Toowoomba’s top players to watch this senior cricket season
We name the 40+ A, B and Reserve grade star players to watch this Toowoomba cricket season. Find out who from your club made the list here.
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The 2022/23 Toowoomba cricket season was one of the best in recent memory.
The battle between bat and ball was evenly matched and cricket fans across the Garden City were treated to plenty of big hitting displays, mesmerising spells with the ball and thrilling contests across every grade played.
With the new one-day season underway this weekend here is our look at the 40+ players you need to watch in every grade this season.
Southern Districts Magpies
A-grade
Nick Budden
Budden is a top-order batsmen who has previously played in the Australian deaf team.
He is a patient batsmen who is capable of protecting his wicket and is set for a big season.
Budden is a regular in rep cricket and his career batting average is just shy of 30.
He has scored seven centuries throughout his career so he is more than capable of producing a matchwinning inning.
Matt Budden
Budden is a lethal swing bowler who will be spearheading the Magpies’ bowling attack.
He is a consistent contributor with the ball and took 5/15 off 17 overs against Highfields last season to give his side a narrow first innings victory.
Budden and strike-partner Ruvith Karunarathne, will ask all sorts of questions of Toowoomba batsmen this season and will be pivotal if the Magpies are to make a finals push.
Ruvith Karunarathne
After missing last season, Karunarathne is back from Sri Lanka to wreak havoc with the ball for Southern Districts.
He was previously in the TCI team of the year and was one of the leading wicket-takers in the competition.
Reserve grade
David Callick
Callick will return as captain of the Magpies this season and the inspirational leader will look to pick up where he left off.
He scored an incredible four centuries last season and was his club’s leading run-scorer with 600 runs at an average of 40.
With five centuries and more than 1000 runs in the last two seasons alone, Callick is set to punish bowlers.
Isaac Adamson
Adamson is an opening bowler who will be pushing for an A-grade spot this campaign.
He is a consistent seamer who chips away at a good line and length, giving opposition batsmen absolutely nothing.
Adamson has claimed 83 career scalps at an average of 14.22 with a very impressive economy rate of just 2.79 runs per over.
B-grade
Matt Gurr
Gurr is a top-order batsmen who can also make solid contributions with the ball.
The Magpies B-grader has posted 12 career half-centuries with a batting average of 20.81.
With the ball, he averages 21.18 despite being used only occasionally.
Stuart Keene
Southern Districts’ all-time leading wicket-taker is making his return this season and is looking to extend his lead at the top of the charts.
With best career figures of 9/7, no batsmen will be safe when Keene marks his run up this season.
Metropolitan-Easts
A-grade
Ben Brocherie
Brocherie is the Met-Easts A-grade captain who boasts a wealth of experience.
The batting all-rounder is a talent with bat and ball as he took 21 wickets and scored 406 runs in all competitions last year.
He posted one of his best knocks of his career with the bat last summer with an unbeaten 89 off just 42 balls in the T20 competition.
With the ball, he is a left-arm chinaman bowler so will be difficult for opposition batsmen to contain.
Daniel Pollock
Pollock was a standout performer with the bat last year and excelled in the two-day competition, where he scored 340 runs at an average of 42.5.
Like his captain, Pollock also poses a threat with the ball as he claimed 28 scalps at 10.43 during the 2022/23 campaign.
In the two-day grand final, Pollock took 3/16 to help his side claim a 35-run win in the decider.
Lachlan Evans
Evans spearheaded the Met-Easts bowling attack last year with 29 wickets across all formats.
His exploits earned him a call-up to the Lockyer Valley Mitchell Shield side where he took three wickets at an average of 21.67.
Evans is an explosive talent who can break the game open off his own bowling which was evident in a clash against Southern Districts last season, when he took 6/46 to guide Metropolitan-Easts to victory.
Reserve grade
Dean Fry
Dean Fry is an experienced all-rounder who has done it all.
With more than 250 wickets and 7000 runs, Fry is a dependable veteran.
Throughout his career, he has scored 31 50s and one century along with three five-wicket hauls with the ball.
Jacob Fry
Jacob Fry is a solid contributor with bat and ball with a knack of breaking a partnership.
Fry claimed 23 scalps last season at an average of 16.87.
With the bat, he is a versatile option who can bat in both the top and middle order and score handy runs.
Darryl Pettit
Pettit is a dangerous weapon with the new ball who has been a consistent performer in Toowoomba cricket over the last seven years.
He has taken two five-wicket hauls with a career bowling average of 18.37.
B-grade
Adam Kerrigan
Kerrigan is a leader in the B-grade ranks with unrivalled experience.
He has proven he can do it with bat and ball and has career-best bowling figures of 8/32.
With the bat, Kerrigan is just as reliable with an average of just under 25 runs and four career centuries.
Last season, he was at his vintage best with the bat as he scored more than 500 runs at an average of 38.79 and a high score of 118.
With the ball, Kerrigan’s best figures were 6/27 and claimed 18 scalps at a superb average of just 8.11.
Mark Alexander
Alexander has been a pivotal figure for Met-Easts in recent years.
Last season, he scored an unbeaten ton and took 6/12 in a two-day game against Highfields.
Shoeb Harun
Harun is a lethal bowler who constantly keeps batsmen on their toes.
He has taken five five-wicket hauls over the last two seasons with a best of 6/22.
With more than 100 career scalps, Harun has a remarkable bowling average of just 12.11.
Northern Brothers Diggers
A-grade
Aidan Watterson
Watterson is making his return to the Northern Brothers Diggers Dragons this season as captain and coach after spending time playing for Western Suburbs in Brisbane.
Watterson is handy with bat and ball and his leadership will be invaluable for Northern Brothers.
He is a player to watch with the ability to score a century or take a five-wicket haul.
In his return to the region, Watterson was named in this year’s Darling Downs Bulls Masters side.
Jordan Sondergeld
Sondergeld enters this campaign off the back of a strong pre-season where he has worked on his bowling and picked up some extra pace with the ball.
Sondergeld was an anchor with the bat last year and scored a half century against Highfields in a one-dayer.
In terms of his bowling, he has career-best figures of 5/37 and has a solid average of 18.22.
Brandon Walker
Walker is a previous captain of the club but can now unleash as he can purely focus on his batting and keeping.
He is a punishing opening batsmen and scored an unbeaten 101 when his side claimed a nine-wicket win over University last season.
Walker was also a part of the Darling Downs Suns Bulls Masters side.
Reserve grade
Astin Riley
Riley is a new signing from Highfields and will play for the Northern Brothers Reserve grade but is expected to push for a spot in the A-grade team.
He is a dangerous bowler and played a key role in the Bulldogs’ Reserve grade one-day premiership last season.
Ryan Coleman
Coleman is a young gun who already has A-grade experience.
He is a solid option with the ball and with the bat can score handy runs.
Coleman represented the Darling Downs and South West Queensland side at both U16 and U18 level last season.
In the U18 clash against the Sunshine Coast rep side, he took an impressive 5/52.
B-grade
Jeff Philp
Philp will lead a young Northern Brothers Diggers B-grade side as captain this year.
He brings experience at the top of the batting order and is a lethal batsmen who can win a game off his own back.
Philp’s career batting average is upwards of 45 and he has scored several centuries, including two double-centuries.
Highfields and Districts Railway Cricket Club
A-grade
Daniel Anderson
Anderson is a pivotal all-rounder for the Bulldogs and will look to return to form with the bat this season after a relatively quiet 2022/23 season.
Anderson’s top score for the Bulldogs came in the first round of the one-day competition when he scored 48 runs.
He did manage to improve on that during the rep window last season as he scored an unbeaten 53 against South Queensland in the U21 Schaeffer Shield.
With the ball, Anderson is a dangerous weapon who can break open a contest.
His career bowling average is less than 25 and he has career best figures of 6/12.
George Casey
Casey is another player who can have an impact with bat and ball.
His efforts with the bat where he scored 40* and 50 in consecutive innings were crucial in the Bulldogs’ run to last year’s one-day final.
With the ball, Casey is a solid contributor who has a knack of breaking a partnership.
Reserve grade
Riley Canning
Canning is primed for a big season ahead as he is set to make the step up from B-grade to Reserve grade this season.
He has experience playing for the Darling Downs and South West Queensland junior rep side and has an impressive career bowling average of 11.34.
Canning keeps batsmen on their toes and has superb career best figures of 8/12.
University
A-grade
Tully Willson
The University A-grade captain is set for a big year at the top of the batting order.
Willson is an effective opener when it comes to surviving the opening overs with the new ball and often lays a solid platform for the rest of the batting order.
With a highest score of 122 runs, once Willson gets his eye in, he can be a tough player to dismiss.
He has been a regular member of the Darling Downs Bulls Masters side and was also a part of this year’s squad.
Dean Sullivan
Sullivan is another leader in the University ranks and opens the batting alongside Willson.
He scored 382 runs last year at a handy average of 27.29 and has an overall career average of 22.01.
Sullivan showed he has what it takes to bat in difficult conditions as he scored a pair of 50s against Met-Easts last year in a clash where there were 10 ducks across the two University innings.
Michael Evans
Evans is a vital part of the University bowling attack and will look to take his game to the next level this season.
He has played rep cricket for Wide Bay, South Burnett and Toowoomba and has career-best figures of 5-9.
Reserve grade
David Else
Else is an experienced head who is an impressive talent with bat and ball.
With a career batting average of 27.05 and bowling average of 17.48, Else makes consistent
contributions across both facets of the game.
Else showed his class last season as he scored four half-centuries including two unbeaten 50s in the one game against Northern Brothers Diggers.
John Littleproud
Littleproud is another player who is a threat with bat and ball.
He has an impressive batting average of 34.04 and a solid bowling average of 23.12.
Littleproud notched up three half-tons in the Reserve grade one-day competition last year.
Sam Gillespie
Gillespie is a young-gun who will be a regular in the Reserve grade competition but will also be pushing his case for A-grade selection.
At just 17 years of age, Gillespie has a bright future ahead of him.
He has rep experience with both Toowoomba and the Darling Downs and is a proven wicket-taker.
Liam Cousen
Cousen is one of the several young players who are rising through the ranks at University.
The 17-year-old is handy with the bat and the ball and will look to assert himself as a key member of the Reserve grade team this campaign.
Cousen has a career batting average of 21.33 and a bowling average of 15.25 but his batting will be where he will have the most impact this year.
B-grade
Noah Mellis
At just 16 years of age, Mellis had the tough task of leading the University bowling attack last season.
However, he is expected to rise to greater heights this year as he will receive greater support with University fielding a stronger B-grade line-up.
The left-arm pace bowler is relentless in attack and averages 13.68.
Andrew Crooke
Crooke is a leader who has previously played for the Queensland Veterans side.
He was a member of the C-grade side which claimed the two-day premiership last season and has made the step up this year to bolster the B-grade team.
Crooke is a pivotal player with the bat and ball and was a force to be reckoned with last year.
He took two five-wicket hauls in the two-day competition last season and also proved he is a weapon with the bat as he scored 116 off just 67 balls against Western Districts.
Rob Phillips
Phillips will be a player to watch in round 2 when he eyes off his 500th TCI wicket.
Currently on 499, Phillips won’t be playing in the opening round but is set to play in round two with wild celebrations set to ensue when he reaches the milestone.
Western Districts
A-grade
Luke Neale
Neale leads by example and is a swashbuckling opening batsmen who can also chip in at three or four as well.
Neale scored two centuries against the Magpies last season including an emphatic 189 off just 132 balls in the two-day competition.
He played in the North v South Queensland rep games last season and was included in this season’s Darling Downs Bull Masters team.
With the ball, Neale is just as effective and is a key member of the Warriors’ bowling rotation.
Brian May
May is making his return to the Warriors after spending last season playing mainly for Ipswich and brings a wealth of experience and class.
In the few games he did play for Western Districts last year, he made his presence felt as he scored an unbeaten 90 against University.
Throughout his remarkable career, he has scored close to 15,000 runs and notched up a mammoth 42 centuries.
He has been a regular member of the Queensland Country side and was inducted into the Australian Country Cricket Hall of Fame in 2018.
On top of all this, May captained the Australian National Over-40s side against the New Zealand Over-40s and New Zealand A earlier in the year.
Michael Dowe
Dowe is a challenging bowler who will spearhead the Warriors’ bowling attack this summer.
He took an impressive 41 wickets in all competitions last season at an average of 17.71.
Dowe has previously played grade cricket in Brisbane and has rep experience as well.
Reserve grade
Scott Schultz
Schultz is an all-rounder who is both consistent with the ball and capable of producing a match-defining knock anywhere in the order.
Schultz is an anchor with the bat and can hold his ground when the pressure is on.
With the ball, he is a solid member of the Warriors bowling cartel and has a career bowling average below 20.
Nicholas Sheedy
Sheedy is another player who contributes with both bat and ball.
He has a solid batting average of 23.48 and a bowling average of 17.25.
Sheedy’s best score with the bat was a knock of 79 which came against Highfields last season and his best bowling figures are 5/5.
B-grade
Thomas Steer
Thomas Steer is a young-gun with rep experience who is a player to watch with both bat and ball.
Steer has been a menace in B-grade and in junior cricket and has an impressive batting average of 27.52.
With the ball, he has made his presence felt as he has an average of 11.56.
Henry Steer
Henry Steer is another player who is coming through the ranks at Western Districts who has experience playing at rep level with Toowoomba and Darling Downs.
Steer is a solid contributor with the bat and scored 41 runs against University in B-grade last season.
He has a career batting average of 23.13 with a highest score of 60.
David Nunn
Nunn is a solid player who generally bats at the top of the order for the Warriors.
He is another player who has played at junior rep level and was a handy player for Western Districts in the U16s and B-grade sides last season.
When he does bowl, he has proven to be an economical option who can tie one end down.
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