A LOCAL fast bowler is putting his skills to the test as one of the thirty-nine cricketers taking part in Cricket Victoria\u2019s Under 19s Male Emerging Players Program.<\/p>\n
Long-serving Ballarat-Redan Cricket Club member Jack Harwood joined 19 players as part of the program\u2019s country squad, with pre-season training having started late last month.<\/p>\n
With two sessions already under his belt as an emerging player, he said the program\u2019s proving a valuable learning experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a pretty good experience,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve had coaching that I\u2019ve never had before from Victorian players on contract and the facilities are top-level.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a big step up. There\u2019s more of a structure to it and a plan about how I\u2019m going about my cricket and really focusing on one-on-one mentoring.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had my run up changed to get more pace and been brought little pointers on movement and how to be always ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harwood\u2019s has been training two days per week at CitiPower Centre Junction Oval in St Kilda, with his second session optional.<\/p>\n
Following training, players in both the program\u2019s country and metro teams will be chosen in late October prior to Cricket Australia\u2019s National Championships in New South Wales the following month.<\/p>\n
Harwood has been playing cricket from a young age and has been with Ballarat-Redan since he was nine years old.<\/p>\n
Between the emerging players program, he divides his time between his home team and Melbourne Cricket Club after playing six games with them last year.<\/p>\n
Harwood cites his father Shane, who was a fast bowler for Victoria for about a decade, as a major inspiration in his playing.<\/p>\n
He said his dad\u2019s been proud to see him take to the state team\u2019s home ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad\u2019s been really happy and excited to help me as much as he can. He was the one that really got me into cricket,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to try to make it to the highest goal I possibly can. To start, I want to try to get into the Victorian squad and see where I go.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A LOCAL fast bowler is putting his skills to the test as one of the thirty-nine cricketers taking part in Cricket Victoria\u2019s Under 19s Male Emerging Players Program. Long-serving Ballarat-Redan Cricket Club member Jack Harwood joined 19 players as part of the program\u2019s country squad, with pre-season training having started late last month. With two […]<\/p>\n