In this series of articles, I am handpicking the best performing domestic 50 overs players for each state team. This time, let’s take a look at the Queensland team.
Jimmy Maher is considered one of Queensland’s greatest limited overs players, with an impressive career from 1993-2008. He has an outstanding record, with three titles, 4,589 runs at 44.99, 10 centuries, and 13 man of the match awards. Maher’s 429 runs in finals (at 53.6) is the second most in history behind only Michael Bevan (with 515 runs at 103!). He also captained the most matches for QLD and was never out for a duck in 128 innings.
Matt Hayden, who played from 1992-2007, also stands out with one title, 2,616 runs at 50.3, 8 centuries, and 9 man of the match awards. He was player of the series in 1998/99 and 1999/2000 and topped the competition runs both times.
Usman Khawaja, who played from 2012-2022, has 1 title, 2,459 runs at 50.2, 6 centuries, and 5 man of the match awards. He won the man of the series in 2019/20 and topped the competition runs in 2014/15.
Greg Chappell, playing from 1974-1983, is also a notable player in Queensland’s history with two titles, 682 runs at 34.1, and 27 wickets at 18.22. He is known for being a champion batsman and having an impact with his medium pace bowling in the one day game.
Stuart Law (1989-2004) secured 2 titles, 2,534 runs at 35.69, 6 centuries, and 21 wickets at 28.52. He sits 4th on QLD’s all-time runs list and has a career strike rate of 93.16. He was also one of the few to top both runs and wickets for their state in a single season.
James Hopes (2001-2015) has 4 titles, 155 wickets at 27.32, 2,291 runs at 25.74, and 13 man of the match awards. Hopes has been the pre-eminent all-rounder in domestic one day cricket, being the only player to score 2,000 runs and take 100 wickets.
Chris Hartley (2004-2015) secured 4 titles, 2,057 runs at 33.17, 1 century, and 122 dismissals. Hartley stands 5th in competition history for dismissals and won 4 titles, equal most in QLD history.
Andy Bichel (1992-2007) has 3 titles, 87 wickets at 33.8, 812 runs at 20.3, and 3 man of the match awards. His 87 wickets are third most for QLD and he topped the competition wickets in 1999/2000.
Nathan Hauritz (2001-2013) has 1 title, 80 wickets at 30.4, 4 x 4 wickets, and 1 man of the match. He is QLD’s stand out spin bowler in one day cricket, ranking fifth on the state’s all-time wickets list.
Geoff Dymock and Jeff Thomson also left their mark in Queensland’s one day cricket history, with notable performances and contributions to the team’s success.
These players have undoubtedly shaped the history of Queensland’s one day cricket and their contributions will always be remembered.