Dolphins plunder record
THE Gold Coast Dolphins have smashed their way into the record books by posting 7-460 declared on the first day of their Queensland Premier visit to Wynnum-Manly, with Max Bryant (144) and Scott Palombo (141) leading the charge.
It was Gold Coast’s biggest total in a single day of red-ball cricket and the opening stand of 257 the club’s highest firstgrade partnership.
It surpassed the unbeaten 242 added by Chris Swan and Adam Daniels against Norths in 2007-08.
Bryant registered his fourth century of the summer, a total achieved only twice before, by Jeff Pfaff in 1996-97 and Andrew Robinson in 2006-07.
The big-hitting pair of 21year-olds propelled the Dolphins to an unbelievable 0-220 at lunch on Saturday.
Bryant’s 144 off 108 balls with 12 fours and seven sixes was a timely reminder to Queensland and Brisbane Heat selectors of his developing talents.
Palombo, who registered a maiden senior century in January, was only marginally less spectacular, weighing in with 18 boundaries and two sixes from 158 deliveries.
Josh Kann (94, seven fours, six sixes) gave added support.
A Country NSW and Queensland Under-19 representative, Palombo made his adult debut in Moree at age 12, and spent 2018 and 2019 playing club cricket in England.
He topped 1000 runs in his first stint and just missed that milestone in his second for Spondon in the Derbyshire League.
With the UK still largely in lockdown, he has put on hold any thoughts of a return this year. Instead he will continue his studies in education support, as well as moonlighting as a house painter.
“I’ve been playing since I was about six. I came to the Gold Coast as a boarder at TSS, and after school stayed here primarily because of cricket,” he said. “This is the only pathway to improve.
“It’s been a reasonable season for me, playing more regularly in first grade and getting to understand my role in the team.
“Saturday was one of those days when everything came together. Max and me, we’re both aggressive batsmen by nature and it all worked out for us really well. The pleasing thing was not just getting a hundred but managing to go on with it. That’s what you need to do in grade cricket.”
Wynnum-Manly crawled to be 0-3 off seven overs by stumps.