We name our GPS First XI cricket Team of the Year

Revealed: Our GPS First XI cricket Team of the Season includes the son of a former Test gun.

As a revitalised Brisbane Grammar School closes in on a cherished GPS First XI cricket premiership, we take the chance to name our Team of the Season.

It has been another bumper, evenly matched cricket season which late in the piece has seen Brisbane Grammar School break free of the chasing pack with one match remaining

St Joseph’s Gregory were second.

The table entering the final round is: 1. BGS (43), 2. Terrace (39), 3, BBC (28), 4. Nudgee (25), 5. TSS (23), 6. IGS (21), 6. TGS (21), 8. ACGS (18), 9. BSHS (19).

RELATED LINKS

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SONS – AND BROTHERS – OF GPS FIRST XI GUNS

NOAH EAST SCORES CENTURY

Such is the quality of our side, we were not able to find places for the consistent Toby Weston (Terrace), Rex Tooley (IGS), the scorer of a rare GPS hundred (125), Brayden Laffin (Terrace) and Churchie’s Jack Ryan.

With the ball, although Churchie Henry Zietsch was at times expensive, he was a wicket taker, while Carter Coreless (Nudgee) kept things tight and Stuart Hawker (Churchie) toiled away with medium pace.

Toowoomba Grammar School batsman Rex Tooley Picture, John Gass.

Ipswich Grammar School’s bowler Lachlan Holmes was also a find, while Hayden Evetts (Terrace) was threatening and Jem Ryan (TGS) dangerous in the right conditions.

Nudgee’s Tom Malone was also dangerous while Cooper Webster - who took one of the great GPS catches for Toowoomba Grammar School - Sam Loch (Terrace) and Spencer Adock (TSS) were tidy and economical.

St Joseph's Nudgee College bowler Tom Malone gets the team congratulations. Picture, John Gass

Ipswich Grammar School’s Jack GELDARD was also one of our favourites who chipped in with bat and ball.

Brisbane State High School also had some nice performers, with Miron Nanayakkarawasam, Dan Skipwith, Dylan Crees and John Isoardi impressing.

But here were our heavy hitters of season 2022.

Nudgee batsman Kane Neilsen. Picture, John Gass

TEAM OF THE YEAR

KANE NEILSEN (Nudgee)

Nielsen was the competition’s batting prime mover against the new ball. The first ball he faced this season was against the challenging Zac McDermott and he set a high early standard, never wavering throughout. He pushed Tom Campbell for the batsman of the competition title.

Brisbane Boys College batsman Noah East. Picture, John Gass

NOAH EAST (BBC)

East’s season highlight of 111 from 111 balls was a stunning innings which gave BBC a sniff in the premiership race. Rex Tooley also got a hundred for TGS, but GPS centuries are not as common as people think, a cherished commodity. Around his hundred East was also a handy contributor.

Terrace batsman Tom Campbell Picture, John Gass

TOM CAMPBELL (Terrace)

The classy Campbell was close to two centuries during a summer of dreams. He was the best pbat in GPS this season, a class above whose wicket was celebrated like no other in the competition. And don’t forget he was also a very handy contributor with the ball.

Brisbane Grammar School batsman Hugh Weibgen. Picture, John Gass

HUGH WEIBGEN (BGS)

The scorer of the youngest first grade century by a Valley District Cricket Club player, Weibgen was a steadying influence on his side, batting with patience and installing confidence in his team mates - no matter the circumstances. Like Angus Tolhurst (see below), he will take great satisfaction if BGS can claim the premiership given he previously did the hard yards in a struggling side. He was also an excellent spin bowler.

Churchie’s batsman Hamish McDonald. Picture, John Gass

HAMISH McDONALD (Churchie)

An easy selection in our Team of the Season, McDonald’s aggressive batting was capable of turning matches, while his accurate leg-spinners often took opposing openers out of their comfort zone when he took the new ball.

Brisbane Boys College bowler and batsman Sam Bell. Picture, John Gass

SAM BELL (BBC)

Bell was in a way a mrror image of McDonald - an excellent leg-spinner and accomplished batsman who was never beaten. Bell was not a batting front runner and could find runs under pressure. He is a very fine player.

Brisbane Grammar School batsman Angus Tolhurst. . Picture, John Gass

ANGUS TOLHURST (BGS)

Tolhurst went from an outstanding tail gunner from the the 2021 season, to an outstanding top order batsman during Brisbane Grammar School’s revitalising season. The big thing about Tolhurst was that he could perform under pressure. He was also an elite left arm orthodox spinner who took the new ball for BGS and rebounded pressure onto his rivals from ball one. He is some player.

ZAC McDERMOTT (TSS)

McDermott made his mark with the ball and bat during an outstanding season. The son of former Queensland Test bowling champion Craig, he always gave TSS a head start in the match with his bowling. But he was also a handy batsman.

Southport bowler Zac McDermott. Picture, John Gass

JOHN JOYCE (Terrace)

Joyce and young Draper fought it out for the gloveman’s berth, with the consistent Joyce getting the gig in one of the top two teams of the season.

Terrace batsman John Joyce Picture, John Gass

CALLUM VIDLER (BGS)

Vidler was the fastest bowler in the competition, a genuine pace enforcer who had batsmen jumping. He often came on first change behind a spinner and a medium pacer and it must have been a rude awakening for the batsmen to have seen off the new ball, only to be confronted by a tearaway. Will Sheedy also did a good job in support of his fast bowling mate.

The style of St Joseph's Gregory Terrace bowler Michael Harper. Picture, John Gass

MICHAEL HARPER (Terrace)

The best leg spinner in the competition, Harper was a model of consistency for St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace. His flight, his control and his accuracy produced a mixture which threatened the best of batsmen.

Toowoomba Grammar School batsman Callum Galvin. Picture, John Gass.

CALLUM GALVIN (TGS, 12th man).

He may be last on this list, but he was one of the first players to come into my mind when assessing the Team of the Season. His consistency with the bat and ball made him an easy choice for inclusion.

Churchie bowler Henry Zietsch took wickets. Picture, John Gass.

LAST ROUND

BBC v BGS - Oakman Park

IGS v TSS - Brassall 1 (Main Oval)

BSHS v ACGS - Fursden Oval 2

TGS v Terrace - Mills Oval

BYE: Nudgee

Originally published as We name our GPS First XI cricket Team of the Year