ITP Cricket

FORMER AUSTRALIAN cricketer Andrew J Tye bowling to Nathan Colgan for the Fisters against Koits CC in a T20 match at Menzies Park during the 2007-08 season
For the record AJ Tye would pick up only one wicket (Colgan's) in his only ITP match. He is also the only ITP Cricketer to go on and play cricket for Australia!

COASTAL BREEZE 1997-98 to 2011-12

"Blow the Breeze!

The sash worn on Coastal's "Greg Chappell" hats

For the record:

Championships: three
1997-98, 1999-00, 2006-07

Scott Bonnar Cups: three
1999-00, 2000-01, 2005-06

Runner/up in Scott Bonnar Cup
1997-98, 2011-12

POSSIBLY THE greatest player to ever play ITP cricket is the Sri Lankans Gayantha Gamage
In just nine matches between the 1997-98 and 1999-00 summers Gamage amassed an incredible 259 runs (43.16) with two 50s and took 18 wickets (9.55)
Savage on anything loose, Gamage hit an amazing 16 sixes and strangled the life out of opposition batsmen with his slippery seamers. Indeed, it is fair to suggest that Gayantha made the Lions walk tall as they claimed back to back Cups and a Championship in his short time in the game
During the 1998-99 summer he took eleven wickets with his deceptively quick seam bowling, and also amassed 167 runs at 83.50 making him that summer's undisputed ITP Cricketer of the Year. It would be the only occasion in the history of the game where a player would do the double of scoring 100 plus runs and taking ten plus wickets in a season
Although he would make a golden duck in the 1997-98 Scott Bonnar Cup final against Coastal, his 3/18 from seven overs more than made up for that rare failure as the Lions upset the Breeze to claim its first ITP silverware
His most memorable performance came exactly one year later when he single handedly destroyed any hopes North Koits might have had of claiming the 1998-99 Scott Bonnar Cup in that summer's final in front of a massive crowd at Horrie Long Reserve in what would be his second last appearance
After being the only Sri Lankan bowler to have an impact on North's 120/6 when he removed the dangerous Paul Massara and the stubborn Shane Bender to finish with figures of 2/24 from his seven overs - Gamage then made the opposition look simply second rate when he came out to bat in what had been a very slow and low scoring match
Smashing three fours and five sixes against the grain, Gamage's 44 from just 22 balls saw his side home in the 17th over
For the Sri Lankans the massive eight-wicket win meant they had become the first team to claim the double (Championship & Cup)
Gamage's fifth man of the match performance in just his eighth game also meant we were unlikely to see an all-rounder this good ever again
Indeed, apart from Gundill Boys' Luke Lindsay, you really struggle to find another player in his league!
Gamage is an absolute certainty whatever the case when the ITP names its "All Stars Team for All Time" later this year

Gayantha Gamage
Sri Lankans
Debut v South Koits, 1997-98
Matches 9
Innings 9 NO 3 50s 2
Runs 259 at 43.16 S/R 130.1
HS 52* v South Koits, 1998-99
Wickets 18 at 9.55 RPO 3.20
B/B 3/12 v South Koits, 1997-98