Queensland rugby league star Cameron Munster is set to feature in a T20 Challenge at Tewantin and is expected to hold his own against state grade players.
After propelling the Maroons to victory over the Blues with a man-of-the-series performance this month, the 26-year-old is poised to play for Tewantin-Noosa against the Sunshine Coast today (Thursday).
Munster played cricket as a youngster in Rockhampton and event organisers believe he’ll be competitive.
Tewantin-Noosa Cricket Club president Brett Lea said Munster was simply a gifted athlete.
“I suppose all professional sportsman like to think they’re very good at other sports and some are very good at other sports and some are ordinary, but I think he’s a natural sportsman,” Lea said.
“I’ve got no doubt he’ll have a bit of fun but in saying that it’s still going to be a serious game between both teams.
“We’ve got a squad of 14 that we’ll run on and off the field, so he might just field and bowl a couple of overs or he might just field and bat. We want to give all our guys a go.”
Munster has been holidaying in Noosa, where his manager Shaun Pyne lives.
Pyne is a member of the Tewantin-Noosa club and his son Cody is a player in the team.
The match represents a good chance for Tewantin-Noosa to test their wares against the Scorchers.
The former won the Sunshine Coast A-grade T20 competition this season, with a strong bowling line-up.
Meanwhile, the Scorchers are using the game as a trial ahead of the Queensland T20 competition, which they have been finalists in for the past few seasons.
Nathan Reardon is set to play for the Thunder, while there is some chance Noosa local and Brisbane Heat star Ben Laughlin could also play for them, although it’s more likely he will be put on ice, instead playing for the Scorchers against Wynnum-Manly on Sunday.
The Laguna Real Estate T20 Challenge gets under way under Read Park’s new lights on this evening (Thursday) from 6pm.
TEWANTIN NOOSA: J Dennien, J Officer, C Wright, N Reardon, C Munster, A Bennett, C Pyne, D Cummins, B Gear, A Kratzmann, S Aufderheide, D Taylor, H Lea, T Stewart.
SUNSHINE COAST: A Day, J Matthews, N Selman, B Maher, A Lovell, H Clarke-Burnham, K Griggs, J Turnbull, S Gardiner, J Tyson, B Bester.