Geelong cricketer Ollie Peake firming to play for the Renegades in BBL season opener

Geelong’s brightest cricketing prospect has opened up on being handed the national captaincy, his biggest leadership mentors and his personal challenges this summer.

Ben Cameron and Dan Batten

4 min read

December 11, 2025 - 9:21AM

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Ollie Peake looks for a run against Queensland in November. Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

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Geelong cricketing young gun Ollie Peake says he will have a relaxed captaincy style and allow his teammates to express themslves when he skippers the country at the under-19 World Cup from mid-January.

Peake, 19, was a late call up to the last edition of the event in South Africa nearly two years ago after an injury to middle order bat Corey Wasley.

However, the South Barwon product would go on to play a number of key innings, none bigger than his 46 not out in the final against India in February, 2024 at Benoni.

Thursday’s announcement caps of a headspinning 2025 where Peake made his first class, List A and Big Bash League debuts and was part of the national fold for a Test tour of Sri Lanka, all before mid-July.

“It’s a massive honour, just to lead the boys is pretty cool and represent Australia again is going to be an awesome experience,” Peake said on Friday outside the Geelong Cricket Club nets.

“Get to travel to a new place.

Ollie Peake with his father Clinton before his first grade debut with Geelong in November, 2020. Picture: Peter Ristevski

“The team looks really strong, I was watching the (under) 19s nationals last week, it looked like a really strong competition.”

Peake is looking to lead from the front and play a larger role at the tournament set for Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6.

“Hopefully I might have a bigger role this time coming around, it was good to jump on the shoulders of all the boys last time,” he said.

“Hopefully just replicate something similar (to 2024) and instil that winning culture.”

Peake has plenty of captaincy experience from his junior days, and has been influenced by former Geelong mentor Nick Speak, current coach Eamonn Vines and his father Clinton, who was a run machine for both South Barwon and the Cats.

“Growing up I did a lot of captaincy stuff during the juniors, so I’ve had a lot of great mentors,” he said.

“I like to say my style is relaxed, try to make everyone express themselves, play how they want to play.”

Peake, who is firming to suit up for the Renegades at their opening match of the BBL season at GMHBA Stadium on Monday night against the Brisbane Heat, admits the runs haven’t flowed as much as he would have liked in 25-26 so far.

He said an unbeaten and matchwinning 70 not out against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval in early October remained his best knock of the season.

“Since then it’s been a bit of a battle, but as people keep reminding me, I’m in the infancy of my professional career,” Peake said, who also scored 54 against the England Lions late last month.

Ollie Peake is firming to play in the Melbourne Renegades’ opener in Geelong on Monday night. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Cricket Australia.

“I’m just trying to learn and take as much out of every innings and performance that I can and I’ve got great people around me to help me out with that stuff.”

He said that Shield match in Adelaide was in the balance when he came to the crease, but benefited from Fergus O’Neill (33 not out) being at the other end.

“We lost a few quick wickets, I started fretting a little bit about the game situation,” he said.

“And ‘Ferg’ came out, he was just very calm and composed and he was great to bat with.

“He probably calmed me down, and as we got closer and closer to the total I was just trying to get them as quick as I could, so I started slogging a few.”

Ollie Peake named national captain

Geelong sensation Ollie Peake will captain Australia at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 for their title defence in Namibia and Zimbabwe early next year.

Cricket Australia unveiled a 15-player squad which will be led by Peake, who turned 19 in September.

Peake was one of two Victorians named along with Carlton cricketer Aryan Sharma.

It is the latest accolade for Peake who shone in Australia’s U19 World Cup win as a 17-year-old, stepping up as a reserve player with important knocks of 49 in the semi-final and 46 not out in the final.

The Geelong and South Barwon Cricket Club product has gone on to impress for Australia’s U19 — making two hundreds against India on an away tour in 2024 — and Victoria.

He made his Big Bash League debut for the Melbourne Renegades in January and has played 10 Sheffield Shield matches and six one-dayers for Victoria.

Ollie Peake of Victoria bats raises his bat after reaching 50 runs during the One Day Cup match between Victoria and Western Australia. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

The son of former Victorian batter Clinton Peake struck 54 for the Prime Minister’s XI in their loss to the English Lions in Canberra last month.

Australia U19 head coach Tim Neilson said he impressed by the strength of the squad for the tournament, which kicks off on January 15.

“It’s an exciting group, some have already experienced senior training environments, while others are progressing rapidly through our pathway,” Neilson said.

“The World Cup is a fantastic opportunity for these young cricketers to showcase their talent and test themselves against the best in the world.”

Peake was voted the most talented young Premier Cricket player in this masthead’s Premier Cricket survey earlier this week.