Serry all set for smashing summer
RISING star Jacob Serry has been selected to play for the Victorian squad at the Cricket Australia Under-19 National Championships, which kicks off this week in Adelaide.
The 17-year-old will join 12 of the state’s best junior players on the tour, with Serry, who doesn’t turn 18 until late January, one of the youngest in the side.
Taking the field in last year’s championships for the Under-17s, Serry says it’s the first time he’s made a Victorian team as a bottom-aged player.
“Luckily I’ve been able to represent the 13s, 15s and 17s, but it’s always been top-age and I’ve always been on the last cut for the bottom-age players,” Serry told the <I>AJN<P>.
“So it’s really exciting to make it as a bottom-age player and I’m really looking forward to it.”
After hitting a century for an undefeated Under-19 Vic Metro side at the Academy Invitational XII in September, which doubled as trials for the upcoming championships, Serry is set to play a prominent role in middle-order.
“In the past I’ve opened for the 17s, but as openers we’ve got Matt Short, who’s a Victorian Bushrangers rookie, and Liam Banthorpe who played Aussie Under-19s,” he said.
“I’ll probably be through the middle order, which will be a different role for me, because I open the batting a fair bit. But I’ve batting in the middle-order for Prahran (Cricket Club) and hopefully I’ll just be able to get some runs.”
The recent Caulfield Grammar graduate has been in belting form for Prahran Cricket Club’s Second XI in the Victorian Premier Cricket competition of late, with several outputs of more than 50 runs in recent fixtures.
Serry hopes the several matches he played with the club’s First XI will give him the necessary experience to smash a couple over the fence in Adelaide.
“My form’s has been good,” he said.
“[The Championships] are obviously going to be a step up. I was lucky enough to play a few games in the Firsts earlier this season and the people I’ve spoken to have said the 19s is probably better than Second XI cricket but not quite First XI standard, becuase in the Ones you get some first-class players — so it’s good to be exposed to that already.”
With Year 12 finally in the rearview mirror, Serry says he can finally devote his entire focus onto cricket, which bodes for a busy summer, a big 2015 campaign and an exciting future.
“It’s been a bit of a busy year and I’m really happy to have finished it now,” he said.
“Next year I’ll so I’ll stay here, play with Prahran, go to uni and then the season after I’d like to go to England and play a season over there.
“I’m kind of looking forward to that already but it’s still a little while off.”
ADAM BLAU
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