Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Local Cricket Mentor Named Queensland Schoolboys Coach

By Chris Karas

Mackay cricket legend Adam Knezevic has been appointed coach of the Queensland Schoolboys team for the annual Under 19s Cricket Challenge against NSW later this year.

The St Patrick’s College educator will prepare a strong Maroons X1 for a series of limited overs and Twenty20 fixtures against the Blues at Cudgen Cricket Club grounds in Kingscliff across the border.

Knezevic is Head Coach of Mackay-Whitsunday Cricket and continues to spearhead the Walkerston first grade attack with his left arm swing bowling in the Mackay Cricket Association.  

He guided the Capricornia Schoolboys X1 to a third placing at this year’s Queensland School Sport State Cricket Championships in Maroochydore.

Sunshine Coast were crowned champions with Met East finishing runners up.

Other competing teams included Darling Downs (fourth); South Coast (fifth), Peninsula (sixth), Met West (seventh), Wide Bay (eighth), Northern (ninth) and Met North (tenth).  

Talented Peninsula batsman Aidan Firman finished the tournament’s leading run scorer with 211 runs; Wide Bay’s emerging all-rounder Harry Sippel earned the Bowling Aggregate award with 13 wickets; Sunshine Coast gloveman Riley Johnson took most dismissals by a keeper with ten catches and one stumping while St Patrick’s College Mackay colt Etienne Pretorious was named Best All Rounder after scoring 167 runs and bagging nine wickets for the Capricornia team.    

A highlight for Murgon State High rep Sippel was grabbing a hat trick and superb figures of 7-5 off 23 deliveries against Capricornia in the preliminary rounds.          

                   

Four players – Sunshine Coast star batsman Alex Procopis and ace all-rounder Curtis McAllister along with rising Brisbane State High School and Met East batsmen Daniel Skipwith and Jack Sonter – helped Queensland win the National Under 17 Championship title earlier this year in Tasmania.  

Skipwith (32 not out) and Sonter (19 not out) – who are products of Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Queensland Premier Cricket - steered the Maroons to victory over the previously unbeaten NSW Metro in the trophy final.  

Sonter, a Holland Park junior, underlined his potential with a masterful 106 against Northern.                                                                                        

The Queensland Schoolboys Under 19 cricket squad is: Ben Baker (Sunshine Coast) captain; Alex Procopis (Sunshine Coast); Daniel Skipwith (Metropolitan East); Jack Sonter (Metropolitan East); Rohan Brady (Darling Downs); Liam Welsh (Capricornia); Aidan Firman (Peninsula); Zac McDermott (South Coast); Curtis McAllister (Sunshine Coast); Charlie Moore (Metropolitan East); Sahal Khatree (Metropolitan East); Cormack Wainwright (Darling Downs) and Ben Ramsbotham (Northern); Coach: Adam Knezevic (Mackay).  

Team manager is Lance Eggert from Metropolitan East.

Legendary Mackay paceman Adam Knezevic will coach the Queensland Secondary Schools cricket team in a Challenge series with NSW later this year. Photo supplied

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