Meet the cricket stars set to represent North Qld
Eight Central Queensland cricketers have earned North Queensland selection after their impressive showings at the recent Northern Zone Championship. Meet the star performers.
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Eight of the region’s leading cricketers are ready to lead the way for North Queensland in its battle against the south this weekend.
Joe McGahan, Logan Whitfield, Jeff Case and Callum McMahon were selected in the NQ open men’s team and Abbey Harvey, Lila Atkinson, Mahli Rae and Phoebe Murphy the open women after starring for Central Queensland at the recent zone championships.
The CQ men claimed the title with three wins from four games, while the women finished third after recording one win and two losses.
Rockhampton’s Glenn Bauer was manager of the victorious men’s outfit and has, for the third year, been named manager of the NQ outfit.
He is confident they have the personnel to continue their domination of South Queensland.
The teams will play a three-game series in Townsville - one T20 on Friday and two 50-over games on Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s a very good team, especially with the four Central Queensland boys in there,” Bauer said.
“We’ve brought home the goods for the last two years so hopefully we can keep our winning streak going.
“We have a really strong batting line-up and plenty of strike power in our bowling attack.”
The women will play for the Jonassen-Kimmince Shield in three T20 games in Gatton.
Meet our North Queensland reps
Joe McGahan
Has been the standout performer for Central Queensland for the past few years. The big, hard-hitting allrounder and captain had a very solid performance throughout the NQCA Zone Championships, making runs with the bat when needed but, more importantly, taking some really big wickets at crucial times. Great leader on and off the field.
Logan Whitfield
Quality left-arm spinner who has set a very high standard within the group. Had very consistent performances at the NQCA Zone Championship, including 3/10 against North Queensland and 2/24 off 10 overs against Mackay Whitsundays. His accuracy helps to restrict the run rate and keep the pressure on opposition teams.
Callum McMahon
An opening bowler and gifted batter, he did not disappoint in the NQCA Zone Championship, finishing with the most runs at 148 at an average of 49.3 and taking seven wickets. His best performance was against Far North, where he scored 86 and took 3/51 off 10 overs. McMahon has worked hard on his game and is consistently growing as a cricketer.
Jeff Case
Sets the standard all Central Queensland cricketers should aspire to. He was the championship’s third highest run scorer, which included a match-winning 100 not out against Mackay. A handy off-spin bowler as well, he has a genuine cricket brain and possesses great leadership skills.
Abbey Harvey
Right-hand top-order bat who is aggressive and loves to hit the ball hard, she finished in the top 10 run scorers at the NQCA Zone Championship. She is also a right-arm off-spin bowler who is very tight at the back end of the innings and can slow the run rate down.
Phoebe Murphy
A reliable top-order batter who grafts her innings out. She can go big when the time is right. Scored 80 runs at the zone championship to be the sixth highest in the batting stats. Murphy is also a quality fielder.
Mahli Rea
A talented all-rounder who is certainly a player to watch. A gun middle-order batter who is wise beyond her years. Hits the ball hard and is not afraid to go over the fielders. A fast bowler who is very economical and great at the death. Has just been named in the Queensland under-19 squad for next month’s national championships in Perth.
Lila Atkinson
A left-arm quick who creates a lot of opportunities with the new ball and swings it late. A consistent performer who is one of the leading players in the Rockhampton Cricket women’s competition.
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