NEW CROP OF PLAYERS GUIDED BY OLD HANDS
THE end may be approaching for the representative careers of North Queensland’s golden generation but skipper Craig Mcelligott is confident a new crop of cricketers are ready to step up to take their place.
Under Mark Taviani, Tony Hampson, Jamie Heit, Herbie Heiur, Justin Rawlins and Justin Dixon, Townsville cemented itself as the capital of Queensland Country cricket.
Taviani’s retirement this off-season has marked the start of a generational shift in North Queensland’s representative side but Mcelligott is adamant the region will continue to shine long after its legends hang up their whites.
“I definitely feel good about the talent coming through,” Mcelligott said.
“I think the guys like Tony Hampson recognise that (shift approaching) and we’ve got some plans in place for that succession. It’s always going to be a challenge, there’s no doubt about that, but that’s what happens when you’ve got a pretty talented side and you don’t get experience without playing.
“We’re talented enough at the moment that I think they (Gen Next) can take the reins.”
Part of that succession plan will be unveiled on Saturday when Ryan Mccarron (Norths), Luke Lamborn (Wests) and Bailee Brown (Brothers) take the field for North Queensland’s Open side for the first time.
All three are still eligible for Under-21s cricket but have found their way into the team with player unavailability opening the door to debuts on Riverway Stadium.
Lamborn will open the batting having entrenched himself atop the competition’s strongest batting lineup at Wests.
Brown is another top order bat with runs to his name this season but will slide down to the middle order.
Mccarron, the 18-year-old son of the late Steve Mccarron, has returned from a season in Worcestershire County’s feeder system in the UK to take his place alongside veteran quicks Dixon, Sam Collingwood and Kyle Dearness, who will also debut for NQ a decade on from taking his first A Grade wicket.
Mcelligott, 31, is determined to play on to help guide that transition to the next generation.
Part of the reason why, he said, was to avoid the pitfalls that engulfed the North Queensland side when it was last considered a ‘young’ team.
“We’re trying to put a few things in place, like the way we do things and getting back to earning the right to play for Townsville, not wasting the opportunity,” Mcelligott said.
“A few years ago there were a few guys who saw it (playing for NQ) as a bit of a boy’s trip versus an actual tournament. In the last few years we’ve tried to really highlight what we’re doing and what we want to achieve. We’ve tried to curb those bad tendencies and set a real precedent for when those boys to come through knowing we’re not here for a party – we’re here to win games of cricket and improve our skills.”
NQ Open Squad: Adam Zabala (Wk), Luke Lamborn, Craig Mcelligott, Sam Lowry, Jamie Heit, Ryan Eaton, Bailee Brown, Justin Dixon, Jack Raffles, Kyle Dearness, Ryan Mccarron, Sam Collingwood