Located on the Brisbane Bayside in Wellington Point, Redlands Cricket Inc is the home of cricket in the Redlands.
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RCI exists primarily to facilitate teams within the Brisbane Premier Grade cricket competition but also acts as a governing body to it’s affiliate clubs in the area.
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Our Redland’s Tigers Cricket Academy caters for boys and girls aged 10-16 who wish to hone their skills along their cricket journey. Our connection with our affiliate clubs sees juniors from this area and across the greater Brisbane region attend this program.
About Us
A CLUB FORGED FROM
A STRONG HISTORY
Easts have a long and proud cricket history having commenced as Wooloongabba Cricket in 1897. In time the club would become known as Eastern Suburbs District Cricket Club which endured for many years.
Similarly, the club had ground changes as a result of differing needs of both football and cricket when grounds were shared. Easts spent some years at Langlands Park, Coorparoo, before being relocated to Bottomley Park, Coorparoo. There were two grounds at Bottomley and though Grade cricket was played on them for many years, they were considered somewhat unsuitable as the competition grew and expanded and better facilities needed to be found.
In the early 90’s consideration was given to finding other locations for the club which included Whites Hill and Mount Gravatt. However, a survey by Club Secretary, Ray Bubke, at that time found 8 of the 10 grade clubs were located with 5 to 10 kilometres of each other so areas further afield would need to be considered.
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At the same time President, Bruce Harvey, was concerned about the future solvency of the club. It takes a substantial amount of funds to run the operations of any club and fundraising tends to fall into the hands of a few stalwart volunteers who run raffles, canteens and the like. The passing of time has not changed this. Hence, any relocation to another venue would take considerable financial input. Government grants were virtually non-existent and grants were not available from Queensland Cricket or Cricket Australia at that time.
EARLY DAYS
Redlands Cricket also has a long and proud history. Early years saw an association of local clubs playing cricket in Redlands competitions which grew strongly over many years. Clubs have come and gone and some mergers have also occurred over the years.
In the late 1970’s/early 1980’s Redlands Cricket President, Don Seccombe, and Committee member, Jim Apps, saw the need for a dedicated cricket facility with associated club house.
Subsequently, Don met with local Shire Chairman and State Member of Parliament, Dick Wood, and presented the concept for such a facility and to determine a suitable location for a club building. The area negotiated was Archers Swamp, later to become the E G W Wood Reserve, the present site of the Redlands Sporting Club and cricket grounds. This was low lying ground with poor drainage and swampy in nature. Clean land fill was needed to elevate the land above water and flood levels and Redlands Shire Council was instrumental in organising the landfill while Redlands Cricket had to provide the funds for any buildings. The Council constructed the ground in front of the Sporting Club and a small junior ground on the current location of Fred Kratzman oval. In 1981 the Redlands Cricketers Club was born and the club house built in 1982 with official opening in May 1983.
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Redlands Cricket was originally part of the country cricket scene and played representative cricket against outlying country areas. Queensland Cricket was keen to enlarge its competition and upon exploring alternatives and opportunities for Redlands Cricket, Don learnt that Easts were looking for a possible “new home”. Subsequently, negotiations between Easts and Redlands began in 1993.
EASTS-REDLANDS
When Easts President, Bruce Harvey, learned of the Redlands Cricket situation again through
Queensland Cricket, he approached Don Seccombe to gauge the level of interest around supporting a grade club with possible relocation to and amalgamation with Redlands Cricket. The reason for this was for the survival of Easts as a club and allow Redlands entry to the Queensland Cricket competition.
Redlands Cricket had also decided it would be better aligned with metropolitan cricket rather than country cricket for its continued viability because of the rapidly expanding Redland Shire which was fast becoming a city demographic. Also, Beenleigh and Gold Coast had formulated teams and been accepted into the expanding Queensland Cricket competition ahead of Redlands in 1994.
Bruce Harvey and Don Seccombe had discussions with Queensland Cricket about a possible structure for a club to be later known as Easts-Redlands. Easts would need considerable financial support both immediate and ongoing if they were to relocate. Don formulated a plan and presented it to Queensland Cricket.
From Easts perspective the plan had to be laid before the club’s committee and players for approval. Bruce enlisted the help of present players and life members such as Betty Bubke, Ray Bubke, Peter Burge, Peter Evans, Mal Freeman and Greg Ritchie to name a few. Whilst there was some opposition from mainly lower grade players, a decision was made to accept the Redlands offer and relocate.
On the Redlands side Don had the support of people including Jim Apps, Norm Haupt, Gary Carter, Bob Harris, Alan Stewart and Mayor Eddie Santigiuliana. At the time alternative grounds had to be found for Wellington Point Cricket Club which did suffer some displacement with the relocation of Easts. Mooroondu Cricket Club had earlier folded which opened up an opportunity for Wellington Point Cricket to have alternative grounds.
Once negotiations had concluded and Easts Redlands formed, the real work began. Don Seccombe met with the incumbent Mayor, Eddie Santagiuliana, with a view to strengthening the concept of the E G W Wood Reserve cricket facility. Completion of the fill was necessary to expand Kratzman oval and form the base for the Burge oval and Council had to mobilise quickly and took responsibility for filling the site. Construction of turf wickets on Kratzman and Burge ovals to a standard suitable for grade cricket was carried out by Shaun Valenta and paid for by Redlands Sporting Club. The Redlands Sporting Club also had the financial responsibility for drainage on the site and for the construction of the clubhouse and grandstand which also doubles as a machinery storage shed. All this work had to be done quickly to ensure the grounds would be ready for the upcoming season. In September 1995
the first grade games were played at the E G W Wood Reserve cricket facility.
REDLANDS CRICKET INC
In 2000 to streamline operations and for marketing purposes a further amalgamation of cricket in Redlands took place between Easts-Redlands, Redlands Cricket and Redlands Junior Cricket to form Redlands Cricket Incorporated. At this time Easts Redlands was rebranded as Redlands Tigers Premier Cricket Club with new logos instituted for Redlands Tigers, Redlands Cricket Inc. and Redlands Juniors.
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Because of the extraordinary vision of a few people and developments which took place over a fifteen year period the sustainability and viability of Eastern Suburbs Cricket and Redlands Cricket were maintained. However, none of this could have been achieved without the support of Redlands Shire (now City) Council which contributed millions of dollars to the project from a concept of dedicated cricket grounds to the reality of Redlands Cricket grounds as they are today. Whilst there are too many people to mention in particular, Dick Wood and Eddie Santagiuliana both of whom played major parts, are acknowledged for their respective contributions. Redlands City Council is also acknowledged for its contribution and support of community.
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In addition, whilst many people were involved from Redlands Cricket, there is one person without whose vison none of the concept would have evolved the way it has. Don Seccombe, President of Redlands Cricket (now known as Redlands Sporting Club), was the prime driving force behind the original concept from the beginning and is still involved to this day. The Redlands Sporting Club over the years has funded the construction of Redlands Tigers clubhouse, the Grandstand and for all of the turf wickets. Additionally they looked after the drainage around the grounds areas of Peter Burge and Fred Kratzmann ovals and the grassed swale between grounds. The Redlands Sporting Club has also made many millions of dollars in voluntary contributions to Redlands Cricket over the past twenty five years to ensure sustainability of the cricket club and continues to make contributions for assets and operations to this day.
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From all this Redlands Tigers Cricket Club has arguably some of the best grounds in the state thanks to the vision and dedication of a few community minded citizens. It is now the responsibility of the custodians of cricket in Redlands to ensure the legacy is not forgotten.
Welcome to Tigerland
Oval 1 - Peter Burge Oval
347-371 Birkdale Road,
Wellington Point QLD 4160
Oval 3 - Ron Field Oval
Anson Rd, Wellington Point QLD 4160
Oval 2 - Fred Kratzmann Oval
347-371 Birkdale Road,
Wellington Point QLD 4160