Meet 28-year-old Norths opener Josh Brown, a bat repairer who can help revitalise the Heat

Meet the 28-year-old from Queensland Country who could revitalise a Brisbane Heat squad now minus former dopplelganger Chris Lynn. Plus we reveal the Lord’s Taverners Team of the Week.

The Brisbane Heat will be without Chris Lynn for the 2022/23 Big Bash League season, but there is a clone waiting in the ranks.

John Brown, 28, a clean-hitting opener for Norths, has verbally committed to the Heat about taking up a Local Replacement Player contract and there’s little wonder why he is fancied.

The bat repairer at Cooper Cricket has Chris Lynn-esque stats in the Queensland Premier Cricket competition.

His highest score in the T20 Max competition, where he hit two centuries, was a whopping 159 off 59 balls. Yes you read that right.

He was the leading runs-scorer in that competition with 447 runs at an average of 55.88. He was in a hurry while at the crease, with a strike rate of 212 and a competition high 41 sixes. As such, he was named to the KFC T20 Max Team of the Tournament.

Josh Brown of Norths brings up his 100 runs KFC T20 Max competition at Alan Pettrigrew Oval

He owns the second highest individual score in Queensland Premier Cricket, leapfrogging Lynn’s knock of 154 in 2020/21.

But wait, there’s more. Brown has scored four career hundreds in Premier Cricket First Grade T20 competitions, tying with record holder Lynn from his windscreen smashing Toombul days.

Brown has played 2nd XI for Queensland, and made a relatively sedate 46 from 33 balls against the Netherlands T20 World Cup team in a practice game last week, but has dreams of playing at the highest level.

He spent the winter playing in the Darwin competition and Strike League against some of the best up-and-coming cricketers in the nation and is busy with Norths looking to get the Vikings away to a sound start in Brisbane in the two-day Premier cricket format.

Brisbane Heat head coach Wade Seccombe said: “We’ve agreed that he will be one of our Local Replacement Players for the first half of the tournament when we expect to have Marnus and Usman Khawaja on national duties, and then will look to keep him with the group as a replacement for one of the two international batsmen (Sam Billings and Colin Munro) when they finish up their BBL commitments.

“We’re looking at some other playing opportunities for Josh as well as we prepare for the tournament, and he has been training with the Bulls for the past few weeks.”

Brown may well get the chance to expand his repertoire further this week, with practice games against Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan team in the schedule around Brisbane club grounds.

KFC T20 Max competition at Ian Healy Oval

THE BEST PERFORMERS FROM LORD’s TAVERNER

Angus McLean (Sandgate Redcliffe): The bowling figures of 4/22 paint the picture.

Carter Simpson (Sandgate Redcliffe):

Lord Taverner's standout Carter Simpson. Picture – Facebook/Carter Simpson.

Simpson chipped in with bat and ball. With bowling figures of 3/20 and 75 runs, he steered his side to a convincing victory over Northern Suburbs.

Billy Nuss and Steven Hogan (Sandgate Redcliffe): Nuss scored 66 while Hogan tallied an unbeaten 57.

Jamie Diggles (Sunshine Coast): Diggles scored a quick 72 off 98.

Zayne Thomas and Clancy Brady (Redlands): Thomas laid the platform with a steady 55 off 96 as did Brady with 50 off 81. Tom Jeffries chipped in 35 and was busy as ever between the wickets, facing 38 deliveries and scoring only one boundary.

Harley Malpass (Wynnum Manly): Malpass came in at six and hit a much needed 64 to give his side a defendable total of 173.

Amitoj Sidhu (Toombul):

Lord Taverner's standout Amitoj Sidhu.. Picture – Facebook/Amitoj Sidhu.

Sidhu won the game for Toombul. With an unbeaten 44 off 43 coming in at nine, the youngster got his team to the total with only one wicket in hand.

Sam Lewis and Henry Harris (Valley):

Billy Nuss (back left) and Sam Lewis (front row, middle) are Marist College Ashgrove cricketers. Lord Taverner's Team of the Week. Picture – Facebook/Marist College Ashgrove.

Marist College Ashgrove product Sam Lewis finished the job for Valleys with 3/13 bowling figures while Harris also picked up 3/24. Indeed it was a very economical day out for Harris, bowling nine overs. These two spearheaded the attack as South Brisbane fell short of 138, getting bowled out for 89.

Saxon Jeh (Valley):

Lord Taverner's standout Saxon Jeh. Picture – Facebook/Saxon Jeh.

A patient knock of 34 off 68 was crucial from Jeh. With the top order falling cheaply, he delivered much needed runs to the total which gave his side a total they could defend.

Abhimanyu Yadav and Sree Bachu (UQ): Yadav had a cracking knock as opener. Scoring 61 off 75, Yadav provided UQ with the ideal start. Bachu followed suit with 43 runs off just 40 balls.

Henry Hillier (UQ): Hillier was impressive to say the least. He took the opener and 1st drop and with that, set UQ on the path to victory. It’s worth noting Hillier only went for seven runs off his six overs.

Kori Ramsden (Ipswich):

Lord Taverner's standout Kori Ramsden.. Picture – Facebook/Ipswich Grammar School.

A great all-rounder. On Saturday, he took three wickets, bowled four maidens and only went for 16 runs off his 10 overs. The stats speak for themselves.

Jayden Santacaterina (Wide Bay): Santacaterina was Wide Bay’s standout. It wasn’t just the figures of 3/15, but the fact he dismissed the opener, the first change batsman, the No.7 and also took a catch.

Ravijit Buttar and Jack Sonter (Western Suburbs):

Lord Taverner's standout Jack Sonter. Picture – Facebook/Jack Sonter.

Talk about a partnership. Buttar hit 61 while Sonter had an unbeaten 87. Sonter scored them quick coming in after the early loss of Buttar’s opening partner, facing only 112 balls.

James Crews (Gold Coast): Crews shone like a beacon in a losing side. Coming in at No.6, Crews had a superb innings, only to be undone on 50 by a Sonter run-out.

Originally published as Meet 28-year-old Norths opener Josh Brown, a bat repairer who can help revitalise the Heat