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Michael Clarke cricket Academy graduate Jason Sangha will face his mentor when Randwick Petersham take on Western Suburbs

CRICKETING prodigy Jason Sangha will take on his role model and mentor Michael Clarke when Western Suburbs and Randwick-Petersham clash at Pratten Park in Sydney grade cricket.

Randy Pete's new gun recruit Jason Sangha -16 after receiving his Randwick-Petersham Baggy Green. Randwick-Petersham Grade cricket players. Picture: John Appleyard
Randy Pete's new gun recruit Jason Sangha -16 after receiving his Randwick-Petersham Baggy Green. Randwick-Petersham Grade cricket players. Picture: John Appleyard

THE student will face the master this Saturday, when 16-year-old cricketing prodigy Jason Sangha takes on his role model and mentor Michael Clarke in the much-anticipated Sydney grade cricket match at Pratten Park between Western Suburbs and Randwick-Petersham.

The Newcastle cricketing whiz wasn’t even born when Clarke was making his NSW first class debut in the then-called Pura milk Cup, in the 1999-2000 season, but he has followed the former Aussie captain’s career closely since then.

Sangha was presented with his Randy-Petes club cap last Saturday, and the fringe-player has scored a call-up for the big match after recording 53 (not out) in his side’s draw with Eastern Suburbs.

“I was in his (Michael Clarke’s) Academy a couple of years’ ago, when I was really young and I learned a lot from him,” Sangha said.

“So to play against him would be a great experience.”

Sangha said it would be a matter of “just treating him like any other player”.

“We’ve got to get him out, same way we have to get any other player out, so I don’t think we won’t be thinking too much extra about it,” he said.

Michael Clarke was a star for Wests back in 2001, pictured here with then club president Chris Louden at Pratten Park. Picture: John Appleyard
Michael Clarke was a star for Wests back in 2001, pictured here with then club president Chris Louden at Pratten Park. Picture: John Appleyard

Sangha was just four-years-old when Clarke made his international debut in 2004, but he isn’t letting the experience of his mentor play on his mind.

“We’ll just have to see how we go, we’ve got a great team of guys, but for us it’s just about treating him like any other guy,” he said.

“For Wests, I think they’ll definitely gain some leadership from someone like him.

“He brings a lot of experience, obviously, and he’s definitely class act.”

Sangha is proving to be a bit of a class act himself, and he’s been turning heads in cricketing circles for the last 12 months.

Last April he was part of the NSW under-15 schoolboys team that won the national championship.

He was subsequently selected to play for the Cricket Australia XI at both the under-17 and under-19 national championships with his performances earning him a place in Australia’s preliminary squad for the U/19 World Cup.

Jason Sangha remembers training with the Michael Clarke Academy. Picture: John Appleyard
Jason Sangha remembers training with the Michael Clarke Academy. Picture: John Appleyard
Michael Clarke is hoping he won’t be too rusty for his comeback to Wests. Picture: AAP Image/Paul Miller
Michael Clarke is hoping he won’t be too rusty for his comeback to Wests. Picture: AAP Image/Paul Miller

Most recently, he etched his name in the record books as the youngest player since Archie Jackson to represent a NSW Second XI or Futures League side, when the batsmen helped NSW to a win against the ACT in last weeks’ Toyota Futures League match in Canberra.

As the Sydney Grade cricketing season entered the business end of the competition, Randwick-Petersham have had some big wins and a win against cellar-dwellers Western Suburbs could see them rise into the top-six.

Randy-Petes’ manager Bill Anderson said the pressure of playing Clarke wouldn’t get to young Sangha, or any of his side.

“We’ll be all right,” he said. “After all, it only takes one ball.”

Randy Pete's new recruit Jason Sangha receives his club baggy green from team captain Adam Semple. Picture: John Appleyard
Randy Pete's new recruit Jason Sangha receives his club baggy green from team captain Adam Semple. Picture: John Appleyard

Sangha has been welcomed into the inner-west side’s fold, with captain Adam Semple giving the youngster big raps for his efforts.

Semple said that he was confident the youngster would rise to the occasion, and said he was proud of his team’s performance as a whole this season.

“It’s not every day you get to play against the former Aussie captain, and it’s obviously great for grade cricket,” he said.

“It’s not going to change how we play though.

“We’re going OK, and like a lot of club’s we’ve had some player turnover, but to have young guys like Jason step up has been great.”

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/sport/michael-clarke-cricket-academy-graduate-jason-sangha-will-face-his-mentor-when-randwick-petersham-take-on-western-suburbs/news-story/a1d88028dee0129d1db5065c7fcf43be