Donnelly in charge of state group

IPSWICH administrator Greg Donnelly has an official new job with Queensland Cricket (QC) – after last year playing a major role with cricket’s national body.

Donnelly, 53, is on QC’s Indoor Cricket Advisory Board Committee having helped indoor cricket and cricket merge nationally.

Following on from that historic merger, QC yesterday become the first State body to integrate indoor cricket into its operations.

Indoor Cricket Queensland last week unanimously ratified the move at a special general meeting, which comes 12 months after Cricket Australia and Indoor Cricket Australia merged.

The Board of Queensland Cricket endorsed the merger and confirmed the formation of an Indoor Cricket Advisory Committee to assist with the day-to-day operations for indoor cricket.

Donnelly, a former state player, coach and administrator, will be QC’s Indoor Cricket Manager.

He’s joined on the advisory committee by Jim Holding (chair), Frank Hogan, Lachlan Farquharson, Col Robinson and Rick Heagerty.

The team names for the Queensland men’s and women’s indoor representative teams have also been confirmed.

The men will play as the Queensland Thunder and the women will be known as the Queensland Lightning.

The teams will compete in the national championships in Silverwater in July this year, with the Thunder and Lightning defending the titles they won last year.

Queensland Cricket chairman Damien Mullins welcomed the decision.

He said the Queensland Cricket family would be greatly strengthened through the addition of indoor cricket.

“Just as it did when women’s cricket came under the QC umbrella nearly a decade ago, the presence of indoor cricket provides another pathway for men and women, boys and girls, volunteers and coaches,” he said.

“The 18 indoor centre owners voted unanimously to proceed on this course and we welcome all of their members.”

Mullins said the move would deliver a number of benefits for cricket.

“It will provide the game at a community and grassroots level with additional resources while it offers the participants in our game greater options to play and enjoy the sport.”