NQ lose both championship games but Dixon chimes in with six wickets Hopes bowled over
NORTH Queensland have experienced no joy at the NQ Open Cricket Championships after going winless from their two games.
North Queensland suffered a 51- run defeat to Cricket Far North on day one and then went down by 46 runs to Mackay- Whitsunday in game two.
Sub Parks’ bowler Justin Dixon was a shining light for NQ after taking six wickets throughout the weekend and Heath O’Brien hit 82 runs against Mackay- Whitsunday’s for what was NQ’s best individual knock.
NQ had hopes of getting back to the heights that once saw them win nine open titles in 10 years, but will still use the weekend as a learning experience.
A total of five under- 21 players were fielded by NQ, who went without in- form batsman Riley Ward because of injury and long- time skipper Tony Hampson was no longer available after announcing his representative retirement this year. Experienced middleorder batsman Mark Taviani was also unavailable.
“There’s no excuses from us,” NQ coach David Todd said.
“The conditions were excellent, it was a flat wicket and the ground was a bit smaller.
“We just needed a couple of older heads in the middle order to hold up one end to get us home. But it was a good opportunity for the younger guys.
“A big positive for us was Ryan Eaton’s captaincy and with ‘ Hampo’ now unavailable he had big shoes to fill, but for a 20- year- old, Ryan did a great job.”
NQ were bowled out for 172 chasing Cricket Far North’s 224- run target on day one, with Herbie Heuir ( 27) and Brad Radford ( 42) saving NQ’s blushes after being 5- 56.
Opener Brad Stout tried to get NQ going with a quickfire 24 runs, but the cheap dismissals of Heath O’Brien ( 6), Tom Sky ( 4), and Eaton ( 2) dented NQ’s prospects of a successful chase.
Jack Raffles ( 10) and Dixon ( 19 no) tried digging in for NQ, but to no avail.
Cricket Far North made 202 earlier in the day, with Chris Stanger clubbing 112 runs from 89 balls.
Dixon collected 4- 40 for NQ against Mackay- Whitsunday while Brad Radford ( 3- 42) and Heuir ( 2- 32) also contributed, but the home side still set a 202- run target.
NQ were bowled for 156 in response, with O’Brien ( 82) and Danaher ( 38) the only batsmen to reach double figures.
Cricket Far North scored a championship treble by winning the open, under- 21 and under- 18 competitions.