Cricket Australia (CA) has today named the Australian squad for the multi-format Under-19 series in England starting next month, with three highly-talented Western Australians selected.
Exciting WA trio named for Under-19 Men's Tour of England
The Youth Selection Panel has chosen a 16-player squad following training camps in Brisbane and Sri Lanka, where they will return for the 2024 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Midland-Guildford’s Josh Vernon, Melville’s Mahli Beardman and Rockingham Mandurah’s Corey Wasley have all been included in the travelling party, after standout performances in the Under 19s National Championships and the U19s series against England played in Brisbane earlier this year.
Selection in the national team only continues the rapid rise for Vernon and Beardman, who both received state rookie contracts for WA ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The pair, who hail from the small town of Dampier (1500km Northwest of Perth) and grew up together, are exciting young fast bowlers who can swing the new ball, while Wasley is an attacking left-handed batsman who loves to take the game on.
Vernon showcased his skill and versatility against England in January, taking 11 wickets across three matches in the multi-format series, including 5-69 in the 3rd ODI and 4-40 in the second innings of the Test.
Beardman, who was injured for the England series, bowled with pace and control for WA in the U19s National Championships last December, finishing with five wickets from three matches.
Wasley was a model of consistency with the bat for WA during the tournament, scoring 213 runs from six innings, including a brilliant 75 in a thrilling one-wicket win over Victoria Country.
The reciprocal series comes after Australia hosted England in January and February this year. The two-match four-day series was drawn 1-1 before Australia claimed the ODI series 2-1 and won the sole T20I.
The Australian team will be coached by New South Wales development coach Anthony Clark, who also led the squad at the 2022 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The tour of England will consist of five ODIs, with the first one on August 26, before two four-day matches in September.
Sonya Thompson, Cricket Australia Head of National Development, said:
“Touring England is a special experience for any cricketer and this tour presents a significant opportunity for our Under 19 squad to play in different conditions against a high-quality opponent.
“The multi-format series will provide a platform for our best young players to gain valuable international experience in both red and white ball cricket.
“Planning is in full swing for next year’s World Cup and this series, as well as the recently completed training camps at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane and tour of Sri Lanka will play a key part in that preparation.”
Anthony Clark, Australian Men's Under 19 head coach, said:
“We've seen some fantastic performances from our players across a variety of competitions and tours recently, which made it a challenging selection process.
“Both the Sri Lankan tour and this upcoming English series provide our players with exceptional development opportunities ahead of the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, but we're also equally excited for the upcoming four-day matches after a closely fought series earlier this year.”
Australia U19s 16-player Squad:
- Hugh Weibgen (c) (QLD - Valley District Cricket Club)
- Lachlan Aitken (QLD - Gold Coast District Cricket Club)
- Harkirat Bajwa (VIC - Melbourne Cricket Club)
- Mahli Beardman (WA - Melville Cricket Club)
- Harry Dixon (VIC - St Kilda Cricket Club)
- Cameron Frendo (NSW - Fairfield Liverpool Cricket Club)
- Ryan Hicks (NSW - Mosman Cricket Club)
- Sam Konstas (NSW - Sutherland Cricket Club)
- Rafael MacMillan (NSW - St George District Cricket Club)
- Tom Menzies (NT - Darwin Cricket Club)
- Cody Reynolds (QLD - Gold Coast District Cricket Club)
- Harjas Singh (NSW - Western Suburbs Cricket Club)
- Tom Straker (NSW - Sutherland District Cricket Club)
- Josh Vernon (WA - Midland Guildford Cricket Club)
- Callum Vidler (QLD - Valley District Cricket Club)
- Corey Wasley (WA - Rockingham-Mandurah Cricket Club)
2023 Australia Male Under 19 Tour of England:
Aug 26: First ODI | The County Ground, Beckenham
Aug 28: Second ODI | The County Ground, Beckenham
Aug 31: Third ODI | The County Ground, Beckenham
Sep 2: Fourth ODI | The First Central County Ground, Hove
Sep 4: Fifth ODI | The First Central County Ground, Hove
Sep 8-11: First four-day game | New Road, Worcester
Sep 16-19: Second four-day game | The County Ground, Northampton