Some of Mackay’s most promising junior cricketers will pad up for Capricornia at the Queensland State Schoolboys Cricket Championships to be staged in Maroochydore from March 5-8.
Classy opening batsman Haiden Mellifont is one of seven St Patrick’s College players named in a strong Capricornia Boys 16-19yrs representative squad that will compete against rival regions at the four-day event.
The team will be coached and managed by local Mackay cricket legends Adam Knezevic and Chris Dunn, who are both teachers at St Patrick’s College.
17-year-old Mellifont, a regular top order batsman in the Pioneer Valley Cricket Club reserve grade X1, will skipper the team during the prestigious Carnival and will be joined by Mackay school colleagues Liam Zurvas, Joel McFarlane, Nick Beardmore, Liam Newbery, Cameron Tomerini and Etienne Pretorius.
Other squad members include Colby Rudd (The Cathedral College Rockhampton); Cayden Kent and Rory Connor (Rockhampton Grammar School); Caden Keirsnowski (Gladstone State High) and Liam Welsh (St Brendan’s College Yeppoon).
The talented Zurvas, an accomplished keeper-batsman from the Magpies Cricket Club, is also established in the Mackay Cricket Association’s second grade ranks along with dashing top order batsmen McFarlane and Pretorius (Walkerston); batting all-rounder Liam Newbery (Walkerston); leg spinner Nick Beardmore and off spinner Cameron Tomerini (Brothers).
Rising star Zurvas had reason to celebrate last Saturday when he joined elder brothers Ben and Adam in helping the Magpies capture the Division 1 Twenty20 Shootout trophy with a thrilling Grand Final win over Pioneer Valley at Great Barrier Reef Arena.
Jaxn Sign proved the hero with a fine knock of 35 not out as the Magpies (7-99) eclipsed the Valley’s 7-98 in the final over.
A dual Capricornia schools’ representative, the versatile Mellifont is also an outstanding hockey prospect and firmly established in the current Hockey Queensland Under 18 State squad for 2023.
Haiden hails from the strong Mackay Hockey Association and turned in consistent displays at an elite level last season.
He was named in the Queensland Representative School Sport 19yrs Hockey Merit Team and claimed the Best & Fairest trophy for his superb performances in the 2022 Mackay Hockey A2 Mens competition.
Mellifont impressed keen judges with classy displays for Queensland Gold at the Hockey Australia Under 18 Championships in Cairns last year.
Last Saturday he top-scored for Pioneer Valley with a dashing 37 runs off 27 balls in the club’s Division 2 Twenty20 Shootout Grand Final loss to Norths Cricket Club at Great Barrier Reef Arena.
Mellifont cracked four boundaries and shared an opening stand of 61 with keeper Cooper Spencer (32) as the Valley posted 8-150 off their allotted overs.
In reply, Norths trio Shawn Day (50 runs off 49 balls), Daniel Tatow (32 off 24 balls) and keeper Russel Counsell (30 off 27 balls) combined to help steer their side to victory with a ball to spare.
MEANWHILE emerging St Patrick’s College keeper/batter Haylee Holdsworth will represent Capricornia at this year’s Queensland Schools State Cricket Championships from March 13-16 at Rockhampton Cricket Grounds.
By Chris Karas
Classy St Patrick’s College batsman Haiden Mellifont will skipper the Capricornia representative X1 at the upcoming Queensland Schoolboys Cricket Championships in Maroochydore next month
