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.
History
Cricket began to be played in an organised fashion in New South Wales in the 1830s. 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. In the 1850s a more informally structured 'Queanbeyan Club' or 'Queanbeyan District Club' had played cricket against teams from Braidwood, Gininderra, Goulburn (the 4th such match being played in 1859) and Yass. Occasional games were also played in the 1850s between the married and single members of the Queanbeyan club. Queanbeyan's first police magistrate Captain AT Faunce died while playing cricket for the Queanbeyan club on 26 April 1856, having been instrumental in introducing cricket to the region "There was no sham about the genuine affection felt by all classes for Capt. Faunce, local founder of the game." "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." (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 and the Racecourse in 1834, as well as against an Australian civilian XI in 1834). 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 and 1860s.
The Queanbeyan District Cricket Club entered the ACT competition with the Federal Territory Cricket Association in the latter's inaugural season in 1922-23. Queanbeyan's home ground at this stage was Queanbeyan Park and it won the Premiership in the 1927-28 and 1928-29 seasons. 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). 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. 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. 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). 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.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) 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. On 2 November 2013 Jono Dean scored 234 and Blake Dean (cricketer) 69 in a total of 6-437 declared against Weston Creek Molonglo 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.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 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.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
Competitions, Management and Home ground
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.
First grade premierships
Two-day (15): 1927/28, 1928/29, 1935/36, 1939/40, 1957/58, 1980/81, 1982/83, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1990/91, 1991/92, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12. Minor Premierships (10): 1927/28, 1928/29, 1934/35, 1939/40, 1957/58, 1982/83, 1987/88, 1989/90, 1991/92, 2013/14. One-day (9): 1986/87, 1987/88, 1997/98, 2001/01, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14, 2015/16. Twenty20 (6): 2008/09, 2009/10, 2011/12, 2015/16, 202/21, 2021/22.
Other Competitions: Twilight (10):1981/82, 1983/84, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97 Sunday League: 1989/90 SCG Country Cup: 2011/12.
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 Solway20162021Rohan Ditton2021PresentStephen Moore
See also
List of cricket clubs in Australia
References
External links Queanbeyan District Cricket Club home page