Queensland has added a second National Youth title to its trophy case this season with the Under-17 male side winning a rain-affected Final at Allan Border Field to finish as undefeated champions.
U17s Triumph!
The U-17 side joins the U-19 Queensland female team as National champions after they defeated NSW Country by DLS in the decider yesterday.
Queensland scored 7-320 from their 50 overs, with player of the final Eli Brain top-scoring with 113 from 111balls and opening batter Jaxson Davies hitting 78.
Brain, from Northern Suburbs, and Gold Coast product Davies combined for a decisive 110-run partnership, with Daniel Desmet finishing the innings with a quickfire 42 not out.
Despite losing two early wickets to Queensland paceman Tom Vaseo, NSW Country quickly got their chase into gear.
Hard-hitting contributions from Blake Cattle (30 from 15 balls), Cooper Williams (45 from 32 balls) and 54 from 46 balls from Samuel Davis kept the Bush Blues on track for the chase as rain threatened.
But Queensland leg-spinner Spencer Green (4-42) helped slow the run-rate and then took key wickets to reduce the threat and put the Maroons in the box-seat.
NSW Country was 7-162 when the weather intervened, with Queensland eventually declared the winners under the DLS method.
Queensland had two players named in the Team of the Championships in Spencer Green and Far North Queensland quick Finn Vikionkorpi.
Queensland spinner Charlie Hinze had limited time to celebrate with his teammates, with the Norths player heading to the airport to to Namibia where he will join his twin brothers in the Japanese squad that will contest the ICC Under-19 World Cup next week.
U17 Award Winners
Winners – Queensland
Player of The Final – Eli Brain - QLD
Leading Run Scorer – Matthew Lough WA - 326 runs @ 81.5
Leading Wicket Taker – Jacob Pietz Vic Metro – 17 wickets @ 12.1
Spirit of Cricket Award – Tie between SA and Vic Metro with 28 votes
Player of the Champs – Matthew Lough WA – 18 votes
Team of the Champs
- Bat – NSW C – Blake Cattle – 310 runs @ average of 62
- Bat – NSW C – Cooper Williams – 255 runs @ average of 42.5
- Bat – VIC M – Simrth Gill – 235 runs @ average of 47
- Bat – VIC M – Rupptaz Kharoud – 223 runs @ average of 44.6
- Bat – SA – Tait Martin – 205 runs @ average of 68.3
- WK – VIC C – Cooper Remy – 176 runs @ average of 44 and 17 dismissals
- Allrounder – WA – Matthew Lough - 294 runs @ average of 98 and 11 wickets @ 15.4
- Bowl – VIC M – Jacob Pietz – 17 wickets @ 12.1
- Bowl – SA – Heyman Guru – 13 wickets @ 13.7
- Bowl – QLD – Spencer Green – 15 wickets @ 7.7
- Bowl – QLD – Finn Vikionkorpi – 10 wickets @ 7.9
- Bowl – VIC C – Logan Collins – 10 wickets @ 15.2