The BrisBASH for BorneHMRI has become a staple on the Brisbane scene for a fundraising day of goodwill, generosity, fun and the cricket techniques that the Ashes happily forgot.

Eight corporate teams and celebrities converged on Bottomley Park at Coorparoo in late November for five hours of six-hitting, confused bowling actions, rustic fielding efforts and all shades in between.

Swimming’s Olympic relay gold medallist Cate Campbell, dual international footballer Lote Tuqiri, ironwoman Courtney Hancock, cricket’s Lee Carseldine and Michael Kasprowicz plus former Wallaby captain Ben Mowen were among the celebrities who threw themselves into the day beside Borne HMRI host Dean Mumm.

The high-spirited day delivered grandly with more than $20,000 raised to take total fundraising past $100,000 since the event was hatched.

Easy Times Brewing’s back-to-back victories at the BrisBash was the climax to the day but it took a late flurry of fours and sixes to get them home over Mowen Building Corp, previous winners themselves.

The Ashes series is not the sole domain when it comes to misguided sledging.

MBC thrasher Lachie Kirk delivered one of the lines of the day when the run chase by the brewing company outfit looked remote midway through their six-over innings. 

“Not Easy Times, easy wickets” he blurted before having the line explode in his face like a cream pie.

Just as stylish was the player who thought he’d expertly kept a lusty drive down to a single, only to realise he was fielding beyond the long-on boundary and had already conceded “four”. It was that sort of day.

Easy Times Brewing’s Managing Director Greg Kimmings put it best when describing the worthy cause.

“Improving outcomes for preterm babies and their families is not a cause people talk enough about. The lived experience of Dean and (wife) Sarah means we want to be part of doing something about it,” Kimmings said.

“Raising money for such an authentic cause is what we are as a brewery in the community.”

They now have a winning trophy photo including their two enthusiastic female contributors, Wallaroo rugby player Layne Morgan and Channel 10 presenter Liz Cantor.

Troy Williamson, partner in property finance company The Brokerage, set the tone at the day’s auction of sporting memorabilia.

He paid $3000 for Kasprowicz’s Australian batting helmet, the one he wore in his opening Tests of 1996-97 when a ball from West Indian Courtney Walsh kissed the grille after he’d hooked the fast bowler for six.

The Brokerage may not have reached the final but Hunter Zacka took one of the catches of the day when diving full length to his right to catch an edge as wicket-keeper.

It was nearly as slick as watching Carseldine, coming back from shoulder surgery, take two catches one-handed on the boundary with a can of soft drink in the other.

You may have thought Tuqiri’s take on cricket would be more swashbuckling considering the hapless defenders he left in his wake as a strong-running Wallaby and NRL player. He played one of the few defensive shots of the day just to see if he still had his school First XI form. He didn’t.

Under blue skies, the day was a success and all involved are plotting how best to manipulate their line-ups for 2026’s BrisBash. Our thanks as well to James Slipper, James Horwill, Matt Okine and Dan Anstey for joining to make this a memorable day. Thank you to Brisbane Heat, Easy Times Brewing Co. & BBQ Mafia.