In 2007 Michael Rooker won a local legend competition through XXXX gold to take a cricket team to Brisbane’s Allan Border Field to play the Queensland Bulls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                     The trip also included a tour of the Gabba cricket grounds as well as free tickets to the poms vs kiwis ODI game later in the week.

                  All expenses paid and a seemingly endless supply of XXXX gold.

               

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       As is often the way in January the floods were coming in so everyone drove down a day early as the water crossed the road behind us. It was an Ingham who’s who of cricket making the trip as well as nearly every Rooker between Ingham and Brisbane. The team was called Mick’s XI but don’t let the name fool you by the time we turned up at the grounds our side was nearly twenty men strong.

                The Bulls bought nearly a full side squad with a couple of young guns, won the toss and made us field first, cleaning out all the esky’s of XXXX gold in the process. Making nearly 300 runs off their 20 overs. Needless to say all our bowlers where expensive but Simon Cristuado 2/49 (4), Michael Rooker 1/32 (4), Kris Rooker 1/31 (3) and Jodie Venables 1/60 (3) all bagged a Bull. In response Jodie Venables (46) and Paul Menegon (33) top scored for Mick’s XI with Michael Rooker (28) and Kris Rooker (22) also making handy runs. Mick’s Xi well short making only 8/200 off their 20 overs.

               

 

 

 

 

             

                 A huge barbeque lunch was followed by a tour of the Gabba where they even let us on the grounds so long as we didn’t go near the pitch. I can still remember the ground staff scrambling as Barry Miller our groundskeeper at the time made a v-line straight for the pitches. They also gave us a tour of the locker rooms as well as the indoor practice nets.

                It was a huge week and I am pretty sure Brisbane still hasn’t recovered from Herbert Rivers visit.  You can check out the video and all the photos on our facebook page. Definitely one of my fondest memories playing cricket for Herbert River except the time I hit the winning run for Combined Services in the Grand Final or Peter Aranas presenting me my life Member Award or meeting Jeff Thomson or…...

Michael Bain