NSW Premier Cricket’s rising stars named as Basil Sellers scholarship holders
NSW is teeming with young talent but who are the cricketers next in line? We take a look at the teen prospects expected to be a big hit in the game.
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They are young, gifted and in love with the game they play.
Meet the next generation of cricket stars now honing their skills in Sydney, Central Coast and Newcastle suburbs and regional areas.
These youngsters have been identified as talents for the future and awarded prestigious Basil Sellers scholarships from Cricket NSW.
The scholarship is awarded to the best young talent in the state to help out with training and playing costs, transport and equipment.
Here are the cricket stars of the future.
TOBY GRAY RHB RLS
Club: Northern Districts/Newcastle
Lives: Warners Bay
Born: 2001
A genuine all-rounder playing all his junior cricket for the Belmont Club in Newcastle.
He is also an accurate leg spin bowler with the ability to generate bounce and turn from a high release and inventive middle order batsman.
Toby captained the ACT/NSW Country team to joint victory at the national u17 championships in 2018/19 and played in the ACT/NSW County u19 team as a 16-year-old.
He is on the return from a back injury which saw him unavailable for the last u19 titles but make his 1st Grade debut for Northern Districts. In only his third game he scoring 90 batting at No 9.
This is Toby’s first Basil Sellers Scholarship.
CAELAN MALADAY RHB
Club: Randwick-Petersham/North Coast
Lives: Bangalow
Born: 2002
Aggressive fast bowler with an impressive work ethic, Caelan has been a part of ACT/NSW Country teams through all age groups.
In the 2018/19 season he made the CA X1 at the u19 championships and a season later was again in the ACT/NSW Country team before moving to Sydney to play with eventual Belvidere Cup winners, Randwick-Petersham.
In his third 1st Grade match he made 5-15 off 7.3 overs against Bankstown.
This is his first Basil Sellers Scholarship.
NIVENTHAN RADHAKRISHNAN ROS/LAO
Club: Hawkesbury
Lives: Botany
Born: 2002
A left-handed high order bat with a strong technique, this all-rounder from the Hawkesbury Club also bowls orthodox spin with both his right and left hand.
Nivi starred in the last Premier Cricket season with his 627 runs at 52.25 - including two centuries (129 vs Mosman and 113 v Easts) - leaving him as one of the 0 run scorers in the competition at just 17.
He also became the youngest player ever to win the prestigious Bill O’Reilly Medal as part of a four-way tie and has been in NSW Metropolitan teams, represented the CA XI at u17 and u19 level and was also selected for the Australian Under 16 team in 2018/19 that played against Pakistan in Dubai.
This is his first Basil Sellers Scholarship.
YUVRAJ SHARMA RHB, RLS
Club: Fairfield-Liverpool
Lives: Glendenning
Born: 2002
A right-hand top order batsman from the Fairfield-Liverpool Club who bowls handy leg spin and has represented NSW with distinction at u15, u17 level and u19 level.
Yuvraj played Fairfield-Liverpool 1st Grade side in the 2018/19 season and scored a maiden top-grade century against Hawkesbury to become only the seventh 16-year-old in the history of Sydney 1st Grade cricket to reach three figures.
This earned him a spot in the Australian u19 squad for the series against New Zealand.
Yuvraj was a Basil Sellers Scholar in 2019/20
BRAD SIMPSON RFM RHB
Club: Bankstown
Lives: Woronara Heights
Born: 2002
A young fast bowler who plays for his Bankstown and for NSW Metropolitan.
Brad has been clocked at speeds in excess of 135km/h and is a NSW Pathway teams regular who has also represented the CA X1 at u17 and u19 level.
His form over several seasons saw him become on of five NSW players selected in the Australian u19 team that took part in the u19 World Cup in South Africa during January.
Brad was also a Basil Sellers Scholar in 2019.
HUNAR VERMA RHB
Club: Blacktown
Lives: Kellyville
Born: 2001
A right arm fast bowler from the Blacktown Club who is able to produce steep bounce off a good length from a smooth, athletic approach.
Rapidly improving, he played for NSW Metropolitan at the national u17 championships in 2018/19 and was selected for the CA XI at the 2019/20 national u19 titles.
In his fist full season of 1st grade Premier Cricket he picked up 18 wickets at 24.33 with best figures of 4/50 against Northern Districts.
This is Hunar’s first Basil Sellers Scholarship.
JADE ALLEN RLS/RHB
Club: Universities/ACT Southern Districts
Lives: Cobargo
Born: 2003
A leg spin bowler and capable batter playing her junior cricket for Bermagui and Premier Cricket for the Universities club in Sydney.
Jade was a member of the Cricket Australia u18 team for two years before progressing to the ACT/NSW Country u18 team when just 15, taking seven wickets in the 2019/20 national championships.
She made the cut for the u19 Cricket Australia squad and her first-grade debut with the Universities club, taking eight wickets in a handful games.
This is Jade’s second Basil Sellers Scholarship.
ALISHA BATES LAO/LHB
Club: Northern Districts/Central Coast
Lives: Lisarow, NSW, 2250
Born: 2002
Based on the Central Coast at Lisarow, Alisha walks out for Northern District in the Sydney Premier competition and was contracted to the Sydney Sixers for the 2019/2020 season.
A talent across the board, she scored more than 492 runs, took 34 wickets and made eight catches and a run out last season and was 4-12 in the final of the national u18 T20 final.
Alisha, who is still at school, is a top order batter and left arm orthodox bowler who has one year remaining in pathway cricket representing the ACT/NSW Country and competing at the u19 national titles.
This is Alisha’s first Basil Sellers Scholarship.
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JESSICA DAVIDSONRAF/RHB
Club: Central/North
Lives: Oxley Vale
Born: 2002
A big-hitting and impressive fast bowler identified at a young age with the potential to impress in the future.
This Tamworth junior plays for Bective-East Cricket Club with the 1st and 2nd grade men’s teams. Her best figures to date were 1-5 off 5 overs.
At the national championships she scored 168 runs and took three wickets with limited opportunities.
It is expected Jess will make her debut in Sydney Premier Cricket this season with the youngster still having another two seasons of u19 cricket ahead.
This is Jess’ first Basil Sellers Scholarship.
ANGELINA GENFORD RHM/RHB
Club: Bankstown
Lives: Picnic Point, NSW, 2213
Born: 2002
A Bankstown junior from Westfields Sports High School who notched a top score of 47 in first grade this season and 97 in the national championships.
Her bowling is developing with limited opportunities in Premier Cricket where she picked up eight wickets with an economy rate of 4.5.
She is a hard-hitting top order batter and can now play in any fielding position.
This is Angelina’s first Basil Sellers Scholarship.
KATE PETERSON RAF/RHB
Club: Parramatta
Live: North Rocks
Born: 2002
The Castle Hill RSL junior now plays Premier Cricket with Penrith and is a top all-rounder who received a contract from Sydney Thunder for the 2019/20 season. She also played in the prestigious Lanning XI vs the Perry XI in Canberra.
At the national championships Kate played a major role for the NSW Metropolitan team, taking 13 wickets at 11 and an economy rate of 4.6.
Her best performance was to bowl the last over in a T20 game against Western Australia.
This is Kate’s first Basil Sellers scholarship