Queensland cricket team

The Queensland men's cricket team (also known as the Queensland Bulls) are an Australian men's professional cricket team based in Queensland. The team competes in Sheffield Shield, the highest level of Australia domestic first class cricket, since the 1926–27 season, as well as the One-Day Cup, the highest level of Australian domestic one-day, since its inception in 1969–70. They also competed in the now defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.

History 1824 to 1926/27 The first European settlement in Queensland was a penal colony established at Redcliffe in 1824, which moved to Brisbane the following year. Free settlers first arrived in 1842.

The earliest evidence of cricket being played in Queensland is in 1857, two years prior to separation from New South Wales and statehood. A match between Brisbane and Ipswich was held in 1859 while in 1860 a Toowoomba team played Dalby. By 1862, there were also teams in Warwick, Maryborough, Gayndah, Gympie, Rockhampton and the Lockyer Valley.

Queensland's first inter-colonial (i.e. representative) match was in 1864 when their XXII was beaten by a New South Wales XI. In 1875, Queensland recorded their first victory when their XVIII beat the NSW XI. That victory was a catalyst for the formation of the Queensland Cricket Association in 1876. Queensland was finally granted first-class status in 1892/93, winning its inaugural first-class match against NSW in that season by 14 runs. Queensland rarely played more than two inter-colonial matches per season from 1892 to 1893, with generally one match (and often both) against New South Wales. The tyranny of distance and non-professional status of the players severely limited opportunities for more first-class competition during this period.

The Sheffield Shield competition started in 1892/93 but Queensland's initial applications for admission were refused. Despite their minimal first-class exposure, Queensland still produced four Australian Test players prior to their Sheffield Shield debut, though none played more than six Tests. The first was the colourful Arthur Coningham who played his only Test in 1895. Remarkably, he took a wicket with his very first delivery (it was also the first ball of the Test). He also scored Queensland's initial first-class century, 151 against NSW.

1910/11 was a very successful season as Queensland recorded three first-class wins for the first time, beating NSW home and away and Victoria in Melbourne in their only three games of the summer.

1926/27 to 1963/64 Queensland was finally admitted to the Sheffield Shield in 1926/27 and had a successful debut year, defeating NSW in their first-ever Shield match and also eventual winners South Australia in their only meeting. Like most new teams, the side struggled to maintain that level of performance and finished last in the (then) four-team competition 15 times in its first 19 seasons. However, the decision to include Queensland quickly paid off with the emergence of regular Test players such as Bill Brown, Don Tallon, Percy Hornibrook and Ron Oxenham. Brisbane hosted its first Test match in 1928/29 when Australia met England at the Exhibition Ground.

By the early 1950s, Queensland had a very competitive side and was regularly finishing in the top three of the (now) five-team Shield following Western Australia's admission in 1946/47. In 1956/57, they finished an agonising one point behind winners NSW. More Australian players were produced, including Ron Archer, Wally Grout, Ken 'Slasher' Mackay and Peter Burge. Another highlight of this period was the dramatic Tied Test between Australia and the West Indies at the Gabba in 1960/61.

1964/65 to 1972/73 This period was undoubtedly Queensland's worst era, finishing last eight times in nine Shield seasons. Rock bottom was reached in 1967–68 when the side failed to win a single game. The Queensland Cricket Association (QCA) decided to recruit high-profile interstate players to revive the team's fortunes. Greg Chappell was vice-captain of South Australia under brother Ian and was lured north for the 1973/74 season with the promise of the Queensland captaincy. Emerging pace bowler Jeff Thomson followed the next year.

1973/74 to 1993/94 The addition of Chappell and Thomson to a side containing players such as Sam Trimble, Martin Kent, Tony Dell and Geoff Dymock had an immediate impact. Queensland gained four seconds and a third over the next five seasons, as well as winning the domestic one day cup in 1975/76, Queensland's first piece of silverware.

The Queensland teams of the 1980s were even stronger, featuring many outstanding cricketers, both "home-grown" like Craig McDermott, Carl Rackemann and Ian Healy and others attracted from interstate or overseas such as Vivian Richards, Allan Border, Kepler Wessels and Ian Botham. Queensland were runners up five times in seven seasons in the 1980s (including a heartbreaking one wicket loss to NSW in 1984/85), and won the one-day trophy three more times in this period, but their first Shield win still proved elusive.

1994/95 to date The 68-year wait finally came to an end in the 1994/95 season when Stuart Law led Queensland to their inaugural Sheffield Shield win after finishing last the previous year.

Since their breakthrough win, Queensland has enjoyed a golden era, winning the competition a further eight times (including three consecutive seasons from 1999/2000 to 2001/02) and also finishing as runners-up seven times. Since Tasmania were admitted in 1977/78, the Bulls have finished in sixth (i.e. last) place just twice.

Colours and mascot

The primary club colour of Queensland Bulls is Maroon which represents the state colour of Queensland. The secondary club colour is Gold, with additional contrasting colour of white.

The "Bulls" mascot and nickname were adopted at the commencement of the 1993/94 season.

Home grounds The side plays most of its home games at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, generally referred to as "the Gabba", a contraction of the suburb name of Woolloongabba in which it is located. Matches are occasionally played at Allan Border Field in Albion, a suburb of Inner North-Eastern Brisbane and Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns, the largest city in Far North Queensland. 28 first-class games and two Tests were played at the Exhibition Ground between 1893 and 1931.

Current squad Players with international caps are listed in bold. No. Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Notes Batters17 Max Bryant Right-handed Right-arm medium 29 Hugo Burdon Right-handed Right-arm fast 21 Jack Clayton Left-handed Left-arm wrist spin 22 Lachlan Hearne Left-handed 18 Usman Khawaja Left-handed Right-arm off break Cricket Australia contract33 Marnus Labuschagne Right-handed Right-arm leg break Captain & Cricket Australia contract48 Angus Lovell Right-handed 77 Matt Renshaw Left-handed Right-arm off break 23 Hugh Weibgen Right-handed Right-arm off break All-rounders20 Michael Neser Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast Cricket Australia contract24 Jack Wildermuth Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast Wicket-keeper- Lachlan Aitken Right-handed 59 Jimmy Peirson Right-handed Spin bowlers27 Jack Sinfield Left-handed Right-arm off break Rookie contract4 Mitch Swepson Right-handed Right-arm leg break Vice-captain Pace bowlers8 Thomas Balkin Right-handed Right-arm medium Rookie contract19 Xavier Bartlett Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium Cricket Australia contract54 Oliver Patterson Right-handed Left-arm medium Rookie contract9 Jem Ryan Left-handed Right-arm fast Rookie contract14 Gurinder Sandhu Left-handed Right-arm fast-medium 16 Mark Steketee Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium 45 Tom Straker Right-handed Right-arm medium 98 Callum Vidler Right-handed Right-arm medium 31 Tom Whitney Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium Rookie contract Source(s): QLD Bulls – Players

Test players

Queensland has produced more than 50 players who have represented Australia in Test matches, while a number of Test players from other countries have played for the team. For a fuller list of players, see Queensland cricketers.

Andy Bichel Allan Border Ian Botham Bill Brown Peter Burge Joe Burns Greg Chappell Tony Dell Peter George Wally Grout Wes Hall Ryan Harris Matthew Hayden Ian Healy Graeme Hick Trevor Hohns Alec Hurwood Mitchell Johnson Michael Kasprowicz Usman Khawaja Marnus Labuschagne Stuart Law Ray Lindwall Martin Love Colin McCool Craig McDermott Ken Mackay Michael Neser Carl Rackemann Matt Renshaw Viv Richards Greg Ritchie Andrew Symonds Don Tallon Jeff Thomson Shane Watson

Titles

Sheffield Shield 9 titles: 1994/95 1996/97 1999/2000 2000/01 2001/02 2005/06 2011/12 2017/18 2020/21

Domestic One-Day Cup 10 titles: 1975/76 1980/81 1981/82 1988/89 1995/96 1997/98 2006/07 2008/09 2012/13 2013/14

First-class records

Batting records Most runs for Queensland PlayerRunsCareerMartin Love 10297 1992/93 – 2008/09Stuart Law 9920 1988/89 – 2003/04Jimmy Maher 9889 1993/94 – 2007/08Sam Trimble 9465 1959/60 – 1975/76Matthew Hayden 8831 1991/92 – 2007/08Allan Border 7661 1980/81 – 1995/96

Highest individual score: Martin Love 300* vs Victoria in 2003/04 Most centuries: Martin Love 28 Most runs in a season: Stuart Law 1204 runs in 1990/91 Highest partnership: Kepler Wessels and Robbie Kerr 388 vs Victoria in 1982/83 Highest team score: 900/6d vs Victoria in 2005/06

Bowling records Most wickets for Queensland PlayerWicketsCareerMichael Kasprowicz 498 1989/90 – 2007/08Andy Bichel 463 1992/93 – 2007/08Carl Rackemann 425 1979/80 – 1995/96Jeff Thomson 349 1974/75 – 1985/86Craig McDermott 329 1983/84 – 1995/96Geoff Dymock 309 1971/72 – 1981/82

Most wickets in a season: Michael Kasprowicz 64 wickets in 1995/96 Most wickets in an innings: Peter Allan 10/61 vs Victoria in 1965/66 Most wickets in a match: Peter Allan 13/110 vs NSW in 1968/69

Queensland cricket team

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