07 February 2025
Neil Dansie Cricket Festival: 1st XI Tour
On Sunday 11 January the 1st XI travelled to Toowoomba, Queensland for the annual Neil Dansie Cricket Festival. Over six days the team played four games against schools from interstate. They included St Kevin’s College from Melbourne, Cranbrook School from Sydney and the hosts Toowoomba Grammar School. We won two out of the four fixtures beating Cranbrook twice and losing in close contests to St Kevin’s and Toowoomba. Notable performances included Charlie Moule-Hooworth (Year 12) leading the competition in runs scored, including a well-made hundred and Will Howard (Year 11) finishing second overall in total wickets for the tournament.
A big thank you to Toowoomba Grammar School for hosting us over the course of the week. Without their hospitality the trip wouldn’t be possible and a thank you to all the staff who went on the trip. It was a wonderful opportunity provided to us and without your dedication to the cricket program it wouldn’t have been possible. The boys had a wonderful experience and as a team we developed our cricket by playing against quality opposition from other states. We look forward to continuing the momentum we built at the end of term 4, into term 1 leading up to Intercol.
Felix Polasek
Captain 1st XI
Development Squad Tour
On Sunday 12 January, a squad of 14 cricketers from Years 8 to 10 set off on a cricket tour to Brisbane for the week. After a smooth flight, we separated from the 1st XI and headed to our accommodation for the week at Quest, Cannon Hill.
Monday ended up being a day off for us, with the game that was scheduled delayed until Wednesday because of wet weather. Due to this, we were able to explore the city centre of Brisbane and see some of the tourist sites. Later in the day, we had a tour and training session in the National Cricket Centre next to Allan Border Field. It was a great experience to see and use all the modern technology as well as find a bit of form again after the holidays.
Over the next four days, we were able to play four 40-over matches against regular Adelaide visitors St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace and Brisbane Grammar, as well as play against schools new to us in Nudgee College and Toowoomba Grammar School. Our results were very respectable across the week, with two wins and two losses in what were all highly competitive games. Some highlight performances include:
- Matthew Harris’s 60 and great glove work
- Will Adams’s 38 off 17 and later a 4 fer
- George Xenophou’s game-turning 3-fer vs St Joseph’s
- Charlie Johnson and Flynn Wilkie’s 90-run partnership vs Nudgee
- Brayden Carter’s consistent economical bowling performances across the week
- A screamer in the field from Leo Carter and a dynamic runout from Fred Fairweather
On Thursday night, we were also lucky enough to go and see the BBL game between the Hurricanes and the Heat, and the high-scoring close finish created a great viewing experience for us all.
After the games, we were able to debrief and take a lot away from the experience, with lots of learning happening from each situation. Some important pointers to remember were having a routine before each ball to ensure you are fully concentrating and switched on, as well as having a plan and using the crease versus spin to create an ideal contact point.
Overall, the trip was a great experience for all involved, and I know that all the boys are immensely grateful to Mr Freesmith, Mr Borgas and all the host schools for making it possible.
Caleb Scott
(Yr 10) – Captain of Development Squad
*Editor’s Note: Caleb modestly omitted from his report that he scored 51 against St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace!
