Country Colts: 24 players to watch in the NSW under-18 country championships
The best under-18 cricketers from regional NSW will meet in Queanbeyan for the Country Colts Championship next week. We’ve taken a look at the players to watch from each team.
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The representative cricket season continues with the Country Colts Championship kicking off on Monday December 12.
The best under-18 cricketers from regional NSW will meet in Queanbeyan to see who gets regional NSW’s bragging rights.
All teams will play five games, made up of three 50-over fixtures and two T20s, with the action to kick off on Monday at 10am.
Ahead of the tournament, we’ve taken a look at how each side is shaping up, and highlighted a couple of players to watch.
ACT
The defending champions will bring another strong squad into this year’s Country Colts tournament, with a strong bowling attack and some classy batters in the top order.
However it is quite possibly in the field where the ACT might hold the edge, with the team placing a huge emphasis on the importance of fielding to build pressure, especially in white-ball cricket.
The team will kick off its title defence against Western in a 50-over match at EightTwenty Oval in Queanbeyan.
Players to watch:
Gen Casaratto
The wicketkeeper-batsman is an excellent gloveman, with great hands behind the stumps and a good eye with the bat.
He will bat in the top four and is expected to be a main source of runs for the Canberra side.
Jakome Roberts-Charlton
The skipper is one who leads from the front across all areas of cricket.
One of the top batters for his age group and a fantastic fielder, he will have a big say in whether the ACT can defend its crown.
Lachlan Malcolm
A genuine all-rounder who bats in the top five and bowls on the first change, Malcolm has a real chance to make a statement for the team with both his batting and pace bowling.
Central Coast
The Central Coast will take a more experienced side into the Country Colts this year, with six or seven of the squad backing up from last season.
Coach Scott Burkinshaw has got a beefed-up bowling attack to choose from with five quicks and three spinners, which means the team will be tough to beat if they can post defendable targets.
They will kick things off against Greater Illawarra at Rockley Oval in Googong.
Players to watch:
Bailey Lidgard
The skipper is a tight left-arm orthodox bowler who is very economical and can build pressure very quickly on the opposition.
In addition to his tweakers, Lidgard is a powerful hitter, offering plenty of strike power lower down the order.
Daniel Thompson
The right-arm fast bowler, who has been involved in a number of representative programs throughout his junior career, plays first grade for Lisarow-Ourimbah in the Central Coast competition and will be one of his team’s main strike threats with the ball.
Liam Roche
A very good all-rounder who was rewarded with selection in the under-17 NSW Country side.
Batting in the middle order and offering right-arm medium pacers, Roche is a handy source of both runs and wickets.
Central North
The young Central North side will feature plenty of talented 17-year-olds and about four or five older heads who will be backing up from last season’s Colts campaign.
The team will be hoping this mix will help Central North improve on its fifth-place finish last year.
Their first game will be against North Coast at Brad Haddin Oval on Monday at 10am.
Harry Scowen
The wicketkeeper-batsman and Maitland junior representative comes into the tournament in incredible nick, scoring 119 for the Country Lions last month in the under-17 State Challenge.
Along with the likes of fellow batsman and Maitland rep Tom Thorpe, Scowen will be one that Central North look to for big runs in the tournament.
Sid Harvey
The left-arm bowler from Narrabri has had an exceptional last couple of seasons and will be hoping to carry that form into the Colts Championship.
Harvey starred for the Sydney Cricket Club in last season’s Green Shield, finishing as the fourth-highest wicket-taker and being named in the Green Shield Merit team of the year.
Jett Lee
While not an out and out quick, Lee is a crafty bowler who can move the ball both ways and is very economical.
He also has plenty of experience for a young cricketer, playing for Central North’s open men’s representative side at the recent Country Championship in Tamworth, picking up the impressive figures of three for 19 and two for 52.
Greater Illawarra
With a stacked top order and some strong spinning options, Greater Illawarra will be looking to improve on its fourth-place finish from last season and give the Colts Championship a real shake.
The team, which has a nice mix of 17- and 18-year-olds, will take on the Central Coast in its opening match at Rockley Oval in Googong.
Players to watch:
Bailey Abela
The left-handed opener and NSW Country under 17s players has a great technique and can score runs all over the park.
A great accumulator, he’s also got the potential to bat deep into the innings, and complements his batting with tidy off-spinners.
Angus Campbell
The more attacking of the openers, the right-hander is another NSW Country representative. He has a vast array of shots off both the front and back foot and can be extremely dangerous, highlighted by a wonderful 148 scored in last year’s Bradman Cup against the Central Coast.
On top of all this, he also contributes with the ball with his right-arm pacers.
Mitch Constantinou
Along with fellow tweaker Ryan Cattle, Constantinou will lead the team’s leg-spinning cartel.
An attacking leggie who’s a constant threat of taking a wicket, the 18-year-old was named in the NSW Country under 19s squad and only just missed out on final selection despite being a year younger.
Newcastle
Following a disappointing campaign that saw Newcastle finish in last place last season, the team will be looking to be the big improvers this time round.
Although star batsman Joey Gillard won’t travel with the team (he will be on NSW Country duty for the under-19 national championships), around half the squad are playing either first or second grade cricket, with the team looking to capitalise on its strong batting and spin bowling stocks.
Newcastle will take on Riverina at Neil Bulger Oval in their first game on Monday at 10am.
Players to watch:
Joe Merlino
Originally from the Central Coast, Merlino moved to Newcastle this season to play grade cricket for Cardiff-Boolaroo.
An aggressive opening batter who certainly won’t die wondering, he will be key to any strong totals posted by the Newcastle side.
Bailey Creer
The stylish right-hander, who moved down to Sydney to play grade cricket for UNSW, will be a key source of runs for Newcastle.
He was one of the side’s better performers in a disappointing campaign in last season’s Colts Championship, scoring 52 not out against Western in the opening round.
James Burke
Along with fellow Belmont leg-spinner Connor Gibson, Burke will play a key role for the side as spin is expected to be a crucial weapon across the whole competition.
North Coast
In a sign of the promising young talent scattered across the North Coast, the team will take one the youngest sides to Queanbeyan, with eight of the 13 still eligible to play Colts next year.
With a well-balanced team, North Coastal will be looking to give their quicks an early chance with the swinging ball before allowing their spinners to take control of the middle overs.
They will kick things off against Central North at Brad Haddin Oval.
Players to watch:
Sam Weir
An excellent top-order batsman from Cudgen, Weir was outstanding for the North Coastal Bradman Cup side last season.
His two unbeaten centuries (122 not out and 112 not out) helped the team to second place, and he will be hoping to replicate that form against this season in the Colts.
Will Elliott
The skipper of side from the Great Lakes club on the Mid-North Coast, Elliott will offer his young teammates plenty of experience.
A fast bowler who is dangerous with the new ball, Elliott will lead the attack and is likely to be serious threat for wickets.
Lachlan Carlyle
The leg spinner is expected to be one of North Coastal’s most important players as they look to tie down the opposition and take wickets during the middle overs.
Not just a talented bowler, the Coffs Harbour Diggers and Northern Districts Rebels product is a more than handy middle-order batsman as well.
Riverina
Despite having had a mixed preparation due to the heavy rain in the region over in the early part of the season, the Riverina is confident of taking a strong side to Queanbeyan.
With a well-rounded team in terms of batting and bowling, officials hope that the team’s work ethic and one per centers, in terms of fielding and running between the wickets, will help give them the edge.
The team will open its campaign against Newcastle at Neil Bulger Oval.
Players to watch:
Hayden Forner
The skipper of the side will be playing his second year of Colts and will bring great sense of preparation and level of professionalism to the side.
A solid opening batsman with a great technique, Forner will be looking to bat deep and accumulate runs while his teammates go for broke.
Oscar Lyons
From Albury’s Lavington Panthers Cricket Club, Lyons is an incredibly positive top-order batter with a wide array of shots.
Set to come in at number three for the 50-over games and open during the T20s, he’ll be charged with making sure Riverina get off the mark with a bang.
Luke Naumann
Another one of the Riverina’s returning Colts players, Naumann is a dangerous new ball fast bowler from the Wagga City Cats.
An experienced head on young shoulders, Naumann is consistent, shapes the ball well and will look to do a job on the opening batsmen.
Western
Following an impressive campaign last season, Western will be looking to go one better than their second-place finish with a well-rounded squad that contains some fast-scoring batters as well as those who can stay in an accumulate runs.
In terms of the bowling, although the team will be without Angus Parsons, who will be on duty with NSW Country at the under 19s national championships, the side still boasts a number of good pace options and five spinners.
Western will get their campaign against the ACT at EightTwenty Oval.
Players to watch:
Riley Keen
The paceman from Condobolin, who plays for Dubbo’s RSL Colts, is expected to provide opponents plenty of headaches with his left-arm seamers.
But that’s not all. In addition to his bowling, Keen is also handy with the bat.
Blake Kreuzberger
The skipper will bat in the top order for Western and look to lead from the front.
A quick scorer, Kreuzberger can be a real matchwinner when he gets his eye in. If he goes well, so will the team.
Anthony Atlee
Another one of Western’s explosive talents, the Bathurst boy is an extreme power hitter with a great eye who can win a game himself in half an hour.
Expected to bat in the middle order for the one-day matches, he will likely open in the T20s.
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