Vics young guns to be unleashed for Aussie A one-dayers

With fewer than 10 List A matches between them, left-handers Peake and Kellaway will turn out in Friday's series opener against Sri Lanka A in Darwin

Victoria teenager Ollie Peake will make his Australia A debut on Friday – his first senior match in the 50-over format – as national selectors cast an eye to the future in the five-match series against Sri Lanka A in Darwin.

The 18-year-old will be accompanied by another exciting Victorian product in 22-year-old Campbell Kellaway, who last summer posted his maiden hundreds in both first-class and List A cricket, and will open the batting alongside Australia capped 'keeper-batter Josh Philippe.

Peake, who has just one first-class match to his name, will bat at six, where he will be sandwiched between South Australia pair Nathan McSweeney (five) and Liam Scott (seven).

Another adopted South Australian, Jason Sangha, will bat at three, with skipper Matthew Renshaw rounding out the top seven at number four. Sam Elliott, Henry Thornton, Bryce Jackson and Billy Stanlake will make up a four-man pace attack. All matches will be live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app as well as via Kayo Sports.

Australia A XI: (for opening 50-over match) Josh Philippe, Campbell Kellaway, Jason Sangha, Matthew Renshaw (c), Nathan McSweeney, Ollie Peake, Liam Scott, Sam Elliot, Henry Thornton, Bryce Jackson, Billy Stanlake

As Australia take their first steps in a new World Test Championship cycle over in the Caribbean, and the ODI side will inevitably feature fresh faces following the retirements of Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith, the two-leg Australia A series (three one-dayers, two first-class games) presents an excellent opportunity for a group of batting hopefuls to put their names up in lights.

"I'm super pumped," said Peake, who shadowed the Australian Test squad through their series opener in Galle in February, before hitting 52 and 21 against Western Australia in his Sheffield Shield debut in March.

"I had about a month off through April and early May, then got back into it leading into the Vics pre-season. It was good to join in there, and then we had a couple of weeks up in Brisbane as well with the Aussie A squad, which was good to hit outside and nice to get some good weather up there as well."

In a twist on the typical contemporary tale, left-handers Peake and Kellaway both identified their tight defence as the cornerstone of their games, and said it was a strength they had been encouraged to continue improving by the Victoria coaching staff, led by head coach Chris Rogers.

02:08 Play video Kellaway's delectable driving highlights crucial second ton

That strong foundation was evident in the pair during their most recent Shield clash at the WACA Ground three months ago. Peake's first-innings 52 came with his side in trouble at 3-20 on the opening morning, and the highly promising teen was able to repel a strong WA attack for almost four hours. In the second innings, Kellaway batted for more than eight hours, facing 338 balls in what proved to be a match-winning 165no.

Which isn't to say the pair won't be prepared to play their shots when the one-day leg of the series gets underway. At last year's Under 19s World Cup, Peake played key hands of 49 and 46no from No.6 in the semi-final and final respectively as Australia claimed the trophy, while Kellaway's 117no against the Blues in February saw him work calmly through the gears, hitting his last 67 from 47 balls as the Vics easily chased down 310 in Sydney.

03:11 Play video Kellaway lifts Vics into one-day final with maiden List A ton

The more experienced of the pair, Kellaway shot to prominence in December 2022 when, as a 20-year-old, he made 105no against the touring South Africans in a four-day match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane. A deep thinker on the game, he is viewed as a more traditional opening bat, though he is hungry for more opportunity in the white-ball formats, having played just nine List A matches with Victoria and 10 BBL games with Melbourne Stars.

"I actually played in a little T10 comp in Melbourne right at the end of the season," Kellaway said. "With a lot of cricket for Victoria over the summer, you don't necessarily get to play a heap of short-form stuff, so it was good just to spend some time in the middle and have some match scenarios where I could ply my trade.

"I was definitely learning with every innings … and it was good to know I can succeed in the shorter format, and that gives me a bit of confidence heading into this season."

Peake, whose father Clinton Peake played 14 matches for Victoria between 1995 and 2001, has learned under the watchful eye of his old man since he was a small child in Geelong, while his rapid entry into the big time continued this week when he was signed by Melbourne Renegades on a one-year deal.

Sri Lanka A players to watch

Lahiru Udara: Captain of the one-day squad, he will also play in the four-day series. The 31-year-old wicketkeeper and opening batter recently made his Test debut for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh. The right-hander was solid as an opener, scoring 78 runs across three innings – 40 of which came in the second Test Sri Lanka won by an innings. A highly regarded domestic player, with three List A centuries at an average of 32.22.

Sonal Dinusha: A 24-year-old left-arm orthodox allrounder that will play both formats. Recently made his Test debut against Bangladesh, claiming key wickets including Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das. Praised for his agility in the field and considered a rising talent, he has taken 102 wickets in 49 first-class matches.

Kamil Mishara: The 24-year-old left-handed batter made his international debut against Australia in Melbourne in February 2022, and has scored 15 runs in his three T20Is. However, in his 50 List A appearances, he has 1702 runs at an average of 41.51, including three centuries. He also has six first-class centuries and a domestic T20 strike rate of around 140.

Nuwanidu Fernando: A 25-year-old, right-handed top-order batter, Nuwanidu made his ODI debut against India at Eden Gardens with a half-century. He has represented Sri Lanka in both white-ball formats but is yet to secure a permanent spot in the national team.

Sahan Arachchige: At 29, Arachchige is a batting allrounder who has represented Sri Lanka in six white-ball internationals. A regular in the Sri Lanka A set-up looking to take the next step.

Chamindu Wickramasinghe: The 22-year-old seam-bowling allrounder has already played seven international matches for Sri Lanka. Considered a batting allrounder, Wickramasinghe has ample potential to break into the national side.

Pramod Madushan: A 31-year-old right-arm fast bowler from Hambantota, Madushan has played nine ODIs and eight T20Is for Sri Lanka for 25 wickets, including four in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan.

Mohamed Shiraz: The 30-year-old right-arm pacer made his ODI debut against India last year in Colombo. A Sri Lanka A regular, he has played two ODIs and has 151 wickets in 55 first-class matches.

Dushan Hemantha: A 31-year-old leg-spin allrounder from Colombo, Hemantha has played five ODIs but yet to cement a spot in the national team. He has 2631 runs in 60 first-class matches and 1646 runs in 107 List A matches.

Lasith Croospulle: A 26-year-old opening batter, Croospulle made his T20I debut against Afghanistan in the 2023 Asian Games. His domestic record includes nine centuries and 22 fifties in 63 first-class matches with more than 4000 runs at 39. He has also scored 2243 runs in 95 List A matches, including five centuries and nine fifties

Pasindu Sooriyabandara: The captain for the first-class matches, the 25-year-old middle-order batter is among the most highly-rated domestic players in Sri Lanka. Uncapped at the international level, in his 53 first-class matches he has 3981 runs at an average of 56.87, with 12 centuries and 19 fifties. He has also played 62 List A matches, scoring 1575 runs at an average of 31.50. A member of the Test squad of the recent series against Bangladesh, he is on the cusp of taking the next step.

Australia A v Sri Lanka A series

July 4: First one-dayer, Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin

July 6: Second one-dayer, Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin

July 9: Third one-dayer, Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin

Australia A one-day squad: Sam Elliott, Matt Gilkes, Bryce Jackson, Zanden Jeh, Campbell Kellaway, Nathan McSweeney, Ollie Peake, Josh Philippe, Jack Nisbet, Matt Renshaw (c), Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Billy Stanlake, Henry Thornton

Sri Lanka A one-day squad: Kamil Mishara, Lahiru Udara (c), Lasith Croospulle, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Nuwanidu Fernando, Pavan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Sonal Dinusha, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Shiran Fernando, Isitha Wijesundara, Pramod Madushan, Mohamed Shiraz, Dushan Hemantha, Wanuja Sahan

July13-16: First four-day match, Marrara Stadium, Darwin

July 20-23: Second four-day match, Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin

Australia A four-day squad: Sam Elliott, Matt Gilkes, Zanden Jeh, Campbell Kellaway, Nathan McSweeney, Jack Nisbet, Kurtis Patterson, Ollie Peake, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Jason Sangha (c), Liam Scott, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald

Sri Lanka A four-day squad: Lahiru Udara, Kamil Mishara, Ravindu Rasantha, Pasindu Sooriyabandara (c), Nuwanidu Fernando, Pavan Rathnayake, Vishad Randika, Sohan de Livera, Sonal Dinusha, Shiran Fernando, Isitha Wijesundara, Asanka Manoj, Mohamed Shiraz, Pramod Madushan, Wanuja Sahan, Nishan Peiris

All matches live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, and via Kayo Sports. All matches start 10:30am AEST.

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