Club and individual history were made last night at the 2021-22 KFC Queensland Premier Cricket awards dinner with first-time winners in the two major player awards.
There was a tie for the first time in the Kath Smith Medal, with Gold Coast batter Tara Wheeler and University of Queensland allrounder Ruby Strange unable to be split.
Allrounder Harry Wood became the first winner of the Peter Burge Medal from Cricket Ipswich, with a sweeping victory that saw him poll points in most matches across the season as the Hornets claimed the Damien Mullins Cup as minor premiers.
The 23-year-old Laidley product, whose older brother Jack is a Queensland Bulls contracted player, proved a match winner with bat and ball during the season, which saw the Hornets fall at the final hurdle in the Sci-Fleet Motors First Grade final which was won by Western Suburbs.
It was a family celebration for the Wood clan with father Peter also celebrating an Over-40s premiership for Ipswich.
Wood, a former Australian Under-19 representative, scored 932 runs at 51.8 from 22 games as well as taking 23 wickets at 23.
Wheeler and Strange capped off successful seasons in style last night.
Wheeler, 22, made her Queensland Fire debut during the Women’s National Cricket League earlier this year, while Strange was a member of the Queensland Under-19 team that won the National championships in Adelaide last week.
Strange, who hails from Gladstone, also won the Loretta Moore Trophy as the most improved player under-21 in the Katherine Raymont Shield.
Both Wheeler and Strange were named in the Katherine Raymont Shield Team of the Year.
The presentations were made at the awards dinner at the Gabba, which also recognised team and individual achievements in the 2021-22 KFC Queensland Premier Cricket competition.
Team of the Year (Sci-Fleet Motors First Grade)
Max Bryant (Gold Coast)
Angus Lovell (UQ)
Sam Truloff (Wests, c)
Jack Clayton (UQ)
Hugo Burdon (Gold Coast)
Harrison Wood (Ipswich)
Isaiah Snell (Wests)
Liam Hope-Shackley (Wynnum-Manly)
Noah McFadyen (Norths)
Simon Milenko (Redlands)
Chathrura Kaluthanthri (Sandgate-Redcliffe)
Emmanuel Peterson (South Brisbane)
Coach: Aaron Moore (Ipswich)
Team of the Year (Katherine Raymont Shield)
Tara Wheeler (Gold Coast)
Annie Wikman (Wests, c)
Georgia Voll (Sandgate-Redcliffe)
Mikayla Hinkley (Valley)
Chelsea Gan (Wynnum-Manly/Redlands)
Charlotte Lutz (Sunshine Coast)
Kira Holmes (Valley)
Ruby Strange (UQ)
Holly Ferling (Wests)
Darcey Johnson (Sandgate-Redcliffe)
Charni Bloxsom (UQ)
Emmie Blamey (UQ)
Coach: Mark Daldy (UQ)
Other major awards presented on the night were:
STA Most Improved Groundsman Award – Daniel Swan (Norths)
STA First Grade Wicket & Ground – Chris Hepburn – Peter Burge Oval (Redlands)
STA Groundsman Award – Chris Hepburn (Redlands)
Bob Spence Trophy (Most improved 21 & under player, Male) – Hugo Burdon (Gold Coast)
Loretta Moore Trophy (Most improved 21 & under player, Female) – Ruby Strange (University of Qld)
Umpires
Bob Spence Medal – Andrew Moir
Bruce Oxenford Medal – Dave Taylor
Katherine Raymont Shield Award – Ian Barsby
The Peter Burge Medal is awarded each season to the best and fairest First Grade cricketer in the Queensland Premier Cricket Competition as judged by the first-grade umpires.
The award is named in honour of Peter Burge, widely regarded as Queensland’s finest home-grown batsman. Burge enjoyed a 15-year Sheffield Shield career, scoring 7,627 runs at an average of 56.08, including 24 centuries, in 91 matches. He captained Queensland 29 times. He also played 42 Test matches for Australia, scoring 2,290 runs at 38.16, including four centuries.
The Kath Smith Medal is awarded each season to the best and fairest women’s cricketer playing in Queensland Premier Cricket Competition – Women’s First-Grade, known as the Katherine Raymont Shield, as judged by the umpires.
The award is named in honour of allrounder Kath Smith, who played six Tests for Australia in the 1930s and was vice-captain of the Australian team that played the very first women’s Test against England at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground in December 1934 and for the two subsequent Test matches played during January 1935 in Sydney and Melbourne.
She was also the vice-captain of the Australian team for the tour to England in 1937, again playing in the three Test matches played.
