Round 3 Players of the Week; Six things we have learned

The GPS First XI season is starting to take shape, with three schools still unbeaten. Here are our players of the week, plus six things we have learned from the season so far.

GPS First XI cricket between Nudgee College and Ipswich Grammar School. Picture, John Gass

The GPS First XI season is starting to take shape, with Toowoomba Grammar School, Nudgee College and Brisbane Boys College unbeaten, and The Southport School lurking in the shadows.

With Nudgee, Brisbane Boys College and Ipswich Grammar School having had a bye, the premiership table stands this way after round 3: TGS 20, BBC 16, Churchie 16, Nudgee 16, TSS 14, Terrace 7, IGS 3, BGS 0, BSHS 0.

ROUND 3 MATCH DAY COVERAGE HERE

So what are six things we have learned so far? And who were our Players of the Round following last Saturday’s action.

SIX THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED

BEWARE A WOUNDED TSS

Poor Brisbane State High School having to play The Southport School in a bounce back match after Terrace came from behind to beat TSS in round 2. Oouch. It must have hurt as the TSS bowling unit, backed by their field, encircled BSHS from ball No. 1 when Zac McDermott burst through Daniel Skipwith. TSS remain in the premiership race up to their eyebrows.

TSS’s Ted Waterman took four wickets.

TGS BEATING TERRACE IN ROUND 1 WAS SO IMPORTANT

The competition pacesetters TGS have enjoyed back to back victories at home against BSHS and Brisbane Grammar School, but it was their come from behind round 1 win which has set up their season. Those points are gold after Richard Dean (35 not out) threaded the lower order together following an influential 37 by all-rounder Cooper Webster. This after Ewald Kruger (6-34) turned Terrace’s start of 0-100 into 9-196. If TGS go one and win the premiership, they will look back at that match as a key moment.

RELATED LINKS

GPS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK FROM ROUND 2

ROUND 2 REPORT HERE – click here

GPS CRICKET’S BEST 10 NEVER TO PLAY A TEST MATCH

WATCH OUT! NUDGEE COLLEGE IS ON THE MOVE

They were out of sight following a round 1 bye but twice the Nudgee players have imposed themselves, starting with new ball bowlers McLean and Kasprowicz, and through all-rounder Jack Balkin with ball and bat. Backed by a razor sharp fielding side, Nudgee were exactly where everyone thought they would be – right in the mix.

Nudgee's Ed Kasprowicz and Angus McLean ready to lead the attack.

BBC HAVE IMPROVED

We have learned what we suspected – Brisbane Boys College would improve under decorated former Australian and Queensland coach John Buchanan. Whether they won or not, we were not sure, but we thought Buchanan would encourage his players to back their skills and play with freedom.

Brisbane Boys College batsman Oscar Shaw was impressive at the weekend. Picture, John Gass

BBC have only played the two games but James Martens, Blake Armstrong and Jamie Alexander have released the handbrakes. We have also noted the running between the wickets, BBC’s desire to keep things ticking through singles.

RELATED RANKS

ROUND 1 MATCH REPORT

FROM GPS FIRST XI WINNER TO TEST COACH – BUCHANAN’s REVEALS ALL

QUEENSLAND 17s THRASH NSW METRO TO WIN GRAND FINAL

BSHS AND BRISBANE GRAMMAR WERE STRUGGLING – BUT .....

They hold positions No. 8 (BGS) and No. 9 (BSHS) on the table and the batting of both teams is not standing up. But there is evidence both bowling attacks were fighting hard which is all you can ask. The BSHS attack have had no runs to play with, but Moloney, Peck, Corrie and Du have all battled hard. The same can be said for BGS where Sane, Skerl, Spence and Matthews have all put in the big ones.

GPS First XI cricket between Nudgee College and Ipswich Grammar School.

PLAYERS OF THE ROUND

BRISBANE BOYS COLLEGE v CHURCHIE

Blake Armstrong (BBC)

What a performance from Blake Armstrong. In stifling western suburbs heat, and with a smoke haze surrounding the ground, Armstrong (97) produced an innings for the ages against a confident Churchie bowling attack. He thoroughly deserved a century. Then, after 160 minutes in the middle, he bowled eight overs for just 22, showing tremendous stamina.

Brisbane Boys College batsman Blake Armstrong. Picture, John Gass

Oscar Shaw (BBC)

The inning was in the balance when BBC lost two wickets in an over to be 5-120, then enter Shaw. With Armstrong showing signs of losing his edge in the heat, Shaw got cracking to be the mainstay in BBC scoring 119 runs from the last 15 overs.

Jamie Alexander (BBC)

He showed promise with the bat but ended up delivering with the ball by snaring two wickets in his second over – and later a third – which set up the BBC bowling innings. Two were bowled and one was LBW as the BBC captain attacked the stumps during his nine over surge. He bowled beautifully in partnership with the economical Armstrong, placing Churchie under early pressure.

Brisbane Boys College batsman Jack Heelan batting in round 1. Picture, John Gass

Jack Heelan (BBC)

Churchie were still in the match when off spinner Heelan claimed two wickets in an over, sending Churchie toppling from 3-102 to 5-102. In the hurly, burly of the run chase he claimed another two, finishing with 4-39, but those two wickets in a row to bowl Tighe Morris (39) and Jayden Draper were gold.

RELATED LINKS

GPS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK FROM ROUND 2

ROUND 2 REPORT HERE – click here

GPS CRICKET’S BEST 10 NEVER TO PLAY A TEST MATCH

THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL v BSHS

Zac McDermott and Ted Waterman (TSS)

For years it has been the TSS spinners who have caused opposing teams most trauma, but right arm medium fast bowlers McDermott and Waterman had a field day on Saturday. Bowling outswing Waterman took 4-4 and McDermott 4-5.

The Southport School’s bowler Zac McDermott. Picture, John Gass

Griffith Williams (TSS)

The Southport School have a beautifully balanced side when you consider new ball bowlers McDermott and Williams also bat in the top four. Although he is not bowling at the moment, Queensland under 17 representative Williams made his presence felt with a commanding 73 in two hours of batting. The BSHS bowlers had TSS pinned down, 2-42 after 22 overs. But Williams steadily built the innings toward 170 which turned out to be safe ground.

Brisbane State High batsman Jem Du. Picture, John Gass

Jem Du (BSHS)

Du did all he could to unseat BSHS with an opening burst of 6-1-13-2 and with support from Tom Moloney (1-24, over overs) and Max Isoardi (0-6, five overs), challenged hard against TSS. He later returned with a spell of 4-1-10-1 when Williams was cracking the whip, a meritorious performance in the circumstances. Isoardi’s busy afternoon also included two catches and a hand in a run out.

NUDGEE COLLEGE v TERRACE

Ed Kasprowicz and Angus McLean (Nudgee College)

The medium fast new ball bowlers have twice dictated the trend of games with outstanding opening bursts this season. Both right armers, McLean is an outswing bowler who can also make the ball smash into the keeper’s gloves while Kasprowicz, tall and steady, does a bit wit

h the ball and bowls an off stump or just outside line.

Nudgee College celebrate a round 2 wicket.

With Carter Corless as a side kick, they rocked Terrace early to have the visitors 5-23 – after 15 overs. That the trio also dried up the runs compounded the pressure exerted on Terrace.

Jack Balkin (Nudgee College)

For the second successive week the Nudgee College captain steered his team home with the bat, making sure a likely win was turned into a guaranteed victory. Last weekend it was 44 not out, an innings lasting just over an hour and a half. And this after his off spin (8-3-21-0) had again played a significant role in restricting the opposition batsmen.

Nudgee College bowler Jack Balkin giving the ball air. Picture, John Gass

Jonathan Morgan (Terrace)

With Angus Kelly and Oscar Bodimeade around him, all rounder Morgan (40, 98 balls) managed to give his fellow bowlers a target to defend against Nudgee. The Norths’ club player curbed his hard hitting traits to work hard for almost two hours, ensuring Terrace batted out their overs after slumping to 5-23.

GPS First XI cricket between Gregory Terrace and Toowoomba Grammar School.

TOOWOOMBA GRAMMAR SCHOOL v BRISBANE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Cooper Webster (TGS)

Webster was a match-winner with both bat and ball.

Early in the game, he shone with figures of 3/11 off 10, bowling a magnificent five maidens.

Then, after helping his side remove Brisbane Grammar for 112, he was a heroic batter.

Although the scorecard doesn’t show it with his 15 off 53, he was doing what was needed of him. Toowoomba just needed someone to stay in and chip away and that’s what he did in the face of a couple fired up Brisbane Grammar paceman. They were always good for 112, it was just a matter of not losing 10 wickets before reaching it.

Charlie Bignell and Richard Dean (TGS)

Bignell and Dean had to step up and that’s exactly what they did. Bignell came in at 2-8 and hit a crucial 28, before No. 7 Dean threw on his cape and scored an unbeaten 35 to steer his side past the winners post.

GPS First XI cricket between Brisbane Boys College and Churchie. Saturday February 11, 2023. Picture, John Gass

Oliver Spence (BGS)

Spence was an allrounder- ace on Saturday, shining bright in a losing side.

He opened the batting and hit a commendable 28, before trying his luck with the ball where he took a twofer.

He couldn’t have done much more.

Soham Sane (BGS)

Sane was on song at the bowling crease, picking up 3 out of the opening four Toowoomba batsmen with figures of 3/17 off eight.

Although Toowoomba got the result, you can’t fault the effort.

ROUND 4

IGS v GT

BBC v TGS

BSHS v NC

TSS v BGS

Bye: Churchie

Originally published as Round 3 Players of the Week; Six things we have learned