Country Colts: Team previews and players to watch at the under-19s men’s country cricket championships
The next generation of Aussie cricket stars from the bush will stake their claims for state and national selection when the Country Colts tournament kicks off on the South Coast.
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The next generation of Australian cricketers will be putting their best foot forward when the NSW Country Championships kicks off on the state’s South Coast.
All eight regional zones will take part in the tournament, which will be played at a series of venues in Gerringong, Nowra, Shellharbour and Berry from October 3-6.
There will be a slightly different twist on this year’s tournament, with Southern Districts replacing ACT following the latter’s de-amalgamation with Cricket NSW, while the age limit has been increased from under-18s to under-19s to align with the national championships.
And while all teams will be out to lift the trophy, the tournament also doubles as an opportunity for these young guns to attract the attention of state and national selectors.
“It’s something we chat about at the start of each carnival. I say that they’re only four or five good performances away from the next level,” said Newcastle coach Jed Dickson.
“You might be playing first grade local cricket, but if you string together a couple of good performances at Colts you can get yourself into the national carnival. And then a couple of good performances there and you can get yourself into the under-19 World Cup.”
Ahead of the tournament, we’ve previewed how all sides are shaping up and highlighted the players to watch from each team.
Central Coast
Bringing a similar squad to last year, the Central Coast have been buoyed by the inclusion of a couple of the region’s young guns in Jaylen Johnson and Zac Graham, who are part of the training squad for the under-17 NSW Country side.
“I really think this is a much more balanced side that what we’ve ever had,” said coach David Winiata.
“In the last couple of years we’ve been short with a couple of spots, predominantly in the top five from a batting point of view and a couple of good spinners, but this year we legitimately bat to number nine, we have three different spinners, three different options of spin and also a top order that is really good.”
With a squad that is playing high-quality grade cricket locally, Winiata is confident of an improvement on last year’s campaign, which saw the team record one win and four losses.
Bailey Lidgard
The all-rounder, who is part of the NSW Country under-19s squad, will be key for the Coast with his left-arm orthodox bowling and powerful hitting.
“He’s shown some really good promise for a great season. He’s batting really well and bowling extremely well,” said Winiata.
“He looks at home, he’s one year older and is a bit more mature as a player.”
Liam Roche
Another all-rounder who scored an unbeaten 86 for NSW Country in last year’s under-17s national championships, Roche will be one his team turns to for runs and wickets.
“He’s another one who can do both. He’s looking great with both the bat and ball,” said Winiata.
Daniel Thompson
Also part of the NSW Country set-up, the fast bowler will come into the tournament in good rhythm and is looming as the team’s main strike weapon
“He’s bowling quite quick and no doubt looking to cause some havoc with some of the teams that we do play,” said Winiata.
Central North
Central North will take an exciting, young team to the South Coast, with a core group of experienced players leading a talented bunch of up and comers.
And while the squad hasn’t had too many opportunities to train together given the vast nature of the zone, coach Barry Smith is looking forward to seeing how his team performs.
“I’m really excited by the team we’ve put together,” he said.
“I’ve got no idea of the strength of the opposition, but my job is to get the players to focus on each ball and if we can reduce it to that then the outcome will look after itself.”
With the likes of representative batters Harry Scowen, Tom Thorpe and Tom Porter, Central North boasts a team that bats deep, and Smith expects his side to be a tough one to bowl out.
“Pretty much all the boys in the squad can hold the bat,” he said.
“The batsmen have displayed an attacking mindset at the selection trials, so I hope we can take that into the actual carnival, take the game on and not play with fear. I think the depth in batting allows us to approach the game in that way.”
Harry Scowen
An excellent wicketkeeper who bats at the top of the order, Scowen is a NSW Country representative whose runs and experience his side will look to throughout the tournament.
“He’s not only a very good batsman but a very good wicketkeeper as well,” said Smith.
“Having played at that higher level, he’s a very mature player. He’s got a very mature head on his shoulders, is a brilliant person and brings everything to the table.”
Keanu Botha & Harry Dunn
For a glimpse into the future of Central North cricket, look no further than this pair, who are still young enough to play in the under-16s rep team.
Both extremely talented top order batters, Dunn is likely to open while Botha, who starred for the team in last year’s Bradman Cup, could bat at four or five.
“I’m very excited to see what they can achieve,” said Smith. “To be honest, there’s no pressure on them at all, they can just go out and play. They can go and express themselves and play their shots without fear.”
Blake Scicluna
A talented all-rounder, Scicluna brings nice balance to the side as a middle order bat capable of throwing down some handy seamers.
“If we do lose early wickets he’s a guy who can come in and hold the innings together or take it on as well,” said Smith.
“He bowls pretty good wheels as well, so he’s a handy player to have.”
Greater Illawarra
Under head coach Grant Tilling, who absolutely lives and breathes cricket, Greater Illawarra come into this carnival looking to go one better after having finishing second behind Western 12 month ago.
“The boys are all champing at the bit to get cracking,” Tilling said.
“We’ve got a good mix of young boys coming through and boys with a bit more experience.
“It would be lovely to come away with the win, but more than anything it’s about getting the boys exposure and experience for selection in NSW sides.”
Angus Campbell
Player of the tournament in 2022, Campbell is a good young all-rounder looking to impress again this year.
Currently playing in Sydney’s Poidevin-Gray Shield (under-21s) with Bankstown, Campbell is a terrific batter who chalked up scores of 92 and 151 in back-to-back games last year in the carnival.
Bailey Abela
The top order batter is “in a brilliant purple patch at the moment,” according to Tilling, having just hit a century over the weekend for Campbelltown in the PG Shield.
Combine this with having “batted the house down” in a recent trial game, the left-hander will look to carry this form into the carnival.
Ryan Cattle
Another young gun who has come out of the blocks firing in the PG Shield for Sutherland, Cattle will offer nice variety with his leg spinners and comes into the tournament in good rhythm after picking up three wickets over the weekend.
Newcastle
Stacked full with representative talent, Newcastle is looming as one of the teams to beat this year with a squad that features a string of older, more experienced campaigners and some exciting young guns from last season’s triumphant Bradman Cup (under-16s) side.
“We’ve got a really good mix of experience and youth in the team,” said coach Jed Dickson.
“We’ve got a really strong and experienced top order, our middle order will have a good strength in being able to turn the strike over and keep the momentum going, and we’ve always been strong in the last few years in our spin and pace attack. We’ve probably got an older, experienced attack with a couple of young tearaway bowlers coming in this year.”
And after a round one washout left the team playing catch-up in last season’s Colts tournament, where it eventually finished fourth, the team is determined to try and go all the way in the current campaign.
“You play cricket to win,” said Dickson. “We’re definitely going away to put our best performances on the park and will try and take away the trophy. The Newcastle cricket way is to go and compete at all times and always believe that we can win from any situation.
“We’re definitely looking at it as a year to get redemption for having it taken out of our hands last year with that first washout.”
Joey Gillard
An outstanding batter who represented NSW Country at the under-19s national championships last year and was part of the Newcastle opens side that took out the senior country championships, Gillard is looking to take his game to the next level after making the move south to play in the Sydney Premier Cricket competition.
“He’s just a really switched-on cricketer, he knows his game really well and just loves batting,” said Dickson.
“He finds a way to score runs, backs himself at all times and would be the kind of guy that you could watch craft out a really good hundred.”
Kel Wilson
The top to middle order batter came into the squad as a youngster last year and impressed during Newcastle’s positive Colts campaign. On the back of a strong pre-season, he’ll be looking to take his game to the next level.
“He’s the kind of guy who can tear apart an attack on his day.”
James Burke
Newcastle’s standout in last year’s Colts tournament, Burke is a constant threat with his leg spinners and will be hoping to repeat his exploits this season.
“Last year he picked up wickets across all days and did a great job in the lower order when we needed him,” said Dickson.
North Coastal
After finishing third in what was a strong campaign last year, North Coastal will be looking to build on their performances and challenge for the title with a squad chock full of rep stars.
Indeed, eight members of the travelling party are currently in NSW Country training squads ahead of the national championships later this summer, with a mix of top age and under-17s players providing a great balance to the playing group.
With state representative quicks Charlie Howard and Bryce Cook available after missing last year’s tournament, the team will have a red-hot pace attack along with plenty of firepower with the bat to set some big totals.
Charlie Howard
The right-arm quick from Sawtell will captain side and lead the bowling attack.
A NSW Country rep last year, Howard missed last year’s tournament and will be crucial for North Coastal not only with his wickets but also his very handy lower-order hitting.
Bryce Cook
Another star paceman who was unavailable 12 months ago, Cook is a particularly dangerous threat at the stumps early in the innings and will bolster North Coastal’s excellent pace attack.
An Australian under-15s representative who also donned the NSW Country blue in the under-19s national championships last year, the Kew local will be looking to bring home a bag full of wickets as he eyes off not only another state jersey but also selection in next year’s under-19s cricket World Cup.
Sam Weir
An excellent top order batter from Cudgen, Weir is another in the state team pathways.
After dominating the country championships at the Bradman Cup level a couple of years ago, he’ll be hoping to recapture that form and put his stamp on the tournament.
Riverina
After notching up just one win in 2022, Riverina are looking to the future with some exciting talent lifting hopes of an improved campaign this time round.
“It’s a really young and fit side with a terrific work ethic,” said head coach Rob Nicoll.
“They’ve been doing the extra one-percenters really well in training, hopefully we’ll be running teams off their feet come game time.
“You’d be lying if you said you don’t want to win the whole thing, but the goal is to continue the youth development for the boys and make them into better cricketers.”
Jake Scott
Skippering the Riverina side, Scott is a talented left hander who has the ability to take the game on, either as an opening batter on at number three.
He should also enter the competition with plenty of confidence after recently making his first grade debut for Penrith in the Sydney Premier competition, where he scored a respectable 27.
“He’s a real talent, he’s got that ability to make big scores and his leggies are quite handy as well,” said Nicoll.
Shaun Smith
At just 17 years of age, Smith is an incredibly exciting prospect for Riverina who was named Player of the Tournament in last year’s Bradman Cup after plundering 359 runs at an average of 60.
“He has the ability to score in 360 degrees around the park,” Nicoll said.
So dominant is his form that his club coach eventually retired him not out in a recent practice match.
Luke Naumann
At 19, this will be the last stint in the junior rep set-up for Naumann, who has proved to be an important strike weapon for Riverina over the years with his excellent fast bowling.
“He’s good off the new ball and shows great skill and control,” Nicoll said.
“He’s got a good knack for taking top order wickets, which can go a long way towards winning games”.
Southern Districts
Fresh to Country Colts is the newly established Southern Districts zone, which draws its players from areas ranging from the Southern Highlands to Goulburn, Crookwell, Yass, Queanbeyan, Monaro and more.
“We’re a really well-rounded unit with a good distribution of skills across the field,” said head coach Graham Hilless.
“Batters can bowl and bowlers can bat – there’s a lot players contributing in all areas.
“Our goal will be to constantly improve and focus on resilience. We’re a new team and we want to leave with a reputation of being a bunch of good blokes that were competitive, respectful and played in the spirit of the game.”
Rahul Mudaliar
When coach Hilless first came across Mudaliar a number of years back he was opening the batting. But coming into this carnival, Mudaliar will be “one of the quickest bowlers there” and is set to be a real game changer with the ball in hand.
“He’s a big, strapping 17-year-old guy who can let it rip. He’ll have batsmen dancing around the place if he finds his rhythm.”
Cameron Herd
A middle-order batsman who contributes with some handy leg spin, Herd goes under the radar for the work he does in any team.
“His level-headedness and ability to lead is invaluable. He likes to get himself and other players involved in formulating plans and tactics, a real collaborator.”
Oscar Knight
Another strong, athletic youngster who’s tipped to be a key contributor not only with his fast bowling but also with the willow.
“When I first came across him a few years ago, he scored a century against us,” said Hilless.
“He’s a bowler that can charge in all day, every day, contributing in that tying-up role by limiting runs.”
Western
Last year’s champions will have a very different-looking team on the park to defend their title, with experienced Western coach Garth Dean reporting that due to a number of players having HSC commitments, the squad will have seven different faces travelling down to the South Coast.
That being said, Dean is coming in with high expectations and is optimistic about what his new-look side can bring to the table.
“We have a strong bowling line-up with lots of depth, lots of variation, covering all disciplines,” he said.
“Fielding will be a strength, we always aim for that.
“There’s a slight unknown factor about us being a young side, there’s a bit of inexperience in the batting which is not a concern, but something we’re excited about.”
Angus Parsons
Played in the tournament two years ago when he was 17 but missed out last year through injury.
Another all-rounder who bowls right arm fast, he’s one of a few Western players in the picture for state selection and is pumped to return to the carnival with a bang.
Tom Blowes & Harry Roscarel
Two exciting prospects in the mix for the under-17 national squad, both are very talented batters who have shown great experience for young players.
In a sign of the faith he has in his young chargers, coach Dean will select them in the top five.
Riley Keen
An exciting all-rounder who, like Parsons, is a good chance of making the NSW Country squad, Keen brings plenty of variation with his left-arm fast bowling, and can also be damaging with the bat.
“He was intimidating last year, now he’s 12 months older and set to be even better.”
Information on the fixtures and venues of the games can be found on Country Cricket’s Play HQ page.
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