Oliver Peake says he’s still coming to terms with playing a key role in Australia’s under-19 World Cup win
A young Geelong cricket star has reflected on a life-changing experience in South Africa, going from non-travelling emergency to key part of Australia’s under-19 World Cup win.
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Boarding a 3am flight to Johannesburg in late January, it all started to feel very real for Geelong’s most promising junior cricketer in many summers, Oliver Peake.
The 17-year-old southpaw, who was initially named as a non-travelling emergency for the under-19 World Cup in South Africa – an exclusion which left the Geelong Grammar student shattered – had been suddenly thrust closer to the spotlight after a finger injury to Corey Wasley in the opening game against Namibia.
Less than 48 hours after getting the news from Cricket Australia late on January 23, Peake and his mother Sarah were South Africa-bound.
“It was a pretty quick turnaround,” Peake said, who already had a passport sorted for a potential call up
“I didn’t really know what to feel.
“A lot of nerves about going over (but) I was just so excited as well to be among it.”
Little did either know the Mike Hussey-idolising batter was about to go from emergency to integral cog in a World Cup-winning machine, just a few weeks later.
Peake admits he was stoked to have his mother by his side, not just for moral but geographical support as they flew into South Africa’s largest city.
“’Joburg’ airport’s so big and there’s so many people telling you what to do, I would have had no idea,” he said with a laugh.
Once settled, Peake went about acclimatising and getting to know his new teammates.
The day before the second tournament match against England on January 31, Peake had been training with the second batting group, which included the squad’s all-rounders.
“I was just loving facing all the boys ... I had no idea I was going to play,” he said.
Later that night about 8pm, while having some fun with a virtual reality cricket set, somebody yelled out that Peake had been picked for his first international match at Kimberley.
“I quickly let mum know, I was pretty elated,” he said.
Peake admits it wasn’t just the standard which took time to adjust to, but all the periphery things going on, from music, logos on the ground, stadium announcers to noisy fans in the stands.
“All the stuff that went with it was absolutely incredible,” he said.
“The massive Toblerone boundary lines, not needing to move a sightscreen ... the kids in the stand yelling and screaming and singing.
“The national anthems before play, there was so much stuff which came with playing for your country.
“I just soaked up every minute of it, it was amazing.”
Taking guard and facing his first ball against the Poms at 5-174, he didn’t have to look far to realise this was different to your standard Saturday afternoon at Kardinia Park with the Cats.
“Once you get there, when you look up for your first ball there’s cameras above the sightscreen,” he said.
“So much more going on.”
While undeniably nervous, Peake enjoyed the thrill of batting with one of the tournament’s top players and Australian captain, Hugh Weibgen.
When asked if there was one shot which made him feel at ease, or boosted his confidence, Peake said there were scant few to chose from in that innings.
Rather, time in the middle was the greatest teacher, as he compiled 25 off 28 balls.
“To be honest in that first game there weren’t too many shots, it was just more about getting Hugh back on strike,” he said.
“Time at the crease made me feel: ‘I can play a role here’.”
After a duck against the West Indies, Peake’s next innings remains his favourite, a 75-ball 49 against Pakistan in the semi-final in Benoni on February 8.
Coming into bat early in the 17th over at number six with the score at 4-59, and teaming up with Victoria Metro rival Harry Dixon, Peake felt more at ease.
“I’ve designed my game to be a top order batsman, so in that semi-final it was good to get out there and knuckle down,” he said.
“With the field up a bit more I could hit a few more boundaries ... the scoring came a bit quicker and easier.”
History will show Peake then stood up again with an unbeaten 46 against India in the final three days later, triggering prolonged celebrations.
One ICC photographer captured the 17-year-old wearing a style of sunnies made famous by Travis Head after his stunning century in the World Cup final, also against India, just a few months prior.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in just yet ... it’s still so surreal,” Peake said on Friday afternoon.
“(My phone) went pretty crazy.
“To see how much it means to friends and family and the people back home,
it was a pretty special feeling.
“Everyone was pretty pumped up.”
A few days on from those heady celebrations, Peake has learned the value of focus on his own game.
Rubbing shoulders with NSW and Queensland teammates, whose states have dominated recent underage national championships, it’s brought perhaps a more insular focus.
“The biggest thing was not worrying too much about the opposition,” he said.
“They just rock up to the game knowing they’re every chance of winning.
“And if they play to their best we were going to win.
“It was a pretty cool thing to be a part of, having no doubt in your mind and just backing yourself and each other 100 per cent.
“It can be more powerful than looking through every opposition and trying to break down what they do and how we can expose them.”
However, with a modesty beyond his 17 years, Peake is quick to direct the conversation towards those who have played a major role in his development to this point.
From South Barwon coach Brad Hauenstein, to current mentors in Geelong senior mentor Nick Speak, Cricket Victoria’s Tom Evans to his father, Clinton.
“I thought I might have got one game (in South Africa), but I never imagined I’d be playing in the World Cup final and eventually get the win,” he said.
“I was pretty stoked about that.”
He says he has heard plenty remark he would one day wear the green and gold.
“I block it out, I sort of let it blow over ... (I think) ‘You're dreaming mate, there’s no way’,” he said.
“But for it to actually happen, it’s an absolute whirlwind, I think it comes down to people believing in me a little bit more than myself at times.”
Peake, who turns 18 in September, is looking forward to a bit of downtime this weekend.
He will return to school at Geelong Grammar on Monday but will not play for Geelong on Saturday as the Cats take on Prahran in Victorian Premier.
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Originally published as Oliver Peake says he’s still coming to terms with playing a key role in Australia’s under-19 World Cup win
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