Youngsters out to impress in Darwin

A group of Australian young guns will head to Darwin this week, with an early opportunity to push their case for selection for the 2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Six players will join forces with an NT Strike outfit which will face off against a touring Bangladesh Academy side, in two one-day matches and a three-day fixture.

Among them are two members of Australia’s Under-19s side which defeated Sri Lanka in April, in New South Wales allrounder Austin Waugh and opening batsman Ryan Hackney.

Two more NSW players, batting allrounder Tom Sowden and wicketkeeper Baxter Holt will also feature, alongside spin duo Tom O’Connell (South Australia) and Jarrod Freeman (Tasmania).

"This a great chance for the players selected to get outdoors and play some competitive cricket against international opposition at the beginning of their pre-season," Cricket Australia Pathways Manager Graham Manou said.

"There’s still a long way to go until next year’s Under-19 World Cup, but we have a really talented group of players coming through the Pathway who will be eligible for selection.

"We saw that through some impressive performances during the series against Sri Lanka in April, and we believe there’s some great depth in the Under-19s talent pool right now.

"We need to ensure we continue to provide a number of players with opportunities that stretch and develop them as cricketers, to keep them engaged in the sport and give them the best chance of going on to play at the highest level they possibly can."

Waugh was one of many shining lights for Australia Under-19s in Hobart in April, averaging 45 with the bat, including a match-winning knock of 60 after the hosts had been 3-2 in pursuit of 164 to seal the series.

Hackney struggled to replicate his sensational form at the Under-19 national championships in that series, averaging 17.8 against Sri Lanka, after plundering three centuries and 595 runs at an average of 99.2 for NSW Metro at Under-19 level in December.

Competition for spots is expected to be fierce for selection for the World Cup, with 19-year-old wicketkeeper Lewin Maladay the only member of the 15-player squad that faced Sri Lanka ineligible for the showpiece event.

Holt now has a golden opportunity to push for that berth, after an impressive summer for NSW Metro where he led the dismissals tally at the under-17 and under-19 national championships.

Rookie-listed Western Australia fast bowler Cameron Green, who took the Sheffield Shield by storm in the second half of last season, and Queensland Bulls rookie Xavier Bartlett, who played in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup, headline a group of impressive young Australian cricketers who will be eligible for World Cup selection after missing the recent Australia Under-19s series.

The 2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup will be played in New Zealand in January and February next year.

NT Strike v Bangladesh Academy

July 7 - One-Day Match

July 9 - One-Day Match

July 11 to 13 - Three-Day Match