Sunshine Coast and Queensland cricket legend names ultimate dream team

A Caloundra, Sunshine Coast and Queensland Country cricket life member has reflected on his greatest career memories and uncovered his legendary dream team from the last 50 years. See who made the cut.

Caloundra Cricket Club life member Mick Davis. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A well-known Sunshine Coast and Queensland country cricket stalwart has taken a trip down memory lane to reflect and highlight some of his favourite on and off-field moments.

Mick Davis, who has been involved in cricket all his life, relocated to Caloundra in 1974.

“I started off playing in Warwick where I worked and in 1974 my wife, family and I came to Caloundra with my boss for a working holiday for six weeks,” he said.

“At the end of the job my boss went back to Warwick and 50 years later we’re still here.”

Davis joined the Caloundra Cricket Club that same year and made his senior debut against Yandina, with a cohort including future Coast cricket legends Errol Young, Noel Cox, Jim Brown and Lex Hubner.

Fifteen years later Davis called time on his playing career, notching up 103 games, all two day fixtures, and adding 2363 runs to the history books.

Caloundra Cricket Club life member Mick Davis. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Known predominantly for his off-field contributions, the now 75-year-old served on the Lighthouse committee before becoming president, vice president and eventually a life member in 1998.

The handy carpenter used his building skills and contacts to upgrade and boast Roy Henzell Oval as a main ground for club and representative games on the Sunshine Coast.

The town dug in with goodwill, donations and time, producing headquarters that would cater to interstate sides and expand on the earlier West Indies visit with matches against Sri Lanka, South Africa and England A.

In 1993 Davis assumed the role of president for the Sunshine Coast Cricket Association and with the local competition at record strength and size totalling 55 senior teams, Davis organised the formation of the Sunshine Coast Scorchers as Queensland Cricket sought to widen its domain of quality.

“It was a major push to give all Sunshine Coast cricketers the opportunity to better themselves and give them the chance to play for Queensland and Australia which a young Caloundra lad, Ash Noffke, did just that,” he said.

During his five years at the helm, Davis was also responsible for the expansion of Gympie and Caboolture joining the SCCA and was undeniably honoured with life membership in 2002.

After serving on further established Queensland committee and board positions for many years, Davis found himself as the South Queensland Country president and Queensland Country vice president for 11 years.

Again, and to the surprise of no-one, Davis was honoured with life membership in 2005 and 2007 but was always busily engaged with his home base at Lewis Street, Caloundra.

Mick Davis at the award-winning Caloundra Cricket Club.

He was the force behind the clubhouse extension and renovation, gaining light towers, returfing the oval and building a white picket fence around the oval, hosting various midweek short form and T20 competitions, ensuring both main ovals had sight screens and applying for a multitude of grants.

He also oversaw the completion of the club’s elite training centre which received the Community Facility Project of the Year award from Cricket Australia in 2017.

“That was a big process but to be seen and handed that award was a big feather in our cap,” he said.

The keen timber worker was always the last to leave, trudging the darkening circle to douse the lights and return home to his favourite home cooked meal, corn beef and cabbage.

He was inducted into the Sunshine Coast Hall of Fame by receiving a certificate of merit in 2015 and the Lighthouse held the inaugural Mick Davis Cup, a match between their two sixth grade teams, in 2023/24.

Playing days and core on-field memories

Between 1967 and 1974 Davis played first and second grade for Warwick and in his final two seasons was captain of St Mary’s.

Before relocating to the Sunshine Coast Davis represented the Warwick district in both the Slade and Faulkner Shield competitions and played for the South Queensland Colts.

“When we arrived in Caloundra we didn’t know anyone apart from my boss, John Brown and his wife Karen so I joined the Caloundra Cricket Club to be a part of the local community,” he said.

“We found the club to be very family orientated and we were able to meet a lot of different people from all parts of the Sunshine Coast.

“When I played at home Sharon would bring the kids down mid afternoon to watch the cricket and then we would go to the club after play had finished.

“It was a very social club and over the years we were involved in progressive dinners, presentations nights, four international games and lots of fundraising events.”

John Deacon and Mick Davis from Caloundra Cricket Club. Picture: Patrick Woods.

He said he enjoyed being a part of the inner workings of the club.

“When the extension was finished at the club a roster was organised and three families would jointly organise meals to be cooked and served, run the bar and canteen,” he said.

“It was busy times and we would sometimes have up to 80 meals to cook and serve but eating and drinking together formed a strong bond within the club and up to this day a group of us still meet up for a drink every Friday.”

On-field the talented bowling all-rounder said his first reserve grade premiership in the 1981/82 season remained the highlight.

“My first premiership would rate as the top of my playing memories and I was in the winning team for another few premierships during my time,” he said.

“My best ever bowling figures were 9-40 in Warwick and I remember I choked on 98 batting at Nambour before eventually getting the chance to raise the bat at Caloundra many years later.

“As the saying goes ‘the older I get the better I was’.”

Reflecting on it all

Half a century on and Davis has seen plenty of players filter through the Caloundra, Sunshine Coast and elite level ranks.

“I’ve seen a lot, plenty of things have changed with the cost of playing sport, working and training commitments and the junior game entering into the female space,” he said.

“It’s really positive, the Scorchers men, women and juniors know there’s a direct pathway to the elite level nowadays and that makes me pretty proud.”

Shirley Haag and Mick Davis are well-known volunteers at the Caloundra Cricket Club. Picture: Warren Lynam.

He said he gets down to the oval and clubhouse when he can and the club would always hold a special place in his heart.

“I’m getting on in age so I don’t get down as much as I’d like too anymore but the men and women on the board now are doing a great job and they made me a club patron a couple of years ago,” he said.

“Although I’m not involved in the working or running of Caloundra anymore, the club will always be of interest to me.

“I am always eager to hear the results and how the club is going on and off the field.”

Mick Davis Ultimate Dream Team

Caloundra Cricket Club life member Mick Davis. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“This team will be discussed and debated on the players who didn’t make the team more than those who did make it,” he said.

“I had a rough idea but I looked through some old fixtures and newspaper clippings and whatever else so that a few names jumped out at me and then I reached out to Pat Drew and asked him to send through some key statistics.

“You almost wouldn’t pick this team if you really had to field a side because they’re all all-rounders, it’s more so the best players of their clubs given their averages and aggregates over time.

“I really enjoyed it, looking through everything and seeing the names of guys who used to amaze so many of us.

“There are great players missing and you could easily pick a few more teams but no correspondence will be entered into,” he said with a laugh.

Some of the Sunshine Coast’s best ever cricketers Shane Newton, Rod Gibbs, Jeremy Schultz and Brett Milini.

1. Wes Hall (Nambour): “Made 8085 club runs and was a regular Sunshine Coast Scorchers player. He was very reliable and a very handy spin bowler.”

2. Noel Thorogood (Yandina): “Is a legend of the Sunshine Coast scene. He was a beautiful batsman and a very handy bowler.”

3. Matt Thornhill (Tewantin-Noosa): “A very consistent player and always looked like he had plenty of time to play his shots. Was also a handy bowler.”

4. Jeremy Schultz (Glasshouse): “Currently he has 9696 runs on the board. He also bowls well and can throw the gloves on if needed.”

5. Rod Gibbs (Caloundra and Caboolture): “Rod is just a class batsman. He’s comfortably my number one batsman that has played on the Coast.”

6. Steve Ledger (Nambour): “A consistent run getter who has amassed over 9000 runs.

7. Andrew Shablon (Caboolture): “Another great all-rounder with the most runs and wickets for Caboolture. Was a major player in a number of premierships.”

8. Errol ‘Tonk’ Young (Caloundra): “A lot of goanna oil allowed him to play the most grade games, take the most wickets (616) and the most runs (7476).”

9. Brett Milini (Glasshouse and Caboolture): “He was an excellent wicketkeeper and a very handy batsman.”

10. Fred Hatchman (Nambour): “Opening bowler, he took 768 wickets in his playing career. A true standout number 10.”

11. Shane Newton (Maroochydore): “Shane gets the final place in the team for his consistent bowling performances for many years.”

Originally published as Sunshine Coast and Queensland cricket legend names ultimate dream team