GPS First XI title race wide open after upsets
The GPS First XI title race has been thrown wide open after stunning round 3 results.
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The GPS First XI title race has been thrown wide open after a round for the ages today.
Brisbane Grammar School upset Terrace, Churchie came from behind to beat Nudgee while, remarkably, Toowoomba Grammar School beat The Southport School on the Village Green.
And if that was not enough, Brisbane Boys College had a 10 run victory over Ipswich Grammar School.
Where to start?
BGS’s bowlers skittled St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace batting line-up for 110, then Angus Tolhurst (45 not out) got his team home - again - in a thriller after a predictable fightback from Terrace.
Tolhurst and Charlie Thomas (17 not out) took their side to a five wicket win.
BGS laid foundations for victory early on with a mixture of spin and extreme pace to curtail St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace. It was Terrace’s first loss of the season.
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Man of the match Tolhurst, bowling off-spin, took the new ball and immediately tied the opposition down, before pace bowlers Will Sheedy (1-23), Charlie Thomas (2-19) and Callum Vidler (3-17) made their impact.
“The bowling was a big factor. They strangled Terrace when they batted,’’ said BGC director of cricket Trevor Irvine.
Off-spinner Tolhurst bowled 10-4-12-0, while Du Payne’s run out of the inform Tom Campbell (13) was crucial.
Vidler ended up with the bowling figures, but it was very much a team bowling effort from BGS, capped nicely by Toby Matthews’ 1-23 (10 overs).
Before a ball was bowled this season it looked an even competition and, after three rounds, it is turning out to be anyone’s premiership.
When BGS batted, there was an early mix up leading to Matthew Love being run out which added to the tension, and then left arm spinner Sam Loch’s dismissal of Brad Mackintosh (17) and Michael Harper’s wicket of Ollie Spence had Terrace level-pegging.
Harper then dismissed Sheedy and also had an impact in the field when he ran out Du Payne and at 5-64 (25 overs), Terrace had their nose in front.
Campbell may have missed out with the bat for Terrace, but his off-spin continued to build pressure and BGS were in a dogfight.
But Tolhurst and Thomas were up for the fight as BGS found a way to victory without their captain, Hugh Weibgen
At Churchie, the home side came out of the darkness to snare an unlikely two wicket win over Nudgee College.
Allrounder Hamish McDonald (67) was the batting hero as Churchie (8-160) reeled in the revised target of 160 (30 overs) after the Nudgee (5-175, 44 overs) innings had been cut short by rain.
McDonald and skipper Lochie Butterworth-Love (38) added 49, then McDonald pressed the go button to race his side forward.
Nudgee came late and hard at Churchie, taking 4-2 before Churchie scrambled the four runs needed for victory.
Nudgee’s Kane Neilsen’s outstanding season continued at pace despite a resurgent Churchie challenging strongly.
Opener Neilsen scored 74 not out, adding 55 for the first wicket with Mills and then 56 with Dan Seaton (42) who got the innings progressing at pace with a 69-ball effort.
But Neilsen pushed on, mixing watchful defence with six boundaries through the first hour of batting before Churchie hit back hard in the middle order with three quick wickets - to leggie Hamish McDonald and left arm swing bowler Henry Zietsch.
Nudgee lost 4-11 in this period to put a spring into the steps of Churchie’s fieldsmen, before Neilsen continued on with Matt Fielding to recover Nudgee to 5-175 before rain stopped the innings.
Churchie had kept a lid on the scoring rate - Nudgee passed 100 in the 27th over - courtesy of Hillier’s probing 10 overs, and then the four quick wickets gave Churchie genuine momentum before Fielding countered.
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At Ipswich, the IGS were engaged in a third successive First XI thriller against Brisbane Boys College - losing by 11 runs.
BBC spinners Sam Bell (2-23) and Javen D’souza (3-18) were the heroes with five wickets between them as Brisbane Boys College defended 156.
But it was a team effort, with BBC tailenders James Alexander (46) and Jack Hogarth (26) earlier giving their side enough runs to play with.
In the morning session the IGS bowlers were outstanding yet again - despite a stunning BBC late surge.
BBC’s No.9 Alexander (46) and No.10 Hogarth (26) rescued their side from 7-83 after skipper Sam Bell (31, 91 balls) had been dismissed.
IGS new ball bowler Harry Bloomfield set a high standard early during his first six over burst, and around him the IGS bowlers continued to build pressure.
Bell dug deep for BBC, but Harry Sheppard’s run out of Biggs and Jack Geldard’s (1-23) dismissal of Fawkner complemented the bowling efforts of Bloomfield, Lachlan Holmes (2-29), and Aum Thanki (1-13).
Alexander and Hogarth were spirited with their batting, choosing carefully when to attack and defend in adding 68 runs.
When IGS batted, it was tough, tense cricket as BBC chipped away in the field.
Sheppard’s batting kept the IGS innings moving forward after Bell, Hogarth and off-spinner Javen D’souza had their rivals 3-80 after 25 overs.
But two late wickets to Hogarth (3-17) and the match was stolen by BBC.
On the Village Green, Toowoomba Grammar School had an amazing seven wicket win over The Southport School.
Rex Tooley finished the innings in a blaze of glory (56 not out, 39 balls) as TGS made 3-212 chasing 208.
A score of 200-plus wins most games at TSS, but TGS found a way to win with an outstanding team performance.
“The bowlers bowled exceptionally well. It was a real battle (first innings) as TSS fought back really well and our guys fought hard in the middle of the first innings,’’ said TGS director of sport Steve Fryer.
“And we were able to consolidate with a couple of really good partnerships in the second innings.
“Today was very much a team performance and they showed their skills and what they are capable of.’’
TGS had every reason to be rattled when TSS keeper Daniel Statham and Blake Raymond went bang and crash after Zac McDermott (34, 104 minutes) had donned his patience cap to get his side to 4-100 with 15 overs still in the bag.
TSS went at better than a run-a-ball over the last 15 overs in scoring 7-208, with Statham striking 37 (41 balls) and Raymond 39, including four sixes.
Toowoomba Grammar School then clung on gamely early, with Paarth Menon (50) showing plenty of pluck and Arshvir Singh (31) positioning his side.
TGS needed to come home with 78 runs in the final 17 overs - with seven wickets in hand - and they did it on the back of Tooley and skipper Callum Galvin (39 not out, 42 balls).
Earlier in the day, TSS opener Jacob Bath (21) had pushed TSS out early with four fours during his 29 minutes at the crease, but it was the TGS who took the early honours by having the home side 3-51 after 13 overs.
This was courtesy of tight bowling by Ryan, Kruger, Samarawickrama and Brocherie.
TSS’s Williams (31) also did a handy job, but it was McDermott who played the crucial role to ensure his team had wickets in the dressing room for a late order onslaught.
But TGS opener Menon stood tall for TGS to lay a platform and at the 25 over mark, TGS 1-82) had wickets in hand to launch a bold bid for victory.
OUR COVERAGE CONTINUES ON SATURDAY
ROUND 4
Brisbane State High School v Terrace
The Southport School v Churchie
Ipswich Grammar School v Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Boys College v Nudgee College
Bye: TGS
Originally published as GPS First XI title race wide open after upsets
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