The Sunshine Coast Cricket Association 2020-2021 Season will commence on Saturday September 12 with a series of T20 games to be played during the next month. And it will be an exciting start for the local cricket team, the Tewantin-Noosa Thunder with the First-Grade team playing under their new ground lights on this date. They will play a T20 match in the afternoon and then another at night. Further T20 and One Day (50 over) matches will be played up until late November when the two-day games will commence.
To ensure that the club is ready for the season, senior training has commenced already under the new coaching regime of Matt Pola, from the Seaford Club in Melbourne and Nathan Reardon, ex-Quensland Bulls and Australian T20 player. Their experience will be a huge asset to the club and this is already showing with their energy at training and their strong views on club and training culture.
Nathan was born in Chinchilla and later, as a 13 year old moved to Gladstone. He later attended Ipswich Grammar School to pursue a career in cricket. He enjoyed a highly successful and long-standing career as a professional cricketer which ended in 2017. During these years he played 150 matches for the Queensland Bulls, Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades. His career highlight came in late 2014 when the dynamic batsman was selected to represent his country in two T20 matches against South Africa.
Since retiring as a player, he has taken up coaching roles with the Wynnum-Manly Club, Senior and Junior sides, Ipswich Hornets Women’s team and is currently the batting coach with the Papua-New Guinea team who have qualified for the next T20 World Cup. Nathan has also worked with Brisbane private schools including Anglican Grammar, Nudgee College and Iona College in their cricket programs as well as running private sessions and coaching clinics.
He will be running a Junior Coaching Clinic here on the coast during the school holidays from September 22 to 24th. Details on registration will be advised shortly.
The first-grade team has been strengthened by the addition of some new and returning players but as always, the club is looking for new talent. The club will be fielding four senior teams in the men’s competition and also a ladies’ team in their comp. More details regarding Junior cricket will be advised shortly, although registrations for all teams are now open. Anyone interested in joining the club can make enquiries with Jason Toohey (0402 893 099), register online or come down to training on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 5pm onwards (Seniors).Like all sports and sporting organisation the club will be under strict COVID-19 regulations during play and at training.On Friday 11 September the new ground lights will be turned on at 6pm. This will be followed by a match between a team of 100-Game First Grade players and a team of the current players to be played under the lights. To register to play visit play cricket.com.au
