Grammar quartet make QLD side

Ipswich Grammar School’s (from left) Sam Beckman, Brent Potbury, Jack Wood and Carlin Anderson (absent) will represent Queensland at the National under 15 cricket championships in February-March.

David Nielsen

WHEN Met West took out the Queensland 14-years schools cricket title at Northgate, it was no surprise they had four players picked in the state team.

It is a bit of a surprise, however, that all four were Ipswich Grammar School (IGS) students, particularly considering their school team finished fifth in the GPS competition this year.

Yet it all came together for Met West with 14-year-old wrist spin bowler Jack Wood, 15-year-old batter Brent Potbury, 14-year-old fast bowler Sam Beckman and 15-year-old all-rounder Carlin Anderson producing match-winning efforts to take their team to the title.

Jack is the son of former Laidley Division One premiership-winning captain Peter Wood but it was not from his father he learnt to bowl.

“It was just in the backyard with the tennis ball,” he said.

“I practised heaps.”

Jack’s best bowling at the state carnival was 5-47 against Peninsula.

The left-arm bowler’s well disguised wrong-un and a top spinner caused all sorts of problems for opposition batsmen and Brent, at first slip, had the best view in the ground.

“The batsmen could not play him,” Brent said.

“Because not many kids our age spin the ball much,” Sam added

Brent himself made a superb 83 not out at number three against Capricornia to earn himself a Queensland cap.

Not surprisingly, he models his game on that of former IGS student and current Australian opening batsman Shane Watson.

Sam did what all rangy fast bowlers should and shook up the opposition batsmen.

“He’s pretty quick,” said Brent, who has had to face Sam in the nets often enough to know. “He hit a few batsmen in the head and one in the final (against Met North).”

Despite that, Sam did not think his eight wickets for the tournament would be enough to earn him Queensland selection. “I thought I bowled well but I was still surprised to get picked,” he said.

Carlin also made his presence felt throughout the tournament.

“He was probably the all-round best cricketer (of the tournament),” Sam said.

“He didn’t concede many runs and scored his runs quickly.”

The boys are confident they have the Queensland team to do well at the nationals in South Australia’s Barossa Valley in February-March, if they can reproduce the camaraderie they had at Met West.

With spots in the Australian under-15 World Cup team up for grabs, they have plenty of incentive.