Leading current and recent First XI players at Men’s U19s cricket tournament

Above: Former Napier Boys’ High School’s Christian Leopard will hope his Central Districts side can break Canterbury’s and Auckland’s stranglehold on the U19 cricket title. Photo credit: CD Cricket.

The 2016 men's cricket National U19 Tournament gets underway tomorrow at Lincoln University, featuring the country’s leading current and recent secondary school players.

The tournament, featuring many current school players and 2016 school leavers and graduates from the best First XIs in the country, will see a group of players backing up from the National Secondary Schools Boys tournament played at the same venue last week.

Christchurch Boys’ High School won last week’s tournament, with  Auckland’s Saint Kentigern College finishing runners-up. Three CBHS players, Jack Turner, Ben Donkers and Fraser Sheat, are in Canterbury’s U19 team for this tournament. Canterbury are also the defending champions. 

Canterbury and Auckland have a mortgage on the National Under-19, having won each of the past nine editions between them.

Similarly, an exciting incentive for players at this year’s National U19 tournament is the chance to be selected in the New Zealand U18 team that will compete in the National Provincial ‘A’ tournament in January.

The format of the U19 tournament is a six-team round robin 50-over competition, followed by play-offs and a finals day. It runs for eight days, from this Thursday to next Friday (15-23 December).

At least a couple of players in this tournament have already played first-class cricket, such as Central Districts’ Christian Leopard, while Leopard and several others were in the Junior Black Caps squad at the U19 World Cup.

Of note, the National U21 Women’s tournament that is being played in Auckland from this Thursday to next Wednesday will also feature many current and recent secondary school girls’ cricketers from around New Zealand.
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National U19 cricket Tournament – at a glance
What: 2016 Men’s National Under-19 cricket Tournament 
Where: Lincoln University
When: December 15-23 (Wednesday – Friday)
Format: Five-match round-robin series, followed by a rest day and then a playoffs day and a finals day
Draw: View the draw at http://www.blackcaps.co.nz/media/7135/under-19-tournament-draw-201617.pdf
 
National U19 cricket Tournament – squad lists
Squad lists as available. Players’ current and former schools brackets (where known)
 
Auckland
William O’Donnell (Captain, Westlake Boys’ High School)
Finn Allen (St Kentigern College)
Keegan Russell (Westlake Boys’ High School)
Angus McKenzie (Westlake Boys’ High School)
William St John (King’s College)
Dale Phillips (Pakuranga College)
Nikheil Bhana
Daniel Young (St Kentigern College)
Ariyan Hassan (Mount Albert Grammar School)
Ryan Schierhout (Westlake Boys’ High School)
Flynn McGregor-Sumpter (Auckland Grammar School)
Benjamin Beecroft (Westlake Boys’ High School)
Christy O’Brien
 
Canterbury
Will Hamilton (St Andrew’s College)
Ben Chamberlain (Christ’s College)
Jack Turner (Christchurch Boys’ High School)
Matt Hay (Christchurch Boys’ High School)
Ben Donkers (Christchurch Boys’ High School)
Jack Lewis (Christchurch Boys’ High School)
Sam Gilbert (St Andrew’s College)
Joel Williams (Burnside High School)
Fraser Sheat (Christchurch Boys’ High School)
Mark Otley (Timaru Boys’ High School)
Angus Hamilton (St Bede’s College)
Connor Sullivan (St Bede’s College)
Harry Fitzpatrick (St Bede’s College)
 
Central Districts
Kaylum Boshier (Captain, New Plymouth Boys’ High School)
Ma'ara Ave (V Captain, Marlborough Boys’ College)
Fraser Bartholomew (Horowhenua College)
Luke Dravitzki (Francis Douglas Memorial College)
Josh Borrell (New Plymouth Boys’ High School)
Mason Hughes (Palmerston North Boys’ High School)
Christian Leopard (Napier Boys’ High School)
Davis Mills (New Plymouth Boys’ High School)
Felix Murray (Nelson College)
Liam Pinfold (Horowhenua College)
Todd Watson (Napier Boys’ High School)
Bayley Wiggins Hawke's Bay (Hastings Boys’ High School)
Taylor Williams Taranaki (New Plymouth Boys’ High School)
 
Northern Districts
Cullen Aisalbie (Hamilton Boys High School)
Alastair Blackett (St Paul’s Collegiate)
Sandeep Patel (St Kentigern College)
Katene Clarke (Mount Albert Grammar School)
Dion Joll (Botany Downs College)
Jamie Moore (Hamilton Boys’ High School)
Matt Whitley (St Peter’s, Cambridge)
Robbie Tallott (Gisborne Boys’ High School)
Brayden Gaylor (Hamilton Boys’ High School)
Ravi Pathirana (Hamilton Boys’ High School)
Alex Clare (St John’s College)
Matthew Fisher (St Paul’s Collegiate)
Cooper Rowell (Hamilton Boys’ High School)

Otago
Anjus Bhogal (John McGlashan College)
Cameron McAuslan (Otago Boys’ High School)
Hunter Kindley (Otago Boys’ High School)
Taine Bayly (Otago Boys’ High School)
Jarryd Taig (Otago Boys’ High School)
Nathan Smith (Waitaki Boys High School)
Llew Johnson (St Andrew’s College)
 Max Chu (Otago Boys’ High School)
 Alex Tait (Southland Boys’ High School)
Ryan Whelan (John McGlashan College)
Kurt Johnston (King’s High School)
Elliot Love (King’s High School)
Ben Lockrose (Otago Boys’ High School)
 
 
Wellington
Rachin Ravindra (Captain, Hutt International Boys’ School)
Jakob Bhula (Wellington College)
Michael Fenton (Tawa College)
Luke Georgeson (St Patrick’s College, Wellington)
Calvin Harrison (King’s College, Taunton)
James Hartshorn (Wellington College)
Troy Johnson (Hutt International Boys’ School)
Matt McComb (Hutt International Boys’ School)
Callum McLachlan (St Patrick’s College, Silverstream)
Josh Peake (Wellington College)
Nicholas Pile (Onslow College)
Ben Sears (Hutt International Boys’ School)
Tyler Simpson (Hutt International Boys’ School)
                           
 
 

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