Domestic stars sign on for Darwin winter league

Ex-Test batter Kurtis Patterson will find himself in the sights of several New South Wales teammates he led into the recent Marsh Sheffield Shield final when they line up for rival clubs in Darwin's inaugural Cricket 365 competition next month.

Patterson, who took over the Blues' captaincy in Peter Nevill's absence for last month's unsuccessful tilt at the Shield against Queensland, is among a dozen players with first-class experience who have signed on for NT Cricket's mid-year 50-over and T20 competitions.

The 28-year-old is one of only two players taking part in the Cricket 365 program with a senior Australia cap, and the other one – NSW fast bowler Chris Tremain, who has represented his country in ODI cricket – will be lining up against his Blues teammate.

Patterson will represent the City Cyclones in the four-team, multi-format series that runs from June 20 to August 27 with final squads announced today after the skills brought by the interstate 'recruits' were matched with teams to ensure optimum balance and competitiveness across the competitions.

He will play alongside Lachie Hearne, who was also a member of NSW's squad for last month's Shield final Brisbane, as well as South Australia pair Henry Hunt and Lloyd Pope and Tasmania spinner Jarrod Freeman.

Tremain has been assigned to the Desert Blaze alongside another Blues Shield player Jack Edwards, as well as Tasmania allrounder Tom Andrews, who was recently named co-winner (with David Warner) of the Marsh One Day Cup Player of the Series award.

NSW duo Matthew Gilkes and Jason Sangha headline the recruits for the Northern Tide, whose list also includes former Hobart Hurricanes BBL fast bowler Aaron Summers.

And Hunt's Shield opening partner at SA, Jake Weatherald, will play for the Southern Storm alongside Tasmania allrounder Beau Webster and off-spinner Arjun Nair, who has represented NSW at first-class level and Sydney Thunder in the KFC BBL.

Overall, there are 19 players involved who were contracted at either state of BBL level last season.

In addition to player lists, organisers of the Cricket 365 program also confirmed the coaching panels for each of the four teams that were initially formed when NT Cricket launched its mid-year T20 Strike League competition in 2017.

David Andrews, the former coach of India state Maharashtra's Ranji Trophy and under-19 teams and father of Tom, will head up the Desert Blaze coaching panel alongside NT under-19 national championship coach Jason Bremner.

Brad Murphy, coach of NT Cricket's under-23 men's academy as well as supremo at Brisbane Premier Cricket club Valleys, is overseeing City Cyclones with former Sri Lanka first-class player Himesh de Silva.

Udara Weerasinghe has also played at first-class level in Sri Lanka as well leading Waratah Warriors to last year's Darwin and Districts Premier Cricket title as captain and coach, and he will take the helm at Northern Tide alongside Victoria junior coach Dylan Slater.

And NT Institute of Sport scholarship coach Adrian Gallagher will oversee the Southern Storm.

"We have very experienced coaches, involved in the program and I know they can’t wait to meet their squads and start training," NT Cricket's Head of Cricket Darren Treumer said today.

"The opportunity the Cricket 365 program presents for coach development in the Territory is wonderful, it’s allowing coaches the opportunity to work with some of the best up and coming cricketers from around the country in their own backyard."

Dates for the Cricket 365 program which also features three one-day games between a Cricket Australia XI (chosen from the interstate representatives) and a combined outfit of the best NT players are:

TIO Men’s Strike League 50-over competition: June 20-July 25 

CA XI v NTXI representative 50-over series: Aug 1-8 

TIO Men’s Strike League T20 competition: Aug 15-27 

Cricket 365 squads

Southern Storm: Jake Weatherald*, Beau Webster*, Ash Chandrasinghe, Kyle Scrimegour, Dean Fry, Michael Kudra, Lucas Nitschke, Andrew Richards, Mac Wright*, Josh Kann, Brodie Symons, Blade Baxter, Brad Hope, Arjun Nair*, Sam Fanning

Northern Tide: Isaac Conway, Aaron Summers, Matt Hammond, Antum Naqvi, Harshtik Bimbral, Jay Naganayagam, Joel Curtis, Lachie Bangs, Ryan Hackney*, Isaac Higgins, Callum Stow, Noah McFayden, Jason Sangha*, Matthew Gilkes*, Corey Hunter

City Cyclones: Henry Hunt*, Jacob Dickman, Tushaar Garg, Jackson Edmondstone, Banjo Waring, Alex Bleakley, Josh Neill, Kade Hurley, Lloyd Pope*, Zac Sleeman, Keegan Oates*, Campbell Kellaway, Jarrod Freeman*, Liam Guthrie*, Lachie Hearne*, Kurtis Patterson*

Desert Blaze: Tom Andrews*, Jackson Isakka, Coby Edmondstone, Awad Naqvi, Tom Kelaart, Hamish Martin, Connor Blaxell-Hill, Ryan Harvey, Hugo Burdon, Dylan Brasher, Max Hatzoglou, Jack White, Oscar Corby, Corey Rocchiccioli*, Jack Edwards*, Hayden Kerr*, Chris Tremain*

*contracted at state or BBL level for the 2020-21 season

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