‘A standout performance by a local in Cricket 365 in winter could result in a professional contract next summer’: Program to pave way for rising athletes

PARTICIPANTS in the new Cricket 365 program will be in the best position to take the next step to become professional athletes

JUST as Darwin cricket product Aaron Summers made a name for himself through the NT’s Strike League competition, Cricket 365 participants will be in the best position to take the next step to become professional athletes.

First playing for the Darwin Cricket Club, Summers made such an impact in the TIO Strike League he was picked up by the Big Bash League’s Hobart Hurricanes in 2017.

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With a revamped and rebranded Cricket 365 program now in place, Cricket Australia national talent and pathway manager Graham Manou said there would be plenty of athletes looking to follow in Summers’ footsteps and take their game to the elite level through the NT’s new program.

“To be able to go up to Darwin and play against wonderful opposition in wonderful facilities is hard to find these days, particularly when players don’t have the chance to travel overseas and experience conditions as freely as they perhaps once could,” he said.

Aaron Summers at Henley Oval in 2020. Picture: Mark Brake

“The beauty of this is the offer’s on the table even for established stars to further enhance where they are with their cricket. I think what you’ll see with the competition is a very interesting cross-section of talent … it will be spread far and wide in terms of that age group.”

The program will include about 30 cricketers from across the country converging on Darwin to compete with locals for the 2.5-month program, comprising two one-day series and a T20 series.

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NT Cricket chief executive Joel Morrison said he too hoped high performers could take their game to the next level through Cricket 365, making it a natural pathway for cricketers to progress.

“A standout performance by a local in Cricket 365 in winter could result in a professional contract next summer,” he said.