Kookaburra Cup captains rate the five best players in Cricket Gold Coast’s first grade competition

THE Kookaburra Cup’s 11 captains have rated the competition’s top five players - and it’s been a tight race for the No.1 tag. Check out the winner, full captains’ lists and every player who polled.

SOUTHPORT Labrador batsman Nic Peterson is the Kookaburra Cup’s best player, according to a poll of the 11 first grade captains.

While Peterson and fellow batsmen Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh) and Nathan Reardon (Surfers Paradise) each had three skippers nominate them as the competition’s premier player, the Tigers star came out on top of the overall votes tally.

Each captain was asked to rank who they thought were the five best cricketers on the Coast, with top spot earning five points, second place earning four and so on.

TEST GREAT’S TIPS LEAVE MATT PRIMED FOR DEBUT

Southport Labrador batsman Nic Peterson has been rated the Kookaburra Cup’s best player. Picture: Mike Batterham

Peterson finished with 35 points, followed closely by Coomera Hope Island all-rounder Phil Tunnicliffe (33 points), who was voted the best player by the two remaining captains.

McCarthy (29 points) came in third, with Reardon (15 points) fourth and Queens’ Jimmy Spargo (11 points) fifth.

Peterson and Tunnicliffe also featured in 10 of the 11 top-five lists, while McCarthy was named seven times.

Coomera Hope Island all-rounder Phil Tunnicliffe. Picture: Jason O'Brien

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OVERALL POINTS TALLY

Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador) - 35

Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island) - 33

Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh) - 29

Nathan Reardon (Surfers Paradise) - 15

Jimmy Spargo (Queens) - 11

Sam Winton (Queens) - 9

Wade Kilborn (Southport Labrador) - 6

Dayne Siede (Mudgeeraba Nerang) - 5

Shane Connors (Alberton Ormeau) - 5

Harry Winton (Queens) - 4

Josh Henderson (Coomera Hope Island) - 3

Jainam Patel (Palm Beach Currumbin) - 2

Corey Galloway (Alberton Ormeau) - 2

Ben O’Connell (Broadbeach Robina) - 2

Chris Swan (Surfers Paradise) - 1

Reece McDonald (Broadbeach Robina) - 1

Kaleb Day (Helensvale Pacific Pines) - 1

TJ Miller (Burleigh) - 1

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Burleigh batsman Rhys McCarthy came in third overall. Picture: Steve Holland

CAPTAINS’ RANKINGS

JACK WINTON (QUEENS)

1. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

2. Jimmy Spargo (Queens)

3. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

4. Sam Winton (Queens)

5. Shane Connors (Alberton Ormeau)

RYAN KETTLE (PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN)

1. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

2. Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh)

3. Sam Winton (Queens)

4. Jainam Patel (Palm Beach Currumbin)

5. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

BAY VETERAN WINDING BACK THE CLOCK

COREY GALLOWAY (ALBERTON ORMEAU)

1. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

2. Jimmy Spargo (Queens)

3. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

4. Ben O’Connell (Broadbeach Robina)

5. Chris Swan (Surfers Paradise)

LYDON GIBBONS (RUNAWAY BAY)

1. Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh)

2. Dayne Siede (Mudgeeraba Nerang)

3. Jimmy Spargo (Queens)

4. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

5. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

Surfers Paradise’s Nathan Reardon. Picture: Mike Batterham

TJ MILLER (BURLEIGH)

1. Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh)

2. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

3. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

4. Shane Connors (Alberton Ormeau)

5. Reece McDonald (Broadbeach Robina)

JACK LICKISS (HELENSVALE PACIFIC PINES)

1. Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh)

2. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

3. Sam Winton (Queens)

4. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

5. Kaleb Day (Helensvale Pacific Pines)

COAST BROTHERS READY TO DO BATTLE

SIMON BELSTON (SOUTHPORT LABRADOR)

1. Nathan Reardon (Surfers Paradise)

2. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

3. Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh)

4. Wade Kilborn (Southport Labrador)

5. TJ Miller (Burleigh)

SEAN FITZSIMMONS (BROADBEACH ROBINA)

1. Nathan Reardon (Surfers Paradise)

2. Wade Kilborn (Southport Labrador)

3. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

4. Shane Connors (Alberton Ormeau)

5. Corey Galloway (Alberton Ormeau)

Queens' Jimmy Spargo was fifth overall. Picture: Jerad Williams

CHRIS SWAN (SURFERS PARADISE)

1. Nathan Reardon (Surfers Paradise)

2. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

3. Josh Henderson (Coomera Hope Island)

4. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

5. Sam Winton (Queens)

JAMES MARTIN (COOMERA HOPE ISLAND)

1. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

2. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

3. Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh)

4. Harry Winton (Queens)

5. Corey Galloway (Alberton Ormeau)

SWING KING FOCUSED ON ADDING STRINGS TO BOW

DYLAN MCLAUGHLIN (MUDGEERABA NERANG)

1. Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island)

2. Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh)

3. Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador)

4. Harry Winton (Queens)

5. Dayne Siede (Mudgeeraba Nerang)

PLAYERS WHO APPEARED ON MOST LISTS

Nic Peterson (Southport Labrador) - 10

Phil Tunnicliffe (Coomera Hope Island) - 10

Rhys McCarthy (Burleigh) - 7

Sam Winton (Queens) - 4

James Spargo (Queens) - 3

Shane Connors (Alberton Ormeau) - 3

Nathan Reardon (Surfers Paradise) - 3

Dayne Siede (Mudgeeraba Nerang) - 2

Wade Kilborn (Southport Labrador) - 2

Corey Galloway (Alberton Ormeau) - 2

Harry Winton (Queens) - 2

Jainam Patel (Palm Beach Currumbin) - 1

Ben O’Connell (Broadbeach Robina) - 1

Chris Swan (Surfers Paradise) - 1

Reece McDonald (Broadbeach Robina) - 1

Kaleb Day (Helensvale Pacific Pines) - 1

TJ Miller (Burleigh) - 1

Josh Henderson (Coomera Hope Island) - 1