T20 Strike League: Stars, Renegades Academy teams named for TIO T20 Strike League
A host of players from Victorian Premier Cricket will turn out for Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades Academy teams in the NT.
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Top-liners from Victorian Premier Cricket will figure in the Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars Academy teams to contest the Northern Territory’s TIO T20 Strike League in August.
Brayden Stepien (Carlton), Nick Ross (Carlton), Kyle Williamson (Melbourne), Tom Jackson (Geelong) and Fergus O’Neill (Melbourne) will play for the Renegades.
And Damon Egan (Prahran), Bailey Moon (Prahran), Tom O’Donnell (Essendon) and Tom Rogers (Ringwood) will turn out for the Stars.
The tournament features six teams, and they will play five matches in eight days.
The top three will advance to the finals.
“With Australia’s best young players taking part in Cricket 365 the quality of cricket was already elite, but the Renegades and Stars will take things to another level,’’ Cricket NT CEO Joel Morrison said.
The Renegades will play under coach David Saker and assistant Mick Lewis.
“We’re delighted to bring together some of the best Victorian Premier Cricket talent and provide an opportunity for them to play and train with the Renegades in a competitive tournament,” Cricket Victoria’s high performance manager Dean Russ said.
“Coaching staff will get a first-hand look at some of the best Premier cricketers and equally the players will get the opportunity to show their skills against some accomplished first-class players while learning from some experienced teammates and coaches.”
The Renegades line up will also feature BBL|08 title winners Mackenzie Harvey and Cameron Boyce, along with Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Lalor and Zak Evans.
The squad will also include one local cricketer, selected through the Renegades Recruit program.
As part of Renegades Recruit, 12 local players compete for the final spot in the squad, with the winner to join the team on the trip to the NT.
The selection process will be documented on the club’s digital channels.
The TIO T20 Strike League begins in Darwin on August 15.
“This is a great opportunity for our squad to get some competitive T20 match experience at a time of the year they would otherwise be confined to the nets,” Saker said.
“There are a number of players with first-class experience featuring across all teams in the tournament so our players will get a lot out of it.”
In addition to Academy players, Melbourne Stars including Nathan Coulter-Nile, Nick Larkin, Tom O’Connell and Clint Hinchliffe will play in the TIO T20 Strike League, part of NT Cricket’s Cricket 365 program.
Clint McKay will coach the team.
“We’re really supportive of the Academy concept and what it will mean for the identification and nurturing of talent over the short, medium and long term,” Melbourne Stars interim general manager Blair Crouch said of the Academy model.
“It serves a dual purpose from that perspective – giving players something to aspire to be part of and for us to help them realise the potential in their games.”
“Beyond the Academy plans, the work NT Cricket has done to bring the Strike League to life in recent years and give southern states the opportunity for quality competition during winter is a fantastic outcome.
“It’s a great chance for some of our guys to get white ball game time during winter and it also gives us a chance to have a look at other players who might be in the mix in the future,” Crouch said.
Renegades Academy squad
Cameron Boyce (Melbourne Renegades), Xavier Crone (Carlton), Brody Couch (Geelong), Zak Evans (Melbourne Renegades/Ringwood), Jake Fraser-McGurk (Melbourne Renegades/Richmond), Mackenzie Harvey (Melbourne Renegades/Carlton), Tom Jackson (Geelong), Josh Lalor (Melbourne Renegades), Cameron McClure (Essendon), Fergus O’Neill (Melbourne), Nick Ross (Carlton), Brayden Stepien (Carlton*), Kyle Williamson (Melbourne).
*2020/21 season
Stars Academy squad
Damon Egan (Prahran), Sam Elliott (Victoria, Fitzroy Doncaster), Seb Gotch (Melbourne Stars, Victoria, Melbourne), Clint Hinchliffe (Melbourne Stars), Nick Larkin (Melbourne Stars), Jon Merlo (Victoria, St Kilda), Todd Murphy (Victoria, St Kilda), Bailey Moon (Prahran), Tom O’Connell (Victoria, Geelong), Tom O’Donnell (Essendon), Tom Rogers (Ringwood), James Seymour (Victoria, Essendon), Dylan Tibbals (Richmond)
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