Queanbeyan District Cricket Club ('The Bluebags') is a cricket club operating in the Queanbeyan district of New South Wales and playing in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) cricket competition. It was formally founded in 1863.[1]

Queanbeyan District Cricket Club
Australia
Team information
Founded1863
Home groundFreebody Oval Queanbeyan
Official websiteQDCC

History

January 2012, Queanbeyan District Cricket Club winners of final of the SCG Country cup against Merewether District Cricket club at the Sydney Cricket Ground

Cricket began to be played in an organised fashion in New South Wales in the 1830s.[2] On January 2, 1863 a meeting of twenty five persons was held in Mr. W. Lee's long room to establish the 'Queanbeyan Cricket Club', "to pay yearly in advance, in order to prevent the breaking down, such as other clubs had, by the trouble of collecting monthly subscriptions." Mr. Wright was elected to the office of president; Mr. WV. Scrivenor, treasurer; Mr. DeLissa, secretary; and Messrs. Morton, Kinseln, Davis and Doyle to be members of the committee.[1] In the 1850s a more informally structured 'Queanbeyan Club' or 'Queanbeyan District Club' had played cricket against teams from Braidwood,[3] Gininderra,[4] Goulburn (the 4th such match being played in 1859)[5] and Yass.[6] Occasional games were also played in the 1850s between the married and single members of the Queanbeyan club.[7] Queanbeyan's first police magistrate Captain AT Faunce died while playing cricket for the Queanbeyan club on 26 April 1856,[8] having been instrumental in introducing cricket to the region[9][10][11] (he and his brother having played for a Military team in Sydney in the 1830s including against the Australian Cricket Club at Hyde Park in 1833[12] and the Racecourse in 1834,[13][14] as well as against an Australian civilian XI in 1834).[15][16] His son, the Rev. Canon AD Faunce of the Goulburn Diocese and St Clement's Church at Yass also played for the Queanbeyan Club in the 1850s[17] and 1860s.[18][19][20]

Queanbeyan v Wests/UC 1st grade two-day Grand Final Manuka Oval March 2014

The Queanbeyan District Cricket Club entered the ACT competition with the Federal Territory Cricket Association in the latter's inaugural season in 1922-23.[21] Queanbeyan's home ground at this stage was Queanbeyan Park and it won the Premiership in the 1927-28 and 1928-29 seasons.[22] It was on a canvas-covered concrete pitch on 11–18 December 1926 that Queanbeyan scored 527 (Clarrie and Sid Hincksman scoring 246 and 105 respectively).[23] In the 1935-36 FCTCA final against a Northbourne team that fielded champion Lorne Lees, Tom O'Connor for a Queanbeyan side with only 10 men took 6/27 (off 17.4 overs) and 5/63 before coming to the wicket at 6/127 with 180 needed to win. O'Connor hit 46 (including 13 and 19 off his two overs from Lees, with six fours and a six) of the 53 needed to win the match.[24] Other notable performances by the club included scoring 728 in 10 hours in a semi-final against Ginninderra in 1985-86 (M Frost 164, P Solway 119, J Bull 106, M Thornton 97, M Carruthers 112), its 651 against ANU in 1989-90 (P Solway 339) and the dramatic final win in 1990-91 over Weston Creek (R Regent 63 and P Solway 53 and 43 off 56 balls) with Neil Bulger conceding only 1 run off 11 overs in dismissing Weston Creek for 89 with seven balls left to play.[25] In January 2012, Queanbeyan (with a team including brothers Blake and Jono Dean) won the final of the SCG Country cup against Merewether District Cricket club, Queanbeyan being the first ACT Cricket team to have reached the final (played at the SCG).[26] In the 2011-12 two day Grand Final Blake Dean, batting at 7 with the score 87-5 hit 130 from 191 balls to set up 394 in the first innings.[27] On Feb 2 2013 Jono Dean scored an unbeaten 300 runs in a single day for Queanbeyan against Ginninderra in a Douglas Cup Match; the innings including 17 sixes and 21 fours and was the second highest individual innings in ACT first-grade cricket history.[28] On 2 November 2013 Jono Dean scored 234 and Blake Dean (cricketer) 69 in a total of 6-437 declared against Weston Creek Molonglo[29] The Queanbeyan win by 6 runs against Tuggeranong on 2 Feb 2014 in ACT First grade John Gallop Cup grand final at Manuka oval was regarded as one of the best one day games ever played on the ground.[30] In 2014, after his first year for the ACT Comets, Queanbeyan 1st grade all-rounder Vele Dukoski was named Cricket Australia Futures League 'Player of the Year' and later that week scored a hundred in Queanbeyan's semi-final win.[31]

Competitions, Management and Home ground

Queanbeyan District Cricket Club pavilion Freebody Oval, Queanbeyan New South Wales.
Queanbeyan Park oval by Bidgee

The club fields teams in Cricket ACT Men's Grade Competitions. The club also has strong support for Junior Cricket in the region, mainly through the affiliation with the Queanbeyan and Districts Junior Cricket Club. Current patron is Ian McNamee, President Stephen P Moore, Honorary secretary Ron Bates, Honorary treasurer Dom Di-Campli. Its home oval is Freebody Oval, Richard Avenue, Queanbeyan. The club also plays at Brad Haddin Oval (situated in Queanbeyan Town Park) Queanbeyan and Rockley Oval Googong. Freebody Oval is named after a former Mayor of Queanbeyan whose son Terry was a former captain and excellent all-rounder with the club in from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Cricket coaching Freebody Oval

First grade premierships

Other Competitions:

Representative Players

Brad Haddin (NSW, Australia); Mark Higgs (NSW, SA, Australia); Lea Hansen (Vic, Australia A); Neil Bulger (Aust. Indigenous, Australian Veterans Over 60s); Peter Solway (Aust. Country, Australian Veterans Over 50s); John Bull (Aust. Country); Colin Crouch (Aust. Country); Michael Spaseski (Aust. Country); Em Preston (Aust. u/21), Jimmy Martin (Australian Veterans Over 60s), Henry Hunt (Australian U19s, South Australia)

Life members

Jack McNamara, Frank Nash, Doug Moore, Ian Armour, Col Berry, Ray Hatch, Stephen Bailey, Gary Samuels, John Solway, Richard Carruthers, Ian McNamee, Neil Bulger, Michael Frost, Stephen Cross, Peter Solway, Phil Moon, Stephen Frost, Graeme Alexander, Terry Freebody, Winston McDonald, Ron McGlashan, Jim Martin, Ron Bates, Darren Southwell, Rohan Ditton, Mark Higgs.

List of QDCC 1st Grade Captains

Those who have been Captain of QDCC 1st grade team since 1955 are:

From To Name
1955 1961 Terry Freebody
1962 1963 Frank Nash
1963 1965 Mal Wheeler
1965 1970 Ian Armour
1970 1971 Terry Walters
1971 1976 Ray Flockton
1976 1977 Lloyd Buckley
1977 1978 Ray Heading
1978 1984 Gary Samuels
1984 1985 Neil Bulger
1985 1989 Mark Thornton
1989 1991 John Bull
1991 1993 Peter Solway
1993 1994 Michael Frost
1994 1995 John Bull
1995 1996 Steve O'Shaugnessy
1996 1998 Robert Regent
1998 2001 Jason Swift
2001 2003 Michael O'Rourke
2003 2004 Stephen Frost
2004 2005 Peter Coleborne
2005 2006 Adam Heading
2006 2009 Mark Higgs
2009 2011 Jono Dean
2011 2013 Aaron Ayre
2013 2014 Blake Dean
2014 2015 Sam Taylor
2015 2017 Vele Dukoski
2017 2018 Michael Spaseski
2018 2022 Mark Solway
2022 Present Dean Solway

List of QDCC Presidents

Those who have held the office of QDCC President since 1963 are:

From To Name
1963 1967 Jack McNamara
1967 1971 Ian Armour
1971 1976 Col Berry
1976 1977 Winston Macdonald
1977 1978 Ray Hatch
1981 1982 Steve Bailey
1982 1983 Steve Bailey & Ray Hatch
1983 1984 Gary Samuels
1984 1986 Greg Mann
1986 1992 Phil Moon
1992 2001 Rod Winchester
2001 2007 Michael Frost
2007 2011 Ian McNamee
2011 2015 Peter Solway
2016 2021 Rohan Ditton
2021 Present Stephen Moore

References

  1. ^ a b "Cricketing Meeting", The Golden Age, Queanbeyan, vol. IV, no. 122, p. 3, January 8, 1863, retrieved 2 October 2013
  2. ^ "Early Cricket in Australia", Society, Art & Culture. Cricket in Australia., State Library of New South Wales
  3. ^ "Grand Cricket Match between Queanbeyan and Braidwood", Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer, Sydney, vol. XVI, no. 464, p. 2, February 19, 1959
  4. ^ "Country News. Queanbeyan.", The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser, Goulburn, vol. IX, no. 430, p. 4, September 27, 1856
  5. ^ "Queanbean and Goulburn", The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser, Goulburn, vol. X, no. 638, p. 2, March 26, 1859
  6. ^ "Cricket. Queanbeyan and Yass", The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser, Goulburn, vol. X, no. 638, p. 2, March 26, 1859
  7. ^ "District Intelligence. Queanbeyan.", The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser, Goulburn, vol. VIII, no. 405, p. 6, April 5, 1856
  8. ^ "District Intelligence. Queanbeyan.", The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser, Goulburn, vol. VIII, no. 409, p. 4, May 3, 1856
  9. ^ Lake George, Molonglo Valley and Burra- Thematic History, Jan 2008, p. 51, retrieved 4 Oct 2013
  10. ^ Lea-Scarlet, Errol (1968), Queanbeyan District and People, vol. AUS68-2418, Queanbeyan Municipal Council, p. 130 "There was no sham about the genuine affection felt by all classes for Capt. Faunce, local founder of the game."
  11. ^ Gale, John (1927), Canberra History and Legends, Fallick and Sons Queanbeyan & Epworth Press, pp. 99–100 "I believe the game of cricket was introduced in this district by Captain Faunce, Queanbeyan's first police magistrate, and for some time he was the captain of the Queanbeyan team...very much and deservedly respected."
  12. ^ "Cricket Match", The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, p. 2, 12 December 1833, retrieved 4 Oct 2013
  13. ^ "The Return Cricket Match", The Australian, vol. II, no. 57, p. 2, 7 February 1834
  14. ^ "The return cricket match: Military - First Innings", The Australian, vol. II, no. 63, p. 3, 28 February 1834
  15. ^ "The Grand Cricket Match", The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, p. 2, 5 April 1834
  16. ^ "Immigrants. First Innings.", The Australian, p. 2, 4 April 1834
  17. ^ "The Cricket Match at Queanbeyan", The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser, Goulburn, vol. IX, no. 514, p. 2, January 16, 1858
  18. ^ "Local and District News - Cricket", The Queanbeyan Age, p. 2, 8 April 1869
  19. ^ "New Year's Day Cricket Match", The Queanbeyan Age, p. 2, 8 Jan 1863
  20. ^ "The Rev. Canon Faunce", The Queanbeyan Age, p. 2, July 19, 1910
  21. ^ Selth, Don (1992), Cricket in the Limestone Plains, Panther Printing and Publishing, pp. 5–7, ISBN 0-646-12357-2
  22. ^ Selth, Don (1992), Cricket in the Limestone Plains, Panther Printing and Publishing, pp. 10–11, 23, ISBN 0-646-12357-2
  23. ^ Selth, Don (1992), Cricket in the Limestone Plains Panther, Printing and Publishing, p. 12, ISBN 0-646-12357-2
  24. ^ Selth, Don (1992), Cricket in the Limestone Plains, Panther Printing and Publishing, p. 25,27, ISBN 0-646-12357-2
  25. ^ Selth, Don (1992), Cricket in the Limestone Plains, Panther Printing and Publishing, pp. 252–253, ISBN 0-646-12357-2
  26. ^ Whitelaw, Anya (Jan 16, 2012), "Dean Brothers Help Queanbeyan Win Prestigious Cup", Western Advocate, Bathurst
  27. ^ Blake Dean. Crix.Com http://www.cricx.com/index.php?option=com_jsjobs&c=jsjobs&view=employer&layout=view_job&vj=5&oi=1473&Itemid=3 (accessed 20 Oct 2013)
  28. ^ Gaskin, Lee (3 Feb 2013). "Unbeaten 300 puts Dean with Elite". The Canberra Times. p. 36. Retrieved 3 Feb 2013.
  29. ^ Gaskin, Lee (3 Nov 2013). "Debutant Scores a Double Century". The Canberra Times. p. 38.
  30. ^ Lee Gaskin. Queanbeyan Snatches John Gallop Cup Again In Thriller SMH 3 Feb 2014 http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/queanbeyan-snatches-john-gallop-cup-again-in-thriller-20140202-31vfq.html
  31. ^ Page F. Wests/UC and Queanbeyan to Meet in Canberra Cricket Decider. Sydney Morning Herald 23 march 2014 http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/westsuc-and-queanbeyan-to-meet-in-canberra-cricket-decider-20140323-hvltp.html

External links

Sport in the Australian Capital Territory
Cricket in Australia
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