- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
After being largely dominated by older players for years, Australian domestic cricket is seeing the emergence of a group of exciting teenagers, with the ongoing JLT Cup showcasing some of the country’s best young talent.
All-rounders Will Sutherland (18), Jack Edwards (18) and Cameron Green (19), leg spinner Tom O’Connell (18), and opening batsman Max Bryant (19) all made an impression in the opening round of the tournament.
Together, they are the most encouraging batch of Australian teenagers to emerge simultaneously in recent memory.
Sutherland was man of the match on Sunday as he grabbed a five-wicket haul opening the bowling for Victoria, who narrowly beat Queensland. He was ably supported by debutant O’Connell, who bowled with great control for such a young wrist spinner en route to figures of 2-42 from ten overs.
The only member of Queensland’s top six to provide resistance was Bryant, with the burly opener pounding 45 from 38 balls, including eight boundaries.
Meanwhile, Green yesterday continued the remarkable start to his domestic career as he grabbed 3-44 for Western Australia against NSW in Perth. He did, however, receive some tap from debutant Edwards, who hammered him for a massive six on the pull during a sprightly innings of 32.
Here’s a look at these five promising teenagers.
Cameron Green (WA) – 19
Don’t be surprised to see Green leap from obscurity to make a surprise debut for Australia sometime in the next 18 months, most likely in ODIs after the 2019 World Cup.
Justin Langer is a massive fan of the fast bowling all-rounder, who toured India with Australia A last month.
Green 18 months ago became the youngest player in history to take a five-wicket haul in the Sheffield Shield, aged just 17, as he ripped Tasmania apart with match figures of 7-80. He impressed once more in his second Shield match, making a quickfire 45 with the bat before grabbing 3-20 in the second innings as WA hammered Victoria.
Green would have played even more cricket across all three formats by now if not for the extraordinary glut of pace talent in WA. He has had to compete with the likes of internationals Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson and Joel Paris, as well as Simon Mackin and David Moody, who are highly rated.
Across five first-class and List A matches to date, Green has snared 18 wickets at 17. At 195cm tall, he earns sharp bounce, and has a lovely outswinger.
Green is also a talented batsman, having averaged 36 with the bat in WA Premier Cricket across the past two seasons.
Tom O’Connell (Victoria) – 18
This prodigy on Sunday became the youngest wrist spinner in history to play Australian List A cricket. Rather than being overawed, O’Connell looked composed and confident, bowling with generous flight and taking the wicket of former Test opener Joe Burns, who was caught at slip while trying to cut.
The leg spinner was head hunted by Victoria in the off season after he dominated South Australian Premier Cricket last summer as a 17-year-old. O’Connell was easily the leading wicket-taker in that competition, with 47 for the season, prompting former Test spinner Ashley Mallett to label him the best young spinner he’d seen come out of South Australia.
With Jon Holland tied up with Australian duties for the next six weeks, and Fawad Ahmed denied a Victoria contract this season, O’Connell should get generous opportunities for the Bushrangers. He may well play the entire JLT Cup as well as the first two rounds of the Shield, before Holland then returns.
Will Sutherland (Victoria) – 18
This 196cm-tall all-rounder has made a stunning start to his List A career, with ten wickets at 14 from four matches. Sutherland has won two man of the match awards already, with his first coming in just his second game, as he scythed through NSW with 4-11.
The son of former Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland was this week likened to former Australian all-rounder John Hastings by Glenn Maxwell.
“He’s a star, he’s a very good young player,” Maxwell said of Sutherland. “(He’s) in the John Hastings mould – big tall guy, moves the ball around, hits a great length and hits the seam.”
Sutherland is also a powerful and well-rounded batsman, having batted at six or seven for the Australian under-19s during his under-age career.
Will Sutherland of Victoria celebrates taking the wicket of Sam Heazlett of the Bulls during the JLT One-Day Cup match between Queensland and Victoria at Riverway Stadium, Townsville, Sunday, September 16, 2018, (AAP Image/Dave Acree)
Max Bryant (Queensland) – 19
This opening batsman has the build of a rugby player and hits with similar savagery. He made his domestic debut last summer for the CA XI in the JLT Cup and has now been given an opportunity to open for Queensland. His sprinting 45 against Victoria gives him a total of 213 runs at 30 from seven List A matches, at a scorching strike rate of 109.
Bryant has a savage pull shot and also cuts with ferocity, but it is down the ground and off his pads where he is most eye-catching. His balance at the crease and the stillness of his head help him loft bowlers with timing, rather than brute force.
Jack Edwards (NSW) – 18
This batting all-rounder has been a standout at junior level, making his under-19 debut for Australia while only 16 years old. Very tall for a batsman at 196cm, Edwards possesses enormous power, which he displayed at times against WA yesterday. He seems to pick length quickly, which gives him lots of time to unfurl his favoured pull shot.
Despite opening in under-19 cricket, alongside Bryant, he looked comfortable in the middle order on debut for NSW.
Edwards is also a nippy medium pacer who earns sharp lift, as you would expect given his lofty frame.
Both his batting and his bowling have earned high praise from former Australian great Ryan Harris, who coached him at under-19 level.