Now early in his second season with the Caboolture Sports Cricket Club, Senior Men's Captain Cameron Trask believes the Snakes have a lot to look forward to this year.
“The younger blokes in particular are looking strong this year,” says ‘Trasky’, who is excited about what he sees in the junior ranks. “There are around 130 juniors this season, up from about 70 or 80 last year.”
The seniors are also doing well, and a look at the senior teams’ score sheets for October reveal some great performances, with a few talented U17 players playing in the men’s grade and showing the ‘older heads’ how it’s done.
The senior teams really fired in October, with batting scores like 137 not out (M. Dedini), 186 not out (G. Batticotto) and 107 not out (C. Trask); some impressive scores.
At the same time, players such as Runge, Keating, Donahoo, Hamment, Keast and Blaxland stood out in the lower grades.
Captain Cameron Trask is continuing his good batting form from last season.
Cameron is a proud Waka Waka/Kullilli man, who has been a great find for the Snakes, scoring 610 runs at an average of 43.57 in his first year last season. His top score last year was 124 against defending champions Tewantin-Noosa. His bowling was also a highlight, with his best bowling figures of 5/17 off 14 overs including seven maidens.
Cameron’s love affair with cricket started when he was a boy. He attended Capalaba State School and then Capalaba State College, where he played soccer each winter for the Capalaba Bulldogs.
But cricket won out, and representative honours came early for Cameron, with a spot in the Queensland Academy of Sport Second XI, then the Queensland Indigenous team and the Australian Indigenous team.
Cameron started as an allrounder in the Wynnum premier grade comp at age 15 and made his debut for Wynnum in First Grade at age 19.
He retired from premier grade two years ago, and the Snakes were fortunate to recruit him subsequently.
Cameron says he loves being part of the Snakes team in the Sunshine Coast Competition, as the game atmosphere “is a little more relaxed than in the Premier League.”
Enjoying his cricket is important to Cameron, and with that in mind, he has thought about his role as a bowler at the age of 34.
While he bowled spectacularly well in his first season with the Snakes and got among the wickets, he has decided this season with his captaincy duties to concentrate on wicketkeeping and batting instead.
He loves batting at number four and often finds himself in a partnership with his friend and accomplished batsman, Glen (Batty) Batticoto, who is also prominent off the field in the area of development of the Junior Snakes.
“Blokes like Batty are legends when it comes to junior development,” Cameron says.
“Glen presented a masterclass ‘mindset for batting’ session in October and is a great mentor for the youngsters in so many ways.”
Cameron’s goals for the club this year are to help develop the juniors through initiatives such as captaincy, leadership and wicketkeeping forums, and reckons he’s got plenty of talent to work with.
Cameron would love to see the Snakes finish the year on top in both the red ball game and in the one-dayers but is reluctant to predict victory in both.
He recognises that the Snakes’ strengths currently lie in the red ball game, but wants to help the team put together many more wins in the one-day format as well.
The Caboolture Sports Cricket Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and will certainly get a good start with the next hundred years if the current leadership team continues its good work.
For all the latest news from the Snakepit in Grant Road, Caboolture, local cricket fans can follow their Facebook page, Caboolture Sports Cricket.