Oliver Peake earned selection to the under-19s Vic Country cricket squad

Four centuries and seven half-centuries in a season has set up rising a Geelong star to dominate a national carnival in December, but the batter said he wanted to prove himself up an age bracket.

Six Geelong cricketers made the Victorian U21 squad. three were at training Oliver Peake Picture: Mark Wilson

AN unexpected but welcomed phone call in the depths of winter gave rising Geelong cricketer Oliver Peake a chance to jump up an age bracket and represent his state in a summer tournament.

The 16-year-old batter dominated across his school and club teams in the 2021/22 season, scoring 1040 runs in 25 innings at an average of 54.7 for Geelong Grammar and Geelong Cricket Club.

Peake said his form last year had led to his selection for Vic Country under-19s ahead of a national carnival in December, but he had not stopped working on his craft because of a successful 2021/22 season.

“I’m still in the under-17s, so Tommy (Evans, Cricket Victoria male emerging player performance manager) called me up and asked if I wanted to play in the under-19s based off my Dowling Shield form,” he said.

“I was more than happy to put my hand up and give it a go, we started training in July, played a few practice matches and then it was announced the other day.

Peake said his form last year had led to his selection for Vic Country under-19s ahead of a national carnival in December. Picture: Mark Wilson

“I worked on a bit of everything over the off-season, I was hopeful I could push up into the higher grades for the two-day cricket at the start of the year, so a lot of my off-season training revolved around defence.

“I feel like that’s held me in good stead, and now we’ve played one-day cricket for the last few years I can go back to playing some more expansive shots.”

Peake notched up two centuries in both the APS competition and the under-17s Dowling Shield last year, as well as four half centuries in the premier seconds for Geelong.

Peake notched up two centuries in both the APS competition and the under-17s Dowling Shield last year, as well as four half centuries in the premier seconds for Geelong. Picture: Mark Wilson

He said the runs against the men gave him confidence to expand his game at the school level.

“I had a slow start to the year but as the year got rolling my confidence grew and it gave me the belief that I could score against them,” he said.

“The way they try to get you out is way different in school cricket compared to seniors, it’s more of a patience game at the school level, which is a challenge in its own.

“I need to keep respecting the bowlers and try to not do too much with it, whereas with the men they are trying to hit you in the head or snick you off, so they give you more scoring opportunities, but you also feel you could go out any ball.”

Originally published as Oliver Peake earned selection to the under-19s Vic Country cricket squad