Action aplenty after break
Queens skipper’s gamble looks to be paying off after winning toss
Cricket returned to the Gold Coast after three weeks off thanks to the Christmas and New Year’s break with teams dusting off the whites as the competition moves to two-day cricket.
Despite plenty of rain around in the days leading up to the first Saturday in 2024, all games in both Premier First and Premier Second grade went ahead.
Here is how day one went:
PREMIER FIRST GRADE: Broadbeach 10-141 v Southport
Southport won the toss and elected to bowl first and it seemed like the smart decision, picking up early wickets. Southport’s Dhanushka Mitipolaarachchi was the pick of the bowlers with 3-36 from 22.2 overs.
Broadbeach captain Ryan Armstrong showed some fight with 36 from 68 balls to be the Cats top scorer.
Helensvale 10-140 v Mudgeeraba 0-31
Similar to Broadbeach, Helensvale lost the toss and was sent in on what was a very wet and windy day along the Coast. Wickets fell quickly and consistently as Mudgee opening bowler Nathan Lyons claimed 5-61 from 22 overs and was well supported by Matthew Grant (3-21 off 12) and Dayne Siede (2-32 from 14.4).
Helensvale’s Harry Lickiss and Shaun Snyder showed poise, both being dismissed on 31.
Surfers Paradise 3-164 v Alberton 10-113
Alberton was sent in and after a solid start, lost its first wicket in the eighth over and never fully recovered from there. Wickets fell in quick succession, with Surfers Paradise’s bowlers Mark Taskis (3-8 from 6.2) and Madeesha Perera (3-25 from 8) the pick of the bowlers.
In reply, Surfers Paradise finished the day on 3-164 with Harold Jones sitting comfortable at 66 not out from as many balls. He was strongly supported by opener Lachlan Diven’s 48 from 121 balls.
Queens 10-210 v Coomera Hope Island 1-2
The only team in first grade to win the toss and bat first, Queens skipper Max Houlahan will be pretty happy with his decision as he guided his team to 200 with a smart 52 from 121 balls. He had strong support from Steven Baker (40 from 60 balls) and Blake Chapman (33 from 44 balls).
Coomera captain Jared Spies picked up 4-46 from his 14 overs and Matthew Oliver claimed 3-45 from 21.1 overs.
Burleigh v Runaway Bay 9-160
Runaway Bay has set itself in a very good position having not been bowled out on the first day and likely to keep batting into day two. After losing a wicket on the second ball, it looked likely to be a smart decision to bowl first by Burleigh but Sam Topping’s 73 not out from 146 balls is the reason why the Bay will be batting next Saturday.
Burleigh’s Connor Blakely was the pick of the bowlers with 3-27 from 7 overs.
PREMIER SECOND GRADE Mudgeeraba 10-50 and 0-1 v Helensvale 10-183
Not the start after the Christmas break Mudgee was looking for, but on the flip side, Alexander Hayes and his Helensvale crew couldn’t have asked for a better Saturday.
Four bowlers shared among the wickets for Helensvale in Mudgee’s first innings, with Beau Jorgensen (3-7 from 4.1) and Cole Turner (3-5 from 5) the pick of the bowlers.
In reply, there were a few starts for Helensvale with Jake Grove (33 from 20) and Craig Pilbin (33 from 30) leading the way while Hayes showed support with a 30 from 37.
Mudgee’s Cameron Sinfield (4-63 from 24) and Michael Blight (4-34 from 10.2) were the pick of the bowlers.
Runaway Bay 2-46 v Burleigh 10-155
Almost the perfect start for
Runaway Bay, picking up a wicket inside the first seven overs before a bit of a partnership between Rish Raheel (46 from 70) and Rod Carrington (35 from 64) looked to have turned things in favour of Burleigh. But it was all downhill after those two were dismissed, with Ted Gossett claiming 5-46 from 15.2 overs and Ben Canning picking up 3-22 from 13.
Coomera Hope 10-192 v Queens 0-11
Coomera’s Max Tiley got off to the worst start possible in the first game back after New Year’s, being bowled on the very first ball of the game. Ryan Soars (54 from 59) and Arjun Sharma (30 from 102) steadied the ship for Coomera to get them in a defendable position.
Queens bowler Mitch Foster claimed 4-19 from 13.4 overs while opening bowler Ned O’Reilly picked up 3-30 from 16 overs.
Southport 8-265 Island v Broadbeach
The only team in second grade to win the toss and bat first and, like Queens in first grade, made the most of it.
Ben Eastwell led the way with the bat with 67 from 133 balls and was well supported by skipper Amit Bhasin with 46 not out from 43 balls, David Reid’s 34 from 39 balls and Daniel Scully’s 32 from 52 balls.
Southport’s Bailey Johnston was the pick of the bowlers with 4-55 from 17 overs.
Alberton 9-137 v Surfers Paradise
Alberton was in all sorts of trouble when the rain forced an early tea break, sitting at 7-41 from just 17 overs.
But Caleb Arrold’s innings of 50 from 121 balls showed class above his years, not giving a chance before he was out stumped late on day one.
He was well supported by Dylan Shute’s 30 from 92 balls.
Young off-spinner Riley Eckersley was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 4-31 from his 16 overs.