action for the Dolphins in January. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“This is really my first full first grade season. I dusted off a few nerves at the start of the season but now I’m getting a few wickets and scoring a few runs.

“I used to play (Last Man Stands) when I was 14 with a bunch of local cricketers from my club but me and my mate, Scott Palombo (from the Dolphins), decided last year to create our own team.

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“It’s good, a bit of fun. (The no.1 ranking) is just from playing a lot of games and getting a lot of runs and wickets. It really came out of nowhere.”

Kann, who played for Queensland under-17s two years ago, will be joined at the national under-19 titles from December 3-13 by Dolphins teammate Hugo Burdon.