Top 20: Best youngsters to keep an eye out for this SA Premier Cricket season
Adelaide’s 2020/21 Premier Cricket starts this Saturday and we’ve ranked the top 20 players who are 22 and under to watch this season. SEE who made the list here.
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Summer is almost here and so is the start of SA’s Premier Cricket season.
Many of the state’s best young batsmen, bowlers and all-round talents are getting ready to line up with their local clubs with a hope of impressing Redbacks, Strikers and national selectors.
Ahead of the competition starting this Saturday, The Messenger has picked 20 cricketers under 22 to watch this season.
1. LLOYD POPE
KENSINGTON
Age: 20
The right-arm leg-spinner is a contracted Redback who has played six first-class matches for SA.
Pope was in the under-19 Australian World Cup team in 2018 and took 18 wickets at 22.61 for the Browns during the 2019/2020 Premier Cricket season.
The rising star shone for SA in the opening Sheffield Shield round this month, snaring five wickets in the first innings.
He will be keen to use the Premier Cricket season to help push his case for further selection.
2. LIAM SCOTT
GLENELG
Age: 19
Scott, an all-rounder, relocated to SA from NSW last year.
In his maiden first-grade match for Glenelg during the 2019/2020 season, he opened the batting and smashed 115 against Tea Tree Gully.
He then followed it up by taking 1/11 off five overs.
Scott, who is on the Redbacks’ Rookie list, was also part of Cricket Australia’s under-19 World Cup team in 2019/2020.
Last season with the Seahorses, he made 407 runs at 58.14, while snaring six wickets at 27.67.
3. BEN PENGELLEY
ADELAIDE
Age: 22
Pengelley is an all-rounder who starred for Adelaide last season and is set to take his game to another level this year.
He is an emerging Redback and finished third in the 2019/2020 Bradman Medal and hit three centuries last campaign.
The hard-hitting Pengelley finished the minor round of SACA’s first-grade competition with the stunning statistics of 734 runs at an average of 61.17, while taking 32 wickets at 16.81 with his left-arm fast-medium bowling.
Both were career highs.
4. COREY KELLY
STURT
Age: 19
Corey is a twin and a son of former Crows footballer and East Torrens all-rounder Matthew Kelly.
The all-rounder and Rookie Redback thrived in the Blues’ bowling attack last season.
The Australian representative at under-19 level and right arm fast-medium bowler will return to Sturt for this Premier Cricket season after playing in the Top End this winter with Southern Districts.
Last summer with Sturt, Kelly made 279 runs at 39.86 and claimed 17 wickets at 16.59.
He will be keen to prove he deserves a full Redback contract.
5. THOMAS KELLY
STURT
Age: 19
Kelly is Corey’s twin brother and also starred with the Blues last summer.
The right-hand batsman earned a rookie contract with the Redbacks and was an under-16 Cricket Australia team member.
Kelly ended the 2019/2020 Premier Cricket season with 334 runs at an average of 33.40.
He will be a crucial cog in the Blues’ batting order again this season.
6. PATRICK PAGE
TEA TREE GULLY
Age: 22
Page will return to Tea Tree Gully this season, having spent one year with rival club Adelaide.
The free-flowing stroke-maker revealed there was more to his surprise move from the Bulls to the Buffaloes, after battling mental health issues.
But Page, a left-handed batsman and former Redback, rediscovered his love for cricket and made 613 runs at 55, while taking eight wickets at 41.25 with Adelaide last year.
He is set to continue that strong form with the Bulls again this season.
7. BAILEY CAPEL
WEST TORRENS
Age: 20
The left-handed opening batsman is a former SA under-19 vice-captain who made the Australian under-16 squad in 2015 when he scored the most runs at the Australian under-15 national championships.
A first-grade premiership player for the Eagles at age 16, he averaged 52 in first grade last season and has made three first grade centuries.
He is in the Emerging Redbacks program for the second consecutive season.
8.KYLE BRAZELL
ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY
Age: 19
The former Rostrevor College student moved from Tea Tree Gully to Adelaide University last Premier Cricket season and starred with 305 runs at 33.89.
Brazell, a talented left-hand batsman, featured in the state under-19 squad at the national championships last year.
He was also named in the Cricket Australia under-16 team in 2017
9. BAILEY WIGHTMAN
ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY
Age: 21
The right-arm fast bowler will be hoping to recapture his strong form of 2018/19 when he was named in the Premier Cricket team of the Year.
Wightman, who is in the Emerging Redbacks squad, took 16 wickets at 36.75 last summer.
He was also added to Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Bears squad last year as a replacement player for injured Liam Norwell.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL THE ROUND ONE FIXTURES
10. WILL BOWERING
GLENELG
Age: 18
Bowering is a strong, right-arm leg-spinner.
He was the leading wicket-taker at the under-19 male national championships in Perth last season, snaring 18 wickets at an average of 12.83.
He made his first-grade debut at 15 two seasons ago and was chosen as an Adelaide Strikers development rookie for BBL09.
Last Premier Cricket season, Bowering took 14 wickets at 34.36.
11. JOEL SIZE
EAST TORRENS
A ge: 19
The right-arm medium bowler is in the Emerging Redbacks squad.
Size was prolific in the Reds’ bowling attack last season, snaring 13 wickets at 29.85.
He was also part of the state under-19 squad which competed the national championships last year.
12. ISAAC HIGGINS
GLENELG
Age: 18
The rising star was included in our top 20 list of the best to watch in the Messenger Bowl T20 competition this season.
But it was hard to leave Higgins off this list after being the leading run scorer (425) at last year with Cricket Australia at the under-17 national championships.
Higgins made his Premier Cricket debut with Glenelg last season and has cricket in his blood, being the son of ex-state cricketer, Ben Higgins.
13. ZAC WORDEN
PORT ADELAIDE
Age: 18
Worden switched from Tea Tree Gully to Port Adelaide last summer and the move proved to do the right-handed batsman good.
The youngster made 430 runs at 35.83 last season with the Magpies.
He was also called up to the SA under-19 team last year, competing at the national titles in Perth, to replace Liam Scott who was chosen in the Redbacks squad.
But when Scott wasn’t picked in the Redbacks team he returned to the SA under-19s for the championships.
That forced Worden out of the state side after scoring 37 not out against Vic Country and 31 facing the Cricket Australia XI.
14. COOPER LUKE
ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY
Age: 19
Luke is a hard-hitting, middle-order batsman who joined Adelaide University from East Torrens two years ago.
Has played state under-17 cricket and performed well in Redbacks Second XI pre-season trials.
Last summer, he made 250 runs at 41.67 for the Blacks.
15. HENRY DALL
EAST TORRENS
Age: 20.
Dall moved from Kensington to East Torrens to start the 2019/2020 campaign and is set to fire in his second season with the Reds.
The left-handed opening batsman smashed a total of 506 runs at 46 last season.
He also captained the state under-19 side in 2018.
Dall will be hoping for a big season with an aim of helping the Reds to some silverware.
16. SAM RAHALEY
KENSINGTON
Age: 17
The Rostrevor Year 12 was also included in our best schoolboy cricketers to watch but after debuting for the Browns’ top tier side at just 15, Rahaley could not be left off this list.
The right-hand batsman, right-arm medium bowler is a talent on the rise and is set to have state and national selectors watching his form this Premier Cricket campaign.
Last summer, Rahaley hit 209 runs at 29.86 for the Browns.
He also represented the Cricket Australia XI side at last year’s under-19 national championships.
17. CAMERON FATCHEN
KENSINGTON
Age: 21
The right-arm fast-medium bowler snared 17 wickets at 18.24 last summer for the Browns.
Fatchen was named in the under-19 state squad in 2018 and played a big role in Kensington’s under-17 grand final in 2017.
18. RYAN KING
EAST TORRENS
Age: 18
King, a left-handed batsman, represented SA at the 2019 national championships after being selected in the under-19 state squad.
He enjoyed a breakout first-grade campaign last season with the Reds, making 303 runs at an average of 43
King helped East Torrens win last season’s One Day Cup, hitting 27.
The promising junior also featured in SA’s team during the under-17 national titles in 2017.
19. DANIEL KERBER
ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY
Age: 21
The wicketkeeper, left-handed batsman Wicketkeeper, was jointly crowned Player of the Tournament at the Premier T20 championships in the 2019/20 season.
Last year, the SA under-17 and under-19 representative not only combined with his brother all-rounder Sam, to play a key role in Adelaide University’s Premier Cricket team, but he also started his own cricket business.
Kerber makes cricket bats and formed Kerber Cricket.
In the 2019/2020 Premier Cricket season, Kerber made 84 runs at 10.50 and the youngster is set to take his game to new heights this summer.
20. MITCHELL FUSS
WOODVILLE
Age: 19
Fuss starred for the Peckers in 2019/2020, being named the club’s Cricketer of the Year.
He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler who was also named in the state squad for last season’s under-19 national championships.
During Woodville’s 2019/2020 Premier Cricket campaign, the emerging youngster hit 303 runs at 43.29.
ROUND ONE FIXTURES:
(Saturday, October 24. One-day games, for two-day points)
■ Glenelg v Kensington at Camden Oval
■ Southern District v Port Adelaide at Bice Oval
■ Adelaide v Adelaide University at Glandore Oval
■ Prospect v East Torrens at Prospect Oval
■ Tea Tree Gully v Woodville at Pertaringa Oval
■ West Torrens v Sturt at Henley Grange Memorial Oval
■ Northern Districts — bye