Teenage Northern Territory leg-spinners Joel Logan and Akash Patel target Redbacks dream

TWO Shane Warne disciples from the Northern Territory are striving for a spot in the Redbacks’ attack.

14/11/14 - Joel Logan and Akash Patel (both 19), are part of the emerging Redbacks cricket squad. They are both from the Northern Territory and hope to eventually play Sheffield Shield cricket for SA. Picture Dean Martin

TWO Shane Warne disciples from the Northern Territory are striving for a spot in the Redbacks’ attack.

Joel Logan and Akash Patel – both 19 – are training with the emerging Redbacks squad after impressing in Grade ranks since coming to SA.

Logan, from Darwin, has snared 13 wickets at 11 from three matches for Adelaide University.

Patel, from Alice Springs, has taken 21 scalps at 25 from eight matches for Glenelg.

They consider themselves very different bowlers and friendly rivals.

“I’ve known Akash a long time,” says Logan, who moved to Adelaide at the start of the year.

“We’re fairly different leg-spinners. I’ve got more variations, like a flipper ... and Akash is a very consistent leg-spinner who bowls few bad balls.”

Patel, who has been in Adelaide since the end of 2010, describes Logan as the more aggressive leg-spinner and a great bloke.

“He’s more likely to bowl an absolute jaffa or a wicket ball whereas I’m more likely to sit on a length and dry things up a bit more,” Patel says.

“We help each other quite a bit and haven’t played in the same team that often.”

Both nominate Warne as the reason they took up the difficult leg-spin craft.

Patel remembers switching from an opening bowler to leg-spin after watching Warne on The Cricket Show.

Logan, a former Australian under-19 representative, was hooked after Warne’s 40 wicket 2005 Ashes series.

“I remember seeing him get wickets ... and how much he spun the ball.”

Logan and Patel hope to play in the second-tier Futures League this season.

“I just need to keep taking wickets at A-grade level and enjoy it as much as I can,” Patel says.