The State’s up and coming cricketers are on show on the Sunshine Coast this week as part of two development representative carnivals.
The region this week hosts summer carnivals for U14 and U15 male development teams from the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane North, Redlands and Darling Downs.
These are being held across four locations: Palmwoods, Nambour, Yandina and Coolum all week with matches running from 9am to 4pm.
Under-12s and under-13s are playing games as well, in Brisbane and Ipswich respectively.
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Junior director of coaching Darrel Forrest has lauded the quality of local players.
“There are a lot of strong cricketers coming through the Sunshine Coast right now, boys and girls,” he said.
“We’ve put a lot of time and energy (into development) and we are getting some extra money in, to focus on giving these kids more opportunities.”
Forrest said more youngsters are being looked at for representative berths.
“We’ve opened up the process, rather than focus on a couple of good cricketers that happen to be around,” he said.
“We have broader selection processes, so instead of just throwing kids in the nets and picking a team we often have a series of games and they play each other over a few weeks in order to sort out the teams.
“It gives them more cricket at better levels, they have greater exposure, and they have a chance to develop.”
There are about 1100 juniors across the region’s club system and Forrest said more of them are trying out for rep teams.
“This year we had nearly 300 kids at trials.”
“We normally have about 80-120 but it (the increase) is because we have broadened the process to give more opportunities.
“And we often put a development clinic on as well, instead of just having a set trial, so the kids come along and learn something, instead of only showing their wares for selection.
“They have to pay to trial these days because we’ve got ball costs and ground costs etc, so to go from the low 100s to 300 – I think that’s a pretty good statement that the kids are getting something out of it.”
Rep teams in action
The region’s representative teams have had success in recent times, with the under-13s winning in a new-look state championships, in which teams played in zones.
The under-14s also finished among the top few teams in their competition.
The under-15s start their seven-week state championships campaign at Landsborough on January 10.
There’s a pathway for the youngsters too, with the region boasting senior men’s and women’s state league teams, the Sunshine Coast Scorchers.
