Cricket: St Kilda’s Tom Paddington included in Cricket Victoria rookie program

Cricket Victoria says Tom Paddington ‘took a few big steps last season’. Now he’s taken another stride forward, being added to CV’s new rookie program.

Tom Paddington started last season playing for Elsternwick’s Third XI in Sub-District cricket.

He finished it as a player being watched by Victoria’s high-performance coaches.

They obviously liked what they saw of the 17-year-old Brighton Grammar student.

Last week, the tall young paceman was one of eight players named in Victoria’s “targeted rookie’’ program, which has replaced the emerging players squad.

While the other seven – Harkirat Bajwa, Farzan Chowna, Harry Hoekstra, Christian Howe, Archie Lalor, Oliver Peake and Callum Stow – have already come under notice in Premier ranks, Paddington has played no higher than Third XI for his club, St Kilda.

He was prominent for the Saints’ Under 18 team, starting with 4-48 off 10 overs against Camberwell Magpies.

The word got back to Cricket Victoria that he had bowled well against the Magpies.

“A couple of people spoke to us about him,’’ CV talent development manager Tom Evans said.

“Then ‘Funky’ (CV talent development specialist James Miller) and Julien (state under-age coach Julien Wiener) went and had a look.

Tom Paddington celebrates a wicket for the young Saints. Picture: Cath Coady, The Memory Collectors

“Attributes-wise, they saw he was tall, had bounce, away swing, and they were like, yeah, we’ll have a look at this kid in one of the Under 17 sessions.

“He came to a trial game down at Frankston before we picked the state teams and he impressed us.’’

Paddington captured 4-20 off 6.5 overs in that match and was selected in the Vic Metro side for the national championships in Ballarat.

He ended up making the team of the tournament after taking two wickets against the ACT, four against NSW Metro, two against NSW Country and two more against South Australia.

“He bowled some really good spells up the top, swinging the ball away and getting some good players out early,’’ Evans said.

“What really impressed us was a spell against NSW Metro. He came back and broke an important partnership when we really needed a wicket … with the older ball he hit the wicket hard and was hard to score off and got a couple of good players out. So he showed it wasn’t just the new ball he could do with. There was a little bit of fire in the belly.’’

Paddington spent the rest of the season playing for his school and for St Kilda’s Under 18s

He also played again for Elsternwick, this time in a T20 against Port Melbourne, grabbing 3-16 off three overs.

Geelong left-arm wrist spinner Callum Stow. Picture: Supplied

Evans said Paddington was a “longer-term’’ prospect.

“But we were keen to get someone in for probably the next group down from those other quicks (Howe, Hoekstra and Lalor) in that target squad,’’ he said.

“He took a few big steps last season, to be honest, and hopefully he can carry that on into next season.’’

Howe, Hoekstra and Lalor, as well as batter Peake and leg-spinner Vishaw Ramkumar, are in Brisbane training with the national Under 19 squad.

A team will tour India in September.

CV said the rookie program was part of a strategy to invest in emerging talent and achieve sustained success across all formats.

Players will receive individual training and development plans and have opportunities to train with the state squad.

“The Targeted Rookie Program is great opportunity to enhance the development of some of Victoria’s most exciting young talent,” Cricket Victoria head of male cricket David Hussey said.

“The age profile of our current Victorian playing list has a significant number of players in the mid-twenties meaning we have a great core of players who will hopefully be key figures for Victorian cricket for years to come.

“This initiative is important so that we can keep topping up that core group with young talent, so that our Victorian, Renegades and Stars teams can have sustained success for years to come.

“The Targeted Rookie Program certainly does not discount more established players that are consistently performing strongly in Premier Cricket. Those players who continue to excel in Premier Cricket and have the traits to play professional cricket will be rewarded with opportunities for selection in the Victorian 2nd XI and T20 academies.”