The Under 17's tournament in Gisborne is a breeding ground for bright young cricketing talent and with the tournament in full swing a number of players are starting to make their mark.
The tournament runs between January 12 and 20 and it brings together under 17 teams from all the Major Associations.
Auckland
The Auckland side has a blend of experience with three returning from last year’s tournament. Cameron Fletcher is one to watch with the ball. The solid leg spinner also played with the Under 19 Auckland side and is out to prove his worth. With the bat Charles Elton is a top order batsman who will be leading the batting attack.
“For some players this is their first representative tournament and it’s a great opportunity for them,” said coach Matt Horne. “I think the biggest thing for the players is the learning opportunities over the nine days. We’ve done a great job so far but the six teams are pretty even.”
Northern Districts
This team had the difficulty of having players spread across the top of the North Island making it hard to organise practices before this year’s tournament, however manager Patrick O’Shaughnessy thinks they can deliver the goods.
Players to watch from Northern Districts include batsmen Ben Hydevice and Henry Cooper both from Northland and Joe Carter from Tauranga who scored 105 on the opening day.
With the ball, captain Joseph Walker is a handy offspinner from Hamilton who took four wickets in one game during the recent Under 19 tournament. Two bowlers back from last year’s tournament are Sean Davey from the Bay of Plenty and Mathew Gurry.
Central Districts
The Central Districts Under 17 team also face geographical issues, which players coming from the likes of Taranaki, Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay.
The team is a fresh, young team with only one remaining member from last year’s squad. Key players for the side include captain William Young who is a useful right hand batsman, off spinner Kurt Leuthart, young wicketkeeper Mitchell Drummond and all-rounder Conner Neynens.
“It’s a tremendous learning experience for these players and this is what this tournament is all about,” said coach Nigel Brooke. “They come away with an understanding of where they are in the bigger scheme of things and give them an opportunity to make new friends and develop in the game.”
Wellington
From the capital comes a talented team of players including Charlie McLean who was part of the Wellington Under 19 team. He’s a promising fast bowler and he is expected to shine during this Under 17 tournament.
Dion Gibbons is also a stand out performer for the Wellington side who is a handy middle order batsman while Andrew Fletcher will be leading the batting attack at the top of the order.
Canterbury
The side is under the leadership of former international player Paul Wiseman and he looking forward to his players developing their skills during the tournament.
Key players for the Canterbury side include Theo van Woerkom who was the leading wicket taker at last year’s Under 17s and also played for the victorious Canterbury team at the Under 19 tournament in December.
With the bat, captain Ananthan Yugaraja will be leading the attack along with youngster Kenneth McClure, who Wiseman describes as a “mini Ross Taylor”.
“He got 30 off not many on the first day of the tournament and scored 50 against the USA Under 19 team last week. This is a guy to watch over the next few years,” he said.
Otago
The Otago side is full of enthusiastic young players who many will still be eligible to play in next year’s tournament. Coach Will Deerness said the tournament will be a steep learning curve for the players however so far they have performed “outstandingly”.
Players to watch from the southern-most association include right arm leg spinner and left hand opening batsman Gregor Croudis, who will also still be young enough to play next year. Lance Taylor is a strong right hand batsman while with the ball Sam Blakely has the pace to knock the stumps out of the ground.
“In general terms all the Otago boys stick together and play pretty well. We fight hard and got great team spirit,” Deerness concluded.
