On the rise: 20 Premier cricketers to watch in 2020-21
The Victorian state squad was announced in June, with 28 players, including six rookies, included. Who are the cricketers next in line? We name 20 top prospects for next season.
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More than ever, runs and wickets will count for first-class hopefuls in Victorian Premier Cricket next season.
With the national Second XI competition scratched from the fixture list, the Victorian selectors will be watching the club competition hard, looking for numbers that demand call-ups.
Who can impress them?
Here are 20 players to watch in 2020-21.
James Billington (Prahran, 24): the True Blues the right-hander couldn’t have been far away from a state contract after his 2019-20 season, when he cracked 751 runs at 41.7 (Premier Firsts and Super Slam). He has all the shots and he plays them with power and panache. Billington has been with Prahran for six seasons and made steady progress. Bowlers covet the wicket of the stylish No. 3.
Dylan Brasher (Footscray, 19): left-hand batsman who gained attention last season with his performances for Vic Metro at the national Under 19 championships. He started the series with a duck but scores of 95, 42, 109, 6, 47 and 104 followed. Hit 220 runs at 22 for the Bulldogs’ First XI, including a hand of 93 not out against Fitzroy-Doncaster and 50 against Melbourne in the quarter-final. The Dogs say he has the temperament to go with his talent and is starting to develop “different gears’’ with his batting.
Jordan Buckingham (Footscray, 20): fast bowler with a milkshake-smooth action, and he is starting to bowl a fraction-fuller length more challenging to batsmen. When Jake Reed went down last season Buckingham relished his role as the leader of the attack and finished with 26 wickets at 22.0. Bowls a “heavy ball’’, and is becoming more consistent as he gains more experience.
Ed Newman (Dandenong, 21): the left-hander spent two years as a rookie member of the state squad before being left out for 2020-21. Strangely, he made more runs for the Victorian Second XI than Dandenong, but some of his innings for the Panthers last season suggested he’s getting close to turning his potential into performance. His challenge is to convert nifty fifties into handsome hundreds. But at 21 he has the ability and the urge to emerge.
Alex Gregory (Melbourne University, 25): Uni people were saying privately last season that Gregory was the best player in the competition as he cranked out 653 runs at 52.9 and took 23 wickets at 19.1. From South Australia, he was a much-fanfared under-age player, captaining the Australian Under 19 team and playing in the Matadaor Cup for the Redbacks. State second XI selection last season indicates he has some interest from the Victorian match committee. But at age 25 he needs a boom 2020-21 to force his way higher up the order.
Peter Hatzoglou (Melbourne University, 19): the tall leg-spinner from the western suburbs who linked with Uni three years ago and was a surprise package when promoted to the firsts last season after taking 20 wickets in the seconds. He bowls his leggies briskly, has variations and is a competitor from top to toe. The son of Melbourne sports identity Nick Hatzoglou.
Matt Hennig (St Kilda, 21): ox-strong right-arm fast bowler who caught the eye — and a few top-order batsmen by surprise — with his pace in the first half of last season. Ten wickets in the opening three rounds, including a five-for against Fitzroy-Doncaster, marked him out as an exciting prospect but a hip injury held him back. He underwent surgery two weeks ago. “He’s young, he’s fit, he’s strong, he’s fast,’’ Saints captain Adam Crosthwaite said. “The first time I saw him bowl he knocked over Evan Gulbis for a first-baller.’’ Hennig is the grandson of former Melbourne offie Ian Hennig.
Will Lovell (St Kilda, 19): much like Hennig, Lovell announced himself to the competition in the early exchanges of last season, and he finished with 25 wickets at 20.5. He saved his best performance for his last match, grabbing 6-55 off 15.4 overs in the quarter-final against Prahran at Windy Hill. Athletic and tall, the right-armer hits good pace and has a nifty slower ball. Lovell and Hennig have fast-bowling fine mentors in coach Glenn Lalor and teammate Simon O’Brien.
Reiley Mark (Monash Tigers, 17): off-spinner who made his debut for the Tigers at the age of 16 last season and was instrumental in their rise to the final of the Super Slam competition. He was also a standout bowler at the national Under 17 championships, taking 11 wickets at 19.8. Comes from good cricketing stock: his parents John and Janet both played Premier Cricket.
Sean McNicholl (Greenvale Kangaroos, 22): the right-arm paceman came from nowhere last season to jag 36 wickets and bag team-of-the-year honours, a welcome development for the battling Roos. A few other clubs have made contact with him in the past few months but he’s sticking with the Kangaroos, where he started in the fourths in 2017-18. Will be without the surprise element next season but the Roos are backing him to gain similar numbers.
Tom O’Donnell (Essendon, 23): the tall left-arm paceman has had his share of injuries but he’s got time on his side and more than enough ability to come through as a strike bowler. Took 22 wickets from 10 matches at 13.52 last season and the Bombers believe he’s in the top bracket of Premier quickies when his juices are flowing. Clint McKay is a big fan. The son of former Victorian captain Simon, O’Donnell has followed his father not only into cricket but the racing industry, working as racing manager for Danny O’Brien.
Fergus O’Neill (Melbourne, 19): ask Melbourne captain Cameron White and former coach Adam Dale about O’Neill and they’ll give plenty of lift-off to the right-arm bowler. O’Neill isn’t quick, but he’s quick enough, and he swings the ball, which explains former Test man Dale’s enthusiasm for the young buck from Flemington Colts. O’Neill made his debut for Melbourne last season, took a hat-trick a few games later on his way to a haul of 6-25 against Monash Tigers and wound up with 23 wickets at 22.5 for the eventual premier.
Eddy O’Sullivan (Carlton, 24): Blues coach Evan Gulbis is adamant his left-arm spinner is the best white-ball bowler in the state, outside of the Victorian squad players. And he has a high opinion of his red-ball efforts too. “His defensive bowling skills are outstanding,’’ Gulbis said. O’Sullivan took three five-fors in 2018-19, including a seven-wicket haul at the Carlton ground. With T20s included he finished with 52 wickets, outstanding for a young slowie. After accepting an internship as a groundsman to work at Wimbledon, he missed the first six weeks of last season and bowled only 90 overs in the home-and-away matches. “Steady Eddy’’ was included in the 2020 “emerging performance winter squad’’.
Devin Pollock (Casey South Melbourne, 23): wicketkeeper-batsman who at the age of 23 has already played 88 First XI matches for the Swans. Took his First XI bow in 2014-15 and in that same season scored a century against Frankston Peninsula. He’s a busy and organised right-hander who has opened or gone in at No 6 or 7, and his glovework is as sharp as a pin. He’s a fine cricketer.
Connor Rutland (Essendon, 20): a Vic Metro Under 19 representative in 2018-19, Rutland is ripening into a serious player. Joined the Dons as a schoolboy, has improved every season and like a lot of the players on this list was tapped for the 2020 “emerging performance winter squad’’. Has got stronger and bowls right-arm fast medium, and bats well through the middle-order, happy to either drop anchor or hit the ball hard to build on the work of his team’s classy top-order.
Brody Symons (Frankston Peninsula, 22): tall and strong all-rounder who is coming through after four years in the Heat First XI. Hit 430 runs at 28.7 and took 18 wickets last season, and with so many one-dayers in the fixture he’ll be a key player for FP in 2020-21.
Brayden Stepien (Carlton, 23): knock, knock, knock … after getting a look at the BBL the dynamic Carlton left-hand batsman and wicketkeeper is thumping at the door of the state selectors. Stepien blasted 569 runs at 43.8 last season, including a rollicking 128 not out against Melbourne Uni. Throw in another 257 runs in the Super Slam and National T20, and he’s up to 826 and almost 50 dismissals behind the stumps. Twinkle, twinkle, he’s a Premier star.
Tom Rogers (Ringwood, 21): top-order batsman who switched from Melbourne Uni to Ringwood last season and put up 550 runs at 36.7, highlighted by a century against Casey South Melbourne. Played for the Victorian Second XI two years ago and didn’t fire, but he’s an exceptional player.
Zac Sleeman (Monash Tigers, 18): “Polly’’ is a bubbly wicketkeeper-batsman and among the many state under-age players making their way at Monash under the astute Shannon Young. He’s dynamic behind the stumps, clean up and back, and a dasher with the bat, a player who tries to move the game forward. Came out of Subbies club Ormond.
Andrej Yaksender (Melbourne University, 23): right-hand batsman who rattled up the run charts last season, settling high in the aggregate with 634 at 52.0, with a century against St Kilda. His reward was a Victorian second XI appearance. From Ivanhoe Grammar, Yaksender had not traversed the so-called pathway when he joined Uni’s academy in 2014-15. He started in the Fourth XI, and has peeled off runs in all grades. “He can be unorthodox, he does things a bit differently, but he’s got an unbelievable temperament and he hits the ball really hard,’’ Uni coach Antony Keely said. “If he has another solid year he should be in the mix, hopefully.’’