CV Country v Metro Series

Cricket Victoria's talent identification program will hit overdrive tomorrow when 48 of the state's most impressive young cricketers converge on Cobram-Barooga for the inaugural Country v Metro series.  

Staged from September 24 to 27, the series will feature two Twenty20s and two one-day matches at both under-17 and under-19 level and will serve as a key selection tool ahead of the up-coming National Championships.

During the series, Cricket Victoria Academy coach Shawn Flegler will be assisted by a number of members of the state’s high performance program and has put the onus on the selected players to perform.

“The feedback that we got, especially from the 17s, was we need to see those younger players feel like they are under pressure during games and see how they react,” Flegler said.

“It is an opportunity for the players outside of the indoor nets during winter to see guys under game pressure.

“The feedback that we got, especially from the 17s, was we need to see those younger players feel like they are under pressure during games and see how they react.

“I’m positive we don’t get everyone in the system so hopefully this gives another step to find the country players.

Training for the sides has taken place during the winter with around 30 players training for each side before they were selected earlier this month.

The series will open with a T20 on September 24, followed by two one-day matches on September 25 and 26 and will conclude with another T20 on September 27.

Further trial games will follow in Melbourne in late October and early November before the state Under-17 and Under-19 sides are selected for the National Championships, which will commence in Hobart on December 10 (Under-17) and in Adelaide on January 7 (Under-19).

The Northern Rivers’ Dylan Grandall has been drafted into the Under-19 Victorian Country side to replace Jakson Knight, while the Northern Falcons’ Michael Denier has replaced Adam Hutton and the Southern Metro Pioneers’ Dylan Quirk will do likewise for Max Tomkinson in the Under-19 Victorian Metro squad.

Victorian Country Under-17 Team
Luke Ford (Barwon Rockets), Pat McKenna (Central Highlanders), Jack Baker  (Central Highlanders), Logan Gray (Central Highlanders), Matt Short (Central Highlanders), Taylor Tatterson (Gippsland Pride), Luke Heath (Gippsland Pride), Jayden Zanoni (Mallee Murray Bulls), Kyle Mueller (Northern Rivers), Jake Wood (Sth East Country Sharks), Zac Merrett (Western Waves) and Tom Smith (Western Waves).

Victorian Metro Under-17 Team
Jacob Serry (Inner Sth East Scorpions), Guy Walker (North West Wizards), Ejaz Alavi (Northern Falcons), Matthew Bullen (Northern Falcons), Jonty Rushton (Northern Falcons), Liam Banthorpe (Northern Falcons), Sam Harper (Outer East Eagles), Jack Blain  (Outer East Eagles), Shea Gribben (Sth East Bayside Breakers),  Joseph Blake (Western Spirit), Hayden Castle (Western Spirit) and Kieran Elliott (Western Spirit).

Victorian Country Under-19 Team
Scott Dixon (Barwon Rockets), Dominic McGlinchey  (Barwon Rockets), Dylan Grandall (Northern Rivers), James Lidgett (Central Highlanders), Matthew Mitchell (Gippsland Pride), Trent Thompson (Mallee-Murray Bulls), Joe Cousins (North East Knights), Ben Ashkenazi (Sth East Country Sharks), Robbie Salerni (Sth East Country Sharks), Corey Ogle (Western Waves), Jacob McKinnon (Western Waves) and Sam Kerber (Western Waves).

Victorian Metro Under-19 Team
Tom Russ (Inner East Emus), Michael Denier (Northern Falcons), Mark Phelan (Northern Falcons), Robbie Phelan (Northern Falcons), Pat Ashton (Outer East Eagles), Matthew Fotia (Outer East Eagles), Jack Harper (Outer East Eagles), Lincoln Edwards (Sth East Bayside Breakers), Liam Tonkin (Sth East Bayside Breakers), Josh Manning (Sth East Bayside Breakers), Dylan Quirk (Southern Metro Pioneers) and Jack Taylor (Southern Metro Pioneers).