Peter Forrest, a batsman for Queensland Bulls, was an important selection; however, his junior cricket was played for Hawkesbury, having grown up in Windsor.
On the other hand, Tasmania boasts six imports from New South Wales.
Ed Cowan, who attended Cranbrook, previously played for the Blues before moving to Tasmania where he received a Test call-up.
Joining him are players from New South Wales, including Steve Cazzulino, Brendan Drew, Jackson Bird, Rhett Lockyear, and former Australian spinner Jason Krejza.
Dan Christian is claimed by South Australia as one of their own, along with young Blues Tom Cooper and Aaron O’Brien.
Interestingly, Christian was once a talented junior rugby league player at St Gregory’s College, alongside Ryan Hoffman from Melbourne Storm.
“All we’re missing is a keeper, although Tom Cooper could do the job,” said Cricket NSW chief executive David Gilbert when inquired about a potential “second XI” for the Blues.
“For Peter, the transition to Queensland has been very beneficial for him.
“While we are sad about his departure, his game has certainly progressed this year, and he deserves full credit for that.”
Forrest was aware that securing a position in the Blues side would be challenging, with Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, and David Warner competing for Test spots this time last year.
“It was a no-brainer,” Forrest remarked regarding his decision to join Queensland.
“I recall the last time I was dropped and remember my one-day statistics.
“I had a 41 average and an 88 strike rate (per 100 balls), and that still wasn’t sufficient to make the team.
“It was incredibly frustrating.
“They seemed to view me as a top-order player, but with talents like Hughesy, Khawaja, Warner, and Simon Katich all batting at the top, it was tough to find my place.
“I hold no grudges against NSW.
“They possess an abundance of talent down there, and I just wasn’t good enough to break through.”
Currently, New South Wales finds itself fifth among six teams in both the Sheffield Shield and Ryobi One-Day Cup tables; however, the Sydney Sixers, made up primarily of players contracted to the Blues, triumphed over the Perth Scorchers in the first-ever KFC T20 Big Final hosted at the WACA Ground.
New South Wales ‘Second XI’
- Ed Cowan (Tasmania)
- Steve Cazzulino (Tasmania)
- Peter Forrest (Queensland)
- Daniel Christian (South Australia)
- Tom Cooper (South Australia)
- Aaron O’Brien (South Australia)
- John Hastings (Victoria)
- Jason Krezja (Tasmania)
- Michael Hogan (Western Australia)
- Brendan Drew (Tasmania)
- Jackson Bird (Tasmania)
Twelfth Man
- Rhett Lockyear (Tasmania)
Buford Balony says: Since the early 90s, NSW has been a bedrock of Australian cricket. I can already foresee other states refuting this claim. However, if you review the list of Australian players since 1990, NSW has significantly more players and matches played for Australia.
