Under 19s Set to Compete at National Champs in Adelaide

The pinnacle of underage representative cricket across Australia, the December 12th-19th Championships have long been seen as the breeding ground for future white and red ball international players.

The 14-man Territory squad contains a 50 per cent mix of local and interstate players as they prepare for four qualifying matches and two playoff games.

Head coach Dylan Slater and assistant Himesh Silva have had two days to familiarise the squad for four tough lead-in matches against Victoria Country (Dec 12), Tasmania (Dec 13), Victoria Metro (Dec 15), and defending champions NSW Metro (Dec 16) since landing in the City of Churches on Tuesday.

For Slater, the Championships represent a golden opportunity for his players to lock horns with the country's elite young cricketers in a 50-over format.

"It's always a great opportunity and a great experience to be involved in the Underage Nationals and get our kids exposed to that level of cricket," Slater said.

"The bonus will come if we can play some good cricket and be competitive against every side we play, hopefully that means we'll get a few wins along the way."

Waratah allrounder Archie McCormick will captain the side, with Nightcliff fast medium bowler Nicholas Fleming his deputy.

McCormick's top order batting and accurate leg-spinners will be crucial in the 50-over format, along with Fleming's fast medium bowling.

The traditionally flat wickets in Adelaide will mean runs will be important, something the Junior Strike are confident they will get from the likes of McCormick, Palmerston left-hander Charlie Bignell and Sydney import Advith Boreddy.

Adelaide University's Suhas Challa and Hayden McCarthy from the Sydney University club are other run-getters the Strike will want a lot of runs from.

The Strike have a good mix of fast medium and spin in their bowling ranks, including fast men Nightcliff's James Hatton, Josh Gawthrope from the Southern Districts Cricket Club and South Australian import Ryan Percival.

McCarthy and fellow South Australian Malay Doshi add more bowling depth with their mix of leg and off-spinners.

Palmerston's Cadell McMahon is the likely wicketkeeper after impressing at the U17 Nationals earlier this year.

The tough qualifying draw does not faze coach Slater, who again emphasised the valuable experience and incentive gained from playing against traditionally strong states like Victoria and NSW.

"The mood within the squad is good and while it's always tough coming up against the big states and sporting bodies like VIC and NSW, it's also a great opportunity to be playing against such good cricketers," he said.

Fixtures and live streaming links -