Tuesday 9 March 2010

XXXX GOLD Queensland Bulls wicket-keeper Chris Hartley is poised to move further into the record books during the Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield clash with WA starting tomorrow at the Gabba.

Hartley needs just 14 runs to pass former Victorian gloveman Richie Robinson and record the second most runs by a wicket-keeper in a Sheffield Shield season.

The Bulls wicket-keeper, who has claimed 33 dismissals as well this season, has scored 758 runs and will go pass Robinson’s total of 771 runs set in 1976-77 in the event he scores the necessary runs during the match.

The record for the most runs in a season by a ‘keeper was set by current Australian gloveman Brad Haddin who scored 902 runs in 2004-05.

Hartley went past former Test legend Adam Gilchrist’s 1995-96 season total of 757 runs during the last Shield match.

Hartley has a season total of 770 runs from 10 first class matches, having also played the tour game against the West Indies earlier in the summer.

Rookie opening batsman Wade Townsend could also claim a noteworthy place in Queensland Cricket’s record books if he scores another 22 runs in the game against the Warriors.

Townsend, who has scored 592 first class runs so far this summer, can move past Rob Kerr to record the second most runs in a first class debut season by a Queenslander.

Kerr scored 613 runs in his first summer in Queensland colours in 1981-82.

The most runs scored in a debut season was achieved by Queensland and Australian legend Matthew Hayden, who powered to 1028 runs in his maiden first class season in 1991-92.

Meanwhile rookie fast bowler Luke Feldman’s impressive spate of matches has seen him net the fifth highest number of wickets in a debut first class season for Queensland.

Feldman has taken 27 wickets so far in five Shield games and the first class match against the West Indies. It equals the achievement of Queensland pace bowling hero Carl Rackemann, who claimed the same number of wickets on debut in 1979-80.

Paceman Ian King took 30 in 1969-70, leg-spinner Bob Paulsen took 31 in 1966-67 and swing bowler Ross Duncan took 34 wickets in 1964-65.

Adam Dale claimed 42 wickets on debut in 1996-97 when the Bulls won the Sheffield Shield to be the all-time leader in a maiden first class season.

The Shield Final will start next Wednesday March 17.

To host the Final, Queensland needs to beat WA outright and hope that Victoria does not collect any more than two points from its final round game against Tasmania in Melbourne.

The Bushrangers are currently three points ahead of the Bulls.

Victoria is the reigning Shield champion, after the Bulls drew with them in last year’s Final at the Junction Oval.

Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield

XXXX GOLD Queensland Bulls v Retravision Warriors, tomorrow through Sat, the Gabba, 10am start daily:

Chris Simpson (c)

Cam Boyce

Ryan Broad

Ben Cutting

Luke Feldman

Chris Hartley

Chris Lynn

Craig Philipson

Nathan Reardon

Nathan Rimmington

Wade Townsend

Chris Swan

(12th man to be named)

Meanwhile the Warriors have named a 13-man squad for the match, with the notable absentee being former Bulls star Ashley Noffke who has failed to overcome a knee injury.

However, ex-Queenslanders Steve Magoffin and Ben Edmondson will be making the trip.

Retravision Warriors

Marcus North (c)

Nathan Coulter-Nile

Liam Davis

Ben Edmondson

Matt Johnson

Brad Knowles

Steve Magoffin

Mitch Marsh

Luke Pomersbach

Drew Porter

Wes Robinson

Luke Ronchi

Michael Swart

(one to be omitted, 12th man to be named)