GPS First XI Team of the Decade - so far - who made it here
How’s this for a GPS First XI cricket Team of the Decade - so far? It is a fabulous squad featuring future Bulls or Heat talent, Old Boys many readers will know well.
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What a decade it has been for GPS First XI cricket already, with emerging stars aplenty pouring out of the esteemed schoolboy cricket competition.
Last Friday, for example, The Southport School old boy Xavier Bartlett made international debut in the one-day match against the West Indies, and last year Matthew Kuhnemann (TSS) made his Test debut.
This decade the likes of Jack Clayton (BBC), Aryan Jain (BGS), Tom Whitney (IGS), Hugo Burdon (TSS), Jack Sinfield (TSS), Connor Sully (Nudgee) and Hugh Weibgen (BGS) have been recognised with Bulls contracts, while Churchie old boy Ben McDermott is back in town and in the Queensland squad.
And you have Paddy Dooley (BGS) having signed his first state contract with Tasmania after breaking into the BBL last year with the Hurricanes, while Terrace old boy Aubrey Stockdale has played Second XI with South Australia.
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To highlight recent talent, we give you, our treasured readers, a snippet of the type of talent which has emerged since the summer of 2020 by naming our Team of the Decade - so far.
THE TEAM
1. Toby Snell (Terrace)
The 2022 World Cup Australian under 19 representative, Snell was to the fore with the bat and behind the stumps during Terrace’s successful quest for the 2020 premiership - a title shared with BBC.
2. Tom Campbell (Terrace)
Campbell was the best batsman during the 2022 season coming in at No. 3, but to fit our best players into the Team of the Decade - so far - we pushed him up to open with fellow Terrace player Snell.
His career has since gathered momentum at Wests.
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3. Hugh Weibgen (BGS)
The 2022 BGS premiership winning captain, Weibgen lead the Australian under 19s on its tour of England last year.
A Valley junior, he became the youngest player in the club’s proud history to score a first grade century. The top order right handed batsman is also a more than handy off-spin bowler.
4. Jamie Alexander (BBC)
The 2023 Queensland under 17 national championship winning captain, Alexander moved heaven and earth for his team last year.
He took 19 wickets at 13 with his right arm medium pace swing and scored 244 runs at 34.86 batting at No.4.
5. Jack Balkin (Nudgee)
Balkin was the 2023 Nudgee captain who built pressure with his off spinners, scored 274 runs at 54.80 and who was spritely in the field.
He is the younger brother of Tom who was an unlucky omission from our top 12.
6. Noah McFadyen (Nudgee)
McFadyen was playing first grade cricket at Norths as a Year 11 student and four seasons later his star has not faded.
He is an elite swing bowler and excellent left handed batsman capable of swinging a match on his day.
7. Angus Tolhurst (BGS)
Tolhurst was the wind beneath BGS’s transformation from a developing side in 2021, into a premiership outfit in 2022.
He seemed immune from pressure with both bat and ball.
Aside from his batting which influenced matches from No.6-No.8, he was an tight left arm orthodox spinner who took the new ball for BGS.
8. Lachlan Crump (TSS)
Crump was one of the Players of the Season during the 2021 summer when he claimed 15 wickets while also scoring more than 250 runs. He was easily one of the top few players from that season.
9. Jack Sinfield (TSS)
Sinfield pushed hard for inclusion in this side, with his consistency at the bowling crease and ability to etch out runs in tight matches great attributes. The former Australian under 19 representative made his Sheffield Shield debut last season.
10. Zac McDermott (TSS)
In 2023 McDermott snared 22 wickets at a remarkable average of just 6.64 to spearhead TSS to another First XI premiership.
The right arm medium-fast bowler never failed to take wickets in his opening salvos and always restricted scoring to a trickle. His selection was a formality.
11. Callum Vidler (BGS)
Vidler has been the most terrifying fast bowler of this decade so far, graduating into the Australian under 19 squad.
The right arm fast athlete bowls at 140kph-plus and is a thrilling young prospect who can also bat a bit.
12. Aubery Stockdale (Terrace)
No, we didn’t forget about him. On the cusp of Australian under 19 selection two years ago when he was a shadow player, the elite young bowler was one of Terrace’s terrific trio in 2020 - the others were Toby Snell and Jeremy White.
Late last year he made his Second XI debut for South Australia after moving down to Adelaide and narrowly edges out Liam O’Connor, Ewald Kruger and Tom Balkin (see below).
13TH MAN
Liam O’Connor (TSS)
O’Connor was an unsung hero of TSS’ 2021 premiership win. He snared one five wicket haul on his way to taking 20 wickets with his left arm spin, and his deeds should not be under estimated. He pips TGS’s Edwald Kruger and Nudgee’s Tom Balkin into this position because his performance helped incluence a premiership win for his side.
THE MOST UNLUCKY OMISSIONS
Ewald Kruger (TGS)
A left arm orthodox spinner, Kruger notched the equivalent of three centuries last season with two, six wicket hauls, and another spell which yielded 5-20. Those three performances were extraordinary and influenced results.
Tom Balkin (Nudgee)
Balkin often roughed up opponents with pace and more pace, skidding the ball through at a great rate of knots. There was no doubt he was responsible for the success of his bowling teammates, such was the pressure he placed on opponents with his speed.
Noah Emmerson (IGS)
We’d love to have found a place for Emmerson, an outstanding campaigner for IGS with both the bat and ball. His First XI top score was 82, and his off-spin bowling was difficult to get away.
He could build pressure with the ball, snare the odd wicket while always chipping in with the bat.
Jeremy White (Terrace)
Fast bowler White was influential in Terrace claiming a shared 2020 premiership with BBC. He was a rip-roaring fast bowler, a genuine wicket taker who rattled opponents.
He was very, very unlucky to miss the side, edged out by O’Connor and teammate Stockdale.
Griff Williams (TSS)
Part of TSS’s 2023 premiership winning attack which choked teams to death, Williams rose on “grand final’’ day to snare a season best bowling effort of the summer - 10-4-8-3 - against Nudgee. He was also handy with the bat, scoring 160 runs at 26.67.
Daniel Statham (TSS)
There is no better organised schoolboy cricket side than a TSS First XI outfit, and overseeing the college’s 2023 premiership winning season was gloveman Daniel Statham.
His calming influence on the group cannot be taken for granted, and nor can his field placings and bowling changes which were instrumental in TSS’s second premiership this decade.
Taj Annan (BBC)
He captained BBC to a joint premiership with Terrace in 2020 - the same season he helped BBC to the First XV premiership. He was a classy middle order batsman who played with the same grace whether his team was under pressure or enjoying pole position in a match. In 2021 he backed up from the premiership success to also score 193 runs at an average of 27.57.
Callum Galvin (TGS)
Another genuine contender for our side whose consistency with the bat and ball made him an easy choice in our 2022 Team of the Season where he was named 12th man.
Blake Armstrong (BBC)
Armstrong was strongly considered as opener, not only because of his batting ability, but also his left arm spin.
We think highly of him and last year we named him in both our GPS Team of the Season and Taverner’s under 17 Team of the Season.
He is playing First XI cricket again this season as a Year 12 student.
Harry Sheppard (Ipswich Grammar School)
Another Ipswich Grammar School ace who had strong claims for the side.
Across the 2021 season, this Ipswich local junior scored a coveted GPS century on a way to amassing a competition high aggregate.
OTHER CONTENDERS
Sane Soham (BGS)
Soham was the discovery player of 2023, earning a place in our Team of the Season after snaring 18 wickets at 15.
Jem Ryan (Toowoomba Grammar School)
A tall, raw-boned quick who never gave the batsmen a free ride. He has advanced his career with influential performances in Bulls Masters first grade for the Ipswich Hornets.
Sam Bell (BBC)
Bell was a tremendous leg spin bowler and middle order batsman who often scored runs under pressure. He was also the BBC captain.
Matt Fielding (Nudgee)
Fielding is back again in 2024 as Nudgee’s gloveman after making our Team of the Season last year when his 255 runs at 31.84.
Tom Whitney (IGS)
Now one of Queensland’s most promising fast bowlers, Whitney played the 2020 season as a specialist batsman where he was IGS’s leading run scorer.
He did not bowl that year due to stress fractures but has since represented the Australian under 19s. He slaps hard into the keeper’s gloves.
Jack Sonter (BSHS)
A beautiful batsman who you would cross a six lane highway to watch bat. A Queensland junior representative, he scored one GPS First XI century and looked capable of more.
Hamish McDonald (Churchie)
Like Bell, McDonald’s batting could turn matches, while his accurate leg-spinners often took opposing openers out of their comfort zone when he took the new ball.
Kallum Russell (Nudgee College)
Russell was a fast bowling enforcer, with his left arm pace snaring wickets almost at will in what was a summer of dreams during 2021.
Tom Gossett (TSS)
Gossett’s 34 not out in a batting collapse which secured TSS the 2021 premiership was almost enough on its own to earn him a mention here. But around that crucial innings, Gossett kept things tight with the ball (13 wickets).
Daniel Seaton (Nudgee College)
Seaton gets a mention because of his amazing 146 not out in season 2021. He had scored 198 from seven innings entering game No. 8, then blew IGS off the park with a season high knock.
Steve Timms (Churchie)
Timms had an outstanding 2021, scoring 200 runs at 28.52 while claiming wickets (12) with his left armers. He bowled well with Hamish MacDonald and Harry Zietsch that season and always gave Churchie a sporting chance.
Ted Waterman (TSS)
Waterman was the glue of TSS’s attack across 2023 and we can’t wait to see his figures again at the end of this season.
Last year Waterman took 12 wickets - but at a ridiculous average of just 6.88. Talk about building pressure.
Chace Oates (TGS)
Oates scored at a run-a-ball or better during the 2023 season, always placing opposition attacks under pressure.
He made runs both as a front runner and while batting under pressure.
Round 3
BGS v Terrace
IGS v BBC
Churchie v Nudgee
TSS v TGS
Bye: BSHS
Originally published as GPS First XI Team of the Decade - so far - who made it here
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