Jake Fraser-McGurk, Bailey Moon, Zac Sleeman and Wil Parker selected in under-19s Cricket Australia XI
A MONASH Tigers quarter will make up a quarter of the Cricket Australia XI at the under-19 national championships in December.
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WHAT do Jake Fraser-McGurk, Bailey Moon, Zac Sleeman and Wil Parker have in common?
A few things. They’re supremely talented young cricketers, they all play with the Monash Tigers and they’ve all been selected in the Cricket Australia XI for the under-19 national championships in December.
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It’s a remarkable achievement that has those around the Premier Cricket club beaming like lasers.
Further underlining Monash’s development program is that Tigers trio Yash Pednekar, Jono D’Rozario and Jake Wynd also played in last week’s under-17 national championships.
“It’s pretty special, isn’t it? I’m super proud and the club is as well,” Monash coach Shannon Young said.
“They’re really good cricketers but they’re good kids, they’re good people and they’re growing into really good quality young adults.
“That’s something that is really important because they’ll need a lot of those qualities as they hopefully navigate full-time cricket careers.”
You could narrow that down further and say four @MonashTigers lads.
— Daniel Sartori (@Sarts25) October 12, 2018
4 outstanding young men as are other 3 who represented their families and their Club wonderfully. I am most proud of that fact. They were kids when they arrived at Premier Cricket and we are helping shape them into quality adults. That they are good cricketers is just a bonus.
— Shannon Young (@shannonytweets) October 12, 2018
Fraser-McGurk was an obvious selection for the CA XI after creaming his highest score of 177 from just 113 deliveries for Vic Metro at the under-17s carnival.
He finished the carnival with 425 runs with an average of 53.13 and a strike-rate of 120, also peeling off two half-centuries.
“Fraser was a kid who first came down to the club at 14 — super, super talented. Really, really gifted,” Young said.
“I guess for some of the guys who have been around our club a long time, the comparison is to a guy like Glenn Maxwell.
“Just that abundant talent that’s going to take a little bit of time to work it out.
“Some of his dismissals don’t look great and whatever but we’re really keen just to let him develop at his own pace.
“With someone with a rare talent like that, you’ve got to let them go — so many people want to stifle these guys and they end up fighting with themselves and fighting the game.”
Parker, the son of Monash great Cameron and nephew of former Shield cricketer and VFL footballer Geoff, claimed two four-wicket hauls with his leg-spin at the under-17s carnival.
“Super talented kid but he’s had leadership written all over him since the first day he walked in,” Young said.
“He’s an unassuming kid. He’s quiet but he is very driven and a natural sort of leader. He leads with actions and takes everything in — a real sponge.
“He’s a future First XI captain to be honest.”
Young has known wicketkeeper Sleeman since he was a boy.
“I’ve seen this kid in my backyard at Christmas do some stuff as he was a kid at six, seven, eight, nine,” he said.
“I always said to his parents he was going to be a decent player.
“Again, really, really talented kid but he’s got the work ethic. He works as hard on his game as anyone.”
All-rounder Moon has come through the club’s academy and is in line to make his senior debut, potentially as soon as this Saturday.
“He’s going to be a very good player,” Young said.
“On the surface he has all the attributes. He’s a tall kid, quite a fluent run up but the thing we like about him is he is really competitive.
“When he gets on cricket grounds he gets quite aggressive and loves the contest.”
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