Queens wins Gold Coast First Grade cricket premiership following grand final washout
With the Gold Coast cricket season wrapping up, check out all the teams which have claimed premierships this weekend.
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The 2024-25 Gold Coast summer of cricket has reached an anti-climactic finale, with all grand finals called off due to the wet weather which hit the region on Friday and Saturday.
Gold Coast crciketers had held their bated breath that there could be some action on Sunday but the persistent downpour on Saturday meant the games could not go ahead.
With cricket losing the rights to the sporting fields from next weekend to the winter codes, the grand finalist which finished highest on the ladder will be crowned champions.
Check out all the senior premiership winning teams below.
First Grade: Queens vs Mudgeeraba - Queens premiers
Second Grade: Queens vs Surfers Paradise - Queens premiers
Third Grade: Broadbeach vs Logan Village - Broadbeach premiers
Fourth Grade: Palm Beach vs Bonogin - Palm Beach premiers
Fifth Grade: Southport vs Runaway Bay - Southport premiers
Sixth Grade: Broadbeach vs Palm Beach - Broadbeach premiers
Preview
We spoke to the Premier grades grand final captains as they revealed the players who are set to star for their team on the weekend as well as the opposition’s biggest threat to their premiership hopes.
First Grade - Queens vs Mudgeeraba
Queens
Captain: Max Houlahan
“It’s been really good, obviously against Mudgee again is always a big test, they are obviously a benchmark and it’s a good test to come up against the best,” Houlahan said.
“You always want to put your best foot forward in the grand final, they are going to be very hard to beat and we need to be on our game.”
Players to watch
“Mitch Freeman batting at the top of the order, hopefully we can bat around him,” Houlahan said.
“With the ball I’d say Will Fenwick our leg spinner, he’s been bowling really well and hopefully gets a few overs under his belt and they can be the match winners.”
Biggest danger
“Definitely their batting, it is the benchmark in the competition,” Houlahan said.
“Josh Nelson, Howard Biddle, Lydon Gibbons, they all experienced players, they’ve been there before and know how to get the job done.”
Mudgeeraba
Captain: Lydon Gibbons
“It’s been a really good year for us, we had nine blokes from our first grade last year gone and seven come up from Second Grade to fill the shoes,” Gibbons said.
“So real happy with the season thought we’d be rebuilding this year and really happy with where we are.”
Players to watch
“Obviously Josh Nelson is the in-form batter in the comp, he’s been our rock all year,” Gibbons said.
“Our young quick in Will Mahoney and Hayden Taylor have been exceptional all year so looking forward to seeing what they can do on the bigger stage.”
Biggest danger
“They’ve been the best team all year, their biggest strength is their depth, they bat all the way down,” Gibbons said.
“Their bowling is really good as well, they can’t do that without being strong all the way through.”
Second Grade - Queens vs Surfers Paradise
Queens
Captain: Sam Bingley
“It is a really great effort form all the boys throughout the year,” Bingley said.
After suffering defeat in the one-day final earlier this season, Bingley said his side is more determined than ever to come away with victory this weekend.
“That makes you hungrier, you’ve done the hard work to make it to both of them, it is not a nice feeling so it will drive us on to go one better.”
Players to watch
“Mitch Foster’s been brilliant all year with the ball, so he’ll be one to watch, Nathan Hill has batted well,” Bingley said.
Biggest danger
“They’re a strong side, you don’t make it to this point of the season without being that, they’ve got some experienced blokes that have been there and done it,” Bingley said.
“They’ll be hard to beat but that’s what you expect, we’ll give them a good go hopefully.”
Surfers Paradise
Captain: Luke Denham
Denham has been ridden the highs and lows with Surfers Paradise in Second Grade and was beyond proud to see the group of players earn a spot in the grand final after going through the tough times a few years ago.
“I’m really, really proud of the guys,” he said.
“I’ve been at the club a long time with these young fellas coming up it is good to see then be rewarded for their efforts.”
Players to watch
“Coming up from third grade Wade McDougall with his bowling has been exceptional,” Denham said.
“Madeesha Perera our left arm spinner, Luke Rodrigues has been hitting some form with the bat, everyone’s been doing really well and Curtis Jackson is an underrated pace bowler.”
Biggest danger
Michel Durbridge, he’s a quality player, they got a good club base, they’re a good quality club with good people,” Denham said.
“Their opening bowlers are always one to watch and their captain (Sam Bingley).
“They’re strong all the way down but Durbridge is always the one to watch out just with his bowling and late hitting with the bat.”
Third Grade - Broadbeach vs Logan Village
Broadbeach
Captain: Reece McDonald
“We had a really good season, it was really tight between the top eight teams throughout the whole year, McDonald said.
“It was important to win as many games as we could because of washouts so extremely happy.”
Players to watch
“Lachlan Still our leg-spinner he was our leading wicket-taker this year,” McDonald said.
McDonald also said the experience of Shane Davis would be vital in the high-pressure environment.
Biggest danger
“We didn’t get to play them during the season but if you look at their stats they have a lot of blokes who can score runs and take wickets,” McDonald said.
“Trent Spring, he scored a lot of runs and a few hundreds, he is a danger player we need to get out.
“They are a good bowling side as well so we have to be smart with our batting.”
Logan Village
Captain: Jackson Larkins
“It’s been awesome, last year we won the local comp and then transitioned into the Gold Coast competition which has been good but challenging,” Larkins said.
Players to watch
“Trent Spring with the bat, he’s by far our best bat and been really consistent all year,” Larkins said.
“Then our bowling unit, that’s just five, six guys that do their job.”
Biggest danger
“Reece McDonald their captain is by far nearly the only worry,” Larkins said.
“He’s a one-man team, he’s a freak, we’re very confident if we can get on, we’ll win, just got to navigate McDonald.”
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