The Southport School claim 10th premiership in 14 seasons

A Queensland sporting dynasty has rolled onward and upward following the crowning of the GPS First XI cricket premiers. All you need to know here.

Happy days for the TSS cricket side - another GPS premiership. Picture, John Gass

An extraordinary Queensland sporting dynasty shows no signs of abating after The Southport School’s First XI captured yet another premiership for the college.

On a day when Nudgee’s Matthew fielding plundered a thrilling 99 (100 balls), TSS defeated Brisbane Grammar School to confirming the premiership and script another chapter in a growing book of achievements.

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TSS, which has as old boys the likes of recent internationals Xavier Bartlett, Matthew Kuhnemann, new Sheffield players Hugo Burdon and Jack Sinfield, decorated former national coach John Buchanan and ex-Test paceman Scott Muller among an army of notable cricketers, have been the benchmark side of the GPS competition since 2010.

The college has now won 10 premierships in the last 14 seasons, including the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2017 seasons as state champions.

Riley Johnson was the TSS captain and batting ace. Picture, John Gass

TSS Head of Department of physical education, Steven Baker, who has overseen the program during this time, said today’s win was reward for one of the hardest working teams he had encountered in the last 15 years.

“I haven’t seen many of our teams in the last 15 years work as hard as this group has,” Baker said.

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“One of the hardest things to achieve in sport is back to back premierships.

“The TSS 2024 side has many boys backing up from last year and they have worked incredibly hard this season to be in the mix again.

“It has felt like every week is a grand final and coach Brad Sperling and assistant coach Ross Wallace have kept the work to be done each week as their focus … don’t get ahead of yourself.

TSS players enjoyed a bumper season.

“The attention to detail and belief they will succeed in our systems backed by the staff that work with them and the culture of our school has culminated in our successes.’’

And the development of rookies like opening batsman Ishaan Sandhu, left arm slow bowler Dushyant Thaman, thrilling batsman Jaxson Davies and exciting batting rookie Jason Campese will help TSS maintain its high standards in 2025.

The 2024 premiership winning side was captained by gloveman Riley Johnson who also had a strong season with the bat.

Two other teams, Ipswich Grammar School and Churchie, also had splendid seasons and at stages both were in premiership contention.

Churchie, spearheaded by Angus Storen who had a bumper season, stretched TSS to breaking point on the Village Green one week ago, but the champion TSS team were able to wriggle out of a tight spot.

Churchie batsman Angus Storen. Picture, John Gass

IGS had some of the competition’s best performing players, including Sohaan Sharma, Jacob Cibulka, William Pamenter, Luke Harper, Jettison Emmerson and Dinek Kinigama.

Brisbane Grammar School celebrate a wicket earlier in the season. . Picture, John Gass

At Northgate, TSS’s best batting came from its top three as Ishaan Sandhu (66), Cameron Sinfield (34) and Jacob Bath (55) laid the platform for a score of 227.

But the BGS fightback should be praised, with Eli Brain (0-28), Hayden Dalmazzo (2-30), Nicholas Scott (4-49) and Rishi Mehta (3-47) combining to curtail TSS.

Spin twins Bath and Ryan Summers then ripped through the BGS top order, with Bath at one stage bowling 5-1-10-3. He ended up with 4-19.

Nudgee College batsman Findlay Jones. Picture, John Gass

At Nudgee, Fielding had been threatening all season to take flight and he did it in a big way, blazing a superb 99 from 100 balls.

He has been Nudgee’s shining light with the bat and it was a fitting finale by the gloveman and top order batsman who struck 14 fours and a six. It was a great way to finish the cricket season.

Nudgee, with help from Samuel Kewley (40), Findlay Jones (34) and Karmichael Dee (34 not out) pushed their side out to a winning 8-265.

BSHS captain Pranshu Dave did his best with the bat, but BSHS were out of the match by lunch.

Nudgee leg spin bowler Spencer Green continued to take wickets and he was one of the discovery players of the summer.

On Mills Field, Toowoomba, Connor Walker (TGS) was a late order match winning batsman as TGS eased to a thrilling victory over BBS.

Set 169 to win, BBC looked headed to victory until Walker’s unleashed an unbeaten 49 (39 balls). He stroked a four to claim the victory by three wickets.

BBC had been well placed when Blake Armstrong spun his way through the TGS middle order.

BBC’s best player for two seasons, Armstrong had earlier fired with the bat.

Setting off in search of a farewell GPS First XI hundred, Armstrong stroked his way to 78 (91 balls) before he was one of two victims for TGS captain and spinner, Cooper Webster.

Terrace in the field during the GPS First XI cricket season.

Armstrong was supported by D’Arcy Satharasinghe (40), and the TGS did a great job reeling in the BBC innings after the Armstrong-Satharasinghe partnership.

Webster (2-30) was terrific, Dominic Black produced a typical, whole hearted effort, but the bowling figures went to Sam Coleborn (3-32).

Brisbane State High v Brisbane Boys' College.

On the Internationals Oval, Jacob Cibulka iced a fabulous season with an exciting 56 not out (56 balls) as IGS reeled in Terrace’s 175 with five wickets to spare.

Terrace were in the game when Theodore Bacalakis claimed big guns Dinek Kinigama and Rushi Kakkad, but Cibulka soon propelled IGS to victory.

Earlier, IGS bowlers William Pamenter (2-21) and Joshua Lossberg (4-24) finished the season in style for Grammar as Terrace were dismissed for 175.

But as has been the case all season, it was a team effort by IGS and around those successful bowlers Luke Harper and Jettison Emmerson were tremendous in support.

Harper dismissed the dangerous Bacalakis (52), while Emmerson ousted Harry Frost (42) and with those two gone, the door was ajar.

Lossberg then returned late with three wickets, and with Emmerson involved in two run outs, IGS turned at the halfway point ahead.

When Terrace batted, Harry DeSouza’s fine season continued when he dismissed both openers Sohaan Sharma (38, 35 balls) and Jack Hillier (33, 10 balls) after they had thrown the bat at the new ball. Earlier DeSouza had also scored 26 for Terrace.

Originally published as The Southport School claim 10th premiership in 14 seasons