THURSDAY UPDATE: Rex Tooley, Regan Liebke and Matt Butters led the charge in another robust team performance as Darling Downs Suns continued to sweep all before them at the 2020 Bulls Masters Cricket Youth Cup at Salter Oval yesterday, overwhelming North Queensland Monsoon by 113 runs to also seal a place in today’s final.
Standing in their way are Wide Bay Flames, who also maintained their unbeaten record at the carnival, but were forced to work hard to overcome a valiant Mackay-Whitsunday Nitros, eventually winning by 46 runs with captain Jack Geldard again leading from the front with the bat with a fine 51, and paceman Oliver Bembrick again spearheading the attack with 3-20.
Suns batted first and despite a spirited Monsoon bowling display, they reached 9-184 with opener Rex laying the foundation with a polished 56, to take him to the top of the carnival batting statistics with 160 runs at an average of 53.33.
Monsoon petered out in their run chase, being obliterated for 71 in just 28.4 overs, with only two batsmen posting double-figures, as openers Joseph Fry (2-11) and Morgan Bourke (2-18) both struck early, and change bowlers Regan Liebke and spinner Matt Butters completed the route with 3-10 and 3-10 respectively.
The Flames also threw down the gauntlet, amassing 205 despite being bowled out in 46.2 overs, with their rock-solid top four of Nathan Roderick, Logan Beutel, Jack Geldard, and Harrison Sippel collectively putting their stamp on the game with 33, 26, 51 and 32, respectively.
In reply, Oliver tore through Nitros’ top order with three early wickets in his 3-20, but Maison Staas led a bottom-order fightback with a blazing 62 from 61 balls, but when he fell off the bowling of Harrison (2-31), caught by Ronan Dempsey, the end was nigh.
Seamer Jayden Santacaterina also stamped his mark with 2-10.
Meanwhile, Gold Coast Thunder bounced back from their loss to Suns on Tuesday to wind up second in Pool A with two wins yesterday, staging a superb run chase to edge out Central Queensland Seamers by three wickets in their day 50-over game, and holding on to prevail by eight runs over Mackay-Whitsunday Nitros in their evening T20 hit-out.
Seamers chalked up a healthy 206, but Thunder rumbled to achieve victory with 3.1 overs to spare after having been in trouble at 6-82, before No. 8 Daniel Statham and No. 9 Riley Webb joined forces in a 112-run alliance as Riley departed for 51.
Daniel went on to remain unconquered on a carnival-high 84 from 111 balls.
South East Queensland Stormers also rebounded from their first loss of the tournament, to Flames a day earlier, to pull the plug on Far North Fusion and triumph by seven wickets with Lucas Sefont (4-14) and Sohail Khatree (3-22) wreaking havoc in tandem as they were fired out for only 118.
Lucas and Sohail head the carnival bowling honours roll, each now with nine wickets at frugal averages of 7.00 and 9.67, respectively.
Stormers took a mere 20.5 overs to reach their target with seven wickets in the bank.
Today’s final and play-offs for all other positions, to be played as 40-overs per team affairs, were scheduled for an 8am start, but have been delayed by rain.
Bulls Masters Youth Cup scores from Wednesday
WIDE BAY FLAMES 205 (Jack Geldard 51, Nathan Roderick 33, Harrison Sippel 32, Logan Beutel 26, Harry Fortescue 3-32, Kayne Smith 2-23) d MACKAY-WHITSUNDAY NITROS 159 (Maison Staas 62, Oliver Bembrick 3-20, Jayden Santacaterina 2-10, Harrison Sippel 2-31).
GOLD COAST THUNDER 7-209 (Daniel Statham 84no, Reef Webb 51, Reuben Harrold 2-15, Chayce Newman 2-33) d CENTRAL QUEENSLAND SEAMERS 206 (Josh Welsh 83, Kori Ramsden 38, Rhys Dacey 3-36, Mitchell Parkes 2-21, Armaan Sidhu 2-27).
SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND STORMERS 3-119 (Fletcher Madden 34no, Jared Adamski 20, Lucas Sefont 20, Dylan Crees 20no) d FAR NORTH FUSION 118 (Tait Coghlan 32, Matt Wilkins 32, Lucas Sefont 4-14, Sohail Khatree 3-22, Jared Adamski 2-20).
DARLING DOWNS SUNS 9-184 (Rex Tooley 56, Paarth Menon 36, Callum Galvin 28, Ryan Scodellaro 3-33, Eric Roy 2-28) d NORTH QUEENSLAND MONSOON 71 (Christian Payne 22, Regan Liebke 3-10, Matt Butters 3-20, Joseph Fry 2-11, Morgan Bourke 2-18).
T20: GOLD COAST THUNDER 103 (Riley Tattle 26, Jackson Evetts 2-9, Harry Fortescue 2-14, Kayne Smith 2-20) d MACKAY-WHITSUNDAY NITROS 95 (Riley Jackson 32, Mitchell Parkes 3-21, James Guthrig 2-9).
Today – Final: Darling Downs Suns v Wide Bay Flames; Play-off for third: Gold Coast Thunder d South East Queensland Stormers; Play-off for fifth: North Queensland Monsoon v Mackay-Whitsunday Nitros; Play-off for seventh: Central Queensland Seamers v Far North Fusion.
Youth Cup round-up from Tuesday
WEDNESDAY: Darling Downs Suns are the only team with three wins at the 2020 Bulls Masters Cricket Youth Cup at Salter Oval after getting up to defeat Gold Coast Thunder by one wicket in their 50-over day game yesterday, their backing up to cruise to a nine-wicket victory over Far North Fusion in their night T20 clash.
But Wide Bay Flames are also unbeaten and on top of Pool B after also having to fight hard to overhaul the previously unbeaten South East Queensland Stormers.
The most outstanding individual performance of the round was that of Mackay-Whitsunday Nitros’ Lachlan Holmes, who cut a swathe of destruction through the Fusion innings, claiming 5-7 from 7.5 overs to send them packing for 149, before opener Lachlan Altman (49) and No. 3 Riley Jackson, who retired for 65 after coming in at 1-7, led Nitros home with more than 20 overs to spare.
Paarth Menon scored a game-high 46 for Suns against Thunder but opener Rex Tooley led the charge against Fusion with an unconquered 67.
Matt Wilkins was a shining light for Fusion with 43 against Nitros and 59 against Suns.
Opener Logan Beutel top scored for Wide Bay for the second day in a row with a classy 42, while Riley Sippel, with 31 and 2-51, and captain Jack Geldard (27 and 2-45) each produced dynamic doubles, and vice-captain Harrison Sippel starred with the ball with 3-24, but it was left to Will Robinson to guide them home with an unbeaten 18.
In yesterday’s remaining match, North Queensland Monsoon opened their account with a 41-run dispatch of Central Queensland Seamers with Ryan Scodellaro (30 and 2-11) and John McLean (28 and 2-30) both showing their all-round talents, but Kori Ramsden a stand-out with 57 for Seamers.
The carnival continues today with the last round with four more 50-over games today at 9am and a T20 clash at 6pm, before tomorrow’s grand final and play-offs for all other positions. Spectators are very welcome.
Bulls Masters Youth Cup Tuesday
DARLING DOWNS SUNS 9-168 (Paarth Menon 46, Tom Doherty 32, Rhys Dacey 3-33, Mitchell Parkes 2-26, James Guthrig 2-27) d GOLD COAST THUNDER 9-167 (Harrison Ryan 31, Griffith Williams 31, Joseph Fry 2-21, Regan Liebke 2-35)
MACKAY-WHITSUNDAY NITROS 2-150 (Riley Jackson 65 retired, Lachlan Altmann 49) d FAR NORTH FUSION 149 (Matt Wilkins 43, Steele Gadd 34, Lachlan Holmes 5-7, Jackson Evetts 2-13, Harry Fortescue 2-23).
NORTH QUEENSLAND MONSOON 200 (Reece Foley 37, Ryan Scodellaro 30, Taj Petersen 29, John McLean 28, Josh Welsh 2-27, Rian Pout 2-28) d CENTRAL QUEENSLAND SEAMERS 159 (Kori Ramsden 57, Jake Hansen 30, Ryan Scodellaro 2-11, John McLean 2-30).
WIDE BAY 8-174 (Logan Beutel 42, Riley Sippel 31, Jack Geldard 27, Will Robinson 18no, Sohail Khatree 2-21, Tom Stevenson 2-30) d SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND STORMERS 171 (Josh Martin 37, Lucas Sefont 33, Harrison Sippel 3-24, Jack Geldard 2-45, Riley Sippel 2-51).
T20: DARLING DOWNS SUNS 1-108 (Rex Tooley 67no, Paarth Menon 28) d FAR NORTH FUSION 7-107 (Matt Wilkins 59, Reiko Vermeulen 2-8).
- Earlier report: Wide Bay Flames fire at Youth Cup
