Friends set to become foes for Australian under-19 championships
THEY have combined to tear opposition bowling attacks apart for years and now two of South Australia’s most promising teenage cricketers will be ganging up on their own State.
THEY have combined to tear opposition bowling attacks apart for years and now two of South Australia’s most promising teenage cricketers are preparing to gang up on their own State.
Rostrevor College schoolmates Kyle Brazell and Sam Rahaley will put their Redbacks colours to one side next month when they represent Cricket Australia in the under-19 male national championships in Adelaide.
“I guess it's a bit strange but I don't mind it,’’ said Brazell, 17.
“I’ve played against my Redbacks team-mates before and there will be a bit of banter but it’s all in good fun.
“The bonus is that I’ll know the players and bowlers that I’ll be coming up against, so it makes it a bit easier to prepare.’’
Rahaley, just 15 and the youngest player to represent Kensington at first grade level when he debuted in January this year at 15 years and six days, said it will be “pretty cool’’ to go head-to-head with State and club mates on the national stage.
“It will obviously be another step up in skill level playing at under-19 level but it will be pretty cool to play against some guys I know well,’’ he said.
“It could give me a bit of an advantage but I’ll be trying to take the attitude that it is a blank canvas and that I need to play each ball on its merits.’’
Brazell, who this season transferred from SACA Premier Cricket powerhouse Tea Tree Gully to Adelaide University primarily to bat further up the order, has already represented Cricket Australia twice at national championship level.
He made the Australian under-16 team last year, taking out the player of the championships award at last season’s under-17 titles, and the Australian under-17 team that competed in last year’s national under-19 titles in Tasmania.
Rahaley made the under-16 team alongside Brazell before being chosen in this year’s under-17 squad.
Both had strong under-17 national carnivals in Queensland last month.
Brazell made 324 runs at an average of 54 while captaining SA, with a top score of 106 against Rahaley’s Cricket Australia side, as well as taking nine wickets with his left-arm orthodox spinners.
Rahaley impressed with 249 runs at an average of 35.57.
The pair are joined at the cricket hip, having been long-time team-mates at Rostrevor despite their age difference.
“We’ve been playing cricket together pretty much since Year 6/7,’’ Brazell said.
“We got on really well and have a good understanding when we bat together.’’
In Rostrevor’s tour to Sri Lanka in June, Brazell was named player of the tournament while Rahaley was top run scorer.
“It’s been a real bonus that we’ve been able to support and help each other so much through our cricket journey,’’ said Rahaley.
Left-hander Brazell, who has grown 5cm in the past year to measure 186cm, once preferred football to cricket.
But he shifted his focus to hitting balls rather than kicking them after making the Australian under-16 team.
Interested in a career in medical science, Brazell models his game on Australian batsman Usman Khawaja because of his “calm and relaxed nature at the crease’’.
Right-hander Rahaley, a tall 191cm, was born in Singapore to Australian parents before moving to Vietnam and later England, where he started playing cricket and soccer.
He stuck with cricket when his family returned to Australia five years ago.
While Brazell and Rahaley will don the green and gold during the Australian under-19 titles, SA this week picked its 13-man squad which will chase glory on home soil from December 3 to 13.
The squad is: Josh Pengelley (Adelaide), Daniel Kerber (Adelaide Uni), Lewis Evans (East Torrens), Josh Hoffmann (Glenelg), Henry Dall, Cam Fatchen, Lloyd Pope (Kensington), Krutarth Suthar (Prospect), Hanno Jacobs, Angus Judd, Corey Kelly, Tom Kelly (Sturt), Bailey Capel (West Torrens).
BEST WITH BAT
MEN
Jake Winter (Glen) 176
Ben Wakim (Uni) 161 no
Ben Wakim (Uni) 114 no
Ziggy Kulesza (Sturt) 111
Ben Dougall (ET) 106
Kelvin Smith (WT) 106
WOMEN
Sarah Lowe (Kens) 109
Tabatha Saville (ND) 92
Tegan McPharlin (ND) 74
Katelyn Pope (Kens) 62
BEST WITH BALL
MEN
Brinder Phagura (Sturt) 5/26
Bailey Wightman (Uni) 4/26
Phil Neate (Adel) 4/29
Nick Palmer (Kens) 4/37
Andrew Staunton (SD) 4/39
Daniel Clarke (Glen) 4/41
WOMEN
Bella Smith (Kens) 4/42
Neisha Iles (ND) 3/2
Emily Hinze (WT) 3/36
Kayla McGrath (WT) 3/42
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BEN WAKIM (Adelaide Uni)
Blacks captain had a weekend out of the box, making unbeaten centuries against Tea Tree Gully (114) and Northern Districts (161) in the two one-day fixtures. He made a total of 275 without being dismissed.
CHAMPION PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Tim Rouse (ND) 546
Jake Brown (Kens) 523
Sam Kerber (Uni) 438
Kelvin Smith (WT) 403
Ben Wakim (Uni) 400
Tom Andrews (Wood) 314
Tom Plant (Glen) 299
Sam Raphael (Adel) 290
