Squads for Under-19 Male Country and Metro series announced

The tournament, to be played from September 21 to 24 with two Twenty20s and two one-day matches, will this year feature four sides, Victoria Country Under-19s, Victoria Metro Under-19s, Academy Combined Under 19s and for the first time, Academy Invitational Under-20s.

The series will provide opportunity for players to showcase their skills and press for selection in the Under-19 National Championships Country and Metro squads, which will be selected at the end of October ahead of the tournament beginning in Adelaide on November 30.

In addition, club cricket performances in October will also be followed closely for Barooga squad players and for those not selected for Barooga.

“The week in Barooga is a fantastic opportunity for all the players,” Victorian Country Under-19 coach Graeme Rummans said.

“It’s a great lead in to the season to play a full week of cricket in nice conditions.

“Both the Country and Metro squads have different strengths so we are confident that both teams will perform strongly at this series and the National Championships in November.

“It’s exciting for Victorian cricket to have so many players exposed to this standard of competition.”

The Academy Invitational Under-20s squad will be announced in the coming weeks.

In other pathway news, South East Bayside Breakers all-rounder Shubham Bhargave has been called up to the Cricket Australia Under-16 XI at the Under-17 National Championships later this month, joining Victorian teammates Nathan Murphy, Will Sutherland and Zac Evans.

Bhargave’s elevation from the Victoria Metro Under-17 squad has seen 14-year-old Mackenzie Harvey selected as his replacement.

Two other Victorians, Sam Beer and Sam Milne, have also been included in the Northern Territory Under-17 Invitational squad following a new Cricket Australia initiative in which the NT is provided quality interstate players to fill their squad gaps.

Beer and Milne’s selection means there are now 32 Victorians selected to play at the Under-17 National Championships, up from 13 last season.

Victorian Metro Under-19 squad
Name – Home Suburb, Current Club, Pathway Region, Skill
Liam Banthorpe – Greensborough, Fitzroy-Doncaster CC, Northern Falcons, RHB, WK
Mitchell Barnewall – Eltham, Essendon CC, Northern Falcons, RAOS, RHB
Mark Butler – Mooroolbark, Ringwood CC, Outer East Eagles, RAFM, RHB
Chris Campbell – Northcote, Northcote CC, Northern Falcons, RAFM, RHB
Ben Earney – Beaumaris, Monash Tigers CC, South East Bayside Breakers, RAFM, LHB
Damon Egan – East Bentleigh, Melbourne CC, South East Bayside Breakers, RHB, RAM
Liam Molloy – Oak Park, Essendon CC, North West Wizards, LHB, RALS
Tom O’Donnell – Kew, Essendon CC, Inner East Emus, LAFM, RHB
Ryan Quirk – Narre Warren South, Dandenong CC, Southern Pioneers, LHB, RALS
Gehan Seneviratne – East Bentleigh, Carlton CC, South East Bayside Breakers, RALS, RHB
Jacob Serry – East Prahran, Prahran CC, Inner South East Scorpions, RHB, WK
Tim Sugumar – Rowville, Ringwood CC, Outer East Eagles, LHB, LAFM

Victorian Country Under-19 squad
Name – Home Suburb, Current Club, Pathway Region, Skill
Liam Bowe – Bendigo, Sandhurst CC, Northern Rivers, LAWS, LHB
Xavier Crone – Strathfieldsaye, Carlton CC, Northern Rivers, RAFM, RHB
Ryan Hartley – Eaglehawk, Prahran CC, Northern Rivers, LHB, WK
Nick King – Warrnambool, Prahran CC, Western Waves, LHB, LAOS
Rhiley Lau – Tallygaroopna, Central Park St Brendans CC, Northern Rivers, RHB, RAM
Tom Le Lievre – Ballarat, Carlton CC, Central Highlanders, RHB, RAOS
Jacob McKenzie – Apollo Bay, Apollo Bay Sharks CC, Barwon Rockets, LAFM, LHB
Adam McMaster – Monomeith, Dandenong CC, South East Country Sharks, RAFM, RHB
Jackson Mockett – Skye, Frankston-Peninsula CC, South East Country Sharks, RAFM, RHB
Brayden Stepien – Bendigo, Carlton CC, Northern Rivers, LHB, RAOS
Blake Thomson – Ballarat, Melbourne CC, Central Highlanders, RHB, RAOS
Matthew Underwood – Gisborne, Footscray-Edgewater CC, Central Highlanders, LHB, LAOS

Academy Combined Under-19 squad
Name – Home Suburb, Current Club, Pathway Region, Skill
Angus Boyd – Merino, Geelong CC, Western Waves, RHB, RAOS
Cameron Brown – Tooradin, Casey-South Melbourne CC, South East Country Sharks, RAFM, RHB
Kade Burns – Darnum, Carlton CC, Gippsland Pride, RHB, RAFM
Zac Elliott – Balwyn, Camberwell Magpies, Inner East Emus, LHB, RAM
Nick Fletcher – Box Hill, Fitzroy-Doncaster CC, Inner East Emus, RHB, WK
Jack Gilbert – East Malvern, St Kilda CC, Inner South East Scorpions, RALS, RHB
Harli Givvens – Mt Helen, East Ballarat CC, Central Highlanders, RAOS, LHB
Josh Hudson – Wantirna, Melbourne CC, Outer East Eagles, RAFM, RHB
Devin Pollock – Trafalgar, Casey-South Melbourne CC, Gippsland Pride, RHB, WK
Jonah Koch – Werribee, Footscray-Edgewater CC, Western Spirit, RAFM, RHB
Brayden McGregor – Toolamba, Central Park St Brendans CC, Northern Rivers, RAFM, LHB
Jackson Waters – Upwey, Monash Tigers CC, Outer East Eagles, RHB, RAM

Cricket Australia Under-16 XI squad (Victorian players)
Name – Home Suburb, Current Club, Pathway Region, Skill
Shubham Bhargave – East Bentleigh, Camberwell Magpies CC, South East Bayside Breakers, RHB, RAOS
Nathan Murphy – Highett, Melbourne CC, South East Bayside Breakers, RHB, WK, RAM
Will Sutherland – Kooyong, Prahran CC, Inner South East Scorpions, RHB, RAFM
Zac Evans – Box Hill South, Ringwood CC, Inner East Emus, RAFM, RHB

Northern Territory Under-17 Invitational squad (Victorian players)
Name – Home Suburb, Current Club, Pathway Region, Skill
Sam Beer – Rowville, Carlton CC, Outer East Eagles, RAFM, RHB
Sam Milne – Camberwell, Fitzroy-Doncaster CC, Inner East Emus, RHB, WK