Warehouse Cricket 100 Year Anniversary

100 Years and Still Going Strong

Filmer Park in Redcliffe was a fitting location to celebrate the centenary of Warehouse Cricket according to the President of Warehouse Cricket, Laurence Christie.

“Peninsula Cricket Club are one of our major clubs, and they have just a fantastic facility out here, what a marvellous night, look at all the kids!”.

The big celebration game was originally slated for last year but due to one of the many snap lockdowns due to Covid, it had to be pushed back to March 2022.

And the Bulls Masters were all too happy to join in the celebrations for an institution that has played a part in many developing cricketer over the years.

“Warehouse cricket is community cricket. If you were playing cricket with your family back in the 1920’s, back in the 1800’s, you generally worked in a big warehouse and you went out and played cricket for your warehouse. Cricket was just a part of life in those days”, Christe explained.

Bulls Masters Come Through Warehouse

It has played it’s part in developing the current crop of Queensland’s elite including Bryce Street, Ben Laughlin, Cameron Boyce and Luke Feldman who all played in the Brisbane Warehouse competition when they were coming through the grades.

“What a great competition, Warehouse gives people the opportunity to play cricket all year round”, Luke Feldman said. Feldman played for the Burpengary Brumbies as a 15 year old through the Winter season.

Cameron Boyce played for the Emperors XI during his formative years and his experiences playing Warehouse were vital in his development.

“It’s great to see Warehouse going strong, it obviously helps Queensland Cricket develop talent as well”, Boyce commented.

But celebrating Warehouse Cricket is much more than just cherishing the Queensland legends that have come through it. The Warehouse community has prospered thanks to the volunteers such as Peninsula Cricket Club stalwart, Jim Marks.

“I started this club up with a few friends way back in 1972, nearly 50 years ago and I’ve been tied up with it ever since”, Marks recalls.

The 86 year old was honoured on the day by tossing the coin, but he humbly paid tribute to everyone else who has helped the Peninsula Cricket Club and the Warehouse competition thrive.

“Look at all the kids, the oval, look at the wicket, the clubhouse, and it’s stayed for 50 years, it’s terrific.” Marks beamed.

The game itself was entertaining with Bryce Street, Nathan Reardon, Cameron Boyce and Glen Batticiotto, in particular hitting some big shots.

Oscar Patch from Pine Rivers was hard to get away early and the female representatives of Ashleigh Sims and 14 year old Phoebe Smith impressed with the ball.

The Warehouse XI had a lot of fun chasing the runs and the result of the game remains arbitrary. The day was a great celebration of the Warehouse competition and a great reward for those players and people who have helped the competition survive and prosper. Perhaps the greatest sight was the kids running around at the super-clinic before the game.