By JONATHON HOWARD
A GROUP of students from St Thomas More Primary School, who normally play AFL, have tried their hand at cricket with sterling results.
Having no real experience with cricket, the girls played in the MILO T20 Blast Schools Cup alongside St Paul’s from Bald Hills who won the boys’ section and St Thomas More Primary School, from Sunshine Beach, took out the girls’ comp in the finals at Allan Border Field.
The national competition is aimed at encouraging maximum participation and fun for primary school boys and girls in Years 4-7.
Thousands of Queensland school children took part in the modified cricket competition that took place in term four, with strong support from School Sport Queensland.
The state finalists featured boys’ teams from Boonah State School, Toowoomba East SS, Annandale State School, Frenchville State School, Peace Lutheran College, St Paul’s School, The Southport School and Banksia Beach SS.
The girls won their three pool matches to qualify for the state final against Tolga State School, which is a small school two hours west of Cairns.
Mick Winmill wrote to Noosa Today and said St Thomas More had won the final in what was described as an excellent example of skill, athleticism and sportsmanship.
“After the game the Tolga coach asked if St Thomas More was a cricket school of excellence,” he said.
“I remarked that the girls had never played before this comp started in September, but were the school’s AFL team which made the state final at the Gabba earlier in the year only to go down by four points.”
The girls now train in cricket with input from former bulls cricketer Bob McGhee.
Many of the girls have now joined the Tewantin Noosa club and play Friday nights, and train with Damian Smith.
The girls will now travel to the MCG on 11 December.
